The Butte Inter Mountain

TROUBLE IN SAMAR.

The island of Samar, the birthplace of Aguinaldo's revolution, has of late become a veritable island of death for American troops. It has recently been made notable as the only place on the wide earth where troops wearing the uniform of the United States have met with reverses. Roaming bands of insurgents have ambushed soldiers in lonely places and an intermittent warfare has been carried on in portions of the island where operations against the insurgents are difficult. It was on this island that Company C of the Ninth infantry was attacked with such disastrous results September 28, forty-eight of the seventy-two troops composing the company being killed.

The Ninth United States infantry has been particularly unfortunate since being assigned to duty at Samar. This regiment was sent to China at the beginning of the Boxer outbreak and shared in the heroic services performed by the allied troops. When matters in China became more tranquil the regiment was sent to Manila and later a battalion of the organization was ordered to Samar.

The island in which disasters have recently overtaken the American troops is about as large as the state of Ohio. It lies to the southeast of Luzon and its surface is broken and well calculated to afford hiding places for the hostile natives. During the past three months the work of occupying the island has progressed rapidly and about 2500 American troops are now located there, distributed among the various posts of the island and occupying the most important towns. Spain's operations never extended to the island of Samar and the insurgent forces of the place have been long known as disciples of the leader of the first revolt against American authority. It was here that Aguinaldo planned his insurrection.

The feeble remnant of the guerrilla army is making a final stand in the fastnesses of Samar and there is every prospect that the resistance now being offered against American authority will be short-lived.

The recent savage attacks by the bolomen represent the final convulsion of the revolution led by Aguinaldo and the natives are fighting with all the cruel vindictiveness of well-trained disciples of that treacherous leader.