_ who enabled them to get back. Then Colonel
(now Brig.-General) F. D. Baldwin set out from Malabang Camp in
May, attacked and captured the _cottas_ of the Datto of Binadayan
and the Sultan of Bayan on Lake Lanao, and gained a signal victory
over them with a loss of seven killed and 44 wounded. Lieutenant
Forsyth's horses and rifles were recovered, and the Moros suffered
so severely in this engagement that it was hardly thought they would
rise again. In consequence of this humiliation of the great Sultan
of Bayan, many minor Lake _Dattos_ voluntarily cultivated friendly
relations with the Americans. Even among the recalcitrant chiefs there
was a lull in their previous activity until they suddenly swept down
on the American troops twelve times in succession, killing four and
wounding 12 of them. The whole Lanao Lake district was in a ferment
when, on September 28, 1902, Captain John J. Pershing was detached
from Baldwin's force to lead another expedition against them "composed
of a battalion of the 7th Infantry, a troop of the 15th Cavalry, and
two platoons of the 25th Field Artillery." [248] Pershing inflicted
such a crushing defeat on the Macui Moros, destroying many of their
strongholds, one Sultan and a large number of his warriors, that he
was hailed with delight as the pacifier of Mindanao. The expedition
returned with a total loss of only two Americans wounded, and after
Pershing's heroic exploit, not only was it in the mouth of every one,
"there is peace in Mindanao," but in the Report of the Secretary of
War for 1902, p. 19, there is a paragraph beginning thus:--"_Now that
the insurrection has been disposed of_ we shall be able to turn our
attention, not merely to the slave trade, but to the already existing
slavery among the Moros." But peace was by no means assured, and
again Captain J. J. Pershing distinguished himself as the successful
leader of an expedition in the Marahui district. Starting from Camp
Vicars [249] on April 5, 1903, with 150 men, Maxim guns, mortars, and
artillery, his instructions were to "explore" the north and west coast
of Lake Lanao, but to overcome any opposition offered. It was quite
expected that his progress would be challenged, hence the warlike
preparations. Arrived at Sugud, the Moros kept up a constant fire
from the hills on the American front. On the high ridge running down
to the lake the Bacolod fort was clearly seen flying the battle flags
of defiance. On the battlements ther