ught that the swiftest and
surest way to secure happiness in the next world was by the slaughter of
Christians in this present world. During 300 years they had fought the
Spanish invaders, whose every attempt to subdue them had failed.

Pershing in command of five troops of the Fifteenth Cavalry, together
with a battery of artillery, a company of engineers and a battalion of
the Twenty-seventh Infantry, was stationed at Camp Vicars in the Lake
Lanao District of Mindanao. He had taken the place made vacant by the
promotion of Colonel Baldwin.

Although the Americans had obtained a foothold on the southern side of
Lake Lanao, very few of them had actually become friendly. In fact the
Spaniards, in all the years of their occupation, had never subdued the
main tribes to subordination.

Among those who especially defied the American authority was the Sultan
of Bacalan and 600 of his followers who occupied a stronghold on the
western side of Lake Lanao from which they made almost daily forays.
Walls of earth and bamboo some 20 feet in thickness had been added to
the natural defenses of the position they selected. A moat 40 feet wide
and 30 feet deep surrounded the position. The defenders thought it was
proof against any possible attack. Friendly overtures failed to make an
impression upon their leaders, and their cotta was finally surrounded
and their surrender demanded. Still confident of their prowess, they
declined to accede to the American Commander's demands and the latter
was compelled to assault this strong fortification. Accordingly trees
were felled and used to make a crossing over the moat and when all was
in readiness the place was taken in a fierce hand-to-hand encounter
between the Americans and the Moros. The American success was complete
and a severe lesson was taught to Moros in that region. General Pershing
completed the conquest of Mindanao Moros by marching his command
entirely around Lake Lanao through the dense jungles and swamps
bordering the lake.

As a matter of interest several reports made by General Pershing on his
work in the Philippines follow, and some in which reference is made to
him by certain of his superior officers at that time.

In the later reports sent by Pershing there is manifest the same
painstaking carefulness and thorough understanding of his task. He makes
recommendations concerning the distribution of the troops in the
Philippines, goes into detail about the necessity and the