Samar Pacification 1901
The island of Samar in the Philippines was of interest to the United States as a source of Manila hemp, a product in demand by the cotton industry in America, and by the US Navy and Merchant Marine. After the Spanish American War, the United States acquired both the Philippines and the insurrection that the Spanish had been struggling to contain there. In September 1901, Filipino insurgents attacked Company C of the United States Ninth Infantry on Samar, killing 36 outright as they were eating breakfast. Another eight wounded later died. Brigadier General Jacob Smith requested he is reinforced and dispatched Major Littleton Waller to pacify the island.
In his orders to Waller Jacobs specified that he was not to take prisoners. “I wish you to kill and burn,” Smith ordered. “The more you kill and burn, the better it will please me.” Jacobs ordered Waller to kill any male supporting or actively involved in the insurrection “capable of bearing arms against the United States.” When Waller asked for clarification as to what should be considered capable of bearing arms against the United States he was told to so consider any male over the age of ten. Waller chose to disregard the order to kill children.
All communication and trade between Samar and the other islands were immediately closed, and food rapidly became scarce, as part of a strategy to starve the insurrectionists. The Filipino insurgents made up a small part of the population of the island, and those not involved in the insurrection were subjected to starvation. Smith refused to deploy troops to separate the uninvolved civilians from the insurrectionists, a strategy which allowed his troops to consider any interaction to be active supports of the rebellion. Troops ranged across Samar, destroying homes and farms, shooting those Filipinos considered to be opposing them, and killing farm animals.
Over 250 dwellings were destroyed by fires set by the American troops, according to Waller’s own report. He also reported the shooting of 13 domesticated water buffalo and 39 civilians. The exact number of Filipinos killed during the march across Samar remains disputed. Filipino claims are over 50,000 but western sources place the figure around 2,500. It was eleven executions by firing squad which led to a court-martial of Major Waller, who defended his actions not by stating that he was under orders from Smith, but instead on the prevailing rules of engagement regarding guerrilla warfare. Waller was acquitted.
Testimony during Waller’s court-martial exposed Smith’s orders to kill every male over the age of ten. Waller had acted with a great deal more restraint than that ordered by Smith. When Smith denied ever giving the orders, which were presented to Waller verbally, three additional officers testified that they had been present during the conversation between Waller and Smith, and the orders had been delivered as described. Smith was court-martialed for giving an unlawful order. He was convicted by the court and forced to retire from the Army. American newspapers described him as the Butcher of Samar.