Battle of Bud Bagsak

The Battle of Bud Bagsak was a battle during the Moro Rebellion phase of the Philippine–American War fought between June 11 and 15, 1913. The defending Moro fighters were fortified at the top of Mount Bagsak on the island of Jolo, Sulu. The attacking Americans were led by General John 'Black Jack' Pershing. The Moros were entirely annihilated, including their leader, Datu Amil.[2]: 228–240 

Battle of Bud Bagsak
Part of the Moro Rebellion phase of the Philippine–American War

"Knocking Out the Moros"
DateJune 11–15, 1913
Location
Philippines
Result American victory
Belligerents
 United States Sultanate of Sulu
Commanders and leaders
John J. Pershing
George C. Shaw		 Datu Amil  †
Datu Sahipa
Strength
1200, 8th Infantry, 8th Cavalry, 40th Mountain Artillery Battery and Philippine Scouts [1] Estimated 800[2]: 225 
Casualties and losses
14 killed
25 wounded[2]: 240 		 Est. 200 to over 500[2]: 240 

Background
Datu Amil (sitting left), an influential leader of the Tausūgs in discussion with Captain W.O. Reed, US 6th Cavalry Regiment during the American Moro Campaigns. Amil was later killed by the Americans which marked the beginning of the end of the sovereignty of the Sulu Sultanate when the Americans abolished its power after the end of this battle when their region fell under American rule.[3][4]

In March 1913, Datu Amil and 1,500 warriors negotiated with the Sultan of Sulu and other Moros allied with the Americans, pledging to surrender their weapons.[2]: 229  Two months later, having retreated to Bud Bagsak with his entire population of 6,000-10,000 in the Lati Ward, he told the Americans to "come on and fight".[2]: 229 

Noticing the Moros only fled to Bud Bagsak when provoked by government troops, General John J. Pershing devised a policy of keeping the troops in their island garrisons in the hopes the women and children would come down from the mountain cottas (fortified earthworks which were surrounded by deep ditches and camouflaged pits containing bamboo shafts on which to impale their enemies [5]).[2]: 230  At the same time, Pershing secretly landed his force at the coastal town of Bun Bun, three and a half miles from Bud Bagsak.[2]: 231  Pershing's force consisted of the 51st and 52nd Companies of Moro Scouts from Basilan and Siasi, besides the Philippine Scouts from Jolo and fifty troopers from the 8th Cavalry Regiment.[2]: 231 

The horseshoe-shaped volcanic crater, open on the northwest at a knoll called Languasan, was protected by five cottas, Bunga, Bagsak, Puhagan, Matunkup and Puyacabao, ranging from 1,440 to 1,900 feet in elevation.[2]: 231 

Battle

Pershing made Languasan his first objective as a place for his artillery and to block any escape, sending Major George C. Shaw with Company M of the 8th Infantry and the 40th Company of Philippine Scouts.[2]: 232  Pershing also sent Capt. George Charlton and his 51st Moros to attack Matunkup while Capt. Taylor Nichols' Philippine Scouts attacked Puyacabao.[2]: 233  By 12:20 PM, Matunkup was in American hands, and earned 2nd Lt. Louis Mosher a Medal of Honor.[2]: 234  Puyacabao fell by 12:30 PM.[2]: 235  That ended the first day of fighting, June 11.[2]: 235 

Early on the morning of June 12, the American artillery fired on Puhagan while marksmen fired on its interior, killing Datu Amil.[2]: 235–236  Pershing then ordered Capt. Patrick Moylan to attack Bunga with the 24th and 31st Scouts, taking it by 1:30 PM.[2]: 236–237  Pershing, James Lawton Collins, and a ten-man escort scouted Bagsak, which convinced Pershing to bring up his artillery on June 14 and attack from the south.[2]: 237 

The attack began in Sunday morning fog, June 15, with mountain howitzers and Charlton's Moros advancing at 9 AM.[2]: 238  When the assault stalled, Pershing joined other American officers in the forefront of danger, helping stop a Moro counterattack.[2]: 239  The final assault on the cotta occurred at 5 PM and Bagsak was captured after three and a half hours.[2]: 239 

Aftermath

General Pershing in a letter to his wife, wrote: "The fighting was the fiercest I have ever seen. They are absolutely fearless, and once committed to combat they count death as a mere incident."[6]

See also

References
  1. Ward, Gary. "46 Bud Bagsak, 1913: 'No Fiercer Battle'".
  2. Arnold, J.R., 2011, The Moro War, New York: Bloomsbury Press, ISBN 9781608190249
  3. Vic Hurley; Christopher L. Harris (October 1, 2010). Swish of the Kris, the Story of the Moros, Authorized and Enhanced Edition. Cerberus Books. pp. 228–. ISBN 978-0-615-38242-5.
  4. James R. Arnold (July 26, 2011). The Moro War: How America Battled a Muslim Insurgency in the Philippine Jungle, 1902-1913. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 236–. ISBN 978-1-60819-365-3.
  5. Smythe, Donald (1964). "Pershing and the Mountain Bagsak campaign of 1913" (PDF). Philippine Studies. 12 (1): 3–31.
  6. Sweeney, Patrick (2010). 1911 The First 100 Years: The First 100 Years. Krause Publications. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-4402-1799-9.

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