The march across Samar, or Waller's March across the island of Samar, was a failed attempt made in 1901 by a U.S. Marine unit commanded by Major Littleton W. T. Waller to traverse the Philippine island of Samar from Lanang (now Llorente, Eastern Samar) to Basey, Samar, a distance of some 35 miles (56 km). Waller had proposed the expedition in October 1901 to Brigadier General Jacob H. Smith, commander of the military district, as a prelude to the establishment of outposts stretching across the island and thereby stop the flow of supplies to rebels in the north and to isolate rebels in the south. Smith was receptive because he thought that the march might identify the best route for a telegraph line to connect Samar's east and west coasts.[2] The expedition proved disastrous due to the unexpected harsh conditions as well as a mutiny of many of the Filipino porters. Ten Marines died during the attempt and eleven Filipinos were subsequently executed for their role in the mutiny.
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March across Samar |
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General Jacob H. Smith's infamous order "Kill Everyone Over Ten" was the caption in the New York Journal cartoon on May 5, 1902. The Old Glory draped an American shield on which a vulture replaced the bald eagle. The caption at the bottom proclaims, "Criminals Because They Were Born Ten Years Before We Took the Philippines" |
Location | Samar, Philippines |
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Date | December 8, 1901 to February 26, 1902 |
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Target | Filipinos |
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Victims | Most estimates range from between 2,000 and 2,500 victims; 5,000 according to other sources. Some estimates are as high as 50,000, albeit these are supported by population figures now known to be a result of typographical errors and the misreading of documents.[1] |
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Perpetrators | United States Marine Corps
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