Jones - Honor in the Dust: Theodore Roosevelt, War in the Philippines, and the Rise and Fall of Americas Imperial Dream

HONOR IN THE DUST

Theodore Roosevelt, War in the Philippines,
and the Rise and Fall of Americas Imperial Dream

GREGG JONES

NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY

N EW A MERICAN L IBRARY

Published by New American Library, a division of

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First published by New American Library,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, February 2012

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Copyright Gregg Jones, 2012

Maps by Chris Erichsen

All rights reserved

REGISTERED TRADEMARKMARCA REGISTRADA

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:

Jones, Gregg

Honor in the dust: Theodore Roosevelt, war in the Philippines, and the rise and fall of Americas imperial dream/Gregg Jones.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

EISBN: 9781101575123

1. PhilippinesHistoryPhilippine American War, 18991902CampaignsPhilippinesSamar. 2. PhilippinesHistoryPhilippine American War, 18991902Atrocities. 3. PhilippinesHistoryPhilippine American War, 18991902Political aspectsUnited States. 4. PhilippinesAnnexation to the United States. 5. Waller, Littleton Waller Tazewell, 18561926. 6. Roosevelt, Theodore, 18581919. I. Title.

DS682.S26J66 2012

959.9031dc23 2011033386

Set in Baskerville

Designed by Ginger Legato

Printed in the United States of America

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To Don and Bonny Edmonds

The debts I have accumulated in the course of writing this book are considerable, and they begin at home. I met my wife, Ali, in 1984, shortly after I arrived in the Philippines to chronicle the political upheaval in Americas former colony. She was a gifted writer at a local design studio, and, with our common interests in books and world travel, we fell in love. As I completed this project, we celebrated our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. I will be forever grateful to Ali, and our son, Chris, for their love and forbearance as I pursued this passion.

It is impossible to adequately express the gratitude I feel toward Brent Howard, my editor at New American Library. Brent saw potential from the first pitch, and he convinced his colleagues that this book was worth publishing. His enthusiasm sustained me through hard months when deadlines passed and the finish line remained far in the hazy distance. But that only begins to describe Brents contributions. He devoted diligent weeks to my first draft, and conceived a superb road map for transforming my meandering manuscript into a compelling book. His skill and good judgment are reflected throughout.

I also want to thank New American Library publisher, Kara Welsh, who supported Brents pursuit of this book and patiently shifted schedules as I labored on. Pete Garceau designed a striking cover. Rosalind Parry assisted with the photo insert, production logistics, and numerous other vital tasks. My thanks also to copy editor Tiffany Yates Martin and publicist Jen Bernard.

Agents are a critical cog in the publishing wheel, and I am indebted to mine, fellow writer and friend Jim Donovan. He embraced this project from the outset, taking careful notes on a napkin as I laid out the story over plates of stromboli at the Elbow Room. True to his word, he found a good home for this book.

At a time when libraries, archives, and museums are undergoing heartbreaking budget cuts, I would like to thank the dedicated professionals at the following institutions for their assistance: National Archives and Records Administration and Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.; Marine Corps Archives and Special Collections Branch, Alfred M. Gray Marine Corps Research Center and Marine Corps University Library in Quantico, Virginia; National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri; McDermott Library at the University of Texas at Dallas; University of Texas Arlington Library; Dallas Public Library and Plano Public Library in Texas; Old Dominion University Libraries and the Norfolk Public Library in Norfolk, Virginia.

Early on, I was fortunate to sit down with Trevor Plante at the National Archives. I had admired Trevors work in Prologue magazine over the years, but he was even more impressive in person. His knowledge of U.S. military activities during the Spanish-American and Philippine conflicts was encyclopedic. Even more invaluable was his assistance in tracking down various records and microfilm reels.

While the entire staff at the Marine Corps Archives and Special Collections Branch earned my gratitude, two people deserve special mention. Greg Cina was ever helpful, from the first moment I contacted him about scheduling research trips to the final minutes I spent poring over the personal papers of legendary Marines. I would also like to thank J. Michael Miller, branch head, for his kind assistance.

Special thanks as well to Michelle Brown at the National Personnel Records Center, Robert Hitchings at the Norfolk Public Librarys Sargeant Memorial Room and Harry Frizzell at Old Dominion University. Roy Waller provided useful background information on Virginias storied Waller clan. Jean Fe Wall shared rare articles and diaries as well as priceless stories about her father, Balangiga survivor Adolph Gamlin. John Reed of the University of Utah imparted keen insights on Americas war in the Philippines, especially the campaigns in Panay and Samar.