The Bells of Balangiga: A Tale of Missed Opportunity

Abstract

The Philippine-American War broke out in 1899 hard on the heels of the Spanish American War. Although the conflict began as conventional warfare, American troops unexpectedly found themselves engaged in a guerilla war. This article examines one small incident that occurred on the island of Samar. It demonstrates how American soldiers completely misread a situation that resulted in a massacre that was the American Army’s worst defeat since Custer’s demise in 1876.