by Dale Thomas.
Hardback (6.5×9.5 inches). 144 pages. 2026.
Subtitle: The Journal and Letters of Quartermaster Fred Tuttle US Navy
Once Spain surrendered and ended the Spanish-American War, the US found itself owning the Philippines. At the time, a debate over whether or not to keep it raged in Congress. Indeed, the “Republican Speaker of the House Thomas Reed resigned to protest the annexation.” That one sentence was probably the most stunning of the entire book. Imagine the fortitude back then to actually resign over annexing the Philippines right after annexing Hawaii.
Anyway, the guerrilla war soon turned against the Americans. Tuttle was part of a US Navy and US Army force sent there to quell the rebellion. This journal of his recounts his experiences as well as related anecdotes of the suppression of the Filipinos. It mixes the mundane with the memorable. Booby traps, shelling natives, skirmishes with the ‘bolo men,’ and exchanging salutes with other ships occupy day-by-day entries.
A couple typos: “hasten Spain’s surrendered” (p10) needs the “ed” deleted, and, “coin sliver” (p134) should be “silver.”
The book contains 135 black and white photos, which should help with uniforms and terrain, four black and white illustrations, and 19 black and white political cartoons.
This is excellent primary source material for a little known guerrilla war in turn of the 20th century Philippines.
Enjoyed it.
— Reviewed by Russ Lockwood
