Death Gulch, Basay, Samar, PI
 

Does anyone have any information on action by the US Marines at a place called "Death Gulch" near Basay, Samar, Philippine Islands in early November 1901?

So far I have been unable to locate any information on that particular combat action.

Any complete history of the Corps will have Samar. The short version, a company of Marines were operating in a village. The Filipino "doped up" attacked the Marines around 0Dark30. The Marines shot all of them (pre .45 automatic pistol days), but the natives continued to charge, killing a lot of Marines and wounding everyone. The survivors to their dying day were recognized upon entering a room, "Attention, there a Samar Marine on deck". That is the rough story. I believe Morrsion and Leckie have the event in their books.

There is quite a lot of information out there on Samar. So far I have not been able to find ANY information specifically on an incident at a place called "Death Gulch." Can you help?

I do not have at my finger tips the books. "The Spendid Little War", "The Philippine Insurrection", or a book on the Philippine War (1900 - 1902), and possibility "American Imperialism" might have what you are looking for.

Thanks for the leads. I'll see if the local library has any of those volumes. I have written to the USMC History Section but haven't gotten any reply back.

The reason I ask is that I am researching the life of a Marine who was recommended for a MOH for action at Death Gulch and I am trying to see what happened there.

http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/usmchist/samar.txt


references and resources you MAY be able to get from your local public library on an inter library loan. See the reference desk.

http://www.grunts.net/usmc/1stmarines/notes.html


http://www.scuttlebuttsmallchow.com/samar.html

That oughta be enough to get ya good and started.

Those are some references that I had not come across before. Thanks for your help.

YW. There generally won't be much more detail than what I have provided. You may have to try and locate diaries or letters of the principles involved or other such writings. Detailed biographies perhaps...

Checked out the above sites but they don't give me what I am looking for. Still looking for detailed information. Wish I could find letters or biographies.

I got a reply from the Marine Historical Section yesterday saying that they couldn't help. They suggested National Archives Old History Branch so I will try them.

They also suggested contacting the Marine Corps Awards Branch at Quantico so I sent them a letter, too.

So far none of the general history books have any mention of a place in Samar called Death Gulch.

Post the citation and the name of the recipient, would ya. I may be able to help some...mebbe....