Ten Months a Captive Among Filipinos

Albert Sonnichsen was an American soldier captured early in the Philippine-American war. His ten months of imprisonment on the isle of Luzon are related here, offering a vivid portrayal of Filipino society amid the chaos of the prolonged conflict.

Sonnichsen was held in various jails with other Western men suspected of being soldiers, or aiding, either the Spanish or American armies. His adventures, including escape attempts and being moved from place to place as the frontline shifted during the ongoing war, are told in shocking detail. Everyday life as a military captive, such as the meager rations and almost complete lack of luxuries, are paired with anecdotes of the Filipino people, whom Sonnichsen grew to respect as time went by. The captives had little to read other than the Philippines’ propaganda newspaper entitled La Independencia.

The final chapters of the book see Sonnichsen reunited with the American forces; sailors from the U.S.S. Oregon venturing ashore to raid encountered and liberated the author and his companions. To his shock, many of the setbacks the American forces had suffered turned out to be exaggerated or even invented. While relieved to be freed, the author describes feeling dismayed at the condescending humor of the sailors, many of whom lacked any desire to understand or learn about the culture of the Filipinos.