Suffice it to say that after three days of hardships and privation,
those troops, constituting what was known as the "Lake Lanao
Expedition," encountered the enemy on a bit of rising ground at a place
known as Gadungan, and after two engagements fought, one there, and one
at a place known as Fort Pualos, a camp was established in that vicinity
and negotiations with the Moros were renewed.
These were but preliminary engagements and were merely forerunners of
what was to come.
After a useless delay and fruitless attempt to restore peace, the column
again advanced, this time for the Bayan Forts.
On May 1 the little army of American troops arrived at a point on the
south-eastern shore of Lake Lanao, overlooking the Lake and in sight of
the enemy's stronghold.
At this juncture Brigadier General George W. Davis, commanding the
Seventh Separate Brigade, and who had been designated by General Chaffee
to personally accompany the expedition, arrived from Malabang after
making a flying trip across the mountains.
A temporary camp was established and General Davis prepared messages in
Arabic writing, which were immediately sent to the Sultan of Bayan,
demanding his surrender by noon of May 2, or suffer the consequences.
These messages are known to have been delivered but they were not
replied to.