The African American Who Fought For Filipino Liberation

David Fagen was born in 1875 in Tampa, Florida. His father is a former slave and he's the youngest of six children. When he is still in his teens, he worked in a phosphate camp in Florida.

At the age of 23, David Fagen enlisted in the 24th Infantry. He was one of the 7,000 soldiers that fought in the Philippine-American War. Until he had a faction with his superior, and racism was also present at that time and it led him to aid with the Filipino Guerillas.

He won the trust of the Filipinos and served for 2 years. He was much praised for his bravery by his Filipino comrades and promoted by his commanding officer, General Jose Alejandrino, from first lieutenant to caption and he is often referred as "General Fagen"

In May 1901, Gen. Alejandrino surrendered. He asked pardon for Fagen as one of his surrender terms, but the Americans refused. Most of the Filipino generals surrendered, so he left the camp with his Filipino wife. They hid in the mountains of Nueva Ecija.

David Fagen was declared as a bandit by the Americans hunting him, seeking for vengeance, rewarding 600 dollars to those who while catch him "dead or alive".

December 5, 1901, Anastacio Bartolome, a Filipino Hunter, brought a head, together with the belongings and a west point ring of one of the former captive of Fagen.

The evidences that they had were a positive identification, but there were no record of reward handing to Bartolome.

Bartolome story was he and his allies killed Fagen in a Dangalan Cove and Fagen's wife jumped into the sea and drowned.