ar ▁to ▁accomplish ▁the ▁task . ▁ ▁Smith ▁instruct ed ▁Major ▁Little ton ▁W aller , ▁command ing ▁officer ▁of ▁a ▁batt alion ▁of ▁ 3 1 5 ▁U . S . ▁Mar ines ▁assigned ▁to ▁bol ster ▁his ▁forces ▁in ▁Sam ar , ▁regarding ▁the ▁conduct ▁of ▁pac ification : ▁ ▁A ▁march ▁through ▁the ▁island ▁followed . ▁Food ▁and ▁trade ▁to ▁Sam ar ▁were ▁cut ▁off , ▁intended ▁to ▁star ve ▁the ▁revolution aries ▁into ▁submission . ▁Smith ' s ▁strategy ▁on ▁Sam ar ▁involved ▁w ides p read ▁destruction ▁to ▁force ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁to ▁stop ▁supporting ▁the ▁gu err illas ▁and ▁turn ▁to ▁the ▁Americans ▁from ▁fear ▁and ▁star v ation . ▁He ▁used ▁his ▁troops ▁in ▁swe eps ▁of ▁the ▁interior ▁in ▁search ▁for ▁gu err illa ▁bands ▁and ▁in ▁attempts ▁to ▁capture ▁Philipp ine ▁General ▁Vic ente ▁L uk b án , ▁but ▁he ▁did ▁nothing ▁to ▁prevent ▁contact ▁between ▁the ▁gu err illas ▁and ▁the ▁town spe ople . ▁American ▁columns ▁march ed ▁across ▁the ▁island , ▁destroy ing ▁homes ▁and ▁shooting ▁people ▁and ▁draft ▁animals . ▁ ▁The ▁exact ▁number ▁of ▁Filip ino ▁civ ili ans ▁killed ▁by ▁US ▁troops ▁will ▁never ▁be ▁known . ▁Little ton ▁W aller , ▁in ▁a ▁report , ▁stated ▁that ▁over ▁an ▁eleven - day ▁period ▁his ▁men ▁burn ed ▁ 2 5 5 ▁dwell ings , ▁shot ▁ 1 3 ▁car aba os ▁and ▁killed ▁ 3 9   people . ▁An ▁exhaust ive ▁research ▁made ▁by ▁a ▁British