waller largely ignored these illegal orders. waller and his battalion of 315 marines departed cavite on 22 october 1901 and landed at catbalogan, samar, on 24 october. in the southern half of samar, waller ran patrols, amphibious operations, and led a detachment of marines which defeated philippine insurgents in a battle at sohoton cliffs on 5 november 1901. he was having some success in registering the inhabitants and pacifying the philippine towns.