Historian Kim Wagner Reveals Forgotten 1906 Bud Dajo Massacre in New Book

Kim Wagner’s new work, Massacre in the Clouds, reconstructs the March 1906 assault on Bud Dajo, where U.S. troops killed about a thousand Moro men, women and children who had taken refuge on the volcanic crater. Wagner contends that the event was labeled a "battle" to legitimize the violence, earning three Medals of Honor and a campaign streamer for the U.S. Army. He uncovered dozens of photographs, including a widely circulated postcard, that served as trophies rather than evidence of atrocity.

By examining military reports, uncensored soldiers’ letters, contemporary newspapers and oral histories from descendants, Wagner shows how the massacre was systematically concealed and justified through racist rhetoric. The book also highlights the role of anti-Muslim sentiment in shaping American perceptions of the Moros, linking the episode to later imperial campaigns. Wagner hopes the renewed attention will challenge the selective memory of U.S. empire and prevent the erasure of such atrocities.