February 18, 1899.]
last of which occupied about the centre point of the line. Then came the Idaho, Washington, California, 4th U.8. Cavalry, North Dakotas, 14th U.S. Infantry, and 6th Ú.8. Artillery, with two or three others stationed along the town
WAS the
new
and river front to Malate fort. On the river
Pasig
gunboat with its Gatling and field guns. The Utah Battery was somewhat scattered as its guns were placed where they could do best work at Senta Mesa and the cemetery.
It is utterly impossible for oue mau to observe all that was going on in that long ten miles or more of entrenchments. so I confined my atten- tion to Santa Mesa, Paco, and Pandakan, where the firing was the heaviest.
was RO
The engagement at Santa Mesa stubborn that Colonel Stottzenberg, of the Nebraska Infantry, sent in for reinforcements at 9.45.p.m. Up to midnight there was no lessen- ing of fire, but about half-past twelve a general quiet sattied down and only an occasional boom of the Springfield or psisses crack of the Mausers through the canes told of vigilant sniping on both sides. At 2.30 a.m. it flared up again and threatened to become au attack aided this time by the moonlight, but in half an hour it quieted down. Word was sent out by the division commander to hold the lines until fur- ther orders or relieved. As the news was heard the regiments shouted for joy and the insur- gents taking it for a charge signal answered with yells and volleys, never retreating an inch, This was about twenty minutes past four and in the bright light of the half moon the Utah guns opened fire from Santa Mesa and the Cemetery on the blockhouses. Over at Paco and Pandakan the insurgents had fortified themselves in the churches, stone houses, and a
flank in the rice fields and were keeping the Americans moving under a lively fire, and at Malate the Monadnock throwing in the great shells that must have killed scores. The first advance made was at Santa Mesa at daybreak, when two companies of the Nebreska iegiment charged across the rice fields, covered by the two 3.2 in. guns of the Utah battery, and forced the insurgents back from the water pipe, which they had held all night. The position was almost untenable,
wus
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
At Malate the
the unprotected rice fields, offering an excellent target to the standing Americans. Both Paco and Pandakan were in flames before noon. At Santa Ana where there are many fine houses there was heavy resistance, but with the same result in the end. The houses of some of the foreigners have been burned. natives were massed in great numbers and in their daring they crept up close to the fort that they had so often tried to take from the Spanish. Many of them came too close in to be hurt by the guns on the fort and then carried on a lively fight, but they were finally flanked and several captured by a charge of the North Dakota Co. G. and B.
Two companies (I & M) of the 4th U.S. Infantry tried a
the charge on
east of the fort to clear out some caues that were sheltering a large body of natives By a clear flank movement Co. M. was put under cross fire and lost twelve men and Lieut. Mitchell before it could be recovered. From the top of the fort the big navy shells could be seen falling apparently in the midst of the insur- gent lines and sometimes whole broadsides were fired, but without any apparent weakening of the enemy.
It is impossible to estimate the in those miniature volcanos of loss, but dust and earth many a misguided, unfortunate native has given up his life for his "libertad." On the north side of the city but little advance has been made; the natives have been driven back and the blockhouses burned. Nothing more will be done until to-morrow unless natives return to the attack. The American lines have been extended about a mile in all directions from the blockhouses except at Malate and the cemetery on the north-east.
At this writing it is impossible to estimate the dead and wounded, but a fair calculation is eight American officers killed and eighty men wounded, and 300-400 insurgents killed and wounded.
Aguinaldo's men have shown that they can fight and have the grit to stand punishment and their ability as enemies has gone up several points in the American soldiers' estimation. To- night the city is still under the closest military surveillance and no natives or foreigners are allowed about the streets unless they have passes. Along the outposts quiet reigns but for the occasional shots of distant snipers.
natives from comparatively strong positions but the advantage in almost all places lay with the victors. The ball has been opened and it is not likely that explanations will settle the difficulty, but it is not again that the Americans will be so conveniently placed.
Tondo, 6th February, 11 a.m. General MoA thur's division on the north of the city, composed of the 3rd U.S.A., Mortana, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and a portion of the Minnesota regiment, are advancing on Caloocan and if successful will continue as rapidly as possible to Malolos.
The railroad is being repaired by the troops preparatory to running cars. be had the soldiers will work the flat cars.
If no steam can
131
purposes. Why was the cable seized and no political news, except what the Americans chose to send throngh, allowed to be sent by others just nine days before the Senatorial. vote was to be taken P Was it not because the Jingo party, whose incarnation is Otis, received advice from Washington that the treaty of peace would be thrown out by two votes, unless some aggressive act of the Filipinos should cause the wavering senators to alienate their sympathies from the Philippine cause and refuse to concede the independence promised by the official American representatives? By provoking hostilities on the eve of voting, with control of the cable to prevent the Filipinos contradicting the statements they might choose to wire, they succeeded in gaining their point. - It is well known that General Aguinaldo had given most stringent orders to all bis com- manders on no account to resort to hostilities unless they were actually compelled by some provocative or offensive act of the Americans. General Otis knew this very well, hence the orders to the Santa Mesa outpost, and all the other outposts, to commence firing at a given moment. Will any sane person who knows the topography of the country believe that a simultaneous attack could be commenced in's line from Balie-Balie on the north to Pasay on the South East-a distance at least 10 miles- except on the face of some general order to this effect? -
Was it likely, in view of General Aguinaldo's stringent orders-and everybody who knows anything about the Filipinos is fully aware how implicitly he is obeyed, far more so than American soldiers obey their commanders -that disputes would simultaneously be pro- voked in every outpost P
Why were the American men-of-war placed at the various points of vantage along the coast, away from the rest of the fleet, if not to take part in this premeditated attack ?
If as stated by the Manila Times a pre- meditated attack had been planned by the Filipiuos, does the paper think they, with their splendid organization, would have been foolish enough not to have begun in the Tondo dis- trict simultaneously, and not more than two hours later?
No mention is made of the Filipino officers in the theatre on Saturday night, who were arrested by the American authorities just before the action took place! If such serious events were to take place immediately, as the Ameri- cans wish the public to believe, would these officers have been there?
The Americans admit that General Aguinaldo did not precipitate this rising, but they are very much mistaken in supposing he cannot control his followers. Future events will dispel Americans who took the mean advantage. Their these illusions. Well knowing this, it was the commissioners signed a document at the last meeting of the Mixed Commission-which any- one can now see was only a ruse to gain time- in which they guaranteed no hostilities wohld commence from their side. This document also set forth certain terms under which the United States would recognise the Philippine Republic, and was to be discussed by General Aguinaldo and his Cabinet and read before Congress in Mololos. It was notorious that better relations existed between Filipinos and Americans up to the time of the out-break, so much so that the The following statement, the signature of Filipinos were resting after the late excitement, which means in English Friend of the many having returned to their habitual ocenpa- Country," has been handed to us for publication, tions, and this circumstance was the cause of and on the principle of giving a fair hearing so many officers being at the theatre, and other to all parties we accord if space, but something prominent members of the Filipino Govern- much stronger than an ex parti statement willment being in Manila. The wholesale arrests be required to induce the public to credit the al-by the Americans since were for the object of legations made against the Americans, especially that contained in the last paragraph but one to the effect that at Taco the American soldiers called the people out of their houses and shot them like dogs regardless of se1 :-
A FILIPINO ACCOUNT OF THE
HOSTILITIES AT MANILA,
but the natives held the field and thickest on the other side of the pipe and San Juan river for more than an hour ander the heavy fire of
The Americans have driven the natives from the guns and encroaching riflemen. Every time the immediate vicinity of Manila; being strong- a shell burst a line of white hats and featheredly located themselves they have driven the heads would leap in the air and howl" Viva, Viva Filipino!" and then settle down and pour volleys accompanied by arrows into the Ameri- it was a wonderful exhibition can lines. of bravery, recklessness, perhaps fanaticism, but utterly useless against the overwhelming -advantage of the enemy. Slowly, slowly they were forced back up the hill, leaving their dead, to the deposite or reservoir, where a short stand was made about the house of Col. Monteuego, and then it was turned into a rout, and they ran all through the fields and brush, firing whenever a chance was offered. The plucky Nebraskans were followed by the Colorados and backed up by the Tennessee regiment, which ́arrived from the walled city. The last named did not stop at the deposito but kept right on raking over the fields for some two miles fur- ther, until recalled. In the meantime the Paco, Pandacan, was seeing bloody work. As it became impossible to dislodge the natives from the church, and they fired on hospital wagons as well as soldiers, the place was set on fire and great columns of black smoke that covered half the city rose out of the beautiful old church; other houses were fired as the only means of driving out and preventing a return of the gritty defenders and at least a hundred natives were killed as they escaped. Over in the rice fields at the south side the Califor- nians and Washingtons had gradually pushed the enemy back until a determined stand was made behind a low ridge of rice bank across a little ten foot mud creek. For nearly an hour shots were exchanged at less than eighty yards distance and as there was no more proteo- tion than the low dyke ridges the mortality was great. Along both firing lines the grass is burned off short and black and heaps of cart ridge shells, shirts, blankets, knapsacks and ownerless guns tell of the beat of the contest. Finally about half past ten a.m. the line was broken and the natives made for the river across
Americans, and especially the semi official American Manila Times, will naturally insist upon it, that the Filipinos were the aggressors, but the testimony of other witnesses living near the scene of action is more reliable than any published statements so far, and they are positive in asserting the aggression came from the American side. Unfortunately for the Americans their anterior acts all point to the conclusion that the outbreak of hostilities was deliberately planned by them, and for political
capturing the latter, but the birds have flown, including one of General Aguinaldo's private secretaries, who managed to pass the American lines even on Sunday afternoon, and is safe in Mololos, or rather San. Fernando, where the capital has been transferred to, not ou account of late events, but long since decided upon. In fact the Ministry of War has been there some little time.
Notwithstanding the disadvantage at which the Filipinos were taken, they gave a very good account of themselves, their loss in troops being in no way superior to the Americans': 'The fear. ful mortality took place amongst civilians, prin- cipally women and children, in the towns of Parañaque and Malabon, and the suburbs of