Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-10-01
ANDERSON'S REPORT
Graphic Story Of the Capture of
Manila.
FIGHT OF AUGUST Is DESCRIBED
CALAMITY of Volunteers From the
West.
ONLY FIVE MEN KILLED

The reports of Gen. Anderson and Cen
Macarthur on the part taken by their COM
mands in the capture and occupation of
Manila were made public today. Cen An
derson had charge CT the first expedition
atd was in command of the military forces
in the Philippines until the arrival of Cen
Merritt.
ION the LIST day of July" says Gen. An
derson, Il had interview with the in
surgent chief, Aguinaldo, and learn I'd from
him that thu Spanish forces had withdrawn,
driven back by his army, as he claimed, to
a line of defense Immediately around the
city and it's suburbs. He estimated the
Spanish forces al about 1900 men and his
own at about the same number. He did not
seem pleased at the incoming of land
forces, hoping, as l believe, that he could
take the city with his own army, with the
cooperation of the American fleet
Believing that, however successful the
insurgents may have been in guerrilla war
fare against the Spaniards. they could
not carry their lines by assault or reduce
the city by siege, and suspecting, further,
that a hearty and effective cooperation
could not be expected, had at once Sc
ries of "reminiscences made to exactly To-
cate the enemys lines of defense and to
ascertain their strength.
AS Old not go IN person to Camp Dewey
until II am. on the 10Th of July, | will
not attempt to report the opera tons in the
trenches and several combats between our
troops and the enemy after occupa ton,
by mutual agreement, of the left section of
the insurgents line, extending from the
Pasay road to the beach. These conflicts
began on the night of July 81, as soon as
the enemy had realized that We had taken
the places of the Filipnos, and begun a
system of earthworhs to the front of their
Old line. 1t may have been merely cOnci-
dent, but these attacks and sorties began
at the time the captain general of Manila
was relieved by his second in command.
For more than six weeks the insurgents
had kept up a pickering infantry fire on
the Spanish trenches, firing occasionally
some old siege pieces captured by Admiral
Dewey at Cavite and given to Agunaldo.
These combatS We're never serious. and the
Spa nlards, so far as l know, made no Sor-
ties upon them. But there Is no doubt Of
| the fact that the Spaniards attacked our
Inns with force and vindctiveness, until
they We're informed that the bringing on of
a general engagement would lead to a bonn
bardment of the city. After this there was
for several days a tacit suspension Of hos
tilitieS.'
The Fight of August 13.
Gen. Anderson describes the military
preparations for the attack on Manila, and
then speaks of the battle of August 13 as
follows:
"On the morning of the 18th all parts of
the division were in the positions desg
mated in my order, except that the lead
ing battalion of the reserve instead of TAX
ing post 80 yards in rear of the cross
roads from the Gale Real to Pasay, had
taken post in the open field abreast of the
crossroad The other battalions of the
serve moved up proportiOnally, and thus
the whole reserve was under the fire zone,
hut as neither shells bullets fell among
them I did not move them back.
Field telegraph stations were establish
ed at Gen. MacArthur's headquarters, at
the left of the ,iutrenehments of the ID Bri-
gade on the beach, at the reserve near the
Pasay road, and near the hospital in the
camp.
The fleet opened fire at 9:30 am The
first shots fell short but the range
soon found. and then the fire became evil
IDENTIFY effective. l at once telegraphed Gen.
Macarthur to open on block house No IA
and begin his attack. At the same time
seven of the guns of the Utah batteries
opened fire on the enemy's works in front
of the I'd Brigade, and two guns on the
right of this brigade opened an oblque fire
toward block house No. IA.
riding down to the beach, l saw two Of
our lighter draft vessels approach and open
CT the Polvcrir with rapid-fire guns. and
observed at the same time some men of the
% Brigade start UP the beach. / ordered
the LIST California, which the leading
regiment of the reserve, to go forward and
report 20 Gen. Greene. Going to the re-
serve IcbcSEapu, 1 received a message from
Macarthur that his fire the blockhouse
was effective, but that he enfiladed
from the right. I knew from this that he
wished to push the Insurgents aside and
put in the Astor Battery. l then author
lied him to attack, which he did and soon
after, the 23d Infantry and the 18th Mime
sofa carried the advance line of the enemy
in the most gallant manner, the one gun of
the Utah Batterysand the Astor Battery
lending most effectiye assistance.
In the meantime the Colorado regiment
bad charged and carried the right of the
enemy's Iine, and the 18th Regular Infan-
try and the Sd Heavy Regular) Artillery,
acting as infantry had advanced and pass
ed over the enemy's works in their front
without opposition. The reserve vas or
dered forward to follow the ID Brigade. and
battery of Hotckkiss guns was directed
to follow the 18th Infantry. Going to the
telegraph station on the left of our line on
the beach. found the operator starting
forward IN the rear of the list California
and 1 moved forward until the instrument
was established in the first house in Ma.
late. The fist ticking of the sounder in
formed me that Gen. Macarthur was heay
ny engaged at second line of defense near
Singalong.
The White Flag.
1T was evident that the best way to
assist him was to press our success on the
left l therefore directed Gen. Greene to
connect, If possible, with Gen. Macarthur
by sending a regiment to the right But
give us street fight, and the Colorado and
California regiments were the only ones
available. At this juncture the 18th Infan-
try and the Hotchkiss battery appeared 10
be stopped by broken pier of a bridge
but the engineer company brought forward
a portable bridge, and in few minutes
these organizations pressed forward through
the Malata -Ermita redoubts. Soon the men
from Nebraska and Wyoming came on
shouting, for the white flag could now be
seen on the sea front, yet the firing did not
cease, and the Spanish soldiers al the front
did not seem to be notified of the surren-
der. In the meantime the reserve had been
ordered forward, except one regiment
which was ordered to remain In the I'd
Brigade trenches. The seven Utah guns
We're also ordered to the front, one infantry
battalion being directed to assist the men
OF the batteries in hauling the guns by
hand.
The field telegraph wires, extending in a
wide circuit to the extreme right, for a
time gave discouraging reports. The front
was contracted the enemy intrenched and
the Timber thick on both sides of the road
Only two regiments could be Dut on the
hring line. The 14th Infantry was brought
forward but could not fire a shot Under
these circumstances l telegraphed MacAr-
thur to countermarch and come to Malata