New-York tribune., 1899-03-26
OTIS TELLS OF THE FIGHT.
A DAY OF EXCITEMENT AND ANAiEi
IN WASHINGTON
NOTHING RI,T PRAISE HEARD FOR THE
STRATEGY EXHIBITED BY THE AMER'-

War Department that carried n reminder oi 'he
busiest days Of the war with Spain Every o"
Ger was lntently looking for every scrap VI III
formation az to the progress made ny "eheral
Otis's force 1t was noted that the movement
WAS being executed like clockwork' II was
necessarily one OF great rapidity, yet the o'o'a'
noted with delight the perfection OF the arra"sF
ments as revealed In the press dispatches u'
rapid work Of the signal men, well up WIN ''e
troons in the advance running their wires; the
ambulance corps close up to the fighting hheS'
and the pressing forward of the supplies
The following cable dispatch was re'e'N'u
from General Otis this morning:
Manila March -.
Adiutant- General. Washington ,
Macarthur with two brigades. conlinehceu
advance on Novaliches, northwest OF Gal2ooan GI
in centre Of the insurgent lines al uaS n,N ,"N
this morning. advancing rapidly anu Suo
cessfully suffering little; from NoNalIcn.s
Macarthur will swing to EFT ana strIhe IN, Nv, a W
OF Polo; Wheatons brigade, fronting Cai09cnn 9,,,
will press forward at the proper tfht' n"i,
brigade on the old line north OF Pasie u re
monstrating west of the pumping station I'm
emy twelve thousand strong on the INES. ~, al"
endeavorng to take fraction In reverse oi''
no HALTING IN THE MOVEMENT l.
Although the end was not known when 'he
Department closed. the greatest confidence vas
shown by the officials In the compete s"'
~ tho American arms and nothing but praise
,,as heard for the strategy exhibited D! '"'
and his generals Macarthur especially caiie ~
for rommendation being the active leaut' "a
,ha adrencins column thrown first against ,ie
insurgent line The opinion eXpresSeu a. r,s @
Department was that the American a., tho
would bivouac on the field or ralheI III n ~
Jungle and would take mp the forWaru "Ior .
ment as soon as the sun rises 'o-inoa'
There was question about s.upp1, 70
This point The movement was lntehur1 "
]
nushed TO the utmost unless the Flilpinos sur SUI
rendered or fed beyond reach IN the ino"'''"''''
and junGes. . ,ororoI otis
II is said AZ the Department that feherhI ou'S u
has under his command at ana near !"h'.'
about 1000 soldiers; Aguinaldo accoIui"s ,, -
the latest reports has about ''uo"u al alIIi'u , a. a.
General Corbin estimates that the American i,aS H.
ing column I'm action to-day was about l""'"'
strong The insurgents. according TO "enria'
Otis had about 12.OO0 men in line. Bu' HEun
aldo's reserve $4,000 strong. Is not far uIS'lli'
from the scene Of the hardest hshiing' lhde'"'
il Is suspected that some OF them lhciuuIns ,mo ~
leader himself may have been drawn III" w., w..
dav's struggle. In which case the "dds WouIu
have been against the Americans. ne la'to, ,
appear TO be taking full advantage oi the Erea'
assistance To be found in the possession oI til'
railroad, for their movement to-uay was 81"
orally parallel to the road at all points
Intense interest was exhibited In me news
which began 10 come from General OTIS cary ID
the day II was apparent that ne hdd p'tun
to put into operatiOn the plan or campaign
which he had been 50 carefully preparing Tor
long time and it confidently eNpr'''h ma
this blow would destroy the last NrStIG" "i III,
insurgent organization although II was reanHeh
that this could not he effected without cohsid-
erabe loss To the American forces. ,Iehtral ol.S
deemed this course q military necessity D''ausr,
with the approach Of the rainy ana unheaIthA
season now within "A month the p"Si'lon :"
the American troops on the outer lines "Ouiu
become untenable.
TACTICS OF GENERAL OTIS
Immediately on receipt Of the dispatch an
nouncing the beginning Of the advance by Mac
Atthur's division and the plan for the move
ment ~ the remaining sections of the Amer
lean column there was a consultation OF the
maps which had been drafted 10y the Mill
tary Information Bureau. 1t was thrh per
ceived that General otis was endeaV"rlhf !"
drive a wedge straight through tn" centre OF the
insurgent forces. aud then by rapid "heeI 10
crush one Of the divided wings against aho'nc
section OF the American column. 'i"heIal
Otis's statement that Il am endeaN"flns l"
take fraction tOf the enemy in reverse WaF
taken to make this plain. As nearly as c"uld e
calculated Macarthur held IN" centre 81 .n'
American line He was driving straight n"rtn-
ward and WAS 10 proceed In that direction uhtH
he had fanked the insurgent centre. The state
mout that he had arrived at NcNaliches shows
that he was then about nine miles northeast OF
Manila When he swings To the left nor,h OF
pelo he will have between himself and the bay
of Manila about third Of the insurgent army. II
ne manages 20 get in the rear OF this BODY th'
insurgents will be fairly COrncred IN triahSi'
formed hv the bay one side MacArthurs :
force on the northeast and Wheatons brigade
on the south. II Is assumed that tins IS What
General Otis means when he talks Of taking the
enemy in reverse. FOR the statement that Nhea-
ton will press forward at the proper tlin" was
regarded AZ an indication that IL VIII he his duty
to close ~ the triangle and prevent inc escape
/ of the insurgents The only hope Of IN" latter
would appear to he in retreating before Mac
| Arthurs advance So rapidly as to prevent being
! cornered and driven back on Wheaton. But
/ even in this case their forces would be split In
two and their position would he unt"nahic f"'
any length of time.
General Corbin's attention was called to the
Indication from the dispatch that the engage
+ mont seemed to be general along the American
lines from the pumping station west Of Manila
and near the river clear around 10 "A point due
north forming a crescent twenty miles l"ne
lie expressed the belief that this was only ap-
parent that as General OTIS had used the word
I demonstrating IN speaking OF the brigade sta
toned at the waterWorks. IL was evident that
his purpose to distract the attention Of the
. enemy from the main point Of attack on the
? north At any rate. ii would serve 10 prevent
the insurgents from concentrating TO oppose
/ MacArthurs advance, from the fear tha
/ through an attack by the Americans from the
direction Of the pumping station they would be
fanked
An inquiry was made 10 why large "A
proportion Of the volunteer troops was thrown
+ into the advance. 1t was answered at the De
partmont that these volunteers we're actually
more Of veterans than many Of the Regulars.
They have been I'm service nearly year, and in
+ that time have seen more fighting than any
/ other branch of the Army. They have an ad-
vantage over the Regulars who have just ar
/ rived in their knowledge Of jungle lighting ac-
I quired through their long stay at Manila. Then
il is said to he the part of prudence to maintain
I a strong reserve Of the most trustworthy char
/ acter I'm such q movement as this now going on.
/ and General Otis I'm his dispatch Of yesterday
. emphasized the necessity Of maintaining the old
I battle lines surrounding the city.
THE CAPTURE OF THE RAILROAD.
Great satisfaction was expressed al the report
/ that the American troops had captured the rail-
/ road leading 90 Malolos. the insurgent headquar-
ters. The chief danger TO which the American
/ advance has beer exposed has been the cutting
/ OF the line Of communication with Manila thus
| preventing supplies from reaching the outposts.
! Great difficulty has already been experienced In
! maintaining the transport service over the road.