The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-22

y INOOI ltddy ISCCIbcu d CdOItSI LII
from General Otis that seemed to in
dicate. a weakening on the part of the
insurgents. 1t contains a proffer to
deliver the American prisoners who
have been for SO many months in the
hands of the insurgents and also
eral Otis.
This cablegram was at nee taken by
Secretary Root to the tabinet meeting
and formed the main topic for discus
sion at the beginning of the session.
However, upon the reading the mes
sage carefully it's appearance seemed
to diminish. Secretary Root himself
did not regard the matter as Of i'm
portance at this time. He recalled fire.
quent efforts on the part of the insur-
gents in the past to gain time at criti-
cal moments by opening negotiations,
ostensibly with the object of making
peace, and he was not sure but that
his last offer was something of the
same kind. However hat may be, the
secretary was of hte opinion that it
WCu fail to afford the insurgents any
advantage. General Otis would re-
ceive any messenger and listen to him
ard make answer to his proposals, but
this would not in the slightest degree
restrain the military operations, and
the American arms would lose no
ground, no matter how the negotiations
TUNED out.
Still it is realized there is a possibility
hat the insurgents may have become
dishearteneZd at the renewed and in
tense activity in the direction of lem
forcing General Otis, and concluded in
,,o-- ~c 1000 >
open the campaign in the dry season,
that further resistance would be USE
less.
1t is pointed out as a noticeable fact
hat A~guinaldo's name does not appear
in Genera Otis dispatch and though
his may not be of great significance;
still, among some Of the army officers.
it is surmised that there are serious
~dissentions among the insurgents, and
perhaps some of the diScOrdant ele-
ments are in this case acting on their
own responsibility.
The text Of the dispatch is as fol-
lows:
Manila, September 10.
"Adjutant General, Washington.
Macarthur reports from Angeles
visits of two insurgent officers with
request for permission to send into our
lines American prisoners and to send
to manila prominent insurgent general
officer for conference. The requested
interview granted and insurgent Off
GERS at Angeles return north this morn
ing with information.
OTIS"
The capture of Lieutenant Gilmore
and his party was one of the most stir
ring incidents of the Instruction It
occurred while the cruiser Yorktown
was making a survey of the western
coast Of Luzon with a view to locating
some Of the detached Spanish garri-
sons which had long been cut off from
the pOpulOuS centerS. It was known
that a Spanish garrison had been sur
rounded at Baler, on the eastern coast,
and Lieutenant Gilmore with a boats
party from the Yorktown was sent
shore to recOnnOiter the surrounding
country. He divided his command, one
party remaining near the shore while
another pushed inland. This was the
last seen Of the lieutenant and the
seventeen men who accompanied him.
The Othe members Of the party waited
for a long time, but got no trace of
their companions, and were finally OBJ
liged to return to the ship without
them. Admiral Dewey at once report
ed the loss to the navy department, and
before he left Manila used every posi-
BILE means to learn the condition of the
captive Americans. AT first it was
feared they a lost their lives, but
later definite information was received
that the following were alive at San
Isadro, an insurgent stronghold:
Lieutenant Gilmore, Chief Quartermas-
ter William Walton, Sailmaker's Mate
Paul Vandert, Coxswain John Els
worth, Apprentice Albert Peterson,
Landsmen Silvice Brisolese, Lyman
Paul Edwards, and Fred Anderson.
Captain Charles NJ. Rockefeller, of
the nineteenth infantry is also sup
posed to be a prisoner with the insur-
gents. He disappeared April last and
no trace of him has been discovered.
TRANSPORT OHIO REACHES
MANILA.
General Otis has informed the war
department of the arrival at Manila Of
the transport Ohio with the men from
the wrecked transport Morgan City
She left two sick men at Nagasaki.
The City of Sydney also reached Ma
MIA today. There were no deaths DUR
ing n voyage, but one man deserted
at Nagasaki.
AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE IN
SURGENTS.
The navy department has received
the following cablegram from Admiral
Watson, dated Manila, September
18th:
DoN III dd d Sudip
engagement on the 14th at San Fabrian,
Lingayen gulf, with about 800 insur-
gents heavily entrenched at a distance
of from LOO to 700 yards. The insur-
gents fed. Their fire was weak and
ineffective. On the Paragua there were
no casualties. The senior commends
Davidson highly"
The Paragua is one of the little gun
boats turned over to the army by Ad-
miral Watson, and Davidson. the COM
mander, is a young ensign. The scene
of the battle was on the north coast Of
LuZon, off the port which forms the
northern terminus Of the railroad.
HOW SPANISH PRISONERS WILL
BE RELEASED.
The course to be pursued regarding
the Spanish prisoners in the Philippines
has been practically decided upon. The
war department has approved the ac-
ton of General Otis in refusing to al
low Spanish ships to go TO ports con-