New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-29
REPORTS FROM GEN. OTIS.
AMERICAN TROOPS RESTING AFTER A
SEVERE FIGHT
GALLANT CHARGE OF SOUTH DAKOTA VOL
VNTEERS-MEN IN EXCELLENT CON
DITION AND SPIRITS.

Washington. March 2S-There was luli to-
day in the reports from the scene OF action hor'h
Of Manila. which for a time rather puzziinE
n War Department officials. Only one dispatch
dealing with the situation at the front was re-
ceived from General Otis. This related TO inc
operations OF yesterday afternoon and was az
follows.
| Manila. March N
! Adiutant General Washington:
Macarthur had severe fighting yesterday az
| ternoon before Marilao. Brilliant charge ny
! South Dakota led by Frost against faneh
troops Of Aguinaldo brought from Maloios. re
! pulsed enemy with slaughter. Adjutant Lien
| and Lieutenants Adams and Morrison and four
enlisted men Of that regiment killed. Lieutenant
| McCleand and twenty-five enlisted men
| wounded: loss yesterday mostly confined to TINS
regiment Partial destruction OF railroad when
! IS being rapidly repaired impedes MacArthuTs
progress Supply railway trains have now
| reached Marilao. and Macarthur is pushing on
| our small gunboats are in Bulacan River. where
| great execution was done Yesterday. They VIII
! relieve pressure MaCArthurs front mate
rally Troops in excellent condition and spirits.
| Proclamation signed Luna. general chief of
| insurgent forces. directs that all towns aban-
doned be burned. In consequence thereof much
! country north in flames. OTIS.
! 1t was not until the press dispatch came late
| in the day telling that the American forces
were resting beyond Marao. that General Otiss
silence to-day's movements was explained.
under a fierce tropical sun. through rice swamps
/ and jungles. # was expected by the authorities
here that Macarthur would conserve the ener-
! cies Of his men by a halt long enough to rest
| and take supplies before the final blow against
| Maloos the insurgent capital. The supply
trains are we'll up with the troops. according 10
| General Ots's report so that the rest permits
full supplies Of ammunition and food 70 be dis
trbued.
| POSITION OF THE ADVANCE LINE.
The American advance line is now beyond
| Marilao and almost up to the large town OF
| Rulacan The exact distance TO Maloos is un-
| certain owing TO the lack of information as to
| inst where the troops are resting. but at most
| the distance cannot be more than ten or tWelNe
! miles on a direct line along the railway Al '"e
| rate OF progress made in the last two days ''e
next twenty-f four hours should bring the Amer
,ca, force well I'D to the insurgent capital. II.
| indeed the assault on that place has not pesuh
| Inv that time The officials are disposed 10 alo"
| moro time however. considering the natural Oh
| stacles of unfordable rivers and burned bridges
| .o.Ao. with tho successive lines OF rebel in
| trenchments. And moreover. as at San'aeo.
C. M, doubted that the Entertainments will be-
como moro formidable the city Itself II aP-
nroached Leading War Department officials re-
! forrod to-day 10 the desperation with which the
| ,rsurcents were fighting II was taken as an IN
| 7ioa,,or that they had staked everything on 'he
o,,core Of this fight. and losing it they wouio
! subrnit rather than prolOng hopeless sUuseie'
! In this view the ferceness Of the repel hshu"s
I was taken as evidence that "once whipped 'neS
! Will stay whipped , l.,
| rho Frost named in General Otis's dispatch Is
! Captain A. s. Frost. Of the I'D infantry Nv"
| colonel of the LIST South Dakota Volunteers Inc
three officers killed In that regiment are 'oi"a
| ( Lien. first lieutenant and adJutah' r"''
| lieutenant Frank II. Adams and Second Lieu.
tenant Sydney Z. Morrison the OFFICER
is First Lieutenant Paul d. McCleHand. 80
Adiutant- General Cor3in has received the ioi-
| loving dispatch
Manila. March -.
| Acknowledgement Washington: c..,.,,.
- Ioiiouine from noilo: "All quiet here Smlth
odditional troops received at Enrique with gIed'
| show of gadness. Van Naizan; r, n
| tionaI troops ID Battalion CahlorhIEd -. ,as
| CoIonel Smith to protect inhabitants from aus
Of nil robbers. Negros developing inlelnal e.,
| eminent uiluei "''''' OTIS.
| encouraging.
Manila, March %.
| Adiutan. General Washington: ..a
! Princa I,6wenstein, with Wheatons command
| ,rorrinc Doth took refreshments TO ofncers u
Oregon on firing line. W as cauripne' "a a bar@ad
ger. but advanced with line when II chargeu
| insurgent intrenchments. He was kllIed Dy
| enemy and friend with him wounded. HIS re-
| mains delivered to friends IN CITY, 'Ai7'
Van Valzah is the colonel of the 18th Infantry.
stationed at Ilollo
DISPOSITION OF THE TROOPS.
Major Simpson. Chief Of the Military lnforma-
ton Bureau. to-day advanced the American
front FIVE miles on the map based on the latest
( adyices from General Otis. The disposition OF
the forces as shown by the dispatches. places
the brigade Of General Harrison q. Otis adj
vancing on the left Of the railroad, and the
brigade Of General Hale on the right. Whcatons
brigade is further back, maintaining communi-
cation with the advanced forces. Ahead OF the
! American forces the most serious natural OBJ
stacle is the Bulacan River. which is in reality
an arm of Manila Bay. about a mile wide and
very deep and reaching straight across the path
Of the advancing American forces. But to offset
this General Otiss dispatch OF this morning
conveys the information that small gunboats
are in the Bulacan River where great execu-
ton was done yesterday, and where they will
relieve the pressure on MacArthur's front. This,
in the judgment of military authorities is
strategic move of great advantage as the
Buacan River and the city Of Bulacan may be
the key to opening easy access to the insurgent
capital lying just beyond
Bulacan is a city OF Impotence second only
to Manila and is the capital OF the province
II il much larger and stronger than the insur-
! gent capital, Malolos. There is no doubt the
br ige over the Bulacan is destroyed and this
ls probably the bridge TO which General Otis
/ rerers. 1t is felt that some delay may be &C.
casioned in overcoming important natural
obstacle once across 1t. the city Of Bulacan
lies to the left. The railroad skirts around H.
so that the American forces may leave IT and
press forward to the insurgent capital or may
SEQ fit to reduce this important city. Beyond
Rulacan the road TO M1!olos is practically clear
II permits either a straight march due west or
else a circuitous move along good roads north