The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-25
PANAY IN HANDS
OF THE INSURGENTS
American Troops Are Taking Ag-
greSSive for First Time.
SISTER ISLAND TO NEGR0S
Expedition Started Into the Interior and
Occupied Several Towns and Viii
lages-Encounter With Rebels
-Hampered by Rain

Iloilo, November -(Correspondence)-
The Island of Panay, sister island to Ne
gros, and others of the Visayan group
have for months past been in the insur-
gents hands. Today the American forces
are taking the aggressive for the first time,
and are moving out to cover and hold more
territory. Up to the present time we have
possessed the haf-burned town of Ioilo,
and nothing more
The Twenty-sixth regiment, under Colo
mel Rice arrived here two weeks ago from
the United States.
1--WE at home knew said the officers of
this regiment that our troops were
Panay, but we had the impression that they
occupied the island that the important
towns were at least ours; that our possess
sion was more than nominal. Hence we
are surprised to see the American forces
actually beseiged by the insurgents upon
three miles of land Immediately surround
ing Iloilo."
People in the United States may have
the same ideas as had the officers of the
Twenty-slxth rgiment, and to tn EN- it
would be we'll to say that our lines up to
the present, embrace the suburbs of Jaro
and Molo, both within three miles of this
port and nothing more. Insurgent trenches
face us on the north and west and outpost
firing is to be heard at any time.
With the coming of reinforcements, a
battalion of the Nineteenth and the Twen-
ty-siXth regiment entire, General Hughes,
in the midst of typhoon that swept the
country with driving rain, flooded rice
fields and made quagnires of the reeds, an
expedition composed of the Eighteenth reg
ulars, undr Colonel Carpenter; the second
battalion of the Twenty-sixth regiment
two battalions of the Nineteenth; light
battery G of the Sixth artillery. under
Captain Bridgeman, and Captain Gordon's
expedition composed of the eighteenth reg
advanced into the enemy's country. The
battalion of the Twenty-sixth and two
battalions of the Nineteenth constituted a
provisional regiment under Colonel Rice
While the First and Third battalions of the
Twenty-sixth garrfsoned nolio and Jaro.
The objective point of the expedition was
the supposed insurgent stronghold at Santa
Barbara, eight miles north of Jaro but as
the direct road between these two points
had been strongly entrenched, the Ameri-
can forces made a detour to the west in or
der to approach Santa Barbara on its I'M
protected side. Yesterday General hughes
command had occupied successfully ehe vii
lagos of Oton, Tighaun and GurmaA on the
coast west of Iloilo, likewise Cordoba four
miles north of Tighaun.
Company of the Twenty-sixth regiment
had the only contact with the rebels on the
first night out. One of the men of the COM
pany which was under command of Lieu
tenant Fails, was seriously wounded; two
of the enemy were found dead when the
trenches were captured and much ammuni-
ton fell into our hands as result of the
brush. Today General Hughes column is
resting in the four towns mentioned wait
ing for ammunition and provisions to be
conveyed to it and also for the rains to
stop and the country to dry.
The whole country now presents the ap-
pearance of our own western border lands
after cyclone.