Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-18
MOUNTAIN fASTNEssES THEIR ONLY HAVEN
Summers Command Attacks Two Thousand
Rebels Near Baluarte.
,NTRENcHED INSURGENTS QUIT POSITION
Town IL Captured and Troops Pursue
Fugitives Beyond the Town-Ad-
vance Hos Been Maintained
for Fifty-Five Miles.

s~NN''NN
partment:
MANILA, May 17.-Adjutant General |
Washington Situation as follows: Law
ton, with tact and ability, has covered Bula-
can province with his column and driven |
insurgent troops northward into San Isidoro, !
second insurgent capital, which he captured ,
this morning; is now driving enemy north !
ward into mountains. He has constant fight
ing. nficting heavy losses and suffering |
few casualties; appearance of his troops on
nanks Of enemy behind entrenohments
thrown up at every strategic point and town
very demoraizng to the insurgents and has
given them no opportunity to reconcentrate |
scattered troops. Kobbe's column with gun
boats proceeding UP the Rio Grande.
OTIS.
Portions of the dispatch which have not
been made public relate to future move
ments Of the troops.
Natives Arc Returning.
6:1O p. m.-Although the rebels still
threaten San Fernando in considerable force
large numbers of natives, majority of
them being families with their household
goods, returning daily to the towns in
side the American lines, at Apalit, es-
pecially.
Many of the richer Filipinos are coming
TO Manila and laborers resuming work
in the rice fields. The latter show their
respect for American sovereignty by remov-
ing tnelr mats 10 passing Trains.
Owing to the bad condition of the wagon
roads the work of repairing the railroad is
being actively pushed. All the broken
bridges have been trestled and only few
excavations remain to be filled up. Trains
will undoubtedly be running through to
Fernando in few days. The only natives
there are some Filipnos from Macabebe,
who are trading with soldiers.
At daylight today Lieutenant Hill, who,
with twenty-five men of the Fourth in
fantry, was concealed in the trenches near
Pasig attacked by force of rebels.
who evidently imagined they could capture
of our outposts because only few
shots had been fired by the American force.
A few volleys put the enemy to flight, the.
rebels losing five men killed and number
of wounded.
The army gunboat Napingdan has returned
here from the lake having been disabled by
cannon shot from rebel position near
Santa Cruz, which broke its rudder post.
Colonel Summers command, consisting of
the Twenty second infantry on the left, the
Minnesota regiments in the center and the
Oregon and North Dakota regiments on
the right, preceded by scouts and accom-
panied by Scotts battery of artillery, ad-
yanced from Baluarte at daylight. The
troops first encountered the enemy two miles
from San Isidro, the rebels retiring when
our artillery opened fire. Just outside the
town a rebel force, estimated to number
1000 men, was entrenched. 1t made slight
resistance and quilted its position when our
troops turned its right flank. The enemy's
loss was fifteen men killed and twenty
wounded Our troops also captured three
prisoners and many rifles. On the Ameri-
can side one soldier of the Oregon regiment
and one OF the Minnesota regiment
slightly wounded.
After capturing the town Colonel Sum
mer's troops continued their advance, pursu-
ing the retreating rebels for several miles.
Forces Are DisinteErating.
WASHINGTON, May 17.-That the in
surgents are disintegrated and demoralized
is perfectly manifest from the press dis
patches and the cable received from General
Otis today. General Lawton, who was push
ing the line OF the rebel retreat along the
Rio Grande. has flung his advance, which.
at last advces was resting at San Miguel
northward about twelve miles has taken
San Isidro, the second insurgent capital
and when General Otis dispatch was sent
was still pressing the enemy northward.
The fact that he Is sustaining few losses
In his forward movement, although in an
almost continual contact with the enemy, is
another proof OF their utter decentralization.
According to General Otis cable they still
continue to throw up intrenchments, but
General Lawton's strategy outfianks each
position in turn, keeping them in full re-
treat and giving them no opportunity to con-
centrate their scattered forces.
1t will soon be the mountains or the sea
for the insurgents. AS our troops could be
transported by TO the mouth of the Agno
and new base OF operations established
there, It would be folly for them to take
that course Scattered, demoralzed and dis
heartened II is almost certain that the rebels
in desperation will retreat into the fast
nesses of the mountains, where they would
be safe from pursuit, and where they could
keep up a guerilla warfare indefinitely or
until their leaders came to their senses.
Although all the past efforts of our troops
TO get into the rear of the insurgents have
failed up TO this time, by sheer force OF the
batterng ram the enemy has been driven
back step by step into the pocket where
nothing will be left for them but surrender
or the mountains over fifty Ave miles as
the crow flies the rebels have been forced
back.
PInn of the Advance.
The situation OF the insurgents is des'
perate. MacArthurs division drove them
back along the line OF the railroad to Dagu-
pan, on the Bay OF Lingayen, and as far
as Calumpit. All efforts TO impede his
progress by the destruction OF bridges were
frustrated, The insurgents were forced out
OF their strongest positions. simultaneously
General Lawton moved TO the right In
wide detour toward Norzagaray, the east
ern limit OF open country, with the inten'
tion OF turning the enemy's position and
catching him between the two columns
Although unsuccessful In this, the enemy
10 make good his escape, was compelled tc
abandon his line OF retreat along the rail
read and Tetire up the Rio Grande river
The insurgents by this move displayed con,
siderable adroitness in the art OF war, II
made It incumbent upon the Americans tC
get their supplies TO the front along new
line