The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-04
LITTLE TO SHOW
For Six Months FightingAgainst the
EiIipinos.

4 cial correspondence from Manila, I'M
/ der date of June 20. says:
THE next campaign can hardly be-
gin earlier than November, although
the country may dry up enough to-
wards the middle of October to permit
the American troops to take the field
then
The American army during the rainy
season can hardly be expected to do
anything more than hold what it has
gained and prepare for the next cam
paign- The ground to defend is not
very great.
"On the south of Manila we have
linus, about Is miles away, where the
Fourth and Fourteenth infantry with
several guns from the Sixth artillery
are stationed. This territory was gain
ed only within the last two weeks by
the hard fighting at Paranaque, at which
even the rattle of the rifles could be
| heard in Manila. We hold the road
/ that runs to linus through Paranaque
and Bacoor, every inch of which was
only gained by hard fighting, and
which has to be closely guarded all the
way to linus by troops in trenches and
massed in two or three companies at
the villages and bridges.
'Northward the farthest point in the
control Of our soldiers is San Fernando,
Al miles from Manila on the railroad.
all, but the insurgents control all the
track between San Fernando and Da-
gupan, the northern terminal of the
road.
The insurrectionists are in possess
sion of three-fOurths Of the rolling
stock. They have twenty-seven of the
roads locomotives, while the Americans
only have four. The rest of the roll
ing stock is also distributed between the
two parties in a like ratio.
The Americans hold Canabanda,
east of San Fernando 10 miles. They
hold all the towns along the railroad,
OF course, to San Fernando and Ba-
liuag, seven miles east of Pulilan.
Reports continually come from Ba-
linag that the town is entirely sur
rounded by the enemy and is about to
be carried by assault. But Colonel
Page and the Third infantry have so
far driven the rebels back with disas-
trOus loss every time they have as
saulted the town, and he declares he
can hold it for an indefinite time, al
though his position there is by no
means an easy one. Supplies and mail
can only be carried over to Baliuag
from the railroad under an escort of
not less than $50 men, who are 1nVar-
iably attacked somewhere along the
road, both going and coming.
THE insurgents have their intrench-
ments drawn well around both San
Fernando and Baliuag, and their out
posts are in sight of the American out
posts.
An officers down from San Fernando
told me today that the insurgents SEEM
ed never to relax their vigilance. Their
sharpshooters and slirrnishers are al
ways alert and frequently the showing
of a head by a careless American
picket will draw four or five shots from
the enemy in a twinkling and start a
general fusillade.
AT San Fernando two determined at
tackS along the whole rebel line were
made last week. The second engage
ment lasted three hours WIN the in
surgents were driven back with heavy
losses. Bullets fly continually over
both places and stray bullets frequently
find victims
THE insurgents Entertainments are in
the shape of a horseshoe, with the two
in IN In rail "a 11l~
The country north of Baliuag, that
General Lawton's troops marched over
to San 1sidro, had all to be evacuated
owing to the lack of troops to garrison
the captured towns and viii have to be
retaken afresh when the next campaign
opens
The insurgents are continually re-
ceiving fresh supplies and arms. At
Paranaque a week ago they astonish-
ed the Americans by bringing out some
modern field pieces that they had OBJ
tanned somewhere.
Heavy shipments of arms are said
to be constantly arriving from Japan
and Australia, and, it is said, even from
our own country. Cartridges picked
marks of a big rnanufa cturing firm in
the United States.
THE insurgents have three factories
where they manufacture cartridges and
other munitions of war. If they were
kept on the run they would have no
time so to equip themselves that they
able to fight than they We're before
They are learning things in every en-
counter with the Americans. The pa
perS in Manila have continually referred
to the fact that the rebels were prone
to shoot too high and they seem finally
to have learned the lesson and now
they are getting their shots well down
and showing great Improvement in
craftsmanship. They also fight in bet
ter formation, and at the battle of Daz-
minas I saw mounted officers in fash
ing red breeches with white coats gal
ably doing much by their spectacular
attire to give their followers increased
confidence and a greater willingness to
follow their commands.
The few Americans who came over
to Manila a week ago Tuesday on the
F,smeralda from Hong Kong were as
tonished a few hours after sunrise,
when their ship had steamed out to
quarantine, to hear heavy cannonading
from the monitor MOnadnOck, which
was in plain sight down the coast about
five miles below Manila Some Of the
passengers thought it was some sort
of a salute in honor of the arrival of
some distinguished naval or army hero
and they eagerly questioned a soldier
who sat on the stern of the health of
ficer's launch. 'That?' said the young
man. oh, that's nothing. That's Jest
a battle 1t was some time before the
passengers could believe that the Amer
leans and insurgents were fighting with
in sight and sound of Manila where
the war had started six months before
o'clock in the afternoon the rattle of
small arms could be distinctly heard
and late that evening the health officer
told US the fighting had been at Para
naque."
QOT THE WRONC p0TTFE