The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-08
Friendly FiIipinos Report Growing
Discomfort Over the Rebellion
Among the Insurgents.
THE EVE OF ANOTHER BATTLE
CLOSE To BACOLOR AND
5000 INTRENCHED REBELS.
Fine Quarters at San Fernando. the
Best Insurgent City Yet Occu-
pied Except Manila.

MANILA, May T. $40 p. m.-The Ameri
can troops are much exhausted by the cam
paign except the Iowa troops, which are
comparatively fresh. The regiments OF the
division average less than fifty men to
company and all have a weatherworn ap-
pearance.
Senator Albert j. Beveridge. OF Indiana,
is here studying the Philippine question.
Brigadier General Charles King has sailed
for the United States on board the trans
port Pueblo
1t is rumored that Mabini. president Of
the cabinet and minister of foreign affairs
In the so-called Filipino government. who
is a radical. is to be succeeded by Patreno,
the Trainer Of the Spanish treaty of 1896.
This change is regarded as significant at the
present juncture.
To clear the F1lipinos out of Bacolor,
about five miles southwest of San Fernando,
will be the next task Of the Americans. The
rebel general. Mascardo. has force of
5000 men there. well armed and possessed
of plenty of ammunition. His troops have
never met American soldiers and they think.
according to reports carried to San Fernan-
do that they can whip the whole lot"
Bacolor is well intrenched and thousands
Of natives are working like beavers, dig
ging trenches and carrying the dirt in bas-
kets. The enemy uses his rif1emen for fight
ing only, but compels the Bolemen and Chi
nese, and even the women. to labor inces-
sanity. The rebels have an outpost about
mile beyond San Fernando with trench
that holds between two and three hundred
men. At that point several voleys were
fired last night the camp of the Twen-
tieth Kansas Regiment.
Neither Major General Macarthur nor
Major General Lawton moved to-day,
although each reconnoitered the country In
his own vicinity for some miles from head
quarters, developing the presence Of small
forces of the enemy.
In the vicinity of Laguna de Bay the reb-
els are extremely active, but the lines of
General Ovenstine and Col. Wholley, who
is commanding General Kings brigade dur
ing the latter's Illness, have been materially
strengthened and there is no danger in that
section. The armed steamers Laguna de
Bay and Cavadonga, under Capt. Grant.
have gone TO Guagua. about five miles
southwest of Bacolor, presumably to estab-
lish base OF supplies for the troops en-
gagged on the northern campaign.
The entrance OF the Americans into San
Fernando was virtually unopposed. The
Filipinos, who expected the invaders TO
approach from the sea, had that side of
the town strongly guarded. but there was
only one line of trenches beyond San Tomas.
Two battalions Of the Fifty-frst Iowa,
which swan the river north of the city,
were smartly peppered while in the water,
but the rebels disappeared as soon as the
Americans reached the shore. In the mean
time the hospital squad had walked across
the bridge into the city, supposing the
Americans were there. They encountered
no natives. The few Spaniards and Fill
pinos who were left welcomed the Ameri-
cans and opened their houses TO them, Gen.
Macarthur accepting entertainment at the
hands Of Senor Hlzon. sugar magnate.
IL the inhabitants of the San Fernando
region are TO be believed there is little SYM
pathy with the insurrection In that quarter.
Before evacuating the city the rebels
burned the church and the public build
ings and looted the Chinese quarter. They
drove many rich Fflipinos, with their fam
lilies. out of the city before them, as well
as hundreds of Chinese, TO prevent them
helping the Americans. They cut the throats
of some. Many Chinese hid on roof tops or
in cellars and some escaped by cutting off
their queues. There arc fifty fresh graves
In the CnuICnydru.
The country beyond Calumpt is full Of
all sorts of ingenious trenches and pitfalls
in the roads. with sharpened bamboo. For
tunately the Americans escaped the latter
In the swamps near San Tomas, where
General Wheaton's troops did their hardest
lighting, the men sinking to their waists in
mud. are many bodies of Filipinos. SMELL
ing horribly.
The army is enjoying life at San Fer
nando, which is the most picturesque and
wealthy town the Americans have entered
since the occupation of Manila. Ii is large
ly built of stone, the river is close at hand
and high hills almost surround it. Many
sugar factories indicate thriving industry
In that respect and there are numerous
fine residences. General MacArthur's per-
manent headquarters are established in the
best house in town, which is richly deco
rated with frescoes and carved woods. The
troops are encamped around i'm the suburbs
and are beginning 10 think hey may be
quartered there during the wet season.
After Bacolor has been cleared water
communication with Manila may be estab-
lished. Along the roads TO Calumpit the
fuel wagons and bull teams dragging pro-
visions have TO be ferred. one by one,
across two rivers. but the f'ilipinos have
several launches in the river Delta.
ktpling Is Now n LII. ID.