The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-28

apart. This could be quickly covered in
forced march under fair conditions,
but 1t Is twelve miles OF innumerable
difficulties and obstacles which our
troops must cover before theg reach
the insurgent strongholds. It Is expect
ed that the engineers with Macarthur
are hastily repairing the burned
bridges. This will permit the artillery,
TO be taken forward as well as the In
fantry columns. 1t Is expected that ev-
cry mile of the distance to Malolos will
De contested by the insurgents for Gen
eral Otis reports that It Is stretch OF
country covered with the intrenchments
thrown up during the last three
months. Our men. therefore, must ad-
vance slowly. repairing the roads as
they 10. and at the same time they
must fight their way through WELL
made rebel entertainments. Serious as
the work is, there Is no lack OF conf
dence among officials here as to the
satisfactory outcome OF the campaign.
Malalos Is the lnsurgent capitol. where
the assembly has been sitting and the
insurgert government has been In OPP
Grafton. 1t represents more to the In
surgents than any other place in the
Philippines and little doubt Is enter
tained that they will make q desperate
stand there.
The tactics OF Asuinaldo are taking
him gradually beyond the range ofAd-
miral Dewey's guns. While the insur-
gents were at Malabon on Saturday.
they were within mile OF the water
front and easily within range, of the
fleet. But as they have moved north
ward they have gradually moved away
from the bay. Malolos Is about seven
miles back from the bay, although there
are shallow estuaries which would per-
nit light draft boats to get within a
mile or two.
Long Drawn Out Battle.
The duration OF the battle Is begin
ming to attract the attention of army
strategists, as It Is a very important
element in determining the strength OF
the men, the supplies of ammunition
and stores and the spirits OF the
army. The first blow was struck be-
fore daybreak last Saturday and the
fighting continued oil that day, again
on Sunday and now on Monday The
reports show little night fighting ex-
cept In repulsing an insurgeEt attack
Saturday night. With to-day the fight
Ing had lasted seventy-two hours.
Judged by the standards Of great bat
ties, such as Waterloo, Plevra and 9TH
ers mentioned by army authorities. this
Is q long and intensely arduous engage
ment. But the fighting about Manila is
quite different from the standards OF
civilized armies. as It Is running!
brush conflict with only occasional Is
sues between organized bodies OF troops.
Some of the battles of the civil war
lasted many days. notably the Battle
OF the Wilderness,a and the fighting about
Richmond. In speaking of the element
OF endurance, General SterRberg said
to-day that ne had gone for seven days
in the continuous fighting around
Richmond, without renewing the sup
plies originally issued before the fight
Ing began. The main question In these
long continued fights is to have all sup
plies, stores. ETC., kept abreast OF the
fighting force, so that there may be no
exhaustion. In this respect all the re-
ports Of the fighting above Manila are
most gratifying to the authorities here
In showing that the quartermaster.
commissary, medical and signal stores
are well UP with our fighting lines.
The belief Is expressed at the war de-
POI biC = lilpihoS oiS
featuring the ammunition that Is being
used with such eecklessness. When
General Greene was In the Philippines
he went 20 the Filipino camps and re-
mained some time among them. His
report to the President shows that the
Filipinos obtained quite q large supply
of arms and ammunition when Dewey
captured Cavlte and that they had
heretofore obtained supply OF Rem
ingtons and Mausers.
General Greene also found that the
Flllpinos had established factory for
the manufacture OF ammunition for
these rifles and this factory probably Is
still in operation and furnishing a suf-
flcient supply to the insurgents.
Rcintorccmcnts for Otis.
A short time ago the Zealandla and
Pueblo left San Francisco with the
Ninth infantry. bound TO Manila. BY
the first of. April four transports are ex-
pected TO arrive at San Francisco from
Manila and they will return with REIN
forcements for Otis about the 18th OF
that month. The Hancock will take the
Twentv-first infantry; the Warren,
eight batteries Of the Sixth artillery.
and recruits; the Newport, $50 marines
and recruits and the Morgan City: six
companies of the Thirteenth infantry. y
little later the Ohio will arrive and re-
turn with the remainder OF the Thir-
teenth infantry. The Senator Is also
expected later In the month and can
take 1000 men.
The use OF Chinese as litter bearers is
said TO be device TO save our men for
the more serious work. The Chinese
carry light bamboo litter and being
accustomed 10 the climate they can
travel twice as far rs an unacclimated
carrier The main. point however. Is
that the fighting force Is kept intact.
While the casualty list Is n source OF
profound regret in army quarters it is
said to. be comparatively low consider
Ing the number Of men engaged and the
duration OF the action. This is account
ed for by the long range shooting OF the
Insurgents, who do not shoot at mark.
but In the general direction OF our
forces While these stray bullets do
considerable havoc in our lines, It is far
less than the results of close range VOL
leys from solid ranks OF insurgents In
the open, or from q considerable NUM-.
Der Of sharp-shooters.
EApIy MOVEMENTS