The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-25
American Forces Want Sister Island
to Negros.
POSSESS ONLY ILo1Lo
CITY PRESENTS A WRECKED APP
PEARANCE.
Was Partly Fired By Insurgents
When United States Troops First
Appeared and Has Never Been
Completely Reconstructed Bal
ar,ce Held By Aguinaldo.


Correspondence of the. Associated Press
1loilo. Nov. 13.-The island of Panay,
sister island to NeSros and others of
the Viscayan group, has for months
past been in the insurgents hands. To-
day the American forces are taking the
aggressive for the first time. and art
moving out to cover and hold more ter
ritory, up to the present We have pos
sessed the half-burned town of Iloilo
and nothing more.
The Twenty-sixth regiment. under
Colonel Rice. arrived here two weeks
ago from the United States.
We at home" said officers IF this
regiment, knew that our troops were
on Panay, but we had the impression
that they occupied the island: that the
important coast towns were at least
ours; that our possession was more
than nominal. Hence. we are surprised
to see the American forces actually be-
sieged by the insurgents upon three
miles of land Immediately surrounding
noilo. '-~ l'
People Have Same Idea.
The people of the United States may
have the same ideas as had the officers
of the Twenty-sixth regiment, and to
them it would be well 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. The inEurgent trenches face us
on the north and west. and outpost fir
ing is to be heard at any time.
With the coming of reinforcements
battalion OF the Nineteenth and the
Twenty-sixth regiment entire, General
Hughes. in the midst Of typhoon that
swept the country with driving rain.
flooded rice fields and made Quagmires
of the roads. an expedition composed OF
the Eighteenth regulars, under Colonel
Carpenter; the Second battalion of tho
Twenty sixth regiment; two battalions
of the Nineteenth; light battery G Of
the Sixth artillery, under Captain
Bridgeman. and Captain Gordens
scouts from the Eighteenth
regiment, advanced into the enemv's
country. The battalion of the Twenty
sixth. and the two battalions of the
constituted provisional
regiment under Colonel Rice, while the
First and Third battalions of the Tween
ty-sixth garrisoned Iloilo and Jaro.
To Reach Santa Barbara.
THE objective point of the expeci-
ton was the supposed ipsurgent strong
hold at Santa Barbara. eight miles
north of Jaro, but as the direct road
between these two points had been
strongly entrenched, the American
forces made detour to the west, in
order to approach Santa Barbara on its
side. Yesterday General
Hughes had occupied successfully the
villages of Often. Tigbaun and Cur
nal on the coast and west of Iloiio,
likewise Cordoba, four miles north OF
rigbaun-
Company c of the Twenty-eixth reg |
ment had the only contact with the in
,urgents on the first night out. One of |
he men Of the company, which was |
Inder command of Lieutenant Fales, |
vas seriously wounded, two of the |
enemy were found dead when the |
renches were captured, and much am
fell into our hands as re-
.ult OF the brush, Today General
hughes column is resting in the four
owns mentioned, waiting for ammunl-
ion and provisions to be conveyed to
t, and also for the rains to stop and
he country to dry.
The town of San Miguel, within sight
f Iloilo, was partially fired by the reb-
Is when they thought our troops were
bout to enter it. The town of Iloilo
oday presents woe-begone and dis
nantled appearance. a third of the
lace is in ruins. and the partial recon-
truction of business houses and the
umbler dwellings OF the poor, with
chris from the confiagration on Feb.
/, reminds one Of the wreck after
,eStern cyclone.