The record-union., 1899-03-28
The Third Day Of the Fighting to
the North Of Manila
Brings Lille Of Decisive Character frsm
Which 10 Judge Final Outcome.

and Obstacles Are I'm the Way
Of a Forced March Upon tho
Enemy.
WASHINGTON, March 27.-The
third day in the fighting north Of Ma
Mia brought little of a decisive charae-
ter from which War Department ofi-
cials could judge what the final out
come of this movement would be. In
all official quarters the most intense in
terest prevailed but there was no ex-
citement and none of the anxiety and
teEsion shown during the memorable
days Of last summer, when the decisive
blows were struck at Santiago
Early in the day General Otis cabled
the War Department a brief but COM
prehensive dispatch summing up the
situation. 1t disclosed that severe fight
ing was going on to-day, with our
forces advanced as far north as Mari
loa, While the insurgents, under the
command of Aguinaldo, were being
driven back with considerable slaugh-
ter. This and the press dispatches sat
isfied the officials that the strategy
movement of entrapping the insurgent
force between our lines had not proved
as successful as designed, and that the
move had now shifted to retreat py
Aguinaldo's forces and a pursuit by
our troops. The insurgent retreat to-
ward Malolos was slow and dogged, and
advantage was taken of one after an
other of the line of entrenchments, the
burning of bridges and the interrupting
of communication
General Otis dispatch, although re-
ceived early to-day, was sent Monday
evening, Manila time, and summed up
the work of the three days. That the
fighting would proceed into the fourth
day was shown by his closing SEN
tence:
THE column will press on in the
morning. This refers to Tuesday.
The engagement has now shaped it
self so that it is looked upon as more
of a chase than the execution or a
strategic movement. With the Ameri-
can base advanced to Mariloa and the
insurgent base forced back to Malolos,
the main bodies of the two opposing
forces are about ten or twelve miles
apart. This could be quickly covered
in a forced march under fair conditions,
but 1t is twelve miles of innumerable
difficulties and obstacles, which our
troops must cover before they reach
the insurgent stronghold
IT is expected that the engineers with
Macarthur are hastily repairing the
burned bridges. This will permit the
artillery to be taken forward as We'll
as the infantry columns. 1t is expected
that every mile of the distance to Malo-
los will be contested by the insurgents,
for General Otis reports that 1t Is a
stretch of country covered with en-
trenchments thrown up during the last
three months. Our men, therefore,
must advance slowly, repairing the
roads as they go, and at the same Tune
they must fight their way through Well
made rebel entertainments. Serious as
the work is. there is no lack of conn-
dence among officials here as to the sat
isfactory outcome of the campaign
Malolos is the insurgent Capltal,
where the Assembly has been sitting
and the insurgent government has peeh
in operation. 1t represents more 10 the
Insurgents than any other place IN the
Philippines, and little doubt Is enter
tanned that they will make desperate
stand there. The tactics of Aguinaldo
are taking him gradually Deyono 1no
range of Admiral Dewey's guns. w nile
the Insurgents were at Malabon on SAT
urday they were within a mile OF the
water front, and easily within range ..
the fleet. But as they have moved
northward. they have gradually moved
away from the bay Malolos IS apou'
seven miles back from the bay, al
Though there are shallow estuaries
which would permit light draugnt
boats to get within mile or two.
The duration of the battle is begin
ming to attract the attention OF army
ct,ategists. as it is a very important
element in determining the strength Oh
the men. the supplies of ammunition
ord stores and the spirit of the army.
Tbe first blow was struck before day
hreak last Saturday and the fighting
continued all that day, again eon Sun
dov and now on Monday. The reports
show little night fighting, except in re-
,,,,1sino- an insurgent attack Saturday
,,iobt with to-day the fighting has
Listed seventy-two hours. Judging by
49, s,+onaards of great battles such as
1uotarloo Plevna and others mentioned
~, INV authorities, this is long and
ssa,,o,,s anea cement But the fight
;,,er 81 Manila is quite different from the
standards of civilized armies, as IT Is
a running brush conflict, with only oc-
cas;onal issues between organized bod
les Of troops. Some of the paulles VI
the civil war lasted many days no'a-
blv the battle of the Wilderness anu
the fighting about Richmond.
In speaking of the element OF enour-
ance General Sternberg said to-oas
that he had gone for seven days IN the
continuous fighting around RICHMOND
without renewing their supplies orig
inally issued before the fighting began
The main question in these long con-
tinued fights is to have all supplies
stores, etc, kept abreast of the fightns
force. so that there may be no ex-
haustion. In this respect, all the re-
ports of the fighting about Manila are
gratifying to the authorities here, IN
showing that the quartermaster, COM
missary, medical and signal stores are
well up with our fighting lines.
The belief is expressed at the War
Department that the Fiiipincs are man
sf,facturing the ammunition that is be-
ing used with such recklessness. When
General Green was in the Philippines
,e went to the Filipino camps and re-
,nained some time. His report to the
president shows that the Fflipinos OBJ
tained quite large supply of arms and
ammunition when Dewey captured Ca