Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-03-26

Major simpson Tells How the bright ID the
Phillppines Is Observation-Disclosures
~ T<o0ps.
Washington, March 25.-Major Simp-
son, chief Of the bureau Of military in
formation, was busy during the day,
taking the fragmentary information of
the movements here and there of bat
talions and brigades and so assembling
them as to give ON the military map a
complete picture Of to-day's theatre OF
operations. AS explained, the field Of
to-day's action is as follows:
Back Of Manila, at a distance of
about seven miles from the water front,
sweeps a great semi-circle of American
troops. This arc is about twenty miles
long, and embraces about $1,000 men.
1t is cut midway between the Pasig
liver. which forms a national military
division. To the south the arc is UNI
der the command of Major General
Lawton, just arrived in the Philippines.
Until now this has been the field of
activity with Wheaton's flying column
beating back the insurgents. But to-
day Lawton's forces are idle and the
scene of activity is shifted to the north
of the river. Here the partial circle Of
American troops sweeps from the water
works around to the bay.
Major General Macarthur is in COM
nand of all the troops north of the
river, and these are roughly estimated
at between $4,000 and 1900 men, the
others being with Lawlon on the south.
Before the action began this morning
MacArthur's forces were divided INTO
three main bodies. Far to the right,
near the water works, was Hale's brig
ade. Far to the left, about Caloocan,
was the brigade of Harrison Gray Otis,
and OF Wheaton, the latter having been
drawn from LaWton's forces on the
south in order to strengthen MacAr-
thurs command for this operation.
Between the two was the brigade Of
Hall, held as a sort Of reserve, 10 dem
c~nstrate, but not to attack. Hale'S
brigade, as shown on the military map,
was made up of the Third Nebraska,
First South Dakota, First Wyoming,
First Colorado, and battery B of the
Utah artillery. Harrison Gray Otis's
command on the left was made up Of
the Twentieth Kansas, First Montana,
Tenth Pennsylvania, a'battalion OF the
Twenty-third infantry, and battery A Of
the Utah artillery. These are the
troops, with the additional force of
Wheaton's and some recent arrivals,
possibly not yet reported, which have
sustained the brunt of the action to-
day.
With this approximate disposition
of the forces, Major Simpson took the
official dispatch of Gen. Otis and the
more detailed reports brought by tie
Associated Press and pointed out the
probable line of action to-day. 1t be-
gan with McArthur's moving rapidly
northward to Noyaliches, passing the
lnSurgent forces on the left. On reach
ing NOvallches, Macarthur turned sharp
ly to the west. intending to make a
forced march of about seven miles to
Pelo Given as Polo in dispatches). By
this movement McArthur's forces are
carried outside Of the. insurgent base
OF operations. This base is at Malabon,
midway between McArthur's forces at
Pelo and the combined forces of Har-
rison Gray Otis and Wheaton at Caloo-
can. Thus the rebels are f1anked and
between two strong bodies of American
troops.
To the west pf the Manila bay cut
ting off retreat IN that direction and to
fSeeast the, fofseSof Hall Cor Hale) as
reported by Gen. Otis, are demon
strating" in order to forbid an insur-
gent movement toward the east. They
are thus left between the two main
bodies of American troops and must
engage either n or the other of them.
1t is Gen. Otfs's plan, as shown by his
dispatch, to have the brigaGes of Whea-
ton advance towards those of MacAr-
thur, thus gradually enclosing the reb-
els between two parallel lines until
they are either crushed Or are made
prisoners.
The two opposing forces appear to
be rather evenly matched in point Of
numbers, the estimate Of the American
force north of the river being about H.
600, while Gen. Otis places the insur-
gents at about 10000. Major General
Otis is in supreme command, directing
the operations from a central telegraph
station. The actual field movements
are being executed by Major General
Macarthur, who is in person leading
the brigade in its decisive move to
flank and surround the rebel forces.