Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-11
Gen. Harrison Gray Otis Describes
the Army's Operations.
MOVEMENT AGAINST THE CAPITAL
Calamity and ortitude Shown by
Our Troops.
MANY ACTS OF DARING

AuJutant General Corbin has received
preliminary report from Brig. Gen. Harri-
son Gray Otis. commanding the LIST Brigade
| of the I'd Division of the Sth Army Corps,
| in regard to the operations of that brigade
| in the Philippines from the 1st to the 31st
| day of March last. inclusive. The report is
dated Maioios, Buiacan Uuzon) April 2
and was made at that time Gen. Otis ex-
plains, for the reason that he was about
TO be relieved, at his own request, from
command of the brigade The following
extracts are taken from the report:
The Picket Line Annoyed
During the time following the battle of
Caloocan, fought February 10, 1899, to
March "a, 1899. inclusive the brigade occu-
| pied its intrenched position on a line run
nlng in a general northwest and southeast
erection from near the shore of Manila
bay, Just north of Caloocan, to and beyond
the Church de la Lama. the whole brigade
me being about two and a half miles long.
me brigade was then composed of the Sd
Ihlted States Artillery. acting as infantry;
the lSt Montana Infantry the 10Th Kansas
infantry and the 10th Pennsylvania, Infan-
try (SiX compa nies)
Within the forty days and over during
"htch the brigade held this line. facing an
actlFe enemy. the troops were under a fire.
quent and annoying fire night and day
from strong rebel Entertainments stretching
along almost the entire brigade 'front.' and
they suffered casualties in killed and
wounded aggregating, during the period
indicated tFebruary IL to March %, forty
nine officers and men. This figure includes
the losses suffered by one company of the
LIST Montana Infantry in the sharp and
stubborn fight of February %, in the rear
at and about the Tondo bridge
In these desultory affairs the enemy suf-
Tered IL Is believed, more than correspond
ing losses at the hands of the brigade In
one notable minor combat alone which has
already been officially reported to YOU
small detachment of the Sd United States
Artillery, aided by detachments of the 1st
Montana and 10th Pennsylvania regiments,
engaged much larger body of the enemy
belonging to the battalion Tarlac who had
emerged from their cover in a wood POO
or LOO yards in front of block house No
= driving them back and inflicting upon
them, by the admission of one of the pris-
Oners- taken, loss of twenty-five killed
and wounded-dOuble the number of our
men actually engaged on the advance firing
line.
On the left of the division line, near the
bay, where the 10Th Kansas Infantry had
its position, our soldiers suffered most from
this annoying rebel fire but in return in
tiicted no light punishment upon the enemy
Killing and wounding numbers of them,
from day to day, by an effective sharp
shooting fire.
me that a shell fired by the navy against
the Filipino intrenchments near Malabon,
exploded, killing and wounding between
forty and fifty rebel soldiers.
ne movement Against MalOIOS.
This period of wearing duty desultory
firing and frequent casualties was brought
to an end by the movement against Malo-
los. The orders for the advance of the
division northWardly were first given by
the division commander (conditionally) to
the brigade and regimental commanders at
a conference held in the church at CalOocan
on the night of March % These orders
and instructions were somewhat modified
Two Gays later, and so far as they affected
the lst Brigade were substantially as fol-
lows:
The enemy's main force was understood
TO be then on line running eastwardly
from Polo to Novaliches and the Rio
Nunca, with strong outpost line extend
ing from just north of Caloocan to San
FRANCISCO del Monte and Marauuna
The orders for the new positions and dis
trlbutlon of the 1st Brigade were as fol-
lows. in substance:
Such changes in the respective positions
or the other regiments of the brigade were
10 be made by me as would bring the I'd
United states Artillery on the left of the
brigade line, without. however, altering the
position then held by it, In the forward
movement this command was to march di
rectIy against the enemy in it's immediate
front, moving out from it's intrenchmeptS
on the left of the ID Brigade doth Penn
SylVanla) and also to the left of the sepa-
rating raVine; one and one-haif battalions
TO move forward on the firing line and one
halt OF battalion to be in support
-'tH ~ dHSdS infantry o take
position on the right Of the Sd Artillery
occupying the ground between the rayine
indicated and the dirt road running north
"ardiy through the Pennsylvania camp:
two battalionS on the firing line with a
third battalion in support
The LIST Montana Infantry was IN he nos+
ed TO the right Of the 10Th Kansas. with
the left resting on the same road: two bat
talons on the firing line, one battalion in
support.
In subsequent marches the railroad track
was made the dividing line, separating the
Hanks of the two brigades.
me preliminary movements necessary to
Dflig ABOUT these several changes of posi-
tlon We're quietly made on the night of
March Il and apparently without discovery
by the enemy. The positions evacuated by
the 2oth Kansas and 1st Montana Resi-
ments We're at once occupied by the 3D.
brigade of the first division under Brig.
Gen. Wheaton. e
The leading feature of the plan to be
carried out as explained by the division
commander was to pierce the enemy's center
10 40 winch the first advance was to be
made with a view to occupying the Ca
loocan Balantasig Tor Baintauac) road.
ABOUT one mile in front of blockhOuse No
direction o "e''
AT the conference it was explained that
me list Nebraska Regiment of the I'd
brigade. was to have of it's TANKS rest
ing on the River San Juan, but at that time
IL mad not been determined which bank the
regiment would occupy.
Inc second advance was to be to the
next parallel road northward of the Ralan-
Iasig road, the Sd Artillery touching tn,
lunahan river west of Cabatuhan and ex-
tending e&stwardly along the road to the
village of Banlac, the other regiments of
the brigade on a line to the right
On the third advance the 1st brigade 1vas
to pass the river Tuliahan by the left flank
and advance on the village of Bibana. SUM-
posed TO be on the enemys main line. the
A ,-;1l
Kansas and Montana regiments prolonging
the line so as to conform to the movements
of the I'd Brigade generally. the whole
movement thus bringing the division on a
line eastwardly of Novaliches
The fourth movement-change of front
to the left on the Sd Artillery bringing the
right of the LIST Brigade opposite Polo.
The orders further required the impede
ments to be reduced to the minimum the
men marching without blankets or tents
but carrying one days rations and not less
than 100 rounds of ammunition per man on
their persons. 200 rounds more per man
and two days rations to he kept available