The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-03-28

Manila, March 25.-Noon.-The move
nent of the American troops teday
swept the insurgents back toward
Malabon General Harrison Gray Otis
brigade is in front of Laloma, where
there is stretch Of mile or rough
open country. The insurgents trenches
in the edge of the woods are four feet
deep, and furnish a good head cover
The American troops advanced on the
double quick, yelling fiercely and oc-
casionally dropping in the grass and
firing by volley.
The natives stood until the Ameri-
cans were within 200 yards of their
position and then broke and ran for the
woods. About thirty Of them were
killed in the outskirts and seventy on
the roads
The Montana and Kansas troops met
the hottest resistance in a strip from
which the rebels have greatly worried
the Americans recently during the night
time.
Ninety minutes after the Start,-at
o'clock the whole front for a dis
tance of three miles to the north and
had simultaneously swept in a north
westerly direction, routing the enemy
and burning the town Of San Francisco
del Monte, and a number of scattered
huts.
The line was then opposite Noval-
iches, the artillery advancing along a
good road from Laloma to Novaliches,
the wagons carrying pontoons, telegraph
vN1i fJnY1 f0l lnXIyI inc
The infantry moved in splendid order.
Smoke from the burning huts marked
the line of the American advances.
Ambulances and horse litters, led by
Chinese, brought in the wounded, among
whom were few Philippines The
Americans who were wounded endured
their injuries bravely, one group which
had been brought into the hospital
singing Comrades"
The Pennsylvania troops took nine
prisoners, among them a great naked
captain of the Macabobee tribe and one
Japanese. All the prisoners were great
1y terrified, expecting to be executed
Immediately.
2:25 p. m-General MacArthur's di-
vision, consisting of the brgades of
Hale and General Hail., supplemented
by General Wheaton's brigade, ad-
vanced at day light and cut the enc
my's forces in two. They captured the
towns of Polo and Novaliches on the
left and San Francisco del Monte and
Maroquina on the right, clearing the
rebels trenches in front of the lines
north from the river to CaloOcan. They
also secured possession of the railroad,
practically cornering the flower of
AguinaldoS army at MalabOn and in
the foot hills of Singalon, twenty miles
apart. The troops engaged were the
Third artillery, as infantry; the Mon
tana, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Nebraska,
Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota
Minnesota and Oregon volunteers; the
Third, Fourth, Seventeenth and Twen-
ty-second regulars, the Utah artillery
battalion and the Twenty-third regu-
lars. The American casualties were
light.
3:45 p. m.-Elaborate preparations
were made for the movement. General
Wheaton's brigade was placed in the
rear and General Harrison G. Otis and
General Halls We're massed behind
General Hales. Under the cover of the
darkness General Otis, and General
Hale's brigades left their trenches and
advanced close upon the enemy's line
without being detected, General Wheat
on's and General Halls brigades oc-
cupying the vacated positions.
AT o'clock the American troops
breakfasted and the Philippines, MOTTO
ing the camp fires, their buglers called
to arms.
At daylight General Otis and Cen
eral Halls brigade advanced from La
Iona church straight through the rebel
lines, cutting the enemy's force in two.
Upon this occasion, the rebels adopted
the American tactics of holding their
fire until the attackers were about 1000
yards distant. The rebels also fired
lower than usual. The Americans fired
volleys with terrible effect and then
rushed forward cheering and CARRYING
everything before them.
Once through, General MacArthur's s
division was swung to the left driving
the rebels away on all sides.
General Wheaton'S brigade, in ac-
cordance with instructions, remained
in the trenches. Before joining in the
movement, at noon, General Wheaton, s
troops developed a strong opposition
between Malabon and the river Tulia-
han.
The brigades commanded by General
Harrison Gray Otis and General Hale
advanced on Novaliches and Polo,
strongly entrenched towns.
In the meantime, General Halls brig
ade swept the country clear to the
waterworks ! Ad the foot hills and Sin
gallon, capturing San Francisco del
Monte Mariqufna.
o:o5 p. m.-The American loss is now
conservatively estimated at 16 killed
and l3O wounded. The loss of the enc
my was heavier than during any pre-
Vious engagement
Late in the afternoon the Montana
regiment and the Third artillery had
crossed the Afghan river, going in a
nortnWesterly direction, toward Polo,
ana General Macarthur, with the re-
mainder OF General OTIS and General
Hale's orlgades, was moving along