The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-03-28
Our Troops in Luzon Force the Insurgents
Into a General Engagement.
THE PHILIPPINES ARE ROUTED
Enemy Forced to Meet
Them in the Open Encounter.
They Make Some Determined SandsGallant Charges
of Open Ground Under
Heavy Enemy Vanqushed
Every
Every Point.

south of the river in position TO at
tack either Novaliches or Polo, being
within two miles of NOvalicheS and hve
miles from Polo.
General Halls brigade moved to Ban
lac protecting General Hale's right,
meeting with strong opposition.
The Oregon regiment and part of the
Utah battery under Lieutenant Gibbs,
held the extreme left.
The entertainments nearest to Mala-
bon suffered the most severe attacks,
including a cross fire from the insur-
gents massed at Malabon.
The Montana regiments, near Balm
tanac, came upon a blockhouse dis
guised as a leper hospital, across the
river, after marching through the jun
giles. Four men were killed and seven
teen wounded.
hampered by the thickness Of the jun.
gle. General MacAIthur's and General
Hale's staffs were frequently under
CALLING fire and upon one occasion all
of the officers excepting the ererals
dismounted, being overcome by the
heat. There were many prostrations
during the day.
DAY. OF ANXIETY AT WASHING
TON.
Washington, March .25-This was a
day of anxiety and excitement at the
of the busiest days of the war with
Spain. Every officer was intcntly look
ing for every scrap of information as
to the progress made by Otis gallant
expeditiOnary force. 1t was noted that
the movement was being executed like
clock work, 1t was necessarily one of
great rapidity, yet the officials noted
with delight the perfections of the ar
rangements as revealed in the press
dispatches; the rapid work Of the sig
nal men, we'll up with the troops in
the advance, running their wires, the
ambulance corps close up to the firing
line and the pressing forward of the
supplies.
Although the end was not known
when the department closed, the great
est confidence was shown by the officials
in the complete success of the Amer
leans arms and there was nothing but
praise heard for the strategy exhib-
tied by Otis and his generals. Mac
Arthur especially came in for commen-
adatiOn, being the active leader of the
advancing column thrown first against
the insurgents lines. The opinion ex-
pressed at the department was that the
American troops would bivouac on the
field or rather in the jungle and would
take up the forward movement imme-
diately the sun rises tomorrow. There
was no question about stopping at this
point; the movement was intended to
! break the rebel power and it would be
pushed to the utmost, until the rebels
surrendered or fled beyond reach of
the mountains and jungleS.
1t is said a the department that Otis
has under his command at Manila and
vicinity about $1,000 soldiers; Aguinal-
do, according TO Otis last report, has
about 10000 armed men. General Cor
bin estimates that the American flying
column in action today was about TO-
o.
to Otis had about 10000 in line, but
AguinaldO's reserves, $4,000 strong, are
not far distant from the scene of the
hardest fighting. Indeed, it is sus-
pected that some of them, including the
| leader himself, may have been drawn
into today's struggle, in which case the
| odds would have been heavily against
| the Americans. The latter appeared to
be taking full advantage of the great
assistance to be found in the possession
of the railroad, for their movement to-
/ day was generally parallel to the road
at all points.
There is a possibility of confusion of
the names Of Generals Hale and Hall.
General Irving Hale was colonel of the
Colorado infantry and has been pro-
noted to be brigadier general of vol
unteers. General Robert H. Hall was
I, formerly colonel of the Fourth infantry
! and has been promoted to be brigadier
men were in the enga cement of today
| north of Manila
General Otis description of the battle
is contained in the following cable
gram received at the war department.
this morning:
Manila, March rs.
"Adjutant General, Washington:
Macarthur with two brigades COM
menced advance on Novaliches, north
west Of Caloocan, in the center the in
| surgentl ines, at daybreak this morn
ing, advancing rapidly and successfully
suffering little from Novaliches; Mac
Arthur will swing to left and strike
north of Polo; Wheaton's brigade
fronting Caloocan, viii press forward
at the proper time; Halls brigade on
the old line north of Pasig is demon
strating west of the pumping station
Enemy 10000 strong on the lines I am
endeavoring to take fraction in re-
verse. OTIS
1t was stated at the war department
that the expression of General Otis
"am endeavoring to take fraction in re-
verse" means that while ostensibly
making a feint at the front he intends
to swing to the rear and attack the
enemy on the left.
General Greeley, chief signal officer
mas received cable dispatch from Ma
mia saying that the signal corps tefe-
graphic service north of Manila is in
such shape that General Otis is direct
ing the disposition and operation OF
troops from his headquarters in Ma
Mia.
Washington, March 25.-The war de-
partment late tonight made public the
| 1olloWlng dispatch from General Otis:
J Manila, March 25
"Adjutant General:
Perfected northern movement NOT
yet completed. Otis and Hale's brig.