The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-28
LoNG-DRAwN-OUT BATTLE IS PUZ-
ZLING THE WAR DEPART
MENT STRATEGISTS
FROM A MlNEUVER TO A CHASE
ROUGHNESS OF THE COUNTRY HAS
PROBABLY UPSET PLANS OF
TACTICIANS
RESULT MAY BE THE SAME


Objective Point of the Campaign
Capture of AguinaIdO and His
Terminate HostiIities and Bring
About Permanent Peace.
WASHINGTON, March 27.-Details of
the third day of the fighting north OF
Manila brought little of decisive char
acter from which war department Of
ficiaIs 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-
element, and none of that anxiety and
tension shown during the memorable
days of last summer, when the decisive
blows were being struck at Santiago.
Early in the day Gen. Otis cabled the
war department a brief but comprehen-
sive dispatch, summing up the situa-
tion. 1t disclosed the fact that severe
fighting was going on today, with our
forces advanced as far north Mari
loa, while the insurgents under the COM
mand of Aguinaldo in person. were be-
ing driven back with considerable
slaughter. This and the press dispatches
satisfied the officials that the strategic
movement of entrapping the insurgents
between our lines had not proved as
successful as designed, and that the
move had now shifted to retreat by
Aguinaldo's forces and a pursuit by the
troops.
DOGGED RETREAT
The insurgent retreat toward Malolos
was slow and dogged, and advantage
was taken of one after another of lines
OF intrenchments, the burning of bridges
and the interruption of communications.
Gen. Otis, dispatch, although received
early today, 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 sentence: THE
column will press on in the morning.
This refers to Tuesday. The engage
ment has now shaped itself so that it is
looked upon as more of a chase than the
execution of strategic movement With
the American base advanced to MariIoa
ana the insurgent base forced back TO
Maloios' the main bodies of the two OBJ
posing forces are about ten or twelve
.. miles apart. This could be quickly COW
cred in forced march, under fair con-
altions, but it is twelve miles of innumer
able difficulties and obstacles. which orr
troops must cover before they reach the
insurgents stronghold. 1t Is exnected
mat the engineers with Macarthur are
hastily repairing the burned BRIDGES
This will permit the artillery to be tob-
Ell forward, as well as the Infantry COL
umns. wa
STUBBORN RESISTANCE.
1t is expected that every ri1e oe ,h.
distance to Malolos will be contested h,,
the insurgents, for Gen. Otis renorts
ti<t 1t Is stretch of country covered
with the intrenchments thrown IN during
the last three months Our men +b.ra-
1ore' must advance slowly, repairinp tho
roads as they go and at the san,a +ix,
1heY must fight their way throupb 1,a1I
made rebel intrenchments. Serious &c
ule Work Is, there IS no lack of conf
oehce among oflcfalS here as to the ca tic
factory outcome of the campaign. Malo-
los Is the 1nsurgent capital, where the as
ssmply mas been sitting, and the insur
gent government has been In operation
1t represents more to the Insurgents than
any other place in the Philippines and
niue oouot Is entertained that thew viii
Hdhe d desperate stand there
Inc tactics of Aguinaldo are +ak;,o,
MIN gradually beyond the range of AL
mlral Dewey's guns. While tba ins,,r
gents We're at Malabon on Sa+rrdo,,
they We're within a mile of the water
'front.' and easily within range of tho
meet BUT as they have moved north
waro they have gradually moved away
from the bay. Malolos is about seven
miles back from the bay, althoueb tbara
are shallow estuaries which would nernit
light draft boats to get within :, nniIa or
two. o "a
PROTRACTED BATTLE
The duration of the battle is beginning
TO attract the attention of arrny strate
sisCs as IL IS very important element
IN determining the strength Of the men
Tie supplies of ammunition and s+orss
ana the spirit of the army The f,rst
blow was struck before daybreak last
Saturday, and the fighting Continued oil
that day. again on Sunday and now on
Monday. The reports show little NIGHT
fighting except in repulsing an insnrgent
attack Saturday night With TODAY the
fighting had lasted seventy-two hours
Judged by the standards of great hat
ties, such as Waterloo, Plevna and
others. mentioned by army authorities.
this is q long and intensely arduous an
Eagement. But the fighting about Manila
Is quite different from the standards Of
civilized armies as 1t is running brush
conflict, with only occasional issues be-
tween organized bodies OF troops Some
OF the battles of the Civil war lasted
many days, notably the battle of the
wilderness and the fighting about Rich
mond In speaking of the element of en-
durance. Cen Sternberg said today that
ne had gone for seven days in the con-
tlnuous Fighting around Richmond with
cut renewing the supplies originally is
sued before the fighting began. The
main question in these long continued
lights Is to have all supplies, stores etc.
Kept abreast OF the Sighting force So
that there may be no exhaustion Tn
this respect all the reports of the fight
ing about Manila are most gratifying to
= th, authorities here. showing that the
Quartermaster, commissary, medical and
signal stores are well up with our fight
ing lines.
FILIPINOS MAKING AMMUNITION
The belief is expressed at the war de-
partment that the Filipinos are manu-
featuring the ammunition that is being