The record-union., 1899-03-26
Our Soldiers Have Much to Contend
With in Philippines.
So Far Unable to Lure the Rebels Into
Battle In the Open.
The Losses of Our Forces in Yes
terday's Battle Twenty-S11
Killed and One Hundred and
Fifty Observation-Disclosures Now
Commanded by the Gunboat
Helena.


MANILA. March 26-S:15 a. M
Twenty-six dead and $50 wounded in
hospital is the latest statement of the
American losses in the engagement
with the Filipinos.
To-days fighting furnished specl-
men of the difficulties with which tire
Americans have to contend. The Fill
pinos never, except at Malabon, per-
mitted their opponents to get within
several hundred yards of them. Ihey
would fire a few volleys from their
cover, then scuttle back to another
cover, repeating these tactics for miles.
Many of the trenches had gullies and
connecting paths through the cane and
brush, enabling them to retreat unseen.
The problem the Americans nave 10
face is to drive or lure the insurgents
to fight in force. The trenches seem
thinly manned except in the vicinity Of
Malabon.
The Americans fighting a hidden foe.
suffered greater loss in proportion than
did the enemy. The loss of the Fill
pinos had formerly been estimated from
the number of bodies found scattered
in the swamp and through the brush.
A larger percentage of the enemy 5
wounded died than of the Americans,
many of them perishing from neglect,
the Americans naturally attending
their own men first. The wounded,
after treatment in the field hospitals,
We're brought to the hospital by train.
Several trips were made from Caloo-
can to the city The first load to start
for the city was composed largely of
bandaged soldiers, who shouted, Give
them hell boys.'
The gunboat Helena and two army
boats command Malabon, but the au-
thorities desire to avoid smashing the
town, where there is much valuable
property belonging to foreigners. and
where are located warehouses of most
of the Manila firms.
FURTHER DETAILS OF YESTER-
DAYS BATTLE.
MANILA, March 25-3:45 p. NJ
Elaborate preparations were made for
to-day's movement upon the enemy.
General Wheaton's brigade was placed
in the rear, and General Harrison Gray
Otis and General Hales were massed
behind General Hale. Under cover
of darkness General Otis and General
Hale's brigades eft their trenches and
advanced close Up on the enemy's line
without being detected. General Whea-
tons and General HaIe's brigade &C.
cupying the vacated positions.
At O'Clock the American troops
breakfasited, and tho Filiptnos. noticing
the camp fires, their buglers called TO
arms.
At daylight General Otis and General
Hale's brigades advanced from La
Iona Church straight through the
rebel lines, cutting the enemy's force in
two.
Upon this occasion the rcbals adopted
the American tactics of holding their
fire until the attackers were about
1000 yards distant. The rebels also
fired lower han usual The American s
fired volleys with terrific effect ard then
rushed forward, cheering and carry n g
everything before them.
Once through, General MacAr'hur's
division. was swung through the line,
driving the rsoels away or all secs.
General Wheaton's brisane. III accord
ance with instructions, remained in the
trenches. Before joining in the move
ment at noon General Wheaton's trGcrs
developed G strong opposition J e:~een
Malabon and the rive~ Tullan.
The brigades commanded by Genera.
Harrison Gray Otis nni Genera. Hale
advanced on Novsiiehes AMI Pclc,
strongly entrenehed towns. In The
meantime General Halls brigade swept
the country clear 10 the WAFER works
and the foothills and .5ingaiorl. caDtur-
ing San Francisco del Monte and Mari
quina.
Late in the afternoon the Montana
regiment and the Third Artillery had
crossed the Talighan River, going in a
northwesterly direction toward Polo
and General Macarthur, with the re-
mainder of General Otis and General
Hale's brigades, were moving along
south of the river in a position to at
tack either Novaliches or Polo, being
within two miles of Novaliches and five
miles from Polo
General Hale's brigade moved to Ba-
lac, protecting General Hale's right
meeting with strong opposition. The
Oregon regiment and part of the Utah
battery under Lieutenant Gibbs hello
the extreme left.
The intrenchments nearest to Mala
bon suffered the most severe attacks
including a cross-fire from the insur-
gents massed at Malabon.
The Montana regiment, near Balm
tano, came upon a. blockhouse disguised
as a 1eper hospital, across the river
after marching through the jungle, and
four men We're killed and seventeen
wounded.
General MacArthur's artillery was
hampered by the thickness of ths
jungle General Macarthur and Gen
eral Hale and their stats We're fire.
quently under a calling fire, and upor
one occasion all of the officers, except
ing the Generals, dismounted. being
overcome by the heat. There were
many prostrations during the day.
The American loss is now conserva
lively estimated at sixteen killed ant
40 wounded. The loss Of the enemy
was heavier than during any previou:
engagement.
REPORT FROM GENERAL OTIS.
WASHINGTON, March 25.-The fol
lowing belated dispatch reached ths
War Department this morning: