Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-07

| tenable. AgulnaldO may attempt 10
shift his headquarters to the rich to-
| bacco country at the northern end of
| the island. Possibly he may slip
around Gen. Lawton's front to the
| southern provinces; but, as Macarthur
/ and Lawton's troops are s.read across
the country from Angeles to Cabana-
tuan, it will be difficult FOR the insur-
gents to escape.
Gen. Wheeler's brigade Is formed at
| Angeles IL order to De prepared for a
general engagement.
NEW YORK, November Ga special
| to the Herald from Washington says:
With forces aggregating more than 3d.
| 900 fighting men, Gems. Lawton, Mac
Arthur and Wheaton are closing in on
Aguinaldo's army. Gen. Otis set No
vember 5 and as the dates for COM
mencing the carSpaign "all along the
line and the War Department has in
formation to-day that the programme
is being carried out. Gen. Otiss dis
patches are optimistic in the highest
degree, and the officials are predicting
that the rebellion will be crushed be-
fore the end of the present month and
that important victories will be an
nounced within few days.
The military situation was thus an
alyzed to-day by an official familiar
with Gen. Otis's plan of operation, as
reported to the War Department:
"Aguinaldo, with his army greatly re-
duced, owing to recent disintegration,
is at Bayambang, 20 miles north OF
Tarlac, which was his headquarters and
the objective of Lawton's and MacAr-
thurs armies up to fortnight ago.
Gen. Macarthur moves northward
along the railroad to Bayambang, TAX
ing the towns of Tarlac, Panaque, Mon
coda, and others as he goes along. Gen.
Lawton moves northward from Colana-
tuan as his base and with columns
swerving to the right and left to sweep
the country to the Rio Agno river, and
to head off Aguinaldos escape to the
mountains through Rio Agno valley.
At last accounts detachment from his
command had taken AHaga, west of his
base, Talavera being to the north and
Bayambang to the northwest.
Gen. Wheaton moves southwark
from Dagupan to BayamDang His
movements up to this time have been
kept from the public, but now that the
campaign is in progress l am at lib
erty to mention that he headed an ex-
petition sent out on transports for the
Gulf of Lingayen last week. The navy's
task was to shell the towns on the
southern part Of the gulf, so as to eff
| feet the safe landing Of his expedition.
UNLESS Aguinaldo has escaped to the
eastward, through the Rio Agno valley,
| he ought to be caught between Gen.
Wheaton's orces from the north and
! Gen. MacArthur's from the south with
| in the next As hours. as Bayambang,
where he is supposed to be located, is
| less than 20 miles from Dagupan and
about 40 miles from Angeles
although Gen. MacArthur's main
forces were at Angeles at last accounts,
| it is believed that one of his columns
has reached and taken Tarlac before
this, that the railroad to that point is
now in control of the American forces,
and that 1t is only question Of few
days when his command will reach
Bayambang.
From the plan of campaign mapped
out Aguinaldo's only possible means of
escape would seem to be to the east
ward through the Rio Agno valley into
the mountains, as the forces under
Gems. Lawton and Macarthur moving
northward are keeping scouts well out
to the front so as to prevent the enemy
| from escaping southwark"
1t seems to have been figured out by
the authorities that Aguinaldo would
| not attempt to cross the mountains to
| the northeastward, because when he
got on the other side he would be
among natives quite as hostile to the
Tagals as the American troops. The
northern part of the island OF Luzon is
cut off from the central by high ranges
| Of mountains. The other side is peo-
| pied by mixed races-Malay, Chinese
and Negrito. 1t is said they are friend
~ to the United States and particular
| ~ bitter against the Tagals.
The War Department has not been
| advised as to the exact number OF
troops now engaged under Gen. Law
| ton, Gen. Macarthur and Gen. Wheaton,
but 1t is estimated that of the 1900
which Gen Otis reported he had yes
terday, at least $4,000 are engaged in
the campaign north of Manila Ac-
cording to recent dispatches Of Gen.
OTIS there has been general scatter