Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-30
REBELS OPENED FIRE
Brought on the Hostilities in the
Philippines.
Gen. ANDERSON DISTINGUISHING REPORT
Oashing Work of the Volunteers
Described
STOOD FIRE LIKE VETERANS

STOOD FIRE LIKE VETERANS
The repor; Of Major General Thomas NJ
Andersen. commanding the first division of
the Sth Army Corps, during the first battles
with the insurgents in the Philippines, las
been made public at the War Department.
Id is dated February Is, and relates mainly
to the operations of February >. The
port, in part, is as follows:
Insurgents Were AggressOrs.
"A line of delimitation had been agreed
on between the department commander and
the inSurgeut Filipino authorities. Finding
that we did not hold our line of delinta-
ton, the Filipino military forces advanced
beyond this line and began to throw up Il
formidable line of Entertainments, tney
also constructed other intrenchmerts. AS
the insurgents saw their formidable works
approaching completion. they became more
inso1ent day by day, and finally did every
thing they could in insolence and insults to
provoke US to begin the conflict, AS they
were permitted 10 go and come through
our lines AT Will, they knew just what
troops We had, where they We're located,
and that We We're making no visible prepa
make these statements in order TO Justify
the assertion that no troops ever behaved
better under intense provocatlon, showing
excellent discipline and self-control.
The first brigade of this division was
under Brlgadier General Charles King.
The second brigade was under Brigadier
General Samuel OYenshine. The only prep
arations which could be made for battle in
view OIL orders to stand the defensive,
We're the assignment of the different organ
lzdtlonS TO places on the firing line and the
selection OF positions for the artillery.
Nothing more apparently could be done as
our government had to preserve a waiting
n me- viii Srlair,
was signed. Nevertheless as an attack
from the front might be followed by an up
rising IN the city. this procrastiuation
placed the army under q great disadvau-
tage At $40 am. the morning of the
9th the insurgents opened fire on block
mouse IL, with Mauser rifles | had Just
ridden up to my headquarters in the city
from which | had Geographic communica-
lons with every part of my command. L
hrst autographed corps headquarters for
permission to take the offensive when it
became light enough To do so.
Artillery Fire Opened
Al . o'clock l directed Gen. Ovenshine
to open artillery fire on block house II and
the wood near by, and to be prepared to
drive tie enemy from the Malate front
and, if they yielded easily to turn to the
left with part of his command and sweep
the enemy from his entire front If suc
cesstul, TO be ready to reinforce Kings
rlSht, and turn the left of the insurgent
force operating from Santa Ana This Dro-
Ject was not carried out until later in the
Gay, as permission was not given to as
sumo the offensive until s o'clock In the
meantime the firing on Kings line became
heavier as the day advanced. At last at 8
CLOCK. telegram came from Mai Gen
GUS auihoriZing an advance. if not made
100 far went at once to Battery Knoll
taxing with me the Wyoming battalion
FndlnS there three companies of Califor
MAS, l placed there seven COMMENCES IIndar
the command of Col. Smith of the Ist Cali
lorna ana directed him to deploy and add
sade substituting this for the intended CO.
operation of Ovenshine. Gen King was
present and was ordered TO advance as
soon as Smith deployed. These officers re-
eeiNed this order with delight and their
troops with enthusiasm
me movement began at 500 a m with n
rush over the creek in our front-a cheer
ana rafting volleys as the whole line ad
naHced not by rushes, but with n rush
me lhsur gent line fell back before our ad-
vance. nghtinS. however. with spirit. The
TIce helds IN our front We're intersected nv
nttle lrrlgating dykes. and behind each nf
these a stand was attempted the FfIininos
hr1ns from behind them. Our men dis.
GAINED these shelters and moved steadii,-
on until raking fire was onened on 80,
from the redoubt on the neck of the bend
between Pandacan and Santa Ana.
'a'ried AT the Point of the Bayouet
me Idaho regiment then made a turn
10 the left, charging the redoubt. carrvin,,
II al the point of the bayonet, and driving
regiment of insurgents to the bank of The
river The California companies in Pa,da-
can at the same time crossed Concordia
creek and captured the smaller eartbr.orl,
on the further bark On the Iovsr sida % a .
santa Ana OF the river was another aartb
work, in which TWO Krupp gins uero
placed, bearing on the river: buf with an,-
Drasures also on the land side: and to one
oi these one OF the Krupp guns was trans
81. ettG ~ "hSh an advance was made To this
e, t1aWtn0rnes battery replied with good
fire.
vance OF our line. This earthvork W.
tured. "PP suns cap
AT the redoubt the Filipinos made =
brave defense. As the Scotch ,,rar5 q.
rIodden Field formed an unbroken line
alouad their king, SO these misguided in
t. sets zen where they fought. filling the
Uehches with an unbroken line of killed
anu wounded. Apparently, a whole battalion
was uflVen TO the bank of the river They
attenipteu 10 cross in boats and by swim
Hlhs out not Il man was seen to gain the
opposite bank. Their bodies have been
Iiuaths down the stream ever since Mai
rLIseins commanding the Idahos, estimates
the enemyS loss in this movement ar zoo
Killed, captured. wounded and drowned
Drove the Enemy Out of Santa An.
AT the same time the California pat
TALON charged and drove the enemy ont y,
santa Ana, driving them from Stone walls
ana converts, churches and houses and
hshting their way through blazing bamboo
nuts from which the natives were firing
rms could not have been accomplished had
not Col. Smiths command broken the left
vi tne lhsurgeht line and carried the En-
glsn cemetery. which was inclosed with n
strong stone wall. The regular engineer
company, under Lieut.. Ham, volunteered
iOt tIis service and did yeoman work The
wyoming Battalion on the right of the linz
did not advance with the energy of the
rest OF the line. Had they done so the
enemy FORCES might have been captured
In Santa Ana. Retreating on San 49,
Macau. they attempted to make a stand
A number attempted to hold the church
and cemetery OF San Pedro Macatf
Then the Wyomings came I'D at last and
did good service. By a skflIful tacticaI
movement of the engineer company This
strons position was taken in reverse and
carried The insurgents finally broke and
ran, and our forces advanced and captured
the church and monastery of Guadaune
mile beyond Many prisoners were taken
In San Pedro Macat and a well Stumbled
arsenal