The evening times., 1899-05-31
MAJOR BELL'S Fights
With fHB FILIPIN0S
Detailed Report of Operations
Near. the Pasig River.
Insurgents Dislodged and Forced to
Make a Retreat.
wouaded Rebels Carefully Cared for.
washinston Volunteers Men-
tlOned for Bravery.

Major of Engineers J. F. Bell, has trans
mitted from Manila. to the Secretary OF
War, an interesting report ON the opera
tions Of detachment from the First Regl-
ment Of Washington Volunteers at the Pa
sig River. The report IL dated Manila, p. l..
March 1. 1899. and is addressed to tho Ad-
jutant General, First Brigade. First Divis-
ion. Eighth Army Corps. Major Bell says:
'.I have the honor to report that pur-
suant to the verbal instructions Of the
brigadier general commanding. proceeded
the Pasig River to its north bank opposite
| his headquarters at San Pedro Macati. with
Companies H and X. First Regiment Of
Washington Volunteers. consisting Of 12l
men and five officers.
MY instructions contemplated securing
the north bank Of the river as far as the
mouth OF the San Mateo River for the pur
pose of finding and capturing or driving
| away certain insurgent troops whose pa
trolls and sharpshooters had. from con-
| cealment on the north bank Of the river.
been annoying the troops stationed In the
| vicinity OF brigade headquarters. ] was
! also, after accomplishing this. to bring
| these two companies on the right flank Of
| the force of insurgents which had taken
| up position on the south bank OF the
Pasig River, about half way between Quad
! alupe and San Pedro Macati. from which
| they had been harassing our outposts for
| about a week.
Making such a disposition OF our force
| as would best fulfill the necessities OF Sc
| curity and Information, we proceeded east
ward. skirting the timber along the north
bank of the Pasig. 1t was my purpose to
move in steaithy manner beyond any pa
| trolls that might then be in the timber. ana,
cutting them off from retreat, capture them
as we came back westward. Having airiv-
ed at a point about mile from San Pedro
I Macati where the terrian was still rising
| to a greater height. in the angle formed
| by the Pas1g and San Mateo rivers, ana.
having discovered no insurgents up 20 THIS
time. we we're Just making preparations to
dispose our force for the purpose OF clear
! ing hostile patrols out OF the timber. wnen
the officer in command of patrol. ieIt on
the edge of the timber to protect our nank.
discovered some insurgents about one-third
of a mile further eastward on hisner
ground toward the San Mateo River. This
| vas reported to me, and while making a
personal examination the command was
halted on the edge of the forest ana lett IN
concealment. , 3.
after a careful study OF the terrian It
became apparent that direct advance
could not be made because CT ueeP suiou
with precipitatious sides Of stone winch
stood between us and The insurgsnt posi-
ticn. II was impossible to approach their
right flank in concealment and without
making a vide detour through deep val
lev. This method of advance had another
objection. viz: that we should have driven
them into the rongh and wooded country
Z 49,
Nateo rivers where they might easily have
ESCAPED in bancas. Though the country
was very rough on their left flank. it was
rather heavily timbered and offered the
best route of approach in conceaimen,, and
I thought a way could be seen OF reaching
still higher ground to their left ana rear
without discovery. This line Of attack waj
decided upon and the fanking patroi ~..s
left where it then was. in good conceal
rnent behind a high point which possessed
much natural strength and afforded good
view of the insUrgent position. The lieu
tenant in command OF this patrol was In
structsd to remain with half dozen O; 1is
men in continuous view of the insurgents,
keeping the rest under cover, and wreL he
heard firing to move IN such way as 10
protect our left flank.
Carefully locating certain landmarks
for our guidance with the rest OF the COM
pany properly disposed. We now proceeded,
under good ccncsalment. TO gain the high
ridge in their left rear had selected with
my glasses About half way there il was
necessary to leave another detachment on
a road which crossed our line OF advance
in order to guard our rear and line OF re-
treat. The remainder Of the command still
outuumbered any body of insurgents proba-
bly there and, advancing rapidly, we gain
ed the desired position without discovery
by the insurgents taking them completely
by surprise AS soon as we opened fire.
some of them began to run while others
took cover and returned our fire. We con-
tinued to advance on them. however, and
they were easily defeated. Notwithstanding
the fact that the reserve Company K) did
not get to the front quick enough to take
any part in the fight. Their resistance
lasted a few minutes only. certainly less
than ten, after which We chased them about
a mile and the fight was over. We had
no casualties on our side. but found two
dead insurgents and three badly wounded.
The injuries of the latter were dressed by
the doctor and they were brought back to
the river for shipment to the hospital in
Manila.
I'VE estimated the inSurgent force at
| from forty to fifty men. and one OF the
wounded (who was a sergeanO told me
that they had sixty men, but few were
absent after food. Being in a hurry to get
| back on the flank of the insurgents. who
| were on the south bank Of the Pasig. lack
OF time prevented thorough search for
dead and wounded in the chapparal which
filled the ravine near the field of action.
Some natives were impressed for the pur-
| pose Of transporting the wounded insur-
gents, and having detailed sufiicient
| number of men to assist them and furnish
| q guard. they were started back to San
Pedro Macati through the open country.
| The rest Of the command was assembled
and marched down the river through the
brush to our remaining duty. I knew
where the insurgents on the opposite side
| of the river were. for we had located
| them with q reconnoitering patrol the day
| before.
Proceeding In front With a small patrol,
and the companies moving In parallel col
umns, went to the edge of the river. and
observing that they were in the same place
| we had previously seen them. Company M
was posted on the north bank about 100
yards higher up the river than the posi-
| tion of the insurgents. with instructions
to fire ON them as they retreated. Com
pany K was taken down the river to a
point Immediately opposite their flank. and
we gradually worked our way to the wa
ter's edge, pouring in such a heavy fire
upon them that they were compelled to
| shift their position. They stood their
ground about twenty minutes, however.
returning as hot fire as have yet seen.
Then they broke and began to run to the
rear. The company FIRST posted (ND had
opened FIRE sooner than was expected and
| drew a hot return, which drove 1t away
from the edge Of the river. The other
1 company (K) did much execution on them