The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-12
COULD NOT CATCH HIM
MAI. MARGINS FORCES WE'RE
CLOSE UPON THE HEELS OF THE
FILIPINO CHIEF
BoDYGUARD WAS NOT LARGE

Gen. del Pillars Force Said to Have
Consisted of a Few Hundred Men
-AguinaIdO DeIuded Natives-In-
duced Them to Believe That the
Congress of the United States
Would Recognize Independence.
MANILA, Dec. ,u.-Dispatches dated
Conception, Dec. 2, from a correspondent
of the Associated Press with the detach-
ment pursuing Aguirialdo, have just
reached Manila by messenger. The mil
itary wires on all lines to the northward
are continually cut by the natives or are
crowded with government business when
working.
According to these advices Gen. Young
was at Condor Nov. 20, having three
troops of the Third cavalry, Cunning
hams scouts and Mai March's battalion
of the Thirty-third infantry. The nominal
strength of his command had been re-
duced one-third by sickness. The horses
were worn out and handicapped by lack
Of shoes. The infantry, after march of
100 miles from San Jacinto were shoeless
and all were living on the country. The
troops had no ammunition except what
they carried in their belts Gen. Young
having then been without communication
with Gen. Lawton for ten days, and not
knowing the disposition of the other
troops, or whether support was being
sent forward, resolved tc lS>p moving.
Having received information that the in
surgent general, Tino, with 1000 men,
was somewhere to the north and that
Aguinaldo, with Gen. Pillar, five women
and 400 soldiers of his faithful Bulacan
battalion, was in the mountains to the
west, Gen. Young. decided, on Nov. 80, to
divide his force. He proceeded toward
Tigan, hoping to attack Gen. Tino with
his handful of men and to prevent him
joining Aguinaldo. Maj. March, with his
battalion, and Cunninghams scouts start
ed over the mountains toward Cervantes
after Aguinaldo, who was supposed to
have been there on Nov. 80 This col
'umn marched for thirteen hours without
food. The Associated Press correspond
ent goes on to say.
NATIVES ARE IMPARTIAL.
The Americans found that the insur-
gents had impressed the Igorrotes, COM
pell1ng them to dig trenches and to con-
struct pitfalls along the trails, which
were fearful travelling at the best One
stream had to be forded twelve times in
the course of a mile. These inoffensive,
stupid creatures, usually pictured as
bloodthirsty savages, cheerfully turned
from their own work and went foraging
for the Americans. The Licos region is
the richest the Americans have entered a,
the northern campaign. The Licos are
prosperous and intelligent and more than
half civilized. They have excellent houses
and carry on f1ourishing industries. Many
of them are evidently rich, and several
towns received the troops with bands and
ringing of church bells. Cattle were kill
ed and houses were opened to the troops
How much of this display was sincere
and how much due to- desire to pro-
pttiate the conQuerors it would be hald to
say. There were evidences that similar
hospitality had been extended to AguinaI-
do. The people describe him as cheerful
hugging the hope Of salvation through
American politics, and everywhere try
ing to retain support by proclaiming, with
seeming sincerity, that the United States
congress would certainly recognize he in
dependence of the Filipino republic in De-
cember.
Many of the natives exhibited notes
from Lieut. Gilmore and other American
prisoners, in which the recipients were
commended to the Americans on the score
of kindness shown to the writer's There
are twenty-seven Americans with Lieut.
Gilmore. Another party of fourteen were
taken through Licos a week ahead of
Gen. Young. They were ragged and dir y,
and the natives say some of them were
urged forward at the point of the bayo-
net"
Gen. Lawton with the Thirty fifth in
fantry and four troops of the Third cav
ally has occupied San Miguel without a
fight