Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-03-07
General Otis Has Completed
Plans For Grand Onslaught.
ANOTHER SHARP ENCAG CEMENT
Foriy.ono Thousand officers and
Force Now At or En- Route 10 VIA
Mia Admiral Dewey's Powerful
SqundrOn-Comm Awaits
In. Colonel Denby.
(By Telegraph to virginlan-pilot.)

w uSUlnSlOI1, NluTCn O.--lnere is some
reason to expect important news from
Manila within the next fortnight. 1t
has developed that General Otis has
practically completed his plans for a
grand onslaught of the insurgents.
which is expected to deprive them OF
offensive power at least 1t is proba-
BILE that he will form 81 large part of
his force into columns, as soon as his
reinforcements are all at hand. and will
push these in parallel lines through
the jungles, clearing out the insurgents
in every direction as the troops so for
ward. The American troops are get
ting restless and nervous under the
petty but annoying sharpshooting IF
the Filipnos, and are so anxious TO put
stop to this that General Otis has
yielded 10 their desire.
Forty-one thousand officers and men
OF the command, army and navy forces
comprise the approximate total
American strength now at, en- route
and under orders for service in the
Philippines islands. No further rein
forcemcnts are now i'm contemplation
Tho forces Of the two services already
stationed in and about the archipelago
consists Of 20 regulars of infantry, one
engineer battalion, seven troops of cav
airy and III batteries of artillery an aG-
Eregate of about .i50O men,
ADMIRAL DEWEY'S SQUADRON.
Nineteen vessels with an aggregate
OF 23I officers, 1880 men and 253 ma
rineS make up the naval CONTINGENT
This is exclusive of the hospital shin
Solace. with 162 officers and men all
told, which is constantly passing back
and forth from Manila. There are
about 4,SO0 army reinforce ments on the
way to Manila, making as rapid pro-
sress as possible, and there are rough
~ estimated, $500 men in the force un-
der orders to proceed to the Philip
pines.
The following vessels arc now at Ma
Mia or Hong Kong under the command
or Admiral Dewey: Baltimore. Ben
nington. Boston, Buffalo, Callao. Char
lesion. Concord. Culgoa. Don Juan de
<iustr.a. Helena, Isla de Iuzon, Isla de
Cuba, Manila. Monadnock, Monocacy,
Monterey. Olympia, Petrol ana York
town.
These vessels carry 297 officers 1890
sailors and 253 marines.
OTHER WARSHIPS EN- ROUTE.
The Solace does not remain at Manila.
The Castinc and Princeton are now on
their way through the Red Sea to ioin
Admiral Dewey. and the Oregon and
her attendant vessel, the Iris, are trav-
cling through the Pacific to the same
destination. These vessels Will add to
the naval force at Manila 50 officers
i3J men ana 81 marines. The captured
ships Don Juan de Austria, Isla de
l-uzon and lS!a de Cuba are not avail
able for immediate service. as they are
in need of repairs. The Solacc has taken
out number of reerllit&- and ~ltA- thasA-
the 1sla de Luzon will be manned. The
Wheeling will join the Manila fleet.
but is not to'bc counted as being avail
able in the immediate future.
THE REGULAR TROOPS.
The regular troops now in the Phil
ippine islands under command of Major
General Otis consist of the following:
The Fourteenth United States Infan-
try, Eighteenth United States Infan-
Try, Twentieth United States Infantry
'which has but recently arrived there.
consisting of Al officers and 1,2lS men:
IWenty-second United States Infantry.
ana Iwenty-third United States Infan-
Try battalion of United States EnCi-
neers; Companies C. f. G.. I. II. l.. of
the Fourth United States Cavalry: Bat
teries G. II. Is and l., of the Third
United states Artillery: and Batteries
IL ana u, Sixth United States Artillery.
THE VOLUNTEERS
Most of the volunteer forces already
In the field, and most of whom have
borne the brunt of the engagements
with both the Spanish army on the Is
lands, and more recently the Filipinos.
have been there since the beginning of
the American occupancy of the islands.
They comprise fifteen regiments of in
fantry, one troop of cavalry, and five
batteries of artillery. as follows:
The First California. First Colorado.
First Idaho. Fifty first Iowa. Twen-
tieth Kansas, Thirteenth Minnesota,
First Montana, First North Dakota.
First Nebraska. Second Oregon. Tenth
Pennsylvania First South Dakota,
First Tennessee First Washington.
First Wyoming. First Troop of the Ne
vada Cavalry. Battery 4 and Battery
b. Utah Light Artillery. Battery y and
Battery D. of the California Artillery.
the First Wyoming Light Battery and
the First and Eighteenth Companies of
the United States Signal Corps.
In addition to these another company
Of the Signal Corps has just been
transfer from the regular branch of
the army. This means Of making up
the new company was made necessary
by the lack of time for dispatch OF men
from the United States.
Observation-Disclosures EN- ROUTE
Relnforcements for the Philippines
now on the way aggregate in the neigh
borhood Of 1880 men all told. These
are made IN of the three general ex-
petitions as follows:
The transport Grant with General
Lawton and staff. with n total of AZ
officers and 716 men, including one bat
talon of the Seventeenth Infantry
Regiment and four companies of the
Fourth Infantry. This expedition sailed