Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-05-04
ADVANCE ON MALOLOS.
Mr.. Harrison Grey Tells of the Advances
on the Rebels's Capital.

'r' harrisOn Grey Tells OF the Advance
on the Rebelss Capital
SAN FRANCISCO, May Released
from quarantine today, Brigadier Gen.
eral Harrison Gray Otis, U. s. w., who
arrived from Manila last night, on the
transport Sherman, is happy man at
being again at home. This veteran of
three wars is civilian in time of
peace and as soon as he foresaw the
termination of hostilities with the fall
OF Malolos he asked to be allowed to
resign. He expects to leave for Los
Angeles tomorrow and will at once as
sumo his position as editor in chief
OF the Los Angeles Times. He was
interviewed today by a reporter of the
Associated Press. Speaking of the po-
sltlon held by his brigade during the
campaign, General Otis said: "In the
advance upon Malolos, begun at day.
light, March 25, my brigade constitute
ed the center of the general line and
its orders were to pierce the enemy's
center, which was done the same day.
After this movement was under way
the First brigade advanced west of the
railway track, running north, and at
right angles to 1t, while the Second
brigade advanced abreast on the east
side OF the same track. The usual reg
mental formation adopted in all the
movements in line of battle was to
post two battalions on the firing line,
with one battalion in support"
In the advance upon Malolos, how
was your main line constituted?"
II have already described it's forma-
ton. If you will examine the map of
the region it will perhaps make the
respective positions of the two divis-
ions of the Eighth army corps clearer
to you. he First division, with the ex-
ception of Wheaton's brigade, was on
the south of the Pasig; the Second d.
vision and Wheaton's brigade were
north of that river.
The MalOlos assault, as a whole,
was made by the Second division, Ma
jor General Macarthur commanding,
supported by Wheaton's brigade (the
Third of Lawton's First division. The
entire column was strengthened by the
divisional artillery, made up of regu-
lation field pieces. Hotchkiss cannon
and vicious little rapid-fire gun. All
the guns were manned by men from
Dyer's Sixth United States artillery
and Young's battalion of Utah light
artillery, under their respective Off
GERS. A squadron of the Fourth Unit
ed States cavalry was the only mount
ed force in the column. Part of the
regular cavalry was mounted on big
horses, the remainder on ponies.
Our general infantry advance was
a long, superb sweep northWard by
thin line of troops in extended order
of battle, deployed so as to cover near
ly the entire country between the bay
Of Manila on the west and San Juan on
the east :'>is*4. Ill.,
ITO go back little, the movemen.
began at $50 a. m. of March 20, with
Hale's advance on the near right. His
movement was taken up at 6 a. m. by
my brigade on the center. Wheaton,
with the left, advanced later.
ION account of the boldness of the
enemy on his left, General Hall was
kept busy there and did not advance
with the general line. He had been di-
rected by the corps commander to Sc
cure the safety of our extreme right,
also the road beyond the peradventure
of doubt.
THE fighting itself-well, l cannot
go into that in detail; it would re-
Quire much space. There is no trou-
BILE about the fighting on our side.
Make fairly good plan of battle, send
the soldiers in under their officers, hold
them well in hand, give them good
rifles and keep them supplied with
plenty of ammunition, maintain strict
fire discipline, show them the enemy's
position and the men will do the rest.
The nameless man behind the gun
and the all too obscure line officer
have far more to do with the winning
of victories than many poorly inform
ed civilians seem to understand"
THE start-how was it made?"
THE first advance was partly
through the opening across rice fields
and cleared ground, partly through
timber and underbrush, across marsh,
lagoons, dry barras and streams Of
carrying degrees of depth.
The river Tuliahan was passed by
the Third artillery and the Twentieth
Kansas of my brigade, while yet the
day was young and by the First Mon
tana later on. The enemy's center had
been pierced. And then the victorious
march continued right along, day after
day, until Malolos was reached The
rivers were crossed by the infantry,
either by fording or on improvised
RATS or temporary bridges; the ar
tillery and supply trains passed the
streams on the railway bridges, which
the enemy could not burn and had been
unable to blow up for want of time,
because his burning parties had been
chased off promptly by our troops. Be-
sides the stream lagoons and marshes
that had to be crossed or fianked,
bamboo thickets, dense banana forests
and difficult stretches of tangled CHIP
parral must be penetrated and cleared
under fire.