Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-03-28
American Troops Again Show
Their Metal.
A LATE VIEW OF EVENTS
Show That the Fight is Now Merely
a Chase of the ReblS--Will
be Some More Trouble

Washington, March 27.-The third day
of fighting north of Manila brought little
of a decisive character from which the
war department officials could judge
what the final outcome of this movement
would be. In all official quarters the
most intense interest prevailed, but there
was no excitement and lone of that
anxiety and tension shown during the
memorable days of last summer which
the decisive blows We're being struck at
Santiago. Early in the day Gen. Otis
cabled the war department a brief but
comprehensive dispatch summing up the
situation. 1t disclosed that severe fight
ing was going on today with our forces
advancing as far north as Marieloa,
while the insurgents, under the command
with considerable slaughter. This and
the press dispatches satisfied the officials
that the strategic movement of entrap-
ping the insurgents between our lines
had not proved as successful as designed
and hat the move had now shifted to a
retreat by A~guinaldo's forces and a pur-
suit by our troops. The insurgent retreat
toward Mololos was slow and logged
and advantage was taken of one after
another of lines of entertainments, the
burning of bridges and the i~nterrupting
of communications. Gen. Otis dispatch
although received early today was sent
Monday evening, Manila time, and
summed up the work on the three days.
That the fighting would proceed into
the fourth day was shown by his closing
! sentence: 1.-THE column will press on in
the morning. This refers to Tuesday.
The engagement has now shaped itself
so that it is looked upon as more of a
chase than the execution of a strategic
movement. With the American base ad-
vanced to Marielao and the insurgents
base forced back to Mololos, the main
bodies of the two opposing forces are
about 10 or II miles apart. This could
be quickly covered in a forced march I'M
der fair conditions, but it is II miles of
innumerable difficulties and obstacles,
which our troops must cover before they
reach the insurgent stronghold. 1t is
expected that the engineers with Mac
Arthur are hastily repairing the burned
bridges. This will permit the artillery to
be taken forWard as we'll as the 1ntantfy
columns. 1t is expected that every mile
of the distance to Malolos will be con-
tested by the insurgents, for Gen. Otis
reports that it is a stretch of country
covered with the entertainments thrown
up during the last three months. Our
men, therefore, must advance slowly, re-
pairing the roads as they go and at the
same time they must fight their way
through we'll made rebel entertainments
Serious as the work is, there is no lack
of confidence among officials here as &c
the satisfactory outcome of the cam
paiGn.
Malolos is the insurgent capital, where
} the assembly has been sitting and the
insurgent government has been in opera
ton. 1t represents more to the 1nsur'
gents than any other place in the Philip
pines and little doubt is entertained tina
thew will make a desperate stand there
The tactics of A~guinaldo are taking hin
I gradually beyond the range of Admlra
. Dewey's guns. While the insurgent'
I were at Malabon Saturday they wer'
4 within a mile of the water front AM
easily within range of the fleet. But a
, they moved northward, they have grad
ually moved away from the bay. Malolo
is about seven miles back from the bay
although there are Shallow estuarle
which would permit light draught BOAT
to get within a mile or two.