The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-11
MOVEMENTS IN CAvITE
SCHwAN'S REPORT OF THE CAM
PAIGN MADE LAST OCTOBER.
Splendid Work of the American
Troops Under Great DimcuIties-
Good Service by TagaIO Scouts.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.-The War De-
partment has made public Gen. Schwan's
report upon his expedition in the second
week of October last in the province of
Cavite, which resulted in the capture of
Cavite Yiejo, Novaleta, Rosario, Santa
Cruz. San Francisco de Malabon and Das
Marinas. This expedition, according to
General Schwan, accomplished the objects
for which it was set on foot. with thor
oughnesssand dispatch. The country pre-
sented many difficulties. The streams and
roads were generally lined by impenetrable
bamboo jungles. behind which the enemy
found perfect screens. The fankers were
obliged to traverse the rice swamps and
cane fields, progress was necessarily slow,
and the country was an ideal one for am
bushes The roads, however. presented the
most serious obstacle. the mud being so
deep in some places that is was necessary
to hold up the heads of artillery horses that
had mired or fallen. to prevent them from
being suffocated.
The enemy, though assembled in large
bodies and occupying positions whose nat
ural strength had been still further in
creased by artificial means, was easily de-
feated in province in which he had scored
some of his greatest successes in the re-
bellion against Spain. and where since Feb.
last he had held almost undisputed sway.
The loss of the insurgents in the engage
ments the troops had with them from
Oct. s to II, says General Schwan, amounted
to not less than 100 killed and 400 wounded.
This estimate rests on information derived
from two, 1t is thought, absolutely reliable
sources.
The effect of the punishment is evidenced
by the quiet that has. since its administra-
ton. prevailed on the south line where, as
reported by an aid de camp of Gen.
Grant, not a shot has been fired in fifteen
days. Not single house was burned In the
course of the expedition.
LAS has already been pointed out" saws
General Schwan, "the expedition was hasti-
~ organized and consisted of organizations,
not one of which had previously served
with others. Nevertheless all worked vel;
together from the start; officers and men
alike seemed eager to accomplish whatever
task was given them. The command i'm
proved steadily, and when broken UP was
mt and anxious to undertake any service,
however arduous.
1t remains to say few words regarding
each of the organizations that participated
In the campaign and the work performed
by the several staff departments The
Thirteenth Infantry was well handled
throughout by its colonel (Bisbee) and re-
sponded with promptness and alacrity to
every call that was made upon it. The
battalion of the Fourteenth Infantry
Captain Taylor did its full share of the
work. two Of its companies, under Lieu
tenants Hanson and Major, recent gradu-
ates, taking a most creditable part in the
storming of the enemys intrenchments at
Putol Oct. 8. Too much praise cannot be
accorded the company of scouts, partly
made up of TagaloS, commanded by Lieut.
Castner: They led the charge which re-
suited in the capture of those intrench-
ments and were in the advance in every
ether engagement except that on the
Buena Vista road on the afternoon of Oct
TO- When at the end of a days operations
other troops were in bivouac at rest Lieut.
Cashier. with his scouts, always ready and
cheerful, made under brigade commanders
orders valuable "Reminiscences which often
entaileu great hardship as well as danger,
and which would have overtaxed ordinary
men. The dismounted cavalry troop be-
fore and after the loss of it's gallant cap
tain rendered highly efficient service. The
IRENE, may be characterized as brilliant.
Under the leadership of their dashing Off
GERS Captain Taylor, Captain Reilly and
Lieutenant McClosky) one or more sec
tons were invariably placed on the firing
line; in one instance ION the Buena Vista
road, when the troops were obliged to
move forward I'm column, the leading piece
marched with the advance guard. The en-
eineer company. acting mostly under the
personal supervision of the chief engineer,
Captain Sfbert, but under the immediate
command of Lieutenant Sickle, an ener-
getic and capable young officer, has already
been mentioned for its prompt construc-
ton of an efficient ferry across the Tiba-
gan river.
while approaching San Francisco De
Malabon, where the enemy was supposed
to be in force and expected to give battle,
the company asked for and assigned a
place in the firing line. Captain Sibert, not
only in his capacity as engineer, but also
on the firing line. notably on the afternoon
of Oct. 10. on the Buena Vista road. con-
tributed in marked degree by his efforts
to the success of the operations. The tele-
graph and signal corps service was per-
formed with great efficiency by a detach-
ment of the signal corps under the COM
mand of Lieutenant Clark. This detach-
ment, following Immediately in the rear of
the advance guard succeeded in erecting
and maintaining Geographic communication
between the brigade and the division head
quarters at Manila from the time the for
mer left Binasayan until, cutting loose
from it's wagon tram. il left San Franciso
Oct. IL. Lieutenant Clark, who conducted
the important service that fell to his de-
tachment, is entitled to high commenda-
ton. The quartermasters and subsist-
ence departments We're respectively
represented by Captain Biddle and Lieut..
Bash, both excellent officers, who in conse-
quence of the difficulty presented by the
road and the separation of the wagon train
from the command found an ample field
for the exercise of their ingenuity and en-
ergy. Each in his own line succeeded in
making satisfactory provision for the COM
mand. To the adjutant general Of the
brigade, Lieutenant Sladen, to the officers
who acted aids-de-camp Captain Sewell
and Lieutenant Fenton) and Lieutenant
Hawkins, aid-de-camp, the thanks OF the
brigade commander are due. In the eff
fective support they gave him on every
occasion they were utterly unsparing Of
themselves
Five officers and fifteen enlisted men
were wounded in the various actions. OF
this number three officers. VIZ, Captains
Saffold. Geary and McGrath, have since
died of their wounds. The best possible
care was taken Of the wounded by the
medical officers and enlisted men Of the
hospital corps serving with the expedition,
Major Keefer, brigade surgeon. being es-
pecially active and faithful in the per-
formance Of his duties.
Title Given by the Court.