The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-22

when necessary and now they resort
to If. They all have their families
aboard and put out into the 1loilo
river. They are safe from insurgents
and they know Americans will protect
instead of mistreat them.
For hours American forces stand in
the edge of the city or on the river
bank and watch the city as it melts
away. a few hours ago it was a
thriving, busy city, its streets filled
with all nations; now its walls have
tumbled and the white soldier is
greeted by brickdust and ashes.
Beautiful stone buildings have crum-
bled and fallen and what was short
" before a magnificent residence.
surrounded by the richest of tropical
scenery, is now an unrecogniZable
mass. surrounded by the charred re-
mains of cocoanut and royal palms.
In the business portion of the city is
to be found the remains of buildings
which yesterday had been stocked
with silks and pinas and all the rich
es of the far East. Helpless, the
American watched, as he saw this
wealth as it smoked and SmOuldered.
Confronting him on every side was
devastation and destruction! Ware
houses. containing hundreds of tons
of sugar were Il mass of black re-
mains. while others containing huge
stores of rice was shown no more
mercy.
Several buildings seemed to escape
the insurgent torch. Among them
were a number whose owners had
paid n price to insurgent officials to
have their property spared. Thou
sands of dollars did the insurgents re-
ceive in this way. Along the water
front, where the Filipino soldier dare
not 90. number of nice buildings
seemed to have escaped entirely, but
toward the east, not n hut remained
standing. Every nipa shack which
could shelter a soul was burned and
its occupants turned adrift When we
consider that a simple shack of nipa
leaves Oftentimes gives shelter to from
twelve to thirty people. we realize the
number made homeless by the heart
lessness and brutality OF their own
people. In one case rather wealthy
Spaniard paid 81 400 to have his prop
erty spared, and in another, a native
of means paid 81 600 for the same
purpose Other cases are mentioned,
but suffice it to say that the houses
which remained stationary were in
conveniently located or else the owner
When the insurgents retreated from
the city they went only ai,ort d!St-
ance he long wait in rhe ha.' CT
by the American forces had given TO
them tie opportunity of building all
KINGS. and varieties of trenches and
earthrn Notifications. and during his
time they had not been idle. Their
trenches. which are still to be seen.
were constructed by an expert, and
on the most scientific principles. Ee-
ginning just beyond Iloilo they eI-
tended back into Jaro Ca place Of l.
900 people three-quarters of Il mile
east), and beyond, along the main
road TO SantO Babara, the insu:9ent
capital, twelve miles northeast. Those
nearest lloilO were in gun-shot range.
but the insurgent being concealed and
the American occupying the two re-
naming public buildings, gave the
''insurrecto" every advantage, and
these advantages he attempted 10 inn
prove by firing into these buildings
with great regularity. The long "nge
and the general Incompetence OF the
race TO handle firearms, kept the
American mortality to q low point.
but it soon became apparent that
the insurgents had to move further
inland or the Americans further sea-
| ward.
On the morning of February 12tn.
a movement began. Bridgeman's Bal
| terry of artillery, drawn by enoc.nOus
/ black mules, was brought into play,
| and with a portion Of the 18th In
| fantry. they entertained the enemy
| from the front. Thus directing the
| attention of the enemy, the ramaind-
| er of the 18th marched to the right
| and executed q flank movement gain
| ing a position which enabled them to
! get in a crOss-fre which resulted in
| temporary decentralization of the Fill
| pino troops. They retrcated into
| ,JarO. but when the 18th entered hat
| city they fell back into their trenches
| beyond and across the river. burning
the bridge as they went. Five hun
| dred yards from the town they settled
| down in more trenches and there pre-
| pared for another stand.
Those people in the city who were
not frightened to death by the boom
| ing of artillery and rattle of mHsket-
ry. now came forward and eXiended
| to Americans a hearty welcome.
| buildings, formerly occupied by in
surgents, were taken as quarters for
our forces. More outposts were es-
| tablished, patrols put on the streets
and guards put out around the town.
| Just beyond the river waited the in
surrectos momentariIy expecting TO
| be attacked. and scarcely daring to
| show their heads above their ea"th-
| works. Their bugle calls were to be
| heard as usual and occasionally an
| officer dared enter the city under pro-
lection of white flag. Inside waited
the Americans. Situated comfortably
in Jaro and with outposts vigilant and
| patrols watchful they waited, also.
With their small force they had gone
| as far as possible. Why should they
| again run the enemy from his trench
| es when he would merely retreat 200
yards. then drop into more trenches,
| and fight under cover, while the
Americans must fight in the open.
With his small force General Miller
had taken and garrisoned Iloilo and
.Jaro and with his handful of men, he
| could do no more.
Within few days the kindly spirit
and generous hand of the Americans
| began to make themselves manifest.