The National tribune., 1902-09-18

4, the first shots being fired by a sentry
of the Nebraska regiment. The Nebras-
kans had originally been quartered in the
San Nicholas district, near the Custom
House, but there was so much sickness in
the regiment that it was decided to put 1t
under canvas IN the outskirts OF the city,
the dry season having begun.
Its camp, was pitched by the santa
Mesa, and to it was intrusted the duty OF
defending the city along the approach by
the way of the San Juan del Monte road,
the highway leading to the city reservoir
and pumping station.
BY this time there was no doubt what
ever as to the exact lines of both armies
No American troops could cross the FIJI
pino lines without knowing it, nor could
Filipino troops cross ours without delib-
crate purpose of doing so. For several
days prior to the attack our lines had been
encroached upon by small parties of Fill
pinos and our men had been taunted by
them as towards and told they were going
to be licked. To these taunts no atten-
ton was paid, though the men were boil
ing over with wrath, and this wrath lent
vim to their work when the fighting finally
began.
On the night in question the American
sentinel observed a squad of Filipnos
crossing within the American lines and
ordered them TO halt, which they refused
to do. Again he challenged without eff
feet, and then he fired his piece, as under
all military regulations it was his duty to
do. The fire was returned. and he and
his companion fred again. The Filipinos
retreated. but ill a little while heavy fire
was opened upon the Nebraska camp from
the Filipino lines, which soon spread to
the right and left to other lines, and the
battle was on.
The rapidity with which the fire was
taken up and its volume showed that the
Filipinos were all ready for the fight and
were in their defenses in large numbers.
and that they had general orders as to at
tacking at all points. The fact that
Aguinaldo was not Immediately present,
being in Malolos, 1 believe, and that some
of his officers were in the city that night,
has been cited to prove that the attack
was not planned, but to my mind this only
proves that it was not intended to attack
that night. Lack of discipline in the
Filipino army and the impatience and
"cockiness' of a local commander were
responsible for bringing on the fight one
night too soon. The beginning of gen
eral fire by the Filipino line after this lit
tie outpost firing and the rapidity with
which it was taken up by the entire line
and sustained quite a time before the
Americans began to reply to it shows the
Filipino intention to attack and their read
iness for it. The attack had become gen.
eral all around the east and north sides
of the city on the part of the Filipinos
before the Americans fired another shot
after the clash at the outpost As to who
was the attacking party there can be no
question. The whole affair would have
been ended at the outpost SO far as the
Americans were concerned. cit was the
Filipinos who converted it into a general
attack upon the city, certainly not with
out previous understanding and prepara-
tion.
EXCITING SCENES IN MANILA.
The scenes of former alarms were re-
peated on this occasion, and new and more
tragic ones added. Men off duty rushed
out of the saloons and cafes, or wherever
they happened to be, and seized upon
whatever conveyance they could grasp to
take them back to quarters. Officers
making evening calls cut them abruptly
short and rushed back to quarters to turn
out with their commands. Civilians got
off the street as quickly as possible and
locked their doors, leaving the soldiers to
fight it out with the Katipunans, who
were expected to rise all over the city
and begin a work of general slaughter
with their bolos, according to the we'll
understood plan.
The most excitement was at small
circus where some trained horses were
being exhibited near San Sebastian
Church. A soldier rushed through the
door and shouted that the Filipino army
was attacking the city. AT least half the
audience was composed of soldiers. They
jumped to their feet and made a rush for
the entrance. and that being Immediately
congested, they went under the canvas
In style showing practice in boyhood
days. In a few minutes regiments were
at their stations, and any possibility of
the Filipinos capturing the city was at
an end.
As for the uprising, it failed to ma
terialize, chiefly for two reasons: 1t was
not the night set for it, but one night too
soon, and the Filipinos had not the nerve
as Individuals to begin the work. There
were few sporadic attempts in various
places, but they all aborted. The street
patrols took care of every person who made
his appearance upon the streets. A few
shots were fired at them from windows
and some from the streets, but without
effect.
Several officers Fastening out to their
commands were attacked, and one of them
had to shoot two men who attempted to
take him out Of his carriage. The pre-
vious exhibitions the Americans had given
OF their readiness and the rapidity with
which they could cover the city with
troops made an uprising practically impos-
sible on the part of such people as the
Filpinos, who have no stomach for blows.
Yet that one was planned there was ample
evidence
1t was well known that men had been
enrolled in companies all over the city
and armed with bolos. Servants of
friendly foreign residents had reported
to them that they had been compelled TO
Join such companies under pain Of death
from the Katipunans, and this had been
reported to headquarters. Later. assem-
bly, places of these organizations were
discovered and rosters captured.
THE UPRISING OF FEB. %.
Other uprisings have been planned on
an elaborate scale since and have failed
for the same general reasons, the readi-
ness of the Americans for all emergencies.
and the lack Of nerve on the part of the
plotters themselves. The most elaborate
and the only one actually begun in ear
nest was that of little more than two
weeks later, on the night of Feb. % 1t
was planned at that time to set the CITY on
fire in several places, for the Katipunans
to rise in the city, and for the army to
take advantage of the confusion to make
an attack and capture the city The
written instructions which were captured
show that it was the plan to kill all for
eigners of whatever nationality, men,
women and children; but the plan was
not carried out. Fires were set in numer-
GUS places, telegraph and electric light
wires were cut, attacks We're made upon
our police force in the Tondo district, and
our men putting out the fires were shot
at by skulkers on roofs and in houses