El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-11


far as to appoint a commission to meet
a similar body appointed by Agui-
naldo to confer with regard to the
situation Of affairs and to arrive at d
mutual understanding Of the intent
purposes, aims and desires Of the Fill
Pine people and Of the people Of the
United States" Six sessions were held
the last occurring on January %, 1899,
six days before the outbreak Of open
hostilities. Members Of the conference
sent by AguinaldO were either unable
or unwilling to DO anything definite. At
the close Of the last session they were
again assured by the Americans that
no form Of hostility would be begun
10000 Rebels In Manila.
By this time the insurgents had To-
900 militia in the very heart Of the
capital city OF Manila itself. They
were there under American protection,
yet they were armed with bOlOs, shot
guns and rifles The notorious Pho del
Pillar was in command. He schemed
with rebel leaders without the city BY
day and plotted with his own Heuten-
ants within the city by night 1t had
long been agreed that the rebels should
rise the instant that rockets were sent
up. This was expected at any moment
in view Of their studied policy Of per-
sonal abuse heaped upon any and all
american soldiers and officers.
L. :. Troops InsuIted-
The Americans, Obeying strict or
ders, did not return physical retalia-
ton for the rude jOStling and vile
words that harassed them day after
day, both inside and outside the city.
The FilipinOs then concluded that the
Americans were towards and could be
easily defeated. Open assaults on
members Of the Nebraska volunteer
regiment. which was then in camp on
q On
skirts Of Manila, and attempts to push
back our outDOSts at the San Juan
bridge which divides the city of Man
ia from the province OF Rial were
common occurrences right up TO the
opening battle on the night Of February
4 A Filipino lieutenant had been in
the habit Of threatening the American
sentry at this post. which was No ..
On this particular night he approached
IN the darkness with a detail Of six
men Private GraysOn, company d,
First Nebraska volunteers, was on duty
there The native party continued to
advance despite repeated challenges.
GraysOn then fired, killing the lieu
tenant. That shot started the insular
war.
Rockets Rally Rebels.
The FilipinOs sent rockets alOft az
once, the other pickets Of the American
outpost No fired = vOlley, which was
returned by the natives on the other
side OF the San Juan river Firing then
became general, all along the line. This
fusillade continued until midnight. and
there were number Of sklrmishes- Z
There was lul until 4 m when the
t1lpinOS again began firing, extend ]
ing their line Of fire until IT encircled |
Manila This fire was returned. sup
plemented at last by a concerted ad-
vance movement which drove the rebels |
back several miles to CalOcan and I
other points. The American loss was
not heavy, but the FilipinOs suffered I
casualties Of several hundred in dead
was received that the United States sen
ate had finally ratified the treaty OF
Paris which formally turned the Is
lands over to the United States for the
sums Of $2o,000,00o United States cur :
rency.
Insurgents Invade TOndO.
The next movement came on the I
night OF Feb. %. when 500 insurgents j
invaded TOndO, a densely populated I
district OF Manila They set fire to the /
houses Of their own people and fired 4
on the American sentries. They eX-
pected the local militia to assist them, /
and the plan was to massacre all the {
whites, and some OF the most fanatic 4
wanted to treat the thousands of /
(half caste FlipinO-Spaniards (
in the same way. An exceedingly Wig
OrOuS counter attack directed by D
provost marshal Gen. Hughes resulted /
in the speedy retreat Of the force, with I
whom the militia in the city failed to \
at that time
In the meantime president Mckinley
had sent out the Schurman commission
in an attempt to find out just what the {
situation was. Its members reached :
Manila on March 4 and found a very !
bad state Of affairs They themselves !
were guarded constantly.
The few FilipinOs who dared espOuse
the American cause were in hourly fear
Of assassination. With their assist
ance the commission drew up and IS
suel the proclamation of explanation
and amity Of April which is sup
posed to have had considerable to do I
with the ultimate establishment Of
peace This point has always been /
disputed, however. Most military men
who were in the islands at that time
contend that the early activities of I
both the Schurman and Taft commits
siOns, instead OF doing great good, I
operated to prevent the army from
speedily terminating the Instruction.
Revolt in LuzOn.
Certainly 1t is true that organized
revolution made Roadway only on the
island Of LuzOn- Here 1t appears to [
have been confined TO the TagaIOg
provinces Of Manila, Cavite. Batangas, !
Laguna, Nuena Ecija, Zambales and the
districts Of MOrOng, Principe and In
fanta. The disturbances among the [
Visayans and the Moros Of NIindanaO
were local affairs, due to brigandage,
and were in no way connected with the
EagalOg revolt
A decisive victory was scored in De-
eemDer Dy Cen Macarthur IN the cap ]
-ure Of NalOlOs, the headquarters Of
Aguinaldo. A stiff resistance was Of
Ored by Gen. Luna one of his tactics
)eing the burning OF entire villages Of
lis own people. The object of this in
human procedure was to compel the
people to flee before the Americans in
rider that they might not learn the
,aSenesS Of the constantly repeated as
eruon of the rebel leaders that the
americans were monsters who ate
'abies alive and practiced other forms
# hideous cruelty and unnatural vices.
pom the capture OF MalOlOs, AguinaIdO
led to the mountain fastness Of the
@orots, at Ceryantes, in northern Lu-
on.
AEuinaidO Captured in 1901.
AguinaldO was captured over a year
ater on March %, 1901, by Gen. Fred
rick Funston He and the Hazard !
'rOthers, officers in the state of Wash
nEton regiment and two or three
thers, pretended to be captives. and :
s such they were led to AguinaldO's !
etreat As soon as the Filipino general
ppeared at the window of his house y
o look over his captives he was fired
pom by the supposed prisoners, and in :
few minutes the entire camp was in /
len FunstOn's hands.
The Americans suffered many trying Y
experiences and some disasters before
he revolt was stamped out. The worst {
-as the ambush and massacre Of Ba-
anglia, Samar province. in September f c