626 



PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 



Otis made a demand for their surrender, but with 

 ho better success. Before the ratification of the 

 treaty of peace by the United States Senate, Agon- 

 cillo, late Vice-President in the provisional Govern- 

 ment, went to Washington to endeavor to plead the 

 cause of Philippine independence. President Mc- 

 Kinley declined to give him an audience as the 

 representative of a Philippine national Govern- 

 ment. He sent home dispatches urging resistance, 

 and when they were made public he tied to Canada. 

 A commission appointed by President McKinley to 

 go to the Philippines, study the situation, and advise 

 him what should be the policy of the United States 

 regarding the islands, consisted of Rear-Admiral 

 George Dewey, Major-Gen. Elwell S. Otis, Prof. J. 

 G. Schurman', Col. Charles Denby, and Brig.-Gen. 

 Charles B. Whittier. 



their own loss being 48 killed and 118 injured. Col.. 

 Duboce and his regiment of Californians distin- 

 guished themselves by their attack on the strong- 

 hold at Paco; and Idaho, Wyoming, Tennessee, and 

 Washington, as well as California volunteers. l>y 

 charging across the rice fields in the face of a hot 

 fusilade. The Filipinos who confronted Gen. An- 

 derson's division fought more stubbornly than those 

 who attacked Gen. MacArthur's command in the 

 north. The Fourteenth Regulars fought brilliant- 

 ly against great odds, until Col. Duboce brought the 

 reserves to their relief. On Feb. 6 the Americans 

 resumed their advance in order to gain possession 

 of the waterworks. A native uprising in Manila 

 was attempted in the evening, but was quickly 

 checked by the watchful authorities. The Colorado, 

 South Dakota, and Nebraska men charged the 



A STREET IN ILOILO. 



Hostilities between Aguinaldo's army and the 

 American forces began with an attack on the out- 

 posts around Manila on Feb. 4. The entire Filipino 

 line north of the Pasig advanced to the attack, but 

 was held in check until re-enforcements arrived. 

 The battle began near Santa Mesa where the Ne- 

 braska troops fired on a body of Filipinos as it 

 advanced into the neutral zone. The Nebraska, 

 Colorado, and Tennessee volunteers on one flank, 

 supported by the Utah and 30 United States bat- 

 teries, and on the other the Montana, South Dakota, 

 and Pennsylvania regiments, charged up the steep 

 San Juan hill in the face of a terrific fire. The 

 assault was renewed in the night, and as soon as the 

 morning broke the Americans advanced, while the 

 ' Charleston " and " Concord " shelled the Filipino 

 trenches at Caloocan, and the " Monadnock " the 

 positions at Paco, Santa Mesa, Pandacan, and Santa 

 Ana. Both sides fought vigorously at first ; then 

 the Filipinos gave way, and before the morning 

 passed the Americans were in possession of all these 

 villages; having driven the enemy back 10 miles 

 and inflicted a loss of 1,900 killed and wounded, 



blockhouses with a rush almost too daring and 

 reckless to be soldierlike. The Filipinos made :i 

 stand behind intrenchments near Caloocan until 

 they were routed by a gallant charge of the Kansas 

 volunteers led by Col. Funston. The troops wero 

 so eager for the conflict that the sick left the hos- 

 pitals to run to the front, and men from other regi- 

 ments joined those on the firing line. The fight in;,' 

 was continued on Feb. 7 until the Filipinos wer>) 

 cleared from every point on the Pusig riyei. 

 Aguinaldo, who had issued a proclamation on Feb. 

 4 declaring war, now asked Gen. Otis for a cessation 

 of hostilities and a conference, but received no re- 

 ply. The American line was stretched in a complet ? 

 cordon for 22 miles round Manila. In so extended 

 a position the army was not strong enough for ag- 

 gressive tactics until re-enforcements arrived <>n 

 transports. Nevertheless when Aguinaldo collected 

 an army of 30,000 men in the neighborhood of Pol< . 

 and two of his commanders advanced down th<> 

 river into the Tondo district, threatening the iva- 

 of Gen. MacArthur's division, Gen. Otis ordered on 

 Feb. 10 an attack upon Caloocan, where 6,000 Fili- 



