The Filipino American War as seen by diarists in real time with some additional commentary and sourc

[miletus12]

Diary of Alfred Burton Welch Saturday 2-4-99

Adventures on line b.h. 14.

1. The 1st Washington Tobacco Thieves were fighting VERY hard around blockhouse 14. See MAP.



North is image LEFT. The fighting is Image RIGHT, TOP RIGHT and slides to the LEFT as the battle begins. 

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What did the cockroach see from the Tondo?

Diary of John E.T. Milsaps Saturday, Feb. 4th, 1899

Manila, Luzon Island — Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Tondo

A cool breeze reduced the temperature here to such an extent last night that one might feel justified in calling it cold. Reminded me of fall weather in southern Texas. Cloudy today but dry. Cooking breakfast & supper & taking the edge off my appetite with a cold bite at dinner, is a regular feature of everyday life in Manila as my experience runs now.

Since Mrs. Brigadier Brengle wrote me to become a member of the “Acquaintance (with God & the Bible) League”, although I have not joined, I have and am trying to give more time to prayer & bible reading each day.

This forenoon visited the post office but rec’d nothing. Wrote, copied & mailed a letter to Brig. Bruno Friedrich, chief editor of the Canadian War levy, congratulating him on his Christmas number.

Purchased some shells down on the Escolta for my collection. Private Green, B. Battery, Utah Light Artillery dropped in at No. 2. Borrowed of me $1. U.S. coin. Said he would give me $1.50 pay day. Advised him not to give the extra 50 cts. I don't want it in the shape of interest. Green said 4 more cannon were sent out to Camp Santa Mesa today: pieces belonging to the Utah artillery, and more are to follow. Says likewise that reports bring information that 3 Colorado men were killed last night out on picket by natives. War & rumors of war. G likewise said the trains going north are crowded with natives leaving the city. Why they are departing I know not; perhaps the Filipinos expect to rise & burn the city when the attack is made from the outside. Chaplain Stevenson of the Idaho vol. Infantry brought word that he head the foreign consuls have been notified of war.

x x x x

The battle so long expected, has just started. Commenced just as taps were sounding. The roar & rattle of small arms is heard on the outskirts of the city; seems to be over towards the cross-roads –where the Montana troops are stationed. This starts the war. The so-called Filipino Republic is now doomed, –Mrs. Owens is greatly excited. Three Spaniards & mestizos from the lower floor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena have come up stairs. Excepting the shooting now going on — the city is quiet. The Utah artillerymen –brass band across the street from us, are astir. –Two Filipino women have come up stairs.

The horrid din of war sounds louder. Rapid fire guns are at work. Can hear them above small arms & a call to arms us heard in the artillery qtrs. –Now the thunder of a heavy gun. xx 10.40 p.m. Infantry are now hurrying out Calle Jolo to the front. xxx A lull lasting about half an hour. Now there is disultury [desultory] small arms firing, with the occasional roar of a cannon –apparently from a war vessel. xx The Utah sentries across the street state that some small bullets struck their building –a soldier came over from the Caurtel de Meisig. Says he saw a 3rd Reg’t artilleryman being carried in. In a different quarter the rattle of small arms accentuated with the crash of volleys is now heard. An engagement is in progress –is about 11.30 p.m.–Sleep is out of the question now with the din of war continually sounding, & men getting killed and crippled. xx The rumble of wheels is heard on the streets, probably cannon. –All the Utah cannons are out with the exception of two pieces , which have been left behind for street fighting. xx 25. min. to 12 midnight. Quiet again.

The mestizos of the first floor seem not to care to return to their own part of the house. They are remaining on our floor smoking, talking and keeping me in the qui vive as the battle progresses. xxx Mrs. Owens brought in some cake to refresh the physical man. Is very acceptable at this late hour. —

Past midnight — 12.15 a.m. All quiet, save the whistling of a locomotive over at the R.R. depot.

May God protect our precious Salvation Army comrades who this morning are facing death, likewise the dear Chistians of other denominations. I know some splendid Christians –Salvationists and church members in this 8th army corps —

The sky is clear but no moon is shining. The city electric lights are driving away the darkness & the search lights from Dewey’s fleet are busy this morning.

10 minutes of 3 a.m. Have just been awakened from an uneasy slumber by the renewed noise of battle –which as re-opened. There is a constant sputter with the roar of great guns now & again. Private Frank Amie of H. Battery 3rd Heavy Artillery is in the street below our front window doing patrol duty. Says he is cold. Have thrown him my handkerchief to tie around his neck. xx This is the holy Sabbath of the God of peace, but the awful discord of war is marring its peace. The crescent moon is now shining out brightly. xxx

2. Notice that the weather in the Tondo is cool, but elsewhere it is described as "hot"?
3. The reference to the cockroach praying reminds me of King Claudius efforts as depicted in "Hamlet".
4. No Mail at the mailhouse.
5. Rumors of war. See MAP.




6. The Mormons are digging in and posting guns to support the  bridgehead the Americans have throwh over the Pasig at the Santa Mesa. This is also where the Filipinos sank that block barge to prevent the USS Luna de Bay from chugging upriver.   
7. Summary is that so far the fighting was to the northeast and east. Dewey is shooting north of the Pasig roughly to the east of the modern railway station  His monitors are stationed offshore just about 3 km northwest of Fort Santiago. 
8. Little sense can be made of the information and rumors except time hacks from what the cockroach hears when shooting happens. What he calls rapid fire guns are GATLINGs.    
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Diary of Robert Bruce Payne Febr. 4, 1899

On the evening of this day was placed on guard or rather Cossack outpost at Block house no. 8 in the Santa Mesa district. Our orders were to hold this place and report anything suspicious. A number of recruits had been rec’d on this day by the Filipinos in the shape of wild men from the mountains who were armed with bows and arrows. They wore red breech cloths. [Pvt. James I.] Bowe]s] from our company had been placed on guard. The other private, the corporal and myself had lain down. At about 8 o’clock I heard a rifle shot, a Springfield. We did not pay much attention to this, but directly we heard two more shots. We began to hastily put on our stuff, but before we could get on our belts and haversacks on, firing began on our camp from all sides, and balls began to bing and chug around us. In a minute or two we heard footsteps approaching from camp. It was eight men and a sergeant from C to reinforce the post. Our orders were now to hold the blockhouse and fire only when the enemy advanced in the immediate open and were visible, so during the fire of the night which was incessant we lay sleepless and keeping a sharp watch.

Sarcastic comment: American accounts that the Filipinos started the Filipino American War do not hold up when one dives into soldier diary entries, especially among the Nebraskans who were present locally where the incident happened. This one gives a good inkling of what actually happened this date. The source of the outbreak was an incident near the San Juan bridge in the Santa Mesa and it was the Nebraskans who manned that part of the outpost line. M.
 
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A Filipino Ilustrado's view of the fighting.

Diary of Santiago Barcelona February 4th, 1899

It was a beautiful day, Saturday, February 4, 1899.[1] There was peace and happiness everywhere in Malolos because on this day the (peace) Commissioners were to read before Congress the results of the conferences held with the American emissaries of McKinley to reach an agreement between the two nations. Happiness, because the Filipino nation had high hopes that at the end of the conference an agreement favorable to the aspirations of our people would be reached.

In the afternoon, Congress began its session; a numerous public invaded the temple of laws to listen to the outcome of the conferences. Almost all the representatives were at their posts. The session began. Gracio Gonzaga, Secretary of Fomento, representing our government, read the results of the conferences held with the American envoys headed by Schurman,[2] and the Filipinos headed by Florentino Torres.

It was clear that the envoys of the Imperialist Party were not invested with the powers needed to pass any resolution; thus, messages were telegraphed to the McKinley cabinet. In short, nothing was accomplished during the conferences except wasting our time and dampening the spirit of our people.

Coincidence, fatality, Machiavellian stratagem, or concerted action between the American Army and their envoys—the truth is that on that same day, Saturday, February 4, the last groups of soldiers sent by McKinley disembarked at the plains of Santa Mesa with their cannons facing San Juan del Monte, where the advance forces of the Filipinos were stationed. On that day, the talks were terminated without coming to any agreement. Our fears did not take long to come to a head.

The evening was quiet with a silver moon shining; Malolos was happy; a dance was being held in the house of Mrs. Concha del Rosario, widow of Mapúa. Gen. Artemio Ricarte and Col. Luciano San Miguel, commanders of the Santa Ana line in Manila, were paying homage to Terpsichore. While Malolos was in deep slumber without any suspicion of an unrest, between midnight and 1 o’clock in the morning, an unusual noise woke the unsuspecting inhabitants. The cry of “War” reverberated everywhere. The hostilities had begun!

We woke up at 1 o’clock and went to the Central Postal Station, where we met the Honorable President of the Philippine Republic issuing orders. All the prominent members of the government were also there: Gen. Ricarte, Col. San Miguel, [Teodoro] Sandico, and others.

About 3 o’clock, Gen. Ricarte and Col. San Miguel boarded a train for Sta. Ana; Moreno and I accompanied them. At 5 a.m. we reached the station at Caloocan and continued on foot to Maypajo. Before reaching it, Ricarte and San Miguel separated from our group and took the road to La Loma; Moreno and I proceeded to the trenches at Maypajo and reached them at 5:30 a.m. Here we learned of the impossibility of reaching Manila; Moreno has been appointed chief of the volunteers from Manila.

After a while some soldiers from detachments in Solis arrived informing us that they were leaving because they had no longer any cartridges. I left Moreno at 6 o’clock to be in Caloocan with the intention of establishing an emergency field hospital while waiting for the military health unit to take some action. A few steps away sounds of guns and cannons rent the air while shots whistled by, instilling in me the fear that the end was near. During intervals, I made my way and reached unscathed the municipal building where I intended to attend to the wounded. I had hardly gone upstairs when I saw a warship in the bay opposite the building. I left for the railroad station; but barely twenty meters away a grenade fell. I entered the station and saw a wounded man, but as I did not have anything with me to help him, and knowing the impossibility of requesting medicines from Malabon, I departed and took the train for Malolos.

When I arrived home, Choling[3] told me that I was a coward because I had abandoned the fighting. I explained to her that I had come to get bandages and medicines because there were none there. I went to the drug store and requested everything needed for first aid. When I inquired for the cost, the pharmacist refused to collect. At 1 in the afternoon of the 5th, after lunch, I returned to Caloocan bringing my surgery satchel. I found [Antonio] Luna, José, [Leon Ma.] Guerrero and [Anastacio] Francisco, Inspector General of Military Health.

At 4 p.m. a stretcher arrived bringing [José] Torres Bugallon, Major of the General Staff, with a broken right thigh; he was very pale, looking almost bloodless owing to profuse hemorrhage. He stretched his hand upon seeing me, relating at the same time how he had been wounded.

He said, “I was leading the troops when I felt I was wounded, but continued marching about fifty meters farther; then I fell. I felt I was being dragged and then I lapsed into unconsciousness. I did not know anything more until I found myself here today. Bitter and endless fighting continued on both sides.” I asked him to stop talking and he kept silent.

Luna and I applied first aid to him then he was transferred to the Lolomboy Hospital at Bocaue. He died, however, on the way. The body was taken to Malolos, where it was buried. I was left in Bocaue, where I intended to establish a hospital; but with the presence of De Jesus and Cordero of the medical corps, I proceeded to Meycauayan, where I spent the night. On the following day, I stayed in the Polo station to attend to the wounded. On the third day, seeing that the medical staff of the military unit had taken complete control of the situation, I returned to Malolos.

[1] Manuscript carries year of 1900.

[2]Jacob Gould Schurman.

[3]Consuelo de Santos, youngest daughter of Marcelino de Santos; Barcelona married her on July 6, 1901 

10. The war criminal, GEN Otis, sent a sham "peace commission" to lull the Aguinaldo government into a truce, while he shored up his inadequate defensive dispositions. I think both sides were shocked and totally surprised at the outbreak of hostilities when the 1st Nebraska Cable Car Absconders, for no apparent good reason, opened fire on Filipino soldiers in the open to their front. But I will have more to write on that incident when I discuss the despicable Ernest W. Hewson.and the 1st California Flour Mill Thieves and their parts of this sad day's events.   
11. It is apparent to me from the above diary entries that the Dewey bombardment, north of and east of the Tondo erupted as if on cue from the Nebraskans opening fire on the Filipinos near the Santa Ana pump station.  Some Filipino historians think this was supposed to be arranged to look like the Filipino National Liberationists were "advancing on American lines" as I so often read in American accounts of the outbreak of fighting on this day. All I can write, is that Dewey's gunners had their targets and knew where to shoot from the sea. If this was defensive fire, then it took days to plan before implementation becuse you do not fire over the heads of civilians in a city garrisoned by your own troops unless you know exactly what you do and where your shells fall. Not only is it a violation of General Order 100, it is in direct violation of the Laws of War and would have to be sanctioned by and directly requested by... the war criminal, GEN Otis, if it was a spontaneous act. Furthermore, we know from the cockroach's previous diary entries exactly where Dewey positioned the chief bombardment ships, the USS Monterey and USS Monadnock. They were visible from where the cockroach could see them from the Tondo.           
12. From Doctor Barcelona's account and via map, we can see that the fighting started near the Pasig north shoreline near the Santa Ana pump station and spread west. This was not what I believe GEN Luna intended, for Ricardo and he had massed the best Filipino forces in the south and southeast to try and overrun the Americans at Cavite and then roll Manila up from the southeast. Instead the fighting broke out in the northeast and the north and quickly took on a shape and character that neither side anticipated. 
13. To be clear about 3. Luna adapted quickly and almost pushed Otis into the bay anyway with a combination of hurrah attacks and infiltrations through gaps in the American lines over the next three days. As a consequence the Americans turned savage and the fighting degenerated into mob on mob violence. This was morally reprehensible, but if your backs were to the sea and the enemy pushed you hard, expect Americans to fight like cornered rats.        

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Diary of James J. Loughrey February 4, 1899

We were called to arms at 8.35 pm. and recalled at 9.15 p.m. There was a second call to arms at 9.45 p.m. when the Insurgents attacked the Colorado’s outpost. We left the barracks at once and reported to the 6th Artillery Quarters and went from there to Paco Cemetery. We arrived back in our own quarters at 12.30 a.m. on February 5th.

14. Funny way to describe a major firefight that threatened the American position south of the Pasig. See MAP.



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I had to heavily edit this entry because of the DESPICABLE attitudes and racist words used by this expletive deleted diarist. This is what the 1st California Flour Mill Thieves saw and did.

Diary of Ernest W. Hewson February 4 (Saturday) 1899

Some Filipino soldiers landed near our quarters in a boat to day. The boat, an old antidiluvian affair was being towed up river and ran hard aground. It is common supposition that the boat was being taken up river to sink in the middle of the Pasig near Santa Ana so as to prevent our gunboat from navigating further up. The soldiers left for their lines this afternoon.

Later— To night at exactly 10 minutes of nine heavy firing commenced across the river where the Nebraskans are stationed. It continued for some time and then spread areund the line towards Tondo district when the entire line was engaged. Looks as if the fight is on at last.

Our outposts in Pandacan were immediately strengthened by reinforcements from B Company, and additional sentries were strung out over the town of Pandacan.

I was returning to barracks with our quartette. We had been to the house of a rich native spending the evening, and while returning to barracks down one of Pandacan’s streets we discussed the probability of trouble with the Insurgents, and came to concur in that the trouble was about over. No sooner had the call to quarters sounded, and immediately after we had entered the barracks, the shots were heard across the river. All lights were instantly extinguished and the entire company left in barracks prepared for a vigorous defense of the grounds.

The firing continued indiscriminately for possibly a half hour when a cannon was discharged, presumably in the Insurgent lines. Shortly afterwards the calls to arms were sounded all. over Manila, being distinctly heard by us in Pandacan. There was incessant, cheering as the troops fell into line in Manila. All seem to be relieved now that the trouble is on. Now, Mr. (Filipino), look out.

Artillery played throughout the night. Our boys at Dewey and Otis posts, being closest to the (Filipinos), are under a heavy fire to night. Bullets are constantly striking our barracks. The Insurgents have our position well mapped out.

Later— We were re-inforced by F Company, First Washington, late to night. They marched over the road from Paco to Pandacan. As the Washingtons reached Pandacan this road was cut off by the heavy fire of the Insurgent trenches directly in front. We are now cut off from Manila by land, but not. by the river. The (Filipinos) seem to have Pandacan comnletely surrounded.

Desultory firing is going on all along the lines. We are making no attempt to drive the (Filipinos) back, preferring to do that by daylight. The gunboat steamed up the river twice to night but did no firing.

We remained to our guns all night without sleeping. Our house was sprayed with bullets all night long. None were hurt in to night’s skirmish. Our boys and the Washingtons stuck manfully to the outposts, being under a heavy fire all night. They changed their position to avoid the niggers’ fire.

We dont know how the fracas started. The Nebraskans started it by firing into a crowd of advanging *(Filipinos). Good boys, Nebraskas.

* See thr original diary entry at the link for the original reprehensible wordage. Even in 1899 this wordage was not acceptable, but it was unfortunately all too common among the American line infantry. 

15. See MAP.


Pandacan.

16. See MAP.



17. Paco Manila. You can see that the Americans are in big trouble?

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Diary of John Henry Asendorf Saturday, February 4th, 1899

The weather is fine but terribly hot. The company is undergoing a strict inspection of quarters and arms. Everything was ok. Gun [inspection] was especially strict. The outpost came in at 8 o’clock and reported that things were restless on the insurgents’ line but we only sent fifteen men on outpost and seven men on guard duty. Around the quarters the day was rather quiet in the city all day which was broken in the stillness of the night by sudden shots being fired about fifteen minutes after midnight(?) but in a short time there were shots fired all along the line but most of it was near the waterworks where the Nebraska Regiment was encamped. All boys rushed to their respective quarters and dressed for action and, before the call for arms was sounded, every man was already in line each carrying 70 rounds of ammunition. We started off doubletime to Companies H and I quarters in front of the prison “Bilibid.” Here we were joined by the rest of the regiment. The Colonel [Alexander Hawkins] order Company I to guard General [Elwell Stephen] Otis‘ quarters and Company C to patrol our end of the city while the rest went on in double-quick to the front. The firing was now along the line. Some shots even landed in the city. Some [shots] went through the roof of our quarters. Just every place before 10 o’clock the Utah Battery had several guns going. All Filipinos were ordered into their houses. We had but very little trouble in the city. The firing kept on all night.

18. See MAP.


19. The 1st California Flour Mill Thieves were safe behind the walls of the Intramuros, if anywhere could be called safe. The heavy fighting is to the upper left along the Pasig.  

[miletus12]

Diary of Alfred Burton Welch Sunday 2-5-99

Firing opened at line by Pandacan at taps on Sat. eve. Battle around by bay by North. Opened on line on south of river at b.h. 11 at 3 a.m. Sunday and at b.h. 12 & Art. Knoll at 4.15. Steady, stubborn, continuous, until very late Sun. night. 4th Cav. & 14th Inf. on our rt. between b.h. 12 & 13. Our line extended from b.h. 12 to b.h. 10.

Terrible fight at Paco bridge. 3 sets of fours stormed and took Paco church burnt it & also 200 ins. inside.

Rescued one Co. D lost 2 killed. Co. A at bridge lost several. Line of battle 10 mi. long, 5000 Filips killed.

Co. D took Paco in a.m. and Piebla a’ Tabacolaria in p.m. where I shot & killed an ins. officer with sixshooter. Took 250 prisoners –men and boys. Boys at b.h. 11 capt. 2 field pieces. Co. D burned town from 11 to Pena Francisca [Peñafrancia] and Sun. night slept in Santa Anna with the ins. in full fight to hills. Burned Santa Anna.

1. See MAPs.


Battle of Manila 1899


Pandacan, Manila.

2. Do you see where the 1st Washington Tobacco Thieves fought for their lives? The modern bridge to the west of them is where Americans stormed across the Pasig. 
3. The shoreline south of the modern Penza PUP Ferry Terminal is about where the battle was actually decided this date. If the Mormons (Utah Battery) had been overrun and it was quite possible, the American outpost line would have been enfililaded left and right and Luna's troops would have swept even further south than they reached. Fighting here was non-linear and resembled more the chaos of modern urban combat. The American answer to this danger to them was to set the city in the area on fire and reorganize and form line of battle behind the flames and then advance.  
4. The American burned Filipino strongpoints with Filipino Katipunan soldiers still inside. They were in a situation where these atrocities were conducted when it was afterwards euphemistically justified as "them or us" and it still was and is a massive criminal warcrime, then and now. The practical necessity of battle was that the Americans were so locally outnumbered that it was a "no prisoners" environment which is why Welch gives the "absurd 5000 Filips killed" estimate he makes. The truth is that hundreds of Filipinos taken in battle were murdered as the American line moved. There were no troop reserves or time to spare to take prisoners. Bullets, and torches, the Americans had aplenty.    

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How about the idiots who started this unnecessary and criminal battle, the 1st Nebraska Cable Car Absconders?

Diary of Robert Bruce Payne Febr. 5, 1899

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear. The sun had no sooner rose bright and clear than the Americans began an advance on their entire lines. The advance was an inspiring sight. Our soldiers fired volleys by the platoons and then advanced under cover of the smoke and lay down behind the convenient rice ridges. Unfortunately our fort was soon behind the firing line and we could not fire. However I got in three shots at a sharp shooter in a tree. At this time a private in Co. C who had come out of the block house with me to get a crack at the sharp-shooter was shot through the shoulder. Then the Col came along and ordered us out of the block house and into the trenches. The men were coming back at this time from their advance and lay there the rest of the day. The Utah Artillery [Utah Volunteer Light Artillery] did fine work in their fire on block house no. 7 which was held by over 200 Filipinos, at San Juan Church at the Filipinos quarters just south of camp, and at two cannons they had mounted. The Filipino heavy cannon were soon silenced and general retreat of the natives took place all along the lines. The gunboat which had specially been prepared for this occasion came up the river Posig [Pasig] and began firing on churches and buildings occupied by the native troops. Many churches and other buildings were built of a sort of soft stone that is bullet proof of rifles, but the guns on the gun boat sent great holes in these buildings and soon there was not a native to be seen in five miles. In the afternoon I visited the battle field where my CO. “D” had been located. I saw there fifteen dead Filipinos, and heard that [Pvt. John L.] Bronson one of our men had been severely wounded in the arm. Many of the boys had killed from one to two Filipinos but they were not there to be found so of course it is hard to tell who killed the luckless fellows laid so low, one with the whole top of his head torn off and others with ghastly holes in them. This shows how deadly a weapon the Springfield is. During the day Dewey took some part in the fight in firing on towns and cutting off trains with reinforcements from Malolos. A whole train load was wrecked it is rumored. In the afternoon our boys crossed the river San Juan and took all of the Filipino works and occupied their headquarters which was the resevoir and filtering station of the waterworks. These places were occupied and held without attack for the night

4. See MAP.


5. From the description the Nebraska idiots reached Sevilla station and crossed west to east into the modern San Juan metro district. The USS Laguna de Bay managed to reach upriver past Nogtuhan Station and under the cover of the Utah battery worked its way towards where the San Juan joins the Pasig. 

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Cockroach...

Diary of John E.T. Milsaps Sunday, Feb. 5th, 1899

Manila, Luzon Island –Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Tondo.

I feel somewhat tired and sleepy this morning. Time now is 7.30 (about.) The sputter of rapid fire guns, heavy cannon from warships and rattle of small arms made sleep well nigh out of question.

The air and building (No. 2 Calle Santa Elena) in which I am writing, vibrate from the concussion of the great guns.

With the dawn of this Sabbath morning, looking across the Estero Tondo, I see groups of Chinese standing on Calle Jolo gazing out towards the place from whence come the sound of firing.

American patrols are everywhere on the streets of Manila dressed in their suits of fighting brown. Mrs. Owens treated me to a couple of cups of strong coffee — a very welcome gift after a night of unrest.

A mounted orderly has just come in from the front to secure a spring for a gun — to replace one out of order. Says our pickets out at the cross roads on Calles Dulumbayan, de Sanloleyes, have taken position at the Filipino cemetery and Leper hospital. The latter & former have high concrete walls, good as a protection against small arms. Also says some of the Montana men have been hurt.

Between the roar of cannon I hear this morning the twitter and singing of birds. What a strange contrast between these sweet sounds of nature and the discord of war!

Following my usual custom when getting out of bed this a.m. read the Bible and prayed. Asked the Lord to give me something in His Word. Opened the book at a venture. My eye fell on Micah IV: Read: “But in the last days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; & people shall flow into it. xxxxxx And he shall judge among many people, & rebuke strong nations far off; & they shall beat their swords into plowshares, & their spears into pruning hooks; nations shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

May all nations speedily learn to follow the path of righteousness and settle their differences by arbitration.

9.40 a.m. There is a lull in the shooting. Occasionally the boom of a heavy gun breaks upon the Sabbath stillness.

Clouds of smoke have been rising some time from the native town out Dulumbayan street, and from burning buildings in Paco district.

Spaniards, mestizos and friendly Filipinos have been in this room & on this our flat all morning.

I wrote my 13th weekly letter to Lieut-Col. Alice Lewis, 124. W. 14thSt. New York this morning while the battle was in progress. Copied the same.

Burnt roofing-thatch from buildings afire has been raining down from the clouds, to whence it ascended with the smoke.

Took breakfast with Rev. & Mrs. Owens.

Private Devine (Landon) has been to the front with food. Said piles of dead Filipinos were seen in places. Also that one company of the 1st Washington vols. was almost wiped out.

12 o’clock noon. Private Devine (Landon) just brought the news that Bro. E. Tarr, of G Battery 3d artillery is dead. Killed in battle. Tarr was one of the most zealous members of the Y.M.C.A. & has taken part in my meetings and own Owens’, held in the Cuartel de Meisig. Devine just started with a gun on his shoulder for the front taking a load of food — dinner to K. battery.

Dense clouds of smoke overhang the native quarter out Calle Dulumbayan. The conflagration is increasing.

1.10 p.m. Filipino men and women are coming down the thoroughfares from the scene of the battle where the houses are burning, bringing their household effects in bundles, baskets & boxes. The fire of small arms has ceased, but frequently the city vibrates from the discharge of heavy ordnance.

A detachment of prisoners just came down Calle Jolo from the fight. A sergeant of the Utah artillery brought tidings that General King is killed & Col. Smith of the Tennessee vols.

4 p.m. (about) 4 or 5 carromatas guarded by American soldiers passed out Calle Jolo. About 5 minutes after passing the junction of Santa Elena street, the rapid reports of rifles followed. We could not see what was going on but for half an hour patrols kept up a continuous fusilade all around our quarters. The sharp, keen explosions of the Krag-Jorgensen rifles soon cleared the streets. The Americans shoot to kill without hesitation. The death of Gen. King who was shot from a window out in Malate, is a warning to Americans. They are dealing with a treacherous foe, who are in Manila by tens, yes probably hundreds of thousands of Filipinos. Manila has a population of about 300,000 inhabitants.

Soldiers are bringing in news from the long battle. The Filipinos have stubbornly contested the field but have been driven back about one mile. Fighting is still in progress. Thousands are reported killed. (Another shot just this moment around our corner). Our troops were fired at from windows in the nation town or quarter near Tondo church (Roman Catholic). Our men enfiladed the quarter shooting through the frail huts. Men, women and babies were killed. The dead are piled in heaps.

A Spanish or mestizo woman who resides down stairs, came up stairs & affrightedly said we are to be killed tonight & the house burned by Filipinos. Almost all day Spaniards — men & mestizo & Filipino women have hung around our rooms afraid to go away.

A patrol brought in word that Private Eli Clampitt of Battery G, 3d artillery, is dead. Was killed in this battle. Clampitt (a backslider) claimed the Lord Jesus as the Healer of his backslidings in a meeting led by me in the 3d artillery barracks –Cuartel Meisig, October 6th, 1898. (I heard he backslid again.)

8.40 p.m. Private Devine (Landon) cook of K battery, left us about 5 minutes ago. He came in from the battlefront. Told us much news. Bullets were flying thick. Our advance lines are now far from Manila that we can no longer hear the firing. All is quiet tonight. Devine said that Tarr is not dead, but Corporal Dean is. The latter was a Christian & assisted in our meetings. Was a frequent caller at No. 2. Took lessons in Spanish from Owens.

An advance is expected to be made tomorrow on Malolos. A Utah cannon by mistake killed one of our own men, Sergeant Whittaker of the 3d artillery. Before Devine said good-bye he & I prayed together with Rev. & Mrs. Owens. I took supper with the latter this p.m.

Held no religious meetings today.

Visitor 1.

This has been a day of slaughter.

6. It is not like a Hollywood war movie. The normal rattle and din of urban combat can be sporadic, and it re-echoes in strange ways. There will be sudden sporadic bursts of noise as local firefights break out and then follow curious islands of quiet where you can hear a cat whimper or a dog yip. People are indeed stupid enough to poke up and look for where the shooting is, and they are shot at, because in the hazy smoke and confusion people with guns shoot at movement first and ID it after the bullet leaves the rifle or pistol.  
7. I felt this strange atmosphere concussive vibration. It can be a creepy feeling when you know about overpressure and blast danger zones and the physical effects on people caught in the lethal radius of a large caliber weapon going off. They die with no apparent physical external injury. And some of them have blank looks of surprise on their faces when it happens to them. 
8. The patrols would be the 10th Pennsylvania Train Bandits and the 2nd Oregon Furniture Thieves.
9. See MAP.


10. That was the final American defense line if the fighting got that far. 
11.

Micah 4

New International Version

The Mountain of the Lord

4 In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.

2 Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

3 He will judge between many peoples

and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

4 Everyone will sit under their own vine

and under their own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for the Lord Almighty has spoken.

5 All the nations may walk

in the name of their gods,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
our God for ever and ever.

The Lord’s Plan

6 “In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will gather the lame;
I will assemble the exiles
and those I have brought to grief.

7 I will make the lame my remnant,
those driven away a strong nation.
The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion
from that day and forever.

8 As for you, watchtower of the flock,

stronghold of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored to you;
kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.”

9 Why do you now cry aloud—

have you no king?
Has your ruler[c] perished,
that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?

10 Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,

like a woman in labor,
for now you must leave the city
to camp in the open field.
You will go to Babylon;
there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will redeem you
out of the hand of your enemies.

11 But now many nations

are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
let our eyes gloat over Zion!”

12 But they do not know

the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,
that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

13 “Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion,

for I will give you horns of iron;
I will give you hooves of bronze,
and you will break to pieces many nations.”

You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,

their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

And AGAIN the cockroach essentially missed the point completely. The Americans should not be there, doing what they are doing.  THAT was the point of Micah; 

"The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

3 He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

4 Everyone will sit under their own vine
and under their own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for the Lord Almighty has spoken.

5 All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
our God for ever and ever." 
10.

May all nations speedily learn to follow the path of righteousness and settle their differences by arbitration.

So wrote the cockroach as an attack of "yellow stripe fever" took hold of him. He should have communicated that useless advice to the war criminal, GEN Otis, and the sham "peace commission" who strung the Filipinos along until the Nebraskans started the night horror this 4 of February 1899...  (INTENSE SARCASM.).
11. "the native town out Dulumbayan street, and from burning buildings in Paco district". These were the fires the firebug, GEN Hughes, ordered set as firebreaks to contain the Filipino advance until the Americans could form line of battle. It was about this time that the USS Monodnack blew up a Filipino train. It is unclear if this train was full of soldiers as the Americans claimed or full of refugees. It was going AWAY at the time, so form your own judgements.     
11. If it is raining cinders in the Tondo, then the winds are blowing smoke and flame to the west from the east from those fires Hughes' troops  set. If *I were the cockroach, then I would have taken the hint and gotten out of the Tondo.   
12. How bad was the fighting? It was a couple of platoons worth of killed and wounded, not a whole company at blockhouse 10; but the 1st Washington Tobacco Thieves were in close quarters combat with the Katipunan for most of the night of the 4th. They had to hold, for behind them was... literally nothing.     
13. The fires midday have gotten out of control. The Tondo was filled with refugees and the fires approached that district. 
14. Some Filipino prisoners were taken... by the Mormons. This was the exception and not the rule. Not everybody American forgot who they were. 
15. GEN Charles King was NOT killed.     
16. How about COL Smith?

The First Tennessee Regiment was mustered into federal service at Nashville’s Cherokee Park on May 26. Patriotism and a desire for adventure figured prominently as motives among the Middle and East Tennesseans who volunteered for service. Selected by the War Department for service in the Philippines, the regiment went first to San Francisco, where the men trained at Camp Merritt for four months. The excitement of military life turned to boredom as the war drew to a close with little prospect of the Tennesseans seeing combat. They were saved from garrison duty in California when, late in 1898, they were sent as reinforcements to hold the Philippine Islands that the United States had newly acquired from Spain. Fighting between American forces and those of Philippine leader Emilio Aguinaldo broke out in Manila in February 1899, and the First Tennessee participated in the fighting. Colonel Smith, the oldest member of the First Tennessee, became its first combat casualty when he died from heat exhaustion. Lieutenant Colonel Gracey Childers assumed command and served with distinction during the remainder of the First’s time in the Philippines. The regiment took an important part in the capture of Iloilo, the Philippines’ second largest city. With the outbreak of guerrilla warfare in the Philippines, Tennessee troops, like other American soldiers, became frustrated with the hit and run tactics of the Filipino insurgents. The First Tennessee suffered its only man killed in action during one such skirmish.

Fat 60 year old men should not have been imperialist yahoos playing infantry hero. (SARCASM).
17. The fighting reached the Tondo around 1600 hours. The cockroach's reportage cannot be trusted, but we do know the Tennesseans and Pennsylvanians were engaged in this sector at this time. It was mostly sniper fire and strongpoints occupied by Filipinos which was suppressed. The usual method was to set a fire to the building and then shoot the occupants as they ran out.  The Americans as they swept north through a neighborhood of stilt houses, shot into the houses without regard to the occupants; men, women, or children. This immediately produced a refugee panic which interfered with Luna's troops attempts to get at the Americans. This was the kind of Generalship engaged in; by the war criminal, GEN Otis, as he tried to buy time and organize his line of battle. You will not find this taught in American textbooks. You have to read American diaries and sift through the FILIPINO accounts of what happened to generate a coherent picture of who did what, and why. 
18. Private Eli Clampitt of Battery G, 3d artillery. Expletive deleted. The cockroach had no Christian charity and could not speak well of the dead, could he?   Clampitt, for that he fought in an unjust war, for a rotten reason, did his duty by his fellows and did not shirk, connive, con or commit treason as the cockroach did against his own, now did he? 
19. CPL Dean, one of Milsaps' flunkies went the way of Clampitt. Good words for that conman, the cockroach had.      
20. The Mormons shot into the rear of the Nebraskans. So blue on blue was to be expected.
21. Notice that the cockroach, on this day of absolute horror, still bummed a meal off the Owens? 

I just wrote this commentary and in my mind's eye I see it unfold.  No diary or dry commentary can truly convey the appalling crimes committed this day by 8th Corps as it fought for its very life. GEN Otis directed that these crimes be committed. The crimes range from desecration of sacred sites and hospitals, to mass murder to wholesale wanton arson. to the killing of women and children as deliberate policy to induce a refugee panic. The fires were set to buy time and avoid a general Filipino advance that would have isolated and forced the surrender of widely separated American units to Luna's troops. The incompetent dispositions and deployments of the American garrison and the bad faith negotiations that set up the circumstances where GEN Otis and GEN Hughes thought these measures were necessary were all GEN Otis' fault. He was a war criminal. Those, who carried out his orders, were war criminals. I mean this in terms of General Orders 100 and the rules of land war as they existed in 1899. Otis should have been tried and hanged for these crimes.   

As for the Nebraskans whose loss of discipline and ill-considered panicky initiation of hostilities produced this disaster? Well, we still do not know exactly what happened, but we can see where and when it started and if we believe the Filipino accounts, it was some idiot LT who lost his head and ordered his platoon to open fire. The Filipinos are very charitable about it. They admit it could have been their idiot. I believe it was ours, or maybe both at the same time in a dispute about a pass through of soldiers. 

====================================================

Diary of James J. Loughrey February 5, 1899

We were called to arms at 4 a.m., had our breakfasts and then left for the 6th Artillery Battery and then on to Paco Cemetery at Mole, where we were deployed as skirmishers at the rear of the battery. We received orders to advance at 8 a.m. We had to wade through rivers with water up to our breasts. Jack Ward was nearly drowned here but I pulled him out. My watch stopped at 8.10 a.m. as it had got full of water. We captured San Pedro Mercati [Makati] at 11 a.m. Sergeant Maher was killed here and his brother wounded. Corporal Murphy was shot in the calf of the leg and Lieutenant Hogan through the shoulder. Sergeant Wall was also wounded. It took the 14th US Regulars until 4.30 p.m. to capture Santa Ana where they had to blow up the church. We all went into camp at San Pedro Mereati [Makati].

22. See MAP. 



23. The 1st California  Flour Mill Thieves took part in the fighting to the east. They were not part of the atrocities in the northern sectors of Manila but they still were present when the Regulars allegedly blew up the church and killed its occupants. I "think" this might have been instead a legitimate act of war, as the Filipino Katiunan had fortified it as a strongpoint and it was assaulted according to Hoyle. Wait for Asendorf's account of the action. IOW this account is unreliable.

=====================================================

Now for our expletive deleted racist diarist.



Diary of Ernest W. Hewson February 5( Sunday) 1899

Our lines commenced a systematic advance on the enemy this morning at daybreak. The California and Washington regiments advanced from Paco. We are still kept in Pandacan, holding the key to Manila.

24. See previous map? (^^^) If this entry is accurate then the Flour Mill Thieves and Tobacco Thieves formed a line of battle 2 miles long with only about 1500 men, and this was after the 1st Washington Tobacco Factory Thieves had been mauled at the Paco.  Notice that our racist expletive deleted has stopped using the certain word to describe his Filipino adversary? Apparently he got "religion". (INTENSE SARCASM.)

=====================================================

How about a more nuanced account?



Diary of John Henry Asendorf Sunday, February 5th, 1899

The weather was fine all night and we patrolled the city. At 8 o’clock we ate breakfast of sheet bread and coffee. At 10 o’clock forty of the company filled their haversacks with ammunition (300 per man) and carried the same to the front. All returned but four or five. I stayed myself with the Colonel’s permission. I laid alongside of the right to H Company. I kept 100 rounds myself. We continued heavy fire on the enemy which was stationed all along the lines but the strongest fort they had was in the Filipino hospital. But the Utah Battery soon put shell after shell into it and a few minutes later we made a charge. All boys along the line cheered as we advanced continuing to fire as we went. This made them run in all directions. Most of them fled to the Chinese hospital about 1/2 mile further back. Here we laid down flat in the rice field but they were now a good deal too much for us. They just poured their lead into us but in a short time C Company arrived. I now retreated to my company and laid between Charlie Playford and Milbert Johnson. We laid down here for a full 1.2 hour but firing was almost impossible for us. Seeing that we couldn’t stand their fire, we crept on hands and feet to the right which was a hillside on which was a Chinese cemetery with thousands of tombstones for breastworks. But, it had a strong wire fence around it which made it hard to cross with our guns and ammunition. Here two of our company were wounded and a few minutes later Major [Everhart] Bierer was hit with a brass bullet through the left shoulder and arm. The two men were Carl DeBolt and George Rockwell. Both were also hit with brass bullets through their shoulders. They were hurriedly carried back by our men. Here we opened up on them for about two hours. The Rebels were putting up a stubborn fight but after a couple hours work of the battery we again made a desperate fight and the rebels soon had to flee from there. Many of them were killed. Now we (the 10th) crept over to the right while the South Dakota men took charge of the hospital. We now entered a Filipino cemetery. Here the sharpshooters of the rebels which were all around us, in front of us in trees and bushes. [They] did some good work and wounded a good many of our men but not too dangerous. We opened up on them after finding some safe place but soon most of us were out of ammunition. It was in hand in short time. Then the bugle sounded for a charge. In front of us on the hill was a large church with a strong ten-foot wall around it and right in the rear of it was a blockhouse. About 200 yards in front of the church and to the right was a little village containing about 50 small “shacks.” Here we could see them as thick as grass. We fired volley after volley into them and could see them drop almost one on top another. Many of them retreated to the church. There we made a charge on the church. Here it was where Jake Landis was almost killed instantly. All he said was “well boys, I guess they got me.” He was taken back with the wounded. After taking the church and the blockhouse it was getting dark and we were assigned to our quarters for the night in a kind of skirmish line. All the rebels had made for the woods and everything was quiet for the night. In making the charge on the church I was the fifth man entering the same and the fifth man entering the blockhouse. Taps was sounded at 8 o’clock and we had a number of outposts and patrols out all night. The next morning, February 6th, the weather was fine but the night had been very cold. All of us were shivering all night having nothing but a poncho to cover with. All the boys started out to hunt some chickens which were plentiful in our neighborhood. Also they brought three sheep, two hogs, a buffalo calf and two cattle. I killed them all and strung them to a tree. One beef we gave to the Kansas boys who hadn’t any and one leg of veal and a fresh ham we sent to the Colonel. Several details were sent out to bury the dead rebels which were about 45 in our neighborhood. Each regiment burying their own. So, we buried all that was on the hill: one officer and 17 privates were put in our grave and the rest wherever they had fallen. This was a mean job as most of them were already decaying and had been partly eaten up by the dogs. We now established a cookhouse and fired up our quarters.

25. That was the attack on the church, the Regulars allegedly blew up. 

[gillan1220]

Geopolitics changes overtime: Solon hits EDCA expansion on 124th anniversary of start of PH-US war

[miletus12]

Feb 6, 2023 13:59:29 GMT gillan1220 said:

Geopolitics changes overtime: Solon hits EDCA expansion on 124th anniversary of start of PH-US war

My Tagalog is terrible. Does France Castro imply that the USG would actually TEST nuclear weapons inside the Philippine Republic or store them? We cannot do either because of treaties in place. Also appealing to GEN Antonio Luna and the Manuel Tinio brigade may remind Filipinos of past American treachery, but how does that translate into the current South China Sea dispute?   

Another thing, how is EDCA supposed to work with BongBong in power? I do not get that one? Did we BRIBE him?
 
======================================================

Let us hear from the 1st Nebraska Cable Car Absconders...

Diary of Robert Bruce Payne Febr. 6, 1899

I had joined my company during the night and now we anxiously waited orders to go to the front but instead were ordered to hold the captured places while two battalions of Nebr and two co’s of Colo [First Colorado Volunteer Infantry] moved against the waterworks or pumping station. When they had gone about two miles they [found] a quartermaster of the Utahs shot full of holes and with his throat cut from ear to ear and his heart cut out. He had lost his way trying to join his command which were advancing with Nebr with two guns. This nerved (Means enraged. M) the boys who soon came upon the entrenched Filipinos. The advance guard fell back and the Filipinos mistaking this for a retreat made a charge out of breast works. They were fairly mowed down. 78 were found and buried here. After that there was no more opposition till the pumping station was reached which is eight miles east of Manila and now Nebr holding this and all surrounding territory. The pumping station is in a deep vale [illegible] splendidly for­tified. There is a fine fort on a high point which commands the entire valley. The country around here is a country of ledges and places not naturally adapted to battle it is terraced with rice fields. The ground is dry and hard now and in splendid condition for a campaign. Those boys of the two battalions went into camp here in separate co’s. Co L our friends at station and others here and there in nice spots. The night of the sixth was uneventful save that where we were quartered a K man got scared and began shooting and of course there was a call to arms, but there was not a shot fired by a Filipino in hearing. This camp at the waterworks was named after our Col. Camp Stotzenburg [John Miller Stotsenburg]. Our col. was very brave and led the charge against the block houses 6 and 7 which K and D men took on Sunday morning. He found a Remington Rifle and used it in the thickest of the fight. There are strict orders issued against pillaging which up to this time has been carried on to excess.

1. This all started when PVT Private William Walter Grayson, a stupid Englishman who immigrated to the United States and who enlisted in the 1st Nebrasdka Cable Car Absconders, disobeyed his standing orders and opened fire on Filipinos going about their business.

At about 8 pm on February 4, 1899, Grayson, along with Private Orville Miller and one other man, advanced from Santol towards Blockhouse 7, suddenly encountering four armed men after about five minutes of patrolling. According to Grayson's account, he and Miller called "Halt!" and, when the four men responded by cocking their rifles, they fired at them and retreated to Santol. Personal accounts by Grayson claim that he "dropped" two and Miller one, but neither American nor Filipino official reports mention anyone being hit.

Legarda, Benito Justo (2001), The Hills of Sampaloc: The Opening Actions of the Philippine–American War, February 4–5, 1899, Bookmark page 43 of this account of the Incident at San Juan Bridge.

2. See image.

The First Shot: Quiet, silence, and a bridge

By: Ambeth R. Ocampo - @inquirerdotnetphilippine Daily Inquirer / 05:04 AM February 03, 2021

I have always wondered why we remember only a few things from classroom and textbook history and forget the rest. In college, we used “History of the Filipino People” by Teodoro A. Agoncillo and Milagros C. Guerrero, a textbook that has surprisingly outlived its shelf life and remains in use four decades after I entered college.

The eighth edition (1990) that I have at hand, reprinted in 2008 and 2012 based on WorldCat, has Agoncillo as sole author. Agoncillo’s chapters have been retained as is from the fifth edition (1977), and the chapters by Milagros Guerrero replaced by others who are only acknowledged in the Introduction and not on the cover as coauthors. The eighth edition was brought up to date with a new chapter on Edsa 1986, which is uncanny because the sole author, Teodoro Agoncillo, died in January 1985!

One of the sections I clearly remember from the Agoncillo and Guerrero version concerns “The San Juan Bridge Incident.” On Feb. 4, 1899, enemy soldier Private Willie Grayson of the Nebraska Volunteer Infantry Regiment shot and killed a Filipino soldier. That shot started the Philippine-American War. I remember the date, place, and name of Grayson, but only learned the name of the fatality, Corporal Anastacio Felix, much later. Then in 2004, the National Historical Commission moved the location of the incident from a bridge in San Juan to an obscure spot in Sampaloc, Manila—the corner of two inappropriately named streets: Sociego (Quiet) and Silencio (Silence). This correction of history was brought about by the research of the late Dr. Benito Legarda, but it has been challenged by people who insist that the event happened on the bridge in San Juan.

Grayson gave this account: “That night, about eight o’clock, Miller and I—there were two of us—were cautiously pacing our district. We came to a fence and were trying to see what the Filipinos were up to. Suddenly, near at hand, on our left, there was a low but unmistakable Filipino outpost signal from Blockhouse No. 7. It was immediately answered by a similar whistle about twenty-five yards to the right. Then a red lantern flashed a signal from Blockhouse No. 7. We had never seen such a sign used before.

“In a moment, something rose up slowly not 20 feet in front of us. It was a Filipino. I yelled ‘Halt!’ and made it pretty loud, for I was accustomed to challenging the officer of the guard in approved military style. The man moved. I challenged him with another loud ‘Halt!’ Then he imprudently shouted ‘halto!’ at me. Well, I thought the best thing to do was to shoot him. He dropped. If I didn’t kill him, I guess he died of fright.

“Two Filipinos sprang out of the gateway about 15 feet from us. I called ‘Halt!’ and Miller fired and dropped one. I saw that another was left. Well, I think I got my second Filipino at that time. We retreated to where our six other fellows were, and I said: ‘Line up fellows, the (Filipinos) are in here all through these yards.’ We then retreated in the pipeline and got behind the water main and stayed there all night. It was some minutes after our second shots before the Filipinos began firing.”

Nowhere in Grayson’s account did he mention being on a bridge, and in photographed reenactments Grayson does not stand on a bridge, either. Perhaps one of the culprits in this misinformation was David Barrows’ textbook “History of the Philippines” (1905), which stated:

“The Filipino forces were impatient for fighting, and attack on the American lines surrounding Manila began on the night of February 4th [1899]. It is certain that battle had been decided upon and in preparation for some time, and that fighting would have been begun in any case, before the arrival of reinforcements from America; but the attack was precipitated a little early by the killing at San Juan Bridge of a Filipino officer who refused to halt when challenged by an American sentry. On that memorable and dreadful night, the battle raged with great fury along the entire circle of defenses surrounding the city…”

In a 2014 geospatial study utilizing maps and testimonies of the period, the conclusion was that the first shot happened somewhere on a trail leading from Santol to Blockhouse No. 7 (Sociego Street). While its remains uncertain that the present Silencio corner Sociego is the exact site of the First Shot, it definitely did not happen on San Juan Bridge.

——————

3. It was supposedly at the intersection of two streets near the bridge where the incident actually occured. The subsequent fighting quickly formed in two main axes of advance. We have discussed the northern axis, where GEN Arthur MacArthur eventually threw back GEN Luna's and Ricardi's north and northeast attacks into the American outpost line. This was where the Firebug, GEN Hughes, pursuant to the war criminal's, GEN Otis' orders, started all those fires and set about creating the refugee panic prior to MacArthur's advance on Caloocan City. The axis of advance, described by PVT Payne, was more easterily and began with the attack on the Santa Ana pump house and was pushed hard to get further into the country east of Manila proper into the terraced rice fields in the foothills. The idea was to split the Katipunan army in two, and do to the Filipino National Liberationists what they had done to the Americans, divide them north and south. Henry Lawton's column, the southern axis of advance was supposed to follow the natural road and river nets to Laguna da Bay and split the island of Luzon in two,

See MAP.



4. That was asking the IMPOSSIBLE for an army outnumbered 3 to 1. MacArthur was held up by a combinations of fires and the refugee panics. The Filipinos tore up the railroad track leading north making logistics north of the Pasig, "difficult". Wheaton's eastern advance was stalled about 15 km outside Manila proper, (Lack of pack mules, infantry and ammunition.), )and Lawton's troops had to be satisfied with a limited raid and establishment of a tenuous link with the Marines at Cavite. Not enough infantry to patrol the roads.

========================================================================

Cockroach...

Diary of John E.T. Milsaps Monday, Feb. 6th, 1899

Manila & Caloocan, Luzon Island –Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Tondo.

The sun is rising beautifully over the city of Manila as I write (about 7.15 a.m.) and the birds are singing sweetly as though grim war had not left its mark in this section.

This morning about 3.50 o’clock the sharp incisive report of Krag-Jorgensen rifles were heard. From first a solitary shot the reports increased until they became a roar intermixed with occasional volleys. Sounded like a small battle. Silence followed about 15 minutes of this kind of work. About a half hour later another fusilade woke the echoes of the silent streets. I do not know what was the cause of trouble, perhaps street fighting. The native made elaborate preparations for an uprising. The Utah artillerymen captured 2 bags full of daggers, new & native made. Thousands of arms are also reported discovered in a Roman Catholic church. The uprising failed. Many solitary shots were fired thro’ the night.

I am thinking seriously this morning of going out to the battle front which is about 10 miles from Manila. My right foot has pained me in the past 10 days or more, probably rheumatism which makes walking difficult. Am anxious to go nevertheless and trust myself in the hands of God, whose providential care is my safeguard. The Lord may have work for me to do where men are dying. Quite a few of the men at the front are Salvationists who love Jesus, likewise other saints are there & also many backsliders & other sinners who have never known experientally God’s saving grace.

x x x x x x

Called at the post office in Manila & received the letter I wrote Major Gen. Elwell Stephen Otis* (*Note. In the field commanding at Caloocan we have a Brig. Gen. Oits), requesting permission to hold services in Bilibid prison. The letter was referred to several officers and was returned to me without endorsements thereon & finally a request to call in person & see Major E.S. Bean of the 13th Minn. Vol. Inf. re ther priviledge. Must put the visit off a while to suit present circumstances.

Returning from the post office I took a bite to eat, filled my coat pocket with peanuts and struck out for the front on foot. The Lord favored me. Just as I turned out of Santa Elena street I met some 3d artillerymen starting out with food for the troops in carromatas. I joined the squad. Privates Amie & Devine (Landon) were in the party. The men carried the Krag-Jorgensen guns. We passed out Calle Dulumbayan thro’ the large native quarter. When we reached the Filipino cemetery* (*Santa Cruz cemetery) signs of the battle began to appear. The balustrade around the top walls was destroyed, the shack facing the street torn into fragments & the back wall torn down for a barricade. Almost all the native huts between the cemetery & outskirts were burnt. The ruins were smoking. Here & there were dead horses lying in the ashes partly roasted. Chickens wandered around & dogs. One of the latter was eating flesh from the carcass of a burnt poney. A lone cat was nestled by the ashes of its former home. A female carrabou was lying dead near one burnt house & its calf lying by its side, alive & suckling its dead mother. When we reached the stone monument I got the men to halt & took their photo. I walked all the way out. The monument is at the cross roads — Call de Sanloleyes & Calle Dulumbayan. All is changed now. The battle raged over this spot & the houses & people are all gone. When our party arrived at the foot of the elevation on which is situated the great Chinese & Roman Catholic cemetery, I heard the sound of fighting — a familiar sound now. There were single shots & at times volleys. The Chinese cemetery showed signs of battle, shrapnel bestrewing the road, the packing for artillery ammunition & empty rifle shells. Barbed wire was cut here & there to permit the passage of cannon & men. Tombstones were shattered by projectiles. They were used as breastworks by Filipinos. I saw one dead Filipino lying among the tombs by the roadside. His face & mouth discolored by dry blood. A bullet had entered one eye & killed him. The red mortuary chapel used by the Chinese close by was vacant. The candle sticks, biers & other accessories used when the rites of the dead are performed were lying around broke. Bloody pillows were lying on the floor and blood stained bandages here & there. The building had been used by the Filipinos to shelter their wounded.

Presently I reached the top of the hill & made my way to Brigadier General McArthur’s headquarters. The General was there, likewise members of his staff and a company (G) belonging to the 20th Kansas Infantry. A long line of men were drawn up in battle line at rest. In a forest to the left of Malibon [Malabon] the American firing line was at work. Their crushing volleys had the effect of herding the natives over towards a forest in a point of land. I could see them about one mile distant. Two American war vessels came up towards Malibon [Malabon] off shore. I witnessed the shelling. Several bombs were thrown into the town. After the natives were driven over towards the point firing ceased. But the rattle of rifles over on our right towards Camp Santa Mesa, told of warm work there. When they had taken position firing ceased.

Spoke to several men about their souls.

A stranger (civilian) & I struck out for home on foot. A country carromata with 3 U.S. 3d artillery men aboard came along. The soldiers took me on & I got a ride to the Cuartel Meisig. Tomorrow may be a terrible day for the Filipinos as they seem to be shut off from escape.

5. I will keep this brief. Do not let this lying coward deceive you. He only went as far forward as the safety of American troops permitted him. 

See IMAGE



6. The La Loma Church at image right was taken intact and formed the forward observer post for both the US 6th Artillery and Dewey's gunners aboard the USS Charleston and USS Monadnock, who are out image left, and shooting into the town with high explosive and incendiary shells. The 10th Pennsylvania Train Bandits (as seen above) discovered that the Filipino infantry had been trained in the Spanish manner and this caused them to shoot too high. So... bayonet charges were "safe". Filipino troops were not trained to withstand an Emory Upton type assault column, so no matter that GEN Luna tried to rally his men, once the Americans got into stabby stabby distance, the Katipunan broke and ran.     
7. See MAP.

8. MacArthur hugged the coast and the USN tight and used the rivers and lagoons and ships' heavy guns to guard his eastern flank and blast a  hole open in the Filipino lines as he went straight at GEN Luna, force on force. It was not "brilliant" generalship, but it was competent, based on simple enfilades and firepower superiority offered by a navy especially trained in close gunfire support of its army. On this day, the Americans needed "competent" so that they could keep the Katipunan busy while they put down the Manila Uprising BEHIND MacArthur.  
9. Caloocan was not secured until 10 February 1899. Manila was not quieted until about the same time. 

======================================================

Diary of Chriss A. Bell Feb. 6, 1899

This morning reports show that our [troops] advanced driving natives before them. Most of the firing at night is by the natives answered by and [an] occasional volley from our men. But at daylight much to the purpose (surprise?) of the natives who expected us to remain quiet, our men opened fire at the same time. Dewey let them have it. The result was something awful. Natives were killed by them by the hundreds. They did so much shooting from bamboo huts that an order came to fire the huts as the men advanced. This was done & men, women, and children suffered. The natives are but poor fighters & do not understand our style charging under fire. Freeman was in the thick of the fight but was in the company and could not get away.

In the evening I got permission of the Capt. to take a walk. Carr, Jim & I started and we met Dustin & (?)dale who joined us. We started for Kansas lines but got on a road which finally led in the jungle & stopped. We could see a quarter of a mile to our right a big hut on fire so we retraced our steps. Crossed a rice field on the dikes and reached the fire but if our men started it they did not remain now. Just before reaching fire we ran on a hut. The inmates were watching fire on seeing us they began to yell “Buenos Noches, Onega Cara Beno.” [“Buenas Noches, Amigo Cara Bueno“] They were nearly frightened to death. From the fire we soon ran across the main wad & soon met some boys of G. Co. Kansas going to the front with blankets. We went across with them but once ran off the road & ran into Montana outpost. We turned back & in about an hour reach block house where Kansas Co. was located. It was on top of a hill to left of church where 3rd A battery was sited at. We could see but little and there were only a few stray shots fired so we did not go into action. In the return we got a ride in as far as Bibi Bid [Bilibid] We got back about 12 & went on guard at 4A.M.

10 Or about a little west of the La Loma Church and the masonry turret blockhouse occupied by the 10th Pennsylvania Train Bandits in the picture above. The 2nd Oregon Furniture Thieves were scoked in between the Train Bandits and the 1st Kansas Chicken Thieves.  
11. BTW, referring to the cockroach, his letter to the war criminal, GEN Otis, requesting a right to hold religious services in the MIDDLE of this fight for survival was a most unwelcome distraction. The 8th Corps staff told the cockroach to go fornicate himself. 
12. Burn the huts and shoot them as they pop out was still the order of the day. Men, women and children... shoot everybody in front of you. If that is not a warcrime, then what is? 
13. I am sorry about the matter of fact commentary to my readers. This was how those American soldiers thought and fought. The difference between a Filipino citizen and a Native American citizen was almost nonexistent to these soldiers.   

John Chivington Biography



John Chivington in his uniform as a Colonel in the U.S. Volunteer Army.
John Chivington

Denver Public Library

Commander of the U.S. Army troops at the Sand Creek Massacre, Colonel John Chivington was born in Lebanon, Ohio in 1821. Following his ordination in the Methodist Church, he ventured into Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado. Coming to Colorado with the Gold Rush, the U.S. Army commissioned him as a major with the 1st Colorado Infantry during the 1862 New Mexico Campaign. He played a key role in helping capture Confederate supplies near Johnson's Ranch - a move that in part enabled him to become Colonel later that year, along with command of the Colorado Military District.

With stories of Indian threats sweeping the Territory in 1864, Colonel Chivington left Denver in November to join his troops near Booneville. On the 28th his command arrived at Fort Lyon, which they departed from later that night heading north toward the Cheyenne and Arapaho camps at Sand Creek.

In defense of the attack, Chivington wrote, "The morning of the 29th day of November, 1864, finds us before the village of the Indian foe. The first shot is fired by them. The first man who falls is white. No white flag is raised. None of the Indians show signs of peace, but flying to rifle pits already prepared they fight with a desperation unequalled, showing their perfect understanding of the relations that existed as regards peace or war as forty-nine killed and wounded soldiers too plainly testified."

Across the country most saw the massacre as a revolting butchery of mostly women and children. Regarding the massacre, Congress' Joint Committee on the Conduct of War penned, "As to Colonel Chivington, your committee can hardly find fitting terms to describe his conduct. Wearing the uniform of the United States, which should be the emblem of justice and humanity; holding the important position of commander of a military district, and therefore having the honor of the government to that extent in his keeping, he deliberately planned and executed a foul and dastardly massacre which would have disgraced the veriest savage among those who were the victims of his cruelty. Having full knowledge of their friendly character, having himself been instrumental to some extent in placing them in their position of fancied security, he took advantage of their inapprehension and defenceless condition to gratify the worst passions that ever cursed the heart of man. It is thought by some that desire for political preferment prompted him to this cowardly act; that he supposed that by pandering to the inflamed passions of an excited population he could recommend himself to their regard and consideration."

With his term of service expiring, Chivington left Colorado for the Midwest, but later returned to Denver where he lived and worked until his death in 1894.

14. (^^^) Not all Americans thought this way.
 
======================================================

How did a Filipino Ilustrado see it?

Diary of Santiago Barcelona February 5th, 1899

It was a terrible day. From 6 in the morning the fighting began by sea and land. In the afternoon our forces were unable to continue the defense at Caloocan, where the grenades and incendiary bombs fell. Two fell directly on the church tower and confusion ensued. The forces retreated toward Tinajeros and Polo. Left behind when evening came were General Pantaleon García and Major Soriano.

Fully informed of this happening, the President left Malolos for Caloocan and Malabon ordering our forces to return and occupy these places; and if the enemy wanted to retake them, they should do so shedding their own blood in the attempt. The order brought renewed vigor among the troops. Caloocan was garrisoned anew as far as Navotas and Malabon.

The Director of War, Antonio Luna, was in the battlefield the whole Sunday afternoon, stopping the advance of the enemy with a small number of troops, thus showing his bravery and fearlessness on this occasion. Everybody agreed that he was worthy to be in the hierarchy of Division Generals who had displayed their insignia of distinction. This event won for him the general applause and an appointment as Defense Chief of the railroad line.

Five days later, the Americans occupied Caloocan after suffering many casualties. From then on, the line of defense extended along Tinajeros and Tuliajan and as far as Novaliches, where the enemy, suffering many casualties, doubted the possibiilty of breaking that line. They finally pushed the line owing to the fact that grenades were hurled from the fleet in the bay. Seeing the futility of continued resistance, our troops allowed the enemy to advance, but with sizable and numerous casualties, while they retreated to Calumpit and Baliuag to fortify the new line of defense.

Having taken the Tuliajan line, the Americans continued advancing with slight resistance. Malolos was occupied as far as the Bagbag River in Calumpit, where they were quartered for some time.

The Philippine Government, having lost the Tuliajan line to the enemy, evacuated Malolos and transferred to San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, where the Congress convened by Pedro A. Paterno dissolved the Mabini Cabinet and Paterno was called to form a new one. It must be noted that the session, in my humble opinion, was illegal; for, according to news, it was composed of fourteen members only, including their President. The majority of the members present were Mabini’s enemies. That session, therefore, which resulted in the downfall of the Mabini Cabinet, was unconstitutional.

Paterno, now in power with the support of his followers, proposed peace, accepting autonomy. But an unexpected move—a proposed coup d’etat—on the part of General Luna, who was in Cabanatuan, banished from everybody the idea of accepting autonomy; in turn, they became strong advocates of Independence.

15. See MAP.

 
See MAPs.





16. From where Modern Quezon City (La Mesa Reservoir) where the Tullajan River flows to the Bay, GEN Luna set up his new defense line to deny the Americans access to the Lingayan plain. This should have worked, except that the Katipunan army lost most of its artillery when Caloocan was overrun. The heavy Armstrong muzzleloaders which were the heart of Luna's artillery were too massive to move and he had no means to ferry them acroiss the river.   
17. Another physical problem that GEN Luna had, besides having his horse fall on him, those jealous rival generals who schemed behind his back, Aguinaldo's growing mistrust and being shot by American snipers, was that his own troops were out of Mauser ammunition and the second best Remington rolling block rifle cartridged ammunition being smuggled into him from Hong Kong was CHINESE made and British smuggled. China then as now was known for shoddy workmanship, poor quality and fraud.  And the British were ... well... British.   
18. From the American point of view; Pedro Paterno's treason could not have come at a more opportune moment. The war criminal, GEN Otis, still needed time and a distraction among the Katipunan to clean up his own tactical chaos, which he created amidst his incompetent dispositions. 
19. Do you get the feeling that the war criminal is about to be fired for his ineptitude in the near future? Stay tuned.

=====================================================

Diary of James J. Loughrey February 6, 1899

We left San Pedro Mercati [Makati] at 10 a.m. on reconnoitre and had a hot skirmish around Guadaloupe [Guadalupe] where Culling was shot through the eye, Slade was shot in the leg and Smyth, who was beside me, was marked on the arm by a flattened bullet. ‘H’ and ‘I’ Companies retired at 4 p.m. We were in some tight corners and were completely tired out for we had no sleep for three nights. It appears that we killed 30 Insurgents, their bodies being found by Father McKinnion next day. Reports said 3,000 Insurgents had been killed yesterday. ‘B’ Company 14th US Infantry were reduced to 35 men, the rest being either killed or injured. Amongst the Insurgent dead were found two deserters, one from ‘M’ Company and the other a Lieutenant Colonel.

20. See MAP.


21. As can be seen, the 1st California Flour Mill Thieves and the 1st Nebraska Cable Car Absconders are only halfway to Laguna da Bay, where it was hoped they would be able to split Luzon in two.
22. The 14th US (Regulars) was chopped to bits in fighting around Guadalupe. They still pushed through. 
23. Notice that the 1st California Flour Mill Thieves found and shot two American deserters?  I have no idea who the "LTC" was.  

=====================================================

[miletus12]

Aftermath of the crisis...

Diary of Alfred Burton Welch Tuesday 2-7-99

Reviewed by Gen. King. In afternoon took line to San Pedro [Macati]. Had a patrol in night, 12 miles. Dogs & birds feasting on stray bodies.

1. Part of the trip he made by rail and part by (stolen) horse. Welch's comments about carrion feeding and poor battlefield cleanup shows just how scattered and wide the frontages were and how many "collaterals" (Civilians) were murdered as the Americans surged forward. Yes, I wrote "murdered".

===============================================================================

Diary of Robert Bruce Payne Febr. 7, 1899

Today has been an uneventful day. The dead were buried and a little skirmishing done but few natives could be found. The boys are taking a much needed rest. Our 2nd sergeant and a pvt have returned from the front. By the way these are the two (idiots) men who started the war. The sergeant, a Dutch man [Sgt. Joseph De Vriendt], told the guard [Pvt. William Grayson], a man of little character, not to stand any monkey work. There was a lieut. on the Filipino side who had about as much sense as the afore mentioned who had been getting drunk and causing trouble before. He came down and ordered a post of ours moved back which had been moved up to hold one in check which had been pushed up by the Filipinos. This had been done during the day and when night came the lieut. came up and was halted by our sentinels. He called back “Alto,” the Spanish for “halt” at which our sentenel fired upon him and it is stated killed him but he was taken back by the native soldiers with him. Then the post was reinforced and on the natives making a second advance were fired upon again, which was answered as stated before by the Filipinos on all sides of us save the Manila side.

2. As I wrote, a stupid expletive deleted Englishman, who could not follow standing orders and a dumb drunken LT from the Filipino side of it as they admitted in their own sources. Add this idiot German and one can read how torqued off Robert Payne is in his diary entry. It should not have happened at all.

===============================================================================

Cockroach. No, he did not take the hint and gotten lost.

Diary of John E.T. Milsaps Tuesday, Feb. 7th, 1899

Caloocan Battlefield — Entry made in the ex-Spanish fort or stone blockhouse* (*Note. Blockhouse No. 2 at La Loma) — Feb. 8th, 6.20 p.m.

A day of exciting events. Got up as usual starting with Bible reading and prayers. Cooked breakfast, then straightened up my rooms with a view to leaving for a few days if considered best. About 10. o’clock a.m. with my blanket, diary, soap, towel, one pair socks, 4 photographic films, one loaf bread, 3 cans devilled ham, & 1 of jelly & a pocket filled with peanuts, I struck out on foot. Brought my umbrella along for contingencies of rain & hot sun. Rev. Chas Owens and wife accompanied me on foot. Went out thro’ the native quarter on Dulumbayan street. A carromata driven by a Filipino came along with a 10th Pennsylvania soldier on board. Mrs. Owns was taken on & put off at the large Spanish Roman Catholic mortuary chapel in the Binondo or La Loma cemetery. This cemetery on the hill including the Chinese burying place is an immense affair. Name: Cemeterio de la Parroquia de Binondo.”

Owens and I walked out. Arrived on the battleground about 11 o’clock. Sharp shooting with an occasional volley was kept up all day until 5 p.m. in a disultory manner. In the forest to the left skirting the bay just outside of Caloocan, the American battle line lay across the pain with its left wing on the bay near Caloocan & the right wing miles away. I went along the battle line for quite a distance visiting the batteries (particularly H and K) of the 3d Reg’t heavy artillery & the Montana infantry. Met quite a number of acquaintances as saved & unsaved. Seemed glad to meet me. Brought the matter of salvation personally to the attention of a number of soldiers. The boys were very hospitable offering me such food as they have on the battlefield & coffee.

Brigadier General Otis was on the field taking in the situation personally.

During the early part of the afternoon I witnessed an interesting skirmish down on the open flat field north east of the Spanish mortuary chapel. Three men went down to fire some native huts. The enemy would have probably captured them, had not 15 men went out to support them. The firing on both sides was quite brisk for a time. The Filipinos lay in the shelter of timber & the Americans in the open, but none of the latter were hurt.

5 p.m. The shooting in the forest west of us became hot. Brisk work. A war vessel (probably “Concord”) out in the bay threw shells in the town & 2 Utah pieces over on our hill assisted. The attacking party (20th Kansas Infantry less Co. G) could not be seen from the forest but their advance could be traced by the line of burning buildings as they advanced into Caloocan. In half an hour the town was taken. As darkness closed in I went over to the battle line — 3d artillery. The boys gave me some coffee which with my loaf of bread served me for supper. By the light of the burning village I managed to pick my way over the small brook at the bottom of the hill to the Spanish blockhouse (No. 2) or fort. A wall about 10 feet high punctured with numerous port holes for small arms with a shelf to stand on around the inside, & a wood frame covered with corrugated iron is the aforesaid blockhouse. Company G, 20th Kansas vol. infantry (Capt. Elliot) occupied the same: also a detachment of Utah light artillerymen. I laid a piece of heavy paper on the ground, my blanket on the same & using my coat for a pillow considered myself fortunate. While lying there, availed myself of an opportunity the Lord gave me, to talk to a corporal lying alongside me of salvation.

My bed was pretty hard. Slept in my clothes.

Caloocan is a village on the Dagupan railroad about one and a half miles from Malibon [Malabon].

Our battle line remained in place all night sleeping on their arms. Nothing unusual happened during the night save the occasional firing of our pickets.

From the diary of John Milsaps, February 7, 1899 (^^^)

3. My comments.
a. The Mormons were everywhere.
b. BGEN Harrison Otis is not the war criminal, GEN Ellis Otis. 

Californians and the Military
Major-General Harrison Gray Otis, U.S.V.
Publisher of the Los Angeles Times

By WO1 Mark J. Denger
California Center for Military History

A veteran of both the Civil War and Spanish-American War, Harrison Gray Otis was publisher of the Los Angeles Times for more than three decades, and a leader in the affairs of Southern California.

Harrison Gray Otis, the youngest of sixteen children of his father Stephen Otis, was born on February 10, 1837, on a farm near Marietta, Ohio. His parents, Stephen and Sarah Otis, were among the first pioneers of Ohio. His father, in 1800, moved from Vermont and settled in the "Ohio Company's purchase" at Marietta, then emerging from the condition of a frontier "block-house" settlement, made so by the Indian hostilities of that period. Ohio was then a territory, and Marietta its first settlement.

His paternal grandfather, Barnabus Otis, served in the American Revolution, and was a pensioner. (1) He and other Otis branches in America are descendants from James Otis, who emigrated from England and settled at Hingham, Massachusetts, at an early period in Colonial history. This family has produced James Otis, another famous Revolutionary patriot and orator; his namesake, Harrison Gray Otis, a Senator of the United States from Massachusetts, and others of the name distinguished in civil, political and military affairs.

Otis received only a limited "log-schoolhouse" education. He worked on the family farm and only attended school during the three winter months, up to the age of 14, when he became a printer's apprentice. His only subsequent school educated was embraced in an academy term of five months at Lowell, Ohio, in 1856-67, and a commercial course at Granger's College at Columbus, from which he graduated in 1857. He developed a fondness for the printer's art, and subsequently worked as apprentice and printer (1851-1861) in several companies.

He married the former Miss Eliza A. Wetherby, an amiable and accomplished New England lady. The couple was married on September 11, 1859, and shortly afterwards established their home at Louisville, Kentucky, where Harrison had received a position in the office of the Louisville Journal, under the famous editor, George D. Prentice.

While a resident of Louisville, Otis was elected as a delegate to the Republican National Convention and nominated Abraham Lincoln for the Presidency. He attended the convention, took part in its proceedings, served as a member of the Kentucky Republican State Executive Committee, and in the succeeding November voted viva voce, under Kentucky law, for Mr. Lincoln.

With war-clouds appearing, Mr. and Mrs. Otis left Louisville for Ohio, knowing that hostilities were inevitable, and feeling that his proper place would be with the defenders of the Union who would go out from his native State.

Harrison Gray Otis enlisted as a private in the 12th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under the command of Colonel John W. Lowe, at Camp Dennison, Ohio, on June 25, 1861, "for three years or during the war." He was mustered in as a Sergeant in Company I on June 29, and took the field with his regiment on July 6 on the Western Virginia campaign. Promoted to First Sergeant on March 1, 1862, he was mustered into service with the 12th Ohio Infantry. Wounded twice in the Civil War, he fought in 15 battles and received four more promotions and two brevets to Major and Lieutenant Colonel for "gallant and meritorious service". He was mustered out of service at Cumberland, Maryland, on July 26, 1865, where he was discharged as a lieutenant colonel. For the rest of his life, he liked to be referred to in military terms, first as Colonel, and later General.

After his discharge from the Union army he rejoined his family at Marietta, Ohio, where he was subsequently a small proprietor and publisher for the next eighteen months.

At the session of the Ohio Legislature of 1866-67, he became the official Reporter of the House, having been elected to that position after a sharp contest. At the close of the session he went to Washington, D.C. where he subsequently received an appointment as Second Lieutenant in the Regular Army. From 1867 to 1870 he served in the Government Printing Office, first as a compositor, next as a proof-reader, and later as Foreman of Printing, which he held from May 1869 to January 1870.

During this period, he also served as a Washington correspondent for the Ohio State Journal; and managing editor of the Grand Army Journal, the first Union soldiers' paper established in Washington after the war. He took an active part in the preliminary conference, held in February 1868, which called the Soldiers and Sailors' National Convention of that year that first nominated Gen. U.S. Grant for the Presidency, and was a delegate to that convention.

In 1871, Otis entered the U.S. Patent office and served therein for five years, as a chief of a division. He resigned in February 1876, receiving a commendatory letter from the head of the office, and on February 22 moved with his family to California. On March 5, Col. Otis established his residence in Santa Barbara, and on March 11, took charge of the Santa Barbara Press, the principal daily and weekly journal of that place, which he continued to publish for the four succeeding years, though absent a portion of that period.

Otis received an appointment in 1878 by President Hayes as collector of the Port of San Diego, but his confirmation was opposed by Senator Sergent. Sergent was able to "Hang up" the appointment in the Senate, until Col. Otis notified the President of his withdrawal. In 1879 he was offered by the State Department, through Senator John F. Miller, the appointment of U.S. Consul at the Samoan Islands, and in 1884 a similar appointment at Tien Tsin, China, but he declined both offers.

Col. Otis came to Los Angeles when he heard that its newest paper, the Los Angeles Daily Times, was for sale. The first four-page issue of the Times had appeared on December 4, 1881, but the owners faced financial problems. Scraping together $6,000, Otis bought a quarter interest in the paper in 1882 and became its editor, as well as editor of a sister weekly publication, the Mirror. In October 1882, he and his family moved from Santa Barbara and established a home in Los Angeles. For a weekly salary of $15, Otis wrote the editorials and much of the local news. His wife Eliza contributed columns about women, morals and religion.

In 1883, Otis and entrepreneur H. H. Boyce became co-owners of the Times, now grown to eight pages, and formed the Times Mirror Company. Otis set about transforming the newspaper. As John Weaver writes in Los Angeles: The Enormous Village: "He dropped ‘Daily' from the Times masthead, ordered up livelier headlines, doubled the telegraphic news coverage, made room for letters to the editor and added a column, ‘Political Points' which collected editorial barbs aimed at Democrats by other Republican journals."

In 1885, to ease his workload, Otis hired Charles Fletcher Lummis as the Times' first city editor. The flamboyant Lummis, Harvard drop out and editor of a small-town weekly in Ohio, had walked 3,507 miles from Ohio to Los Angeles in 143 days, writing a weekly series of letters about his journey for the Times. Otis met Lummis at Mission San Gabriel on February 1, 1885, and walked with him the last eleven miles into the city. Lummis became city editor the next day. "Col. Otis and I hit it off from the start," he later wrote. "He hated anybody who was afraid of him. Because of his dominant and overbearing way a great many good people were afraid of him. One of the reasons he liked me was that I wasn't."

In 1886, Otis bought H.H. Boyce's half-interest in the paper and named himself president, general manager and editor-in-chief.

In his 1932 book Los Angeles, writer Morrow Mayo had this to say of Otis:

"He was a large, aggressive man, with a walrus mustache, a goatee, and a warlike demeanor. He resembled Buffalo Bill, General Custer and Henry Watterson. The military bee buzzed incessantly in his bonnet. He was a holy terror in his newspaper plant; his natural voice was that of a game-warden roaring at seal poachers. He was politically ambitious all his life; though he never ran for an office, he asked for many. "

When McKinley, his former army commander, was elected President he asked to be appointed an Assistant Secretary of War, but Secretary Alger would not have him.

When the Spanish-American War broke out, Otis, then in his early 60s, volunteered for service in the United States Volunteers and was assigned to the Philippines, at which time he was made brigadier-general, on May 27, 1898. Brigadier-General Otis was placed in command of the First Brigade, 2d Division, Eighth Army Corp, under Major-General Arthur MacArthur. Narrating the operations of his division, in his report dated February 28, 1899, Gen. MacArthur described the composition of the First Brigade as follows:

"First Brigade, Brigadier-General H. G. Otis, commanding; Third United States Artillery, Major W. A. Kobbe, 14 officers and 650 men; First Montana Infantry, Colonel H. C. Kessler, 48 officers, 846 men; Tenth Pennsylvania Infantry, Colonel A. L. Hawkins, 28 officers, 713 men; Twentieth Kansas Infantry, Colonel F. Funston, 37 officers, 976 men – total First Brigade, 127 officers and 3,185 men."

Referring to the battle of Caloocan (fought mainly by the First Brigade), Gen. MacArthur made the following comment:

"The tactical scheme, which was carefully explained to the brigade and regimental commanders, was to the following effect, . . . The combined artillery preparation commenced at 3:09 p.m., and the infantry advanced at 3:59 p.m., after which the program as prescribed was executed with almost exact precision, and the American flag was raised in the town at 5:15 p.m. The tactical execution of the necessary movement was exemplary, and the resistance was such as to require the best efforts of all concerned."

Touching on the general operations of his command in the earlier movements of his command, Gen. MacArthur made the following comment:

"The difficulties attending the execution of the tactical operations on an extended line, such as that occupied by the division during the month, involved great presence of mind and endless exertion on the part of brigade and regimental commanders. The decision and sustained vigor of these officers insured such unity and strength throughout the command that every obstacle was quickly overcome and every prearranged scheme carried out precisely as planned."

From the night of the outbreak to the close of the campaign which resulted in the fall of Malolos, the Filipino capital, Otis was in constant command of his brigade, which occupied an advanced position at all times night and day, as part of the division line holding the country to the northward of Manila and the river Pasig. The official reports show that the brigade lost in the earlier operations (those included within the month of February alone), 137 officers and men killed and wounded; and that the aggregate losses of the brigade up to the fall of Malolos, reached the number of 285 officers and men killed and wounded –a percentage of casualties as high as the highest of any brigade in the Eighth Army Corps, with casualties inflicted upon the enemy in the estimated proportion of five to one.

For meritorious conduct, Otis was breveted to Major-General on March 25, 1899. Following the war, Major-General Otis was elected a Companion of the First Class, Military Order of the Loyal Legion, through its California Commandery, on February 16, 1890. He served as the Order's Junior Vice Commander in 1904 and twice as President of its Southern California Association, in 1903 and 1917. General Otis was also a member of the Military Order of Foreign Wars; Society of the Army of the Patomac; United Spanish War Veterans; Society of the Army of the Philippines; and Veteran Army of the Philippines.

Shortly after his return, Mrs. Otis became ill and in November 1904, she died. General Otis' focus turned to his business. Under his leadership, the Los Angeles Times became a powerful conservative force in turn-of-the-century Southern California, and an unrivaled promoter of regional growth. The Times also became the region's leading business promoter and its most strident Republican, conservative and anti-union voice. For years, the banner of the front page of the Times included the phrase, "True Industrial Freedom," while editorials and news stories reflected Otis' uncompromising opposition to the union shop.

Otis claimed that he never objected to "lawful or legitimate organizations formed and maintained by laborers in any branch of industry," only to "gross and mischievous abuse in the management of the organizations by the leaders of them." In fact, he'd even been a member of the typesetters union -- briefly. Nevertheless, the Times' position as an anti-labor lightning rod led to the bombing of the Times' building on Oct. 1, 1910. Twenty people were killed and 17 injured. The Times labeled the bombing "The Crime of the Century" and blamed it on "unionists," even though labor leaders vehemently denounced the bombing. Two brothers, John and James McNamara (John was a labor union official), represented by legendary lawyer Clarence Darrow, later confessed to the crime.

Over the years, Otis and his son-in-law Harry Chandler became the city's unrivaled power brokers, "the single most important force in Los Angeles aside from government itself" –at least according to historian Andrew Rolle.

Harry Chandler joined the Times in 1885 as a circulation department clerk. He soon became circulation manager and, in 1894, husband of Otis' daughter, Marian. Chandler went on to become vice president and general manager of the Times before succeeding Otis as publisher. (2) Together, Otis and Chandler shaped the growth of the city and region.

In the historic struggle over federal funds to build a breakwater at San Pedro harbor in the late 1890s, a move opposed by the powerful Southern Pacific railway which favored building a new harbor in Santa Monica where the Souther Pacific had waterfront interests, the Times vigorously supported San Pedro. Its backing was instrumental in carrying the day for San Pedro, making Los Angeles a major west coast port, now the busiest in the United States.

Otis, Chandler and the Times were also early backers of a $23 million bond issue, approved in 1907, to build an aqueduct that would carry Owens River water to Los Angeles. The 225-mile aqueduct, built under the supervision of William Mulholland, delivered its first water in 1913.

Otis died on July 30, 1917, at the age of 80. He bequeathed his Wilshire Boulevard home to the city for use in "the advancement of the arts." Until 1997, the site housed the Otis Art Institute, now re-located to the westside of Los Angeles, and known as the Otis College of Art and Design.

Directly across Wilshire Boulevard from the site of Otis' former home, in a corner outside MacArthur Park, stands an imposing but often overlooked bronze statue of Harrison Gray Otis in his army uniform. Next to him is the statue of a young boy selling newspapers, presumably copies of the Los Angeles Times, which remains the region's most powerful and internationally respected journalistic voice.

Footnotes

(1) As a descendant of Barnabus Otis, who served in the American Revolution as a private in Captain Keyes' Company, Colonel Durkee's Regiment, of the Connecticut Line, he was admitted to membership in December 1913 in the Sons of the Revolution in the State of California, Member No. 221; He was also admitted to membership in the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of California by descent from John Otis, an early colonist in Massachusetts.

(2) After Harry Chandler's death, his son Norman became the newspaper's publisher.

References

R. D. Hunt, California and Californians (1926), Vol. III
Circular No. 17, California Commandery, Military Order of the Loyal Legion
J. M. Lee, History of American Journalism (1923);
F. B. Heitman, Historical Register of the U.S. Army (1903), Vol. I;
W. A. Otis, A Genealogical and Historical Memoir of the Otis Family in America (1924);
Who's Who in America, 1916-17;
Los Angeles Examiner; San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times (various).

4. My added comment was that this man was an expletive deleted, who enthusiastically ordered and executed the "burn them out and shoot them as they run" tactics we see described in these diary entries.   
5. As for the cockroach, I view his diary entry much as I view the diary entries of the civilians who showed up after Gettysburg was finished on the fourth day. Once the battlefield was safe enough, they would go out and see the "fun" of the post-mortem and maybe watch the picket lines fire from a safe distance to the rear., as "Tourists".   
 
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Diary of James J. Loughrey February 7, 1899

Reveille at 6 a.m. We had chicken for breakfast. We held 16 Insurgent prisoners, one of whom was dressed in woman’s clothing and was suspected of spying. We left camp at 2 pm. to reconnoitre around Laguna da Bay, sixteen miles from Manila, and returned to camp at about 6 p.m.

6. Luzon was split in two, this date. The "spy" was shot.

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Diary of Chriss A. Bell Feb. 7, 1899

Nothing of importance happened during the day except arrest of all men who went to front without leave including Morrow, Watson, Clagget, & Pratt. In evening 2 natives were shot within 30 feet of me apparently no cause as neither of them had any sort of weapon. On guard all day.

7. Battlefield "tourists" were arrested or shot. Where were the 1st California Flour Mill Thieves when Milsaps needed to be arrested? 

[miletus12]

Diary of Alfred Burton Welch Wednesday 2-8-99

In Santa Anna. Other Wn CO’s on line beyond San Pedro.

1. See MAP. The 1st Washington Tobacco Thieves are along the barrier between the Katipunan, north and south. That is only 700 effectives. Add the Nebraska idiots  and that is less than 1,800 men who have split Luzon in two. They have murdered at least 2,000 to 4,000 civilians in the 4 days of fighting. It was probably more. The Tobacco Thieves have a reputation from that era of being trigger-happy and indifferent to murder.   




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Diary of Robert Bruce Payne Febr. 8, 1899

This day was spent waiting for orders which came and were revoked several times. The Tenns. [First Tennessee Volunteer Infantry] left for Iloilo and in a few days the fight will be on there. Dewey bombarded a few towns where there might be Filipino soldiers stationed, and several of these towns burned. Kansas [First Kansas Volunteer Infantry] had another brush with the natives who tried to effect an entrance through our lines at that point north of the city. So far as can be heard our boys have done bravely through the whole army corps. The Washingtons [First Washington Volunteer Infantry] shot a little too much ammunition perhaps and the Minns [First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry] who were police in the city killed too many harmless people if accts are true.

2. The 1st Minnesota Dairy Thieves relieved the 10th Pennsylvania Train Bandits, to allow those railroad robbers to move north to steal more locomotives and rail cars.  
3. Inside Manila, when not setting or putting out fires, or committing burglaries, roving American patrols kept the streets clear, commandeered carriages and draft animals to form supply trains of looted food and other commissariat stuff for MacArthur's and Otis' troops fighting south of Caloocan and shot Filipinos "who looked suspicious". 
4. Dewey's ships were roving up and down the shoreline north of Manila shooting for the jollies, or shadowing the Germans.   
5. In a word, it was a "lawless" environment. 
6. Meanwhile, the war criminal, GEN Ellis Otis, not Harrison, the other war criminal, was so dithered that he could not make up his mind on how to proceed next after MacArthur and Wheaton had achieved their first objectives.     

And note, that it is a NEBRASKAN who wrote this! 

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Diary of Chriss A. Bell Feb. 8, 1899

On guard all day. Privates who left without leave were fined from $2 to $7. The non coms I think got a severe lecture because of charges were preferred a General Court Martial was necessary. It is rather hard on privates to be fined and non coms let go with a talk. Shorty, Pratt, Coyine, & Hampton all tell of a very exciting time. Hope I’ll get a chance to see some action.

An incident happened which showed native character. During the battle one of Aguinaldo’s Generals who took part in Peace conference appeared with a flag truce. It was answered by Col. Crowder [Major Cardwell] & Col. [Q.M. Sergeant] Potter who also took part in peace conference. The American officers advanced to near the insurgent lines & were met by officers. Immediately after insurgents fired on the crowd. When our officer demanded of insurgent officer what was meant by firing on flag of truce he answered, almost in ha [laugh] that he was forced to admit that his men were untamed savages without the first principle of humanity and apologized for being a part of such a disgraceful affair & asked to be allowed to retire. He himself was pured (fired) on by his own men. The chances of the Oregon regiment Co. H in particular going to the front grow lean fully less each day. Was on guard all last night nothing very exciting happened. There was more fighting at the front.

7. Really? Filipino line infantry, who were about to be double-crossed and sold out by their own officers to the Americans, fired on the "parley party" and that officer who was about to betray them, called them "untamed savages"? And then when the Filipino soldiery greeted their betrayer with rifle fire as he tried to get back to his lines, that was a symptom of their uncivilized behavior? Looked like "civilized behavior" to me. Better than what the Americans showed thus far.
8. Of course the sergeants were lectured. Rank had its priveleges and you actually needed your "bully boys" free and very  eager to keep the privates in line.
9. Hit them in the pocketbook. That hurts more than the guardhouse or the rockpile. Besides you need the line infantry in the fight, not in the guard house or (^^^) pulling guard all day as Chriss Bell and the 2nd Oregon Furniture Thieves actually did.  
10. So fines and lectures and into the trenches with them. Otherwise, the lawlessness, ill-discipline and chaos present in 8th Corps, as demonstrated in Manila,  would be even worse. 

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Cockroach...

Diary of John E.T. Milsaps Wednesday, February 8th, 1899

Caloocan Battlefield. Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Tondo, Manila.

I feel very tired & sleepy tonight. Hardly had any sleep last in the “block house”. The ground was hard, atmosphere cold & coffee Im inclined to think excited my nerves too much.

The Lord used me to talk salvation to several persons. Went over to the Binondo or La Loma (Spanish) mortuary chapel early in the morning & took a photo of it. Made my breakfast standing at the platform constructed for Spanish marksmen; the same served me for a table. A soldier belonging to Co. G. 20th Kansas Vol. Inf., gave me some coffee in an old tin can. He & I sipped out of it. Devilled ham & bread (which I shared with him) completed my breakfast.

From the tower of the blockhouse on the hill watched the movements of the Insurrectos, sometimes thro’ an opera glass. The Filipinos appear to be gathering in force & a battle is imminent. One battle line commenced to intrench themselves –the men. Likewise 2 more guns were planted alongside our blockhouse by the Utah’s & hasty breastworks constructed.

I went along the battle line where the men lying two days & talked with a number of the men. Not only did I visit the 3d artillery but likewise the Montana’s whom I found forming in the woods to receive an attack from the enemy. I took 2 Kodak views of Co. E. Two letters written on the battlefield were given me to mail. One was a postcard –a hard looking affair.

The dear Lord was near me last night.

Made my dinner on peanuts & water.

Met Mr. John F. Bass (war correspondent for Harper’s weekly) again, on the field.

A number of ex-soldiers and civilians are hanging about, desirous of sharing in the battle. Minnesota (13th) soldiers are slipping out of town, where they do police duty, to take part in the expected battle. One of the Minnesota men told me that an outbreak is expected daily. Last night they slept on their arms. Have killed 50 natives since hostilities commenced Saturday night.

Co. E of the 1st Montanas took possession of the blockhouse (No. 2) just before dark. I left part of my baggage in charge of Private Hines & struck out on foot for Manila. This was difficult as rheumatism makes my night foot pain me. Walked a mile & a half along the dusty road where a soldier overtook me. I asked a ride. Granted it. Was lost. I showed him how to reach old Manila where he wanted to go. Spoke to him re Jesus.

Good night; am very tired. God be with all.

On second thought will add: On my way back through the Filipino quarter along Dulumbayan street a great many white flags were hanging out in front of the private houses — flags of truce or surrender probably. I heard when reaching home that Aguinaldo declared war against the United States today. Rumor says the Filipino chief said he cannot restrain his men any longer. Otis sent word back that he will restrain them for him then. Aguinaldo’s private secretary has been captured.

11. Poor booby slept under a roof and on hard ground under a blanket. Maybe he should have slept out in the open trenches with the line infantry with a rifle for a pillow and a poncho for a blanket. Expletive deleted.
12. Bummed a meal off a soldier and bored him with a lecture. Sounds like the cockroach. 
13. Fighting for Caloocan proper from the coast to La Loma Church is about to resume.
14. The Mormons...
“He sees them here, He sees them there, / The cockroach sees Mormons everywhere. / Is he crazy? — or is it just psychotic episodes? / That he sees Mormons with their cannon loads?"
15. The cockroach was loaded up with Hong Kong Joy Juice. 
16. Mister Bass had a low opinion of the cockroach. 
17. The Dairy Thief admitted that the 1st Minnesota committed 50 murders in their policing? 
18. The 1st Montana Horse Thieves came into the line late after they got lost. 
19. Read "ex soldiers and civilians" as "deserters and carpetbaggers" and assorted riff raff and scum want to "loot and pillage" in the chaos; now that they think the hard fighting is over. 
20. On the walk back, the cockroach bummed a ride. 5.7 miles or about 8.5 km and he peters out after 1.5 miles or 1.9 km. I do that DAILY just as part of my work. I have NO SYMPATHY for his complaints.    
21. Four days after the United States started hostilities and the cockroach writes...

Aguinaldo declared war against the United States today. Rumor says the Filipino chief said he cannot restrain his men any longer.

and 

Otis sent word back that he will restrain them for him then.

To be clear; the war criminal, GEN Otis, created this situation, had lost control of it, and if the USG had been following its own laws, he would have been arrested and tried for dereliction of duty, inciting war, exceeding his authority as well as being responsible for the murders, robberies, arsons and other mayhem his soldiers committed pursuant to his orders.       

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Diary of James J. Loughrey February 8, 1899

We prepared to go to the city for 24 hours to relieve ‘C’ and ‘I’ Companies. We saw a gunboat go up river to shell Pasig. It got stuck and had to wait about three hours for a launch to go to its assistance. During the day we had photographs taken. Later we had a Wyoming Company firing over our heads at the Insurgents.

22. The USS Laguna da Bay got stuck. See MAP.

See where the rivers come together? That was where the gunboat got "stuck".
 
23. That was the 1st Tennessee Photography Studio Thieves and was "official". 
24. I have no idea why the D company, 1st Wyoming Highway Bandits did that.  They just fired through the Flour Mill Thieves at some random Filipinos.  

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CYNICAL Miletus
 

[miletus12]

Diary of Chriss A. Bell Feb. 9, 1899

Nothing had happened today. The usual round of work & guard duty. In evening put on extra guards as outbreak was expected. The non coms who took trench leave were reprimanded by Clagett & Capt. Mc [McDonnell] was very cool to them but in evening he took up their regulations played crib with short & said let by gones be by gones. Privates were all fined from $2 to $10. Little now fighting.

1. In a replay of yesterday, the 2nd Oregon Furniture Thieves, were still patrolling and "policing" in their area of responsibility.
2. Trench leave or French leave is a problem with many armies after a campaign or during a campaign. Especially pernicious for Americans during the American Civil War, it was estimated that up to 10% of an army would "leg it temporarily over the hill" after a Shiloh or Antietam before sheepish return to duty. The Americans proscribed the British method of discipline at the time which necessitated Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis to commute (Lincoln) and or authorize (Davis) a lot of drumhead court martial death sentences for desertion. The "hit them in the wallet / paycheck" was distictly American and it was Ulysses S. Grant, who invented it. It worked out better and was more morale neutral. Too bad idiots, (Omar Bradley), did not remember it, or THIS would not have been necessary.
3. Professional hat on:

If the period of quiet after a period of intense activity, appears to be too good to be true: then the manure is about to hit the rotating windmill.

Professional hat off.

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Diary of Alfred Burton Welch Thursday 2-9-99

Wrote home to Tops. In Santa Anna.

See MAP.



4. There are many locations on the Island of Luzon, which are "Santa Ana", the one at Cagayan is in the region of Cape Engano and is obviously not the one where the 1st Washington Tobacco Thieves are. Another one is found in the central Lingayan plain too far north. I think Welch was either at Maktali or modern Rizal which both have "Santa Ana" points and are clearly along the indicated line of march for the Tobacco Thieves. 

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Battle of the Pumping Station aftermath...

Diary of Robert Bruce Payne Feb. 9, 1899

This morning our company rec’d orders to go to the water works. We left the “Asilo de Huer-fanos” [Asilo de Huerfanos] Orphans Home, an old brick building which had been used by the Filipinos for barracks, about 8 o’clock and reached the Pumping Station about one. Co. L our friends had a dinner ready for us when we reached there. They gave us three cheers when we came to which we responded heartily though we were very tired. We enjoyed our dinner very much. In the afternoon James, my tent mate and myself were down to the river a small mountain stream called San Mateo. Here we enjoyed a fine bath. The water was very chilly however. In the pumping station are four mammoth engines capable of 120,000 gallons per hr each. The natives had not destroyed a thing here though it could easily have been done and one would think they would from the way our forces burnt their homes.

5. It is a misfortune of American history that more of our soldiers were not like Robert Payne in this campaign. He was not some arson-happy crazed mass-murdering fiend or an idiot like that demented Englishman who started these hostilities. 
6. See MAP. 

 
7. That is where the 1st Nebraska Cable Car Absconders are this date near Malabon City. 
8. Why would the Filipinos damage a resource that supplied their capital with potable drinking water?

FILIPINOS DEFEATED AT THE WATER WORKS

MANILA. March 6.— After the insurgents had been driven off last night from in front of Mariquina they came back 500 strong and cut off a company of the First Nebraska Volunteers.

This morning General Hale sent out three companies of the Nebraska regiment and two companies of the Second Oregon to dislodge them. The enemy, who were holding a strong position among the rocks, fired excellent volleys at the advancing Americans, but the latter, by a flank movement, drove the Filipinos over the hills.

No sooner was this fight well under way than the insurgents to the south of the water works, knowing that the forces there had been weakened by ng troops to Mariquina. attacked the water works in the rear. Their object was to cut off the pumping station, but they did not succeed. Their fire was heavy and our small loss was due to the bad marksmanship of the Filipinos. The enemy's dead numbered twenty. Returns now in show that five Americans were wounded.

Two battalions of the Twentieth regular infantry have reinforced General Hale's brigade. All the native huts have been destroyed at Mariquina and the country there is pretty well cleared, but the rebels were returning in small bodies at sundown. Apparently they have received a new supply of smokeless ammunition recently, as there has been a noticeable difference during the last few days.

The insurgents in the viclnitv of the water works were finally dispersed this morning by General King's brigade Three members of the Nebraska regiment, two Washington men and two ambulance men were wounded. The enemy used two new cannon, but without effect.

2:45 p. m. — There was considerable outpost skirmishing last night at San Tolan, in which the Colorado and Nebraska infantry with the guns of the Utah battery took part. General Hale'a brigade to-day located 250 insurgents, with two guns, near San Pedro. The were so placed as to be capable of enfilading General Wheaton's brigade.

The insurgents are placing guns in position at various points. The opinion of all prominent men in Manila is that the military force of the insurgent oligarchy must be broken before a stable government can be established in the islands. The Spanish commissioners who are endeavoring to secure the release of the Spanish prisoners in the hands of Aguinaldo have returned to Malolos to offer money for their release. As Aguinaldo has been demanding $7,000,000 it is not likely their mission will be successful.

The remaining Spanish prisoners have embarked home on the transport Buenos Ayres.

Sunday the newly organized Army / Navy Club, composed entirely of  Officers, unanimously elected Admiral Dewey President. The other officers; vice  presidents— Colonel James F. Smiith, First California; Major S. Jones of the Quartermaster's Department, U. S. A.. ; Lieutenant Commander W. Carlin, U. S. N\: Lieutenant W. JBrumby. U. S. N\. Paymaster T. Rogers. U. S. N.; Lieutenant J. T. Meyers, United States Marine Corps; Colonel J. C. McClure, paymaster, U. S. A.; : Colonel E. T. Potter, Fourteenth Infantry; Assistant Surgeon Keefer, U. S. A., Major W. Cardwell, Medical Corps, U. S. A.: Major Frame. First North Dakota; Lieutenant Colonel Dubroce, First California, and Captain W. A. Carlton, Thirteenth Minnesota; secretary and treasurer, Lieutenant W. C. Haan. Third Artillery, U. S. A. .

The club has splendid quarters at Malate, near the scene of the fighting on August 12.

Advices from Negros Island say commerce there is improving. The steamship El Cano, from lloilo, reports busiiness there is at a standstill. There is occasional skirmishing beyond the city, but thus far no casualties. The civil members of the United States Philippine Commission who arrived here on Saturday afternoon from Hong Kong on the cruiser Baltimore  today, and are now installed in quarters especially provided for them on the Malate water front.

While awaiting the arrival of Colonel Charles Denby, former United States Minister to China, the other civil member of the commission, they will devote their time to sight-seeing and getting familiar with local conditions. Until Colonel  Denby arrives the commission will be incomplete and can do nothing officially.

The troops which arrived on Saturday on the United States transport Senator and those that arrived yesterday on the transport Ohio are disembarking, and all the preparations are being made to- proceed with an aggressive campaign before the wet season sets in.

The rebels, anticipating the American advance, are busy in throwing up defenses in every direction, and it is reported that they are levying men and supplies in every province. As a result great dissatisfaction prevails among tribes ordinarily friendly to the Tagalos, particularly among; the Flocanoes., who assert their desire to assist In conquering the Tagaios if furnished with arms.

The following order has been issued regarding  the movements of transports: "The Arizona will sail for San Francisco via Hongkong with al! the sick on March 9: the Newport, via Nagasaki. Japan, with all the returning Officers and their wives. on Marchh 10; the Scandia. via Nagasaki, with dischargred soldiers, on March 11, and the Morgan City, via Nagasaki, on March 12th.

Hmm. 
a. The uncredited reporter is illiterate. I had to edit and emend this article for it to make sense.
b. The reporter spent a lot of time drinking up the USG's liquour in that officer's club in Malate, at which location, blabbermouth officers, who should have known better, yakked their drunken heads off, giving away operational details and knowledge which the Katipunan who would read this article, could put to good use: such as the aforementioned problem with Filipino soldiers shooting high, or Filipino officers (Goya especially.), not paying attention to how the  US troops used dead ground and covered folds in the local terrain to flank march around and behind seemingly impregnable Filipino positions. The Americans, having learned it in the Native American wars, had already demonstrated this terrain technique against the Spanish, who also shot high, and were repeatedly outflanked, again and again, though they were "professionals" and rather good otherwise in battle. 
c. This minutae may not seem important, but such trivia can mean life and death in the small unit scale fighting that occurs at this stage of the Filipino American War.
d. If how one fights is important, then shipping schedules and troop reassignments are a total no-no, as in state secret territory in wartime.   

======================================================
 
Diary of James J. Loughrey February 9, 1899

At 8 a.m. we were ready to leave for the city and arrived there about noon. Last night several thousand Insurgent cavalry were advancing on the city. Dewey’s ships shelled them and played the Devil with them! 

9. See MAP
 

  
The Americans will put horse cavalry (dragoons) to good use on the Lingayan plain, but if you were Filipino with the Spanish tradition of horse cavalry, you had done better not to mass and tried to operate as cuirassiers within 5 km (3.25 miles) of Dewey's ships.

10. Why?

Defending the Final Line at Shiloh
By Phillip R. Kemmerly

August 2017 Naval History Magazine Volume 31, Number 4

Shiloh, the early Civil War’s bloodiest battle, was a Union victory but not an overwhelming one. On 6 April 1862, the Confederates failed to drive Union troops from the west bank of the Tennessee River at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. The next day, the reinforced Federals counterattacked, forcing the Confederates to retreat from the battlefield. After a prolonged advance and siege, Union troops would seize their original objective in the area—the strategically important junction of the Mobile & Ohio and Memphis & Charleston railroads at Corinth, Mississippi.General Ulysses S. Grant’s assessment of Shiloh illustrates the complexity of the battle, in which he was overall Union commander, and its resultant controversies. More than two decades after the fight, he wrote that “Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing . . . has been perhaps less understood, or to state the case more accurately, more persistently misunderstood, than any other engagement . . . during the entire Rebellion.”

One misunderstanding that persists concerns the battle’s naval aspects. Any standard history of Shiloh mentions the two Union gunboats that fought there, but generally downplays their part in the battle. This view also usually overlooks the Navy’s role transporting men and matériel to Pittsburg Landing, reconnoitering farther upriver for military operations, and especially stabilizing the tenuous Federal left flank along the Tennessee during the battle.

Grant addressed the last contribution in his official battle report, praising the pair of gunboats for helping avert disaster on 6 April, when attacking Confederates intent on capturing Pittsburg Landing were forcing back Union troops. “At a late hour in the afternoon a desperate effort was made by the enemy to turn our left and get possession of the Landing, transports, etc. This point [Dill Branch] was guarded by the gunboats Tyler and Lexington. . . . An advance was immediately made upon the point of attack and the enemy soon driven back. . . . In this repulse much is due to the presence of the gunboats.”

A Pair of Timberclads

In early 1861, the U.S. Navy dispatched Commander John Rodgers to Cincinnati, Ohio, with orders to purchase civilian steamboats for conversion into gunboats for use in Army-Navy operations on Western-theater rivers. On 5 June, Rodgers bought the first three side-wheelers, which he would rename the Lexington, Tyler, and Conestoga. These would be the initial vessels of the Mississippi Flotilla, which grew as other conversions as well as purpose-build ironclads joined its ranks. Conversion to “timberclad” gunboats required lowering the three boats’ boilers and steam pipes into holds. Topsides, five-inch-thick oak bulwarks were added. These protected the vessels from small-arms fire but not from artillery fire. Finally, their wooden decks were reinforced to support heavy naval guns.

The Tyler had a 575-ton displacement, 180-foot length, and 45-foot beam. The vessel’s high-pressure, dual-steam engine could propel her at a top speed of 8 knots. Original armament consisted of six 8-inch smoothbores and one 32-pounder gun. Smaller and less powerful, the Lexington had a 448-ton displacement, 176-foot length, and 37-foot beam; at most, she could make 7 knots. Originally, the Lexington had two 32-pounders and four 8-inch smoothbores. With drafts of only six feet, these two timberclads easily could steam up many of the Tennessee’s shallow tributaries. The Conestoga was bigger than the other two vessels but only mounted four guns.

Joining the Fray

On 6 April, the Confederate Army of the Mississippi, commanded by General Albert Sydney Johnston, struck Grant’s Army of the Tennessee. The outnumbered Rebels’ early-morning attack sent unprepared Union troops reeling. Lieutenant Commander William Gwin, captain of the Tyler, noted that the Federal left flank had begun retreating northeast toward Pittsburg Landing by 0925. The Lexington, under the command of Lieutenant James W. Shirk, joined the Tyler at 1015. For more than an hour, shot and shell fell all around the gunboats, but neither timberclad received orders to join the fray.

At 1325, Gwin, clearly chaffing, sent Gunner Herman Peters to Brigadier General Stephen A. Hurlbut, whose Fourth Division held the Union left, requesting permission for the Tyler to open fire on enemy batteries and advancing troops. Hurlbut gave specific orders about where to fire but not before his troops had retreated to establish a new line near the Peach Orchard. At 1450 the Tyler was positioned off Dill Branch, a stream that flowed into the Tennessee, when she engaged enemy batteries. The gunboat expended 30 rounds on behalf of Hurlbut’s troops. Gwin reported: “I opened fire in the line directed [by Hurlbut] with good effect, silencing their batteries on our left. At 3:50 ceased firing and dropped down opposite the landing at Pittsburg.”

Gwin again sent Peters ashore, this time for further instructions from Grant. The gunner found the general, whose response, according to Gwin, was to “use [your] own judgment in the matter.” The two gunboats had carte blanche to direct their own counterbattery fire. Both moved upriver and anchored three-quarters of a mile above the landing. From 1615 until 1645, the Tyler fired at enemy artillery. The Lexington began firing at 1630 and unleashed 12 rounds before standing down at 1637. Many of their shells targeted Rebels attacking the Union battle line at “the Hornet’s Nest.” The Lexington then dropped back to Pittsburg Landing and took on board Captain Charles H. Hurd, 8th Illinois Infantry, to use his talents as a trained signal officer.

As Federal troops regrouped along the high ground behind Dill Branch, their backs to nearby Pittsburg Landing, Grant attempted to communicate with Major General Don Carlos Buell, whose Army of the Ohio was approaching the landing from the east side of the Tennessee. Army Lieutenants George N. Gray and James B. Ludwick and two other unnamed, newly minted signal officers had reported to Grant that morning. They were trained to communicate with gunboats in daylight using signal flags. The increasingly desperate Federal situation along the river bluff required innovation. Captain Hurd had joined the Lexington to facilitate communication between the gunboats and signal officers on the bluff. During the Civil War, indirect fire was rare but now necessary to help stem the Confederate advance toward the river.

The Final Line

The surrender of 1,300 Union troops in the Hornet’s Nest at about 1715 released numerous Confederate brigades and artillery batteries to advance on Pittsburg Landing. The Federals fell back and deployed for a final stand along the high ground above Dill and Tilghman branches, with their left flank on the river bluff less than a quarter-mile from the landing. All would be lost if the Confederates overran it before Buell’s army crossed the Tennessee in strength.

Above Dill Branch, Colonel Joseph D. Webster, Grant’s chief of staff, frantically gathered all available artillery. Webster placed 24-pounder siege guns, smaller rifled and smoothbore guns, and one 8-inch howitzer, which were soon joined by other guns, to cover the upper reaches of the branch and the high ground through which ran the Corinth and River roads. Confederates might try to use the roads to outflank the Federals behind Dill Branch. Webster and Grant believed the deep valleys of Tilghman Branch, to the west, and Dill Branch were impassable except to infantry and then with great difficulty. The Union artillery was supported by the remnants of Hurlbut’s division, whose line stretched to the right of the batteries. Four guns were deployed above Tilghman Branch and 25 guns above Dill Branch.

With darkness approaching, General P. G. T. Beauregard, commander of Confederate forces on the death of Johnston, realized the last chance to capture Pittsburg Landing before Buell could cross the river in force was at hand. But the Confederates, hungry and exhausted after nearly 12 hours of combat, would need to cross Dill Branch and disperse the Union troops and guns blocking the way.

The Limitations of Artillery

Misconceptions concerning the role played by the gunboats during the battle arise from an incorrect reading of terrain and the significance of artillery located at the topographic versus military crest of the northern plateau above Dill Branch. The guns were along the actual, topographic crest, which ranges in elevation from 450 to 475 feet. The military crest is the elevation at which guns can fire down the entire forward slope of a hill to its base. It is always lower than the topographic crest, and in this case averages 445 feet.

Dill Branch deeply dissects the surrounding ground, which on average is 85 to 100 feet above the stream. The gradient of the slopes typically ranges from 10 to 20 percent. The branch runs east-northeast approximately 3,000 feet and then turns southeast for nearly 1,000 feet before discharging into the Tennessee. The Union cannon were pointed down the deep ravines along the north side of Dill Branch, but the maximum depression of the gun tubes was 5 degrees. Cannon firing down one of the ravines typically overshot Confederates ascending the slope by 41 feet at a distance of 500 feet.

Because the artillery was located at the actual crest rather than the military crest, the gunners could not see the Confederates advancing up the slope until they reached the military crest, nor could they see Dill Branch. But the timberclads, located at the mouth of the branch, generally could deliver a raking fire against the Rebels along the stream and climbing the northern slope.

‘So as to Be Unbearable’

Shortly after 1700, the Lexington and Tyler moved upstream and anchored in the mouth of back-flooded Dill Branch. About 15 minutes later, a determined Federal cannonade began from the high ground above the branch, in which the timberclads’ guns joined. Gwin noted that Confederates had gained a firm position on the Federal left within one-half mile of the Tennessee by 1730.

Five minutes later, the Tyler and Lexington opened fire on Brigadier General James Chalmers’ brigade crossing Dill Branch near the river, in clear view of the gunboats. According to Shirk, the Lexington would pound the Confederates for 10 minutes, and over the next 50 minutes, the Tyler would fire 32 shells. A Federal officer along the river bluff later wrote, “shells from these boats [the Lexington and Tyler] came whizzing through the timber, exploding in the air and on the ground, [and] greatly terrifying the advancing enemy.”

Captain Charles Gage’s Alabama Battery, which was brought up to support Chalmers’ attack, also was shelled by the gunboats, thanks to the assistance of Captain Hurd. One air burst killed three of the battery’s horses, disabled seven others, and badly wounded a gunner. Elsewhere, Private James Bouie, Company C, 5th Tennessee, was torn to pieces by an exploding shell from one of the gunboats. The 5th’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel Charles D. Venable, reported that “the shelling from the gunboats was so as to be unbearable, killing and wounding several of my men.”

To Chalmers’ left, three of Brigadier General John Jackson’s regiments, the 2nd Texas, 17th Alabama, and 18th Alabama, crossed the back-flooded Dill Branch. Meanwhile, Chalmers’ men began climbing the slope on the north side of the stream. When the troops topped the military crest, they came under direct fire from Webster’s guns.

Chalmers reported, “our men struggled vainly to ascend the hill, which was very steep, making charge after charge without success, but continued to fight until night closed hostilities on both sides.” While retreating back across Dill Branch, Chalmers’ regiments were “met by a fire from the whole line of batteries protected by infantry and assisted by shells from the gunboats.”

The Kentucky Orphan Brigade, under Colonel Robert T. Trabue’s temporary command, moved up to form the Confederate extreme right flank. There, on the high ground south of Dill Branch, Trabue’s troops felt the timberclads’ full fury as they awaited orders. According to the colonel, the Orphans “endured a most terrific cannonade and shelling from the enemy gunboats.”

A severe wound inflicted by naval bombardment is particularly telling for its description. A round of spherical case shot exploded above a battery deployed with the Orphan Brigade. One artilleryman was hit by the shell’s Borman fuse, which had become “a hot, ragged projectile that slashed through muscle and veins, cut an artery in the left knee area, and lodged in the left femur (upper large leg bone). The soldier bled to death before anything could be done.” One of the last naval rounds killed three men in the brigade’s 4th Kentucky Regiment. Elsewhere, “the gunboats opened a most destructive fire” on Colonel Marshall J. Smith’s Louisiana Crescent Regiment. Smith reported, “we endured [the fire] for some time, not being able to reply, and under orders we retired in good order.”

Overshooting the Enemy

Confederates along Dill Branch corroborated the effect of the Union artillery’s tube-depression restrictions. To the left of Chalmers’ brigade, the 2nd Texas of Jackson’s brigade ascended the steep north slope of Dill Branch. Water-logged soft soil, steep slopes, and significant tree stands slowed its ascent. Colonel John C. Moore, the regiment’s commander, described their experience: “Artillery balls generally passed over our heads and across the ravine [Dill Branch]. They then changed the position of some of their guns, placing them so as to bring on us a raking fire up the ravine from our right.”

It is important to note that Moore stated artillery fire was coming up, not down, the ravine from his right. Fire therefore was not coming from ahead, where Webster had marshalled all available guns. What Colonel Moore did not realize, because of the roar of shells and the thick smoke from black powder from Webster’s guns passing over his soldiers’ heads, was that the enfilading fire was from the gunboats, which were firing up the ravine. To the colonel’s right was the long southeast segment of Dill Branch opening to the river in direct view of the timberclads. Captains Lewis Markgraf’s and Emil Munch’s batteries, positioned on the actual crest of the prominent south spur of the high ground near the branch’s mouth, could not be the source of the raking fire. Their rounds passed over Moore’s infantrymen until they reached the military crest.

General Jackson acknowledged the precipitous slopes and the inability of cannon to reach his troops as they ascended the north slope of Dill Branch: “Without ammunition and with only their bayonets to rely on, steadily my men advanced under a heavy fire from light batteries, siege pieces, and gunboats. Passing through the ravine [Dill Branch], they arrived near the crest of the opposite hill upon which the enemy’s batteries were. . . . Sheltering themselves against the precipitous side of the ravine, they remained under this fire for some time.” Jackson’s statement clarifies two points: (1) Webster’s artillery had little impact on Confederate troops until they reached the military crest at 445 feet elevation; and (2) below the military crest the Rebels were largely shielded from Webster’s guns. However, Jackson’s men were not shielded from the timberclads’ guns.

Webster’s gunners had a partial view, depending on tree and undergrowth density, of Confederate infantry descending the southern slope to Dill Branch. Charles Hubert, of the 15th Illinois, deployed on the high ground above Dill Branch, observed, “smoke was so great . . . that I could not see the enemy in our front.”

The Dill Branch action was largely an artillery fight, an assessment echoed in other battle accounts. A future cavalry lieutenant general, Colonel Joseph Wheeler led the 19th Alabama in Jackson’s brigade. He reported: “after passing through the deep ravine . . . we halted within 400 yards of the river, and remained ready to move forward for about half an hour. . . . During all this movement the regiment was under a heavy fire from their gunboats and other artillery.” Wheeler’s men were located near the mouth of Dill Branch beneath Markgraf’s and Munch’s batteries. Below the military crest of the steep slope ahead of them, the Alabamians were visible to Gwin but not to Markgraf and Munch. Only the gunboats could provide effective raking fire.

Private Leander Stillwell, 61st Illinois, described the horrific shelling by the timberclads farther up Dill Branch, “The gunboats had at last joined hands in the dance and were pitching big twenty-pound Parrot shells up the ravine in front of Hurlbut.” General Hurlbut, ranking Federal officer nearest Dill Branch, summed up the role played by the gunboats in stemming the Confederate push to the landing. “[From] my own observation and the statement of prisoners his [Gwin’s] fire was most effectual in stopping the advance of the enemy on Sunday afternoon and night.”

After dark, the Confederates fell back from Dill Branch to bivouac in overrun Union camps. All through that night the gunboats maintained a slow bombardment of the enemy’s right, firing a shell every 10 or 15 minutes, that at least kept the Rebels awake. The next day, 7 April, Grant’s forces, reinforced by Buell’s troops, went on the offensive and forced the Confederates to withdraw to Corinth.

The Adviser’s Assessment

Very soon afterward, President Abraham Lincoln sent Leonard Swett, a trusted adviser and fellow Illinois attorney, to the battlefield to make an independent assessment of the joint Army-Navy operation at Shiloh. Swett had been directed to send his report directly to Lincoln.

The lawyer had no connection with the Navy but had served in the Army during the Mexican War. He spent three days touring the battlefield and talking with Grant and his staff. Three months later, Swett telegraphed Lincoln that “from all I could learn I believe the gunboats Lexington and Tyler . . . saved our army from defeat. At least it is within bounds to say they rendered us invaluable services.”

Conventional wisdom downplays gunboat effectiveness along Dill Branch. Grant directly and forcefully stated the opposite, and Swett independently concurred with the general. The U.S. Navy deserves long-delayed recognition of its significant contribution to the outcome of the first day’s action at Shiloh.

Sources:

Nicholas F. Budd, “The Adaption of the Vessels of the Western Gunboat Flotilla to the Circumstances of Riverine Warfare during the American Civil War,” (Masters of Military Art and Science thesis, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, 1997).

Larry J. Daniel, The Battle That Changed the Civil War: Shiloh (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1997).

William C. Davis, Diary of a Confederate Soldier: John S. Jackman (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1990).

Ulysses S. Grant, “The Battle of Shiloh,” Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, vol. 1 (New York: The Century Company, 1884), 465–86.

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion, ser. 1, vol. 10, pt. 1 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1884).

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, ser. 1, vol. 22 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1907).

Timothy B. Smith, Shiloh: Conquer or Perish (Lawrence: University of Kansas Press, 2014).

11. Arthur MacArthur was not at Pittsburgh Landing, when the USN saved Grant's posterior, but he was at Chattanooga when the USN saved HIS posterior along with the Union army trapped in the city of which he was a junior officer member.



The lesson was not lost on the Americans: hence the rushed up, bodged up USS Laguna da Bay and its role in cutting Luzon in two, and Dewey's presence on MacArthur's left flank at Caloocan.

===================================================== 

Cockroach...

Diary of John E.T. Milsaps Thursday, Feb. 9th, 1899

Caloocan Battlefield — Entry made in stone fort* (*Blockhouse No. 2 at La Loma) early in the morning of February 10th.

Am sleepy this morning. Was kept awake the entire night. Stayed with Co. E* (*Note. Capt. A. Jensen in command) 1st Montana vol. inf. in the stone fort (Blockhouse No. 2) on the hill. Yesterday or rather today commenced the day with bible reading & prayers. Felt refreshed by the night’s sleep in No. 2. Living on half rations and loss of sleep is pulling me down considerably. After cooking breakfast took a bath which refreshed me considerably. Went down town. Called at the post office & rec’d 3 letters. (1) from Chaplain Stephen R. Wood of the 23rd U.S. Infantry, who sent me a printed bulletin advertising me to lead the Wednesday evening (Feb. 8th) services in place of the Y.M.C.A. meeting but he explained that the regiment had been suddenly called into action, so the meeting failed to materialize as the place was turned into a prison. (2) Ensign Jackson, Hong Kong who acknowledged receipt of the $5. donation I sent her. Wrote that she needed it. Was taken sick and came near dying. (3) Eli Higgins, Niagara Falls, N.Y. an old friend. I answered Chaplain Woods’ letter immediately.

When in town I got shaved in a Spanish barber shop; also called at the General or Brigade Hospital to see Private Clayton Scott. He is up again & getting well. Advised him to do as much work for Jesus as possible among the patients. From town returned home, took a bite to eat, bundled up some things & struck out afoot for the Caloocan battlefield. While trudging out Dulumbayan street through the dust and sun heat, a couple of Utah light artillery men overtook me. They were taking mail out to their comrades in a carromata. Invited me to ride out. I gladly accepted the invitation. Arrived on the battlefield about 4 p.m. Put my luggage in the stone fort. Private D.C. Hines fished me up a soldier’s kit & some supper from the company (E.) cook. After supper Hines & I went down the battle line. The men are about in the same place, but have constructed trenches. Encouraged some of the Christian soldiers to remain true to Christ.

Returned to the stone fort (Blockhouse No. 2), spread our blankets on the ground & lay down with the intention of sleeping but did not sleep all night. About 10 o’clock p.m. firing started up in the forest over on our left wing & with slight intermissions had continued until daybreak. The outposts over on our right fired at real or imagined foes. I could hear them cry out “Pennsylvania outpost” in the darkness probably to let their comrades know their whereabouts so as not to fire on them. Company E. 1st Montana lined up (some) behind the fort walls at the portholes & others went outside into the rifle pit. They fired one volley. A bullet presumably from the enemy struck our corrugated iron roof with a bang.

An officer* (*Note. Captain Andrew Jensen) of Co. E. ordered a sergeant to make me get up and change my bed. Would not permit any of his men to sleep.

The sun is now up but an occasional shot still rings across the battlefield. Brother Lloyd has just brought me some fried pork, boiled potatoes and coffee so I must discontinue this entry and pay my respects to soldiers’ rations. The men are cross this morning because robbed of sleep.

12. La escoria que no sabe quién es su padre complained that he was "starving on half rations."  He ate more than the 1st Montana Horse Rustlers got as they shivered in the trenches. He was also under a warm roof adjacent to the La Loma church. . 
13. Amazing that the US Postal Service was up and running before Caloocan was properly secured, was it not? I admire those people. We joke about our postal service, but it has been and continues to be the best operating agency in the USG and has been so since Ben Franklin got it up and running BEFORE there was a USG.
14. Wood was diplomatic. There was a war in progress. The Colonel of the 23rd US Regulars had already told the cockroach to go fornicate himself. Notice the cockroach did not mention that one? 
15 The YMCA *(Manila, so we know where the diary entry was written.), was turned into a holding barracks for Katipunan POWs inside the city.    
16. This is the Ensign Jackson, Salvation Army, that the British administration in Hong Kong will allow to starve to death. Notice that the US Army FEEDS the cockroach? 
17. Clayton Smith, Milsaps' flunky, had a timely stint in the hospital. In reviewing this con man's record, it appears that he pulled the old "eat a bar of soap routine" and conned his way onto the sick list. It is a dangerous and risky way for a shirker who has "bullet allergies" to avoid combat. 
18. Now that the war has broken out, the cockroach would do well to stay away from Filipinos (Or Americans who knew him, well. M.), with sharp knives; hence the Spanish barbers.     
19. More Mormons, and guess who bums a ride off of them to the Caloocan front? (Really, the Utah Battery seems to be everywhere! M.)
20. 

Private D.C. Hines fished me up a soldier’s kit & some supper from the company (E.) cook.

As mentioned; somehow the US Army always manages to feed the cockroach; especially when it is theft of army supplies for an unauthorized and unwelcome civilian in a war zone.   
21. And the cockroach repays the theft by browbeating the 1st Montana Horsethieves and 10th Pennsylvania Train Bandits with his Calvanist manure about the select and non-select. Just what an army, still one good push into the sea away from defeat needs; a morale destroying pre-destination drivel lecture from a rations thief.
22.  The Train Bandits are on the right, the Horsethieves are on the left of the La Loma Church. The cockroach is with the Horsethieves (Appropiate somehow. M.), but he sleeps warm and snug under a roof. They are under the stars being shot at. The spent bullet, if the round had been of any import or danger would have PUNCHED through the tin roof with ease. That gives me a good idea how far the cockroach was from the fighting. Spanish .43 would have a fall off of energy that would fail to pierce sheet tin at the oblique of about 1 km or about 1,100 yards. IOW the cockroach was about as near harm then as I am from a Filipino Katipunan bullet NOW.
23. 

An officer* (*Note. Captain Andrew Jensen) of Co. E. ordered a sergeant to make me get up and change my bed. Would not permit any of his men to sleep.

To wit; HE ordered the sergeant: "Get him (The cockroach) out of this area, and send that "expletive deleted" to the rear." 
24.  

Brother Lloyd has just brought me some fried pork, boiled potatoes and coffee so I must discontinue this entry and pay my respects to soldiers’ rations. The men are cross this morning because robbed of sleep.

IOW; the cockroach ate some more stolen commissariat supplies from US stores. As for the Horsethieves and their loss of sleep, CAPT Jensen, who feared a night attack, might just have saved a few of their lives...  

CYNICAL Miletus

  

[miletus12]

Diary of Alfred Burton Welch Friday 2-10-99

At Santa Anna. A battle raged to the east last night –could hear the volleys. Wrote to Gypsy.

1. See MAP.



1. The shooting is east of Maktali.
2. Welch has 8 girlfriends to whom he writes!

====================================================

Diary of Robert Bruce Payne Febr. 10, 1899

This day passed with little done save waiting for orders which came at supper time. In the morning we enjoyed another bath in the clear and swift San Mateo [river]. When we reached camp again we found letters from home. Mine announced the death of my father [Richard Thornton Payne, b. 1828]. He died of paralysis on the 18th of Dec. 1898. This was sad news to me. I had written him in Jan. some time after his death. I had hoped to be home and see him again before he died. Indeed I often thought I would like to see father again. My nephew tells me he died reading the bible. He was alone on his farm near Otto [Webster County] Nebr. Late in the evening we rec’d orders to return partway back to the filtering station and resevoir. There were said to be some 20 or 25,000 Filipinos.going to attack no. 7 block house and force an entrance to Manila combined. They did not try it that night.

3. Oddly enough that is where Lawton ran into a buzzsaw.







4. Note that it is in the 10 month distant future, so the Americans are not sitting pretty at all, here.
5. The rumor about the 25,000 man attack on the reservoir and the pumping station, recently taken, was somewhat inaccurate, for now. 

=======================================================  
  
Diary of James J. Loughrey February 10, 1899

Last night we were called out and later slept in our clothes all night. Late this afternoon the battle of Malabon took place. The coloured troops lay in their trenches until the 23rd US Infantry went up and clubbed them into action. Five men were killed and twenty wounded. Captain Wallace of the Montanas was shut in this action.

6. 

The Second Battle of the Tullahan, 10 February 1899.

7. 

The fighting here will last for MONTHS.

For details of what I discuss look here. It is a biased American viewpoint, but it gathers in one place the main points of the Filipino-American War from a military perspective. 
8. The reference to:

The coloured troops lay in their trenches until the 23rd US Infantry went up and clubbed them into action.

makes no sense to me.

9. However, it must be understood that there was a serious racist component to the Filipino American War that affected African American soldiers' attitudes: as they saw their European-American comrades treat the Filipinos with the same such bigotted hatred and abuse as they, themselves, experienced in America from the then dominant ethnic group. We have seen the Filipino people, in even the best diary entries, referred as "natives" or "savages" or "wild men". In the cases of the cockroach, and in certain racist diary entries, we have seen Unreconstructed Confederate attitudes and terminology expressed, as the purposeful dehumanization of the Filipinos as individuals and as a nation.

“During the 1899-1902 American-Filipino war the United States Army dispatched four Black regiments to the Philippines. Some sources indicate that 7,000 Black soldiers served in this conflict. Here the Black soldiers found themselves in the position of fighting against oppressed islanders who were seeking independence from foreign (i.e. U.S.) rule. “



He cited a letter by M.W. Saddler, one of the members of the 25th Infantry, :



“We are now arrayed to meet a common foe, men of our own hue and color. Whether it is right to reduce these people to submission is not a question for a soldier to decide. Our oaths of allegiance know neither race, color, nor nation.”Another soldier wrote in 1899:



“Our racial sympathies would naturally be with the Filipinos. They are fighting manfully for what they conceive to be their best interests. But we cannot for the sake of sentiment turn our back upon our own country.



“In the Philippines, the Black soldiers were angered by the use of the term “n*gger” by the White soldiers in referring to the Filipinos. Some of the Black troops deserted and joined the Filipino rebels.



“Corporal David Fagan of the 24th Infantry accepted a commission as an officer in the rebel army and fought against the American forces for two years. He fought in the Brigade of General Urbano Lacuna in central Luzon. While originally commissioned as a lieutenant, Fagan’s valor, guile, and many military successes led to his promotion to the rank of captain. Because he was a successful guerilla leader, the American military became obsessed with his capture. His exploits were reported in the Manila Times, and in several American newspapers.



Fagan led Filipino freedom fighters in at least eight engagements and his exploits reached legendary proportions. A $600 award was offered for his capture, dead or alive.

This was not the limit of the problem:

Philippine War of Independence, a story of betrayal:

Perhaps the reason that the Buffalo Soldiers’ time in the Philippines is not so well recorded in U.S. history books is because of the relatively high number of desertions, which may besmirch the Buffalo Soldiers’ heralded exploits. Best estimates put the number of desertions of Black soldiers to number 15 to 30.



In their propaganda war, the insurgents used posters addressed to “The Colored American Soldier” in which they reminded the Black soldiers of the lynchings back in the U.S. and asked them not to serve the White imperialists against other people of color.



Boehringer cites journalist, Stephen Bonsal, who wrote from the Philippines that “The desertions from the Negro regiments were large-much larger, I believe, than from the White organizations; and these desertions were invariably of a different character. The White man deserted because he was lazy and idle and found service life irksome. Sometimes he joined the insurgents; but he did so, evidently, because that was the only way in which he could obtain his dream of becoming a wild man in the woods. But the Negroes deserted in scores and for the purpose of joining the insurgents, and many of them, like the celebrated Fagan, became leaders and fought the White troops or their former comrades with zest and ability.”


The military museum of the Presidio of San Francisco, notes that the role of Black soldiers in the Philippine War for Independence, was a subject of debate among the African American community.


“Within the Black community in the United States there was considerable opposition to intervention in the Philippines. Many Black newspaper articles and leaders supported the idea of Filipino independence and felt that it was wrong for the United States to subjugate non-Whites in the development of what was perceived to be the beginnings of a colonial empire.”



Boehringer writes about Black infantryman William Fulbright, in a 1901 letter to the editor of an Indianapolis newspaper, summarized the conflict:



“This struggle on the islands has been naught but a gigantic scheme of robbery and oppression.” The Filipino situation created among Blacks in the United States a militant opposition to the war. Henry M. Turner, the senior bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church called the war ‘an unholy war of conquest.’”



At the end of the war, the United States granted amnesty to the insurgents, but they offered a substantial reward ($600) for David Fagan who was considered a traitor. There are two conflicting reports about what happened to him after the war. One story is that he married a local woman and lived peacefully in the mountains. The other story claims a partially decomposed head was turned in for the reward. There is, however, no record of the reward actually being paid., thus adding doubt to that tale.


After the formal end of the war, (although resistance continued for many years after 1902) the African/American regiments would be honored for their service in the Philippines, and several senior noncommissioned officers, such as Medal of Honor recipient Edward L. Baker, would become officers in the newly established Philippine Scouts.



One Black infantryman described his duty with resignation, “We’re only regulars and Black ones at that, and I expect that when the Philippine question is settled they’ll detail us to garrison the islands. Most of us will find our graves there.”


It was in the U.S.’s first land war in Asia that the derogatory term “gooks” was coined to describe the Filipinos, waterboarding was used extensively for interrogation and the strategy of “hamletting” was developed, later to be used in Vietnam to separate the locals from the Vietnamese guerrillas or Viet Cong.


Today, at this point in America’s story, when immigration and affirmative action are being used as wedges to divide communities of color, when civil rights are being attacked, when the Black Lives Matter movement is gaining support beyond the African American community, it is vital that communities of color recognize what they have in common in the past in order to raise hope for joint action for the future of our country.


In his summary of the role of the Black soldiers in the American-Filipino war, Boehringer writes:


“In remembering the atrocious treatment of the Filipinos in that war, it is fitting that we also remember those who refused to do the dirty work of their military and political leaders. Just as the American Anti-Imperialist League is remembered for its active, though ultimately unsuccessful, campaign to prevent the war, we should remember those Black Americans who fought in the jungles and mountains to keep the Philippines free. Their struggle continues in many parts of the world today.”

For more on David Fagan, read here. It must be remarked that CPL Fagan, in American eyes, was a deserter and a turncoat. It must also be acknowledged that in August 1899, when he deserted and joined the Filipino resistance; he had seen with his own eyes, the atrocitiies, especially the massacres, "the water cures" and the "rifle hunts", which would be enough to turn any honest woman's or man's stomach, and make her or him question if the uniform she or he wore, was worthy of the loyalty she or he swore to give to it, or the flag and constitution likewise?   

10. I began this thread with examples comparing Manila to New York in 1898. The point of that comparison was to illustrate PARITY in ability to build and operate a technological civilization within the rersources allocated and available to both nations. 

From the citation, let me quote:

Capt. Albert Otis describes his exploits at Santa Ana in a letter home:



“I have six horses and three carriages in my yard, and enough small plunder for a family of six. The house I had at Santa Ana had five pianos. I couldn’t take them, so I put a big grand piano out of a second-story window. You can guess its finish. Everything is pretty quiet about here now. I expect we will not be kept here very long now. Give my love to all.”



Pvt. Edward D. Furnam, 1st Washington Volunteers, on the battles of February 4th and 5th:



“We burned hundreds of houses and looted hundreds more. Some of the boys made good hauls of jewelry and clothing. Nearly every man has at least two suits of clothing, and our quarters are furnished in style; fine beds with silken drapery, mirrors, chairs, rockers, cushions, pianos, hanging-lamps, rugs, pictures, etc. We have horses and carriages, and bull-carts galore, and enough furniture and other plunder to load a steamer.”

11. You thought I was exaggerating when I desribed 8th Corps as looters, burglars, murderers, arson happy and lawless? (^^^) They were like kids in a candy store with no adult supervision. Even the officers had lost restraint and control. 
 
=======================================

Cockroach.

Diary of John E.T. Milsaps Friday, February 10th, 1899

Manila, Luzon Island –Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Tondo.

It is late in the afternoon. The Utah Light Artillery guards have half closed the double doors of their commissary warehouse; a very unusual proceeding. The Spanish men –2 of them– on the lower floor of No. 2 Call Santa Elena have come up stairs again. They are apprehensive of danger. The old Señora down stairs also excitedly drew her hand across her throat signifying what is expected. Word has been sent to the American military guards to look out for an uprising of Filipinos. With a telescope loaned me by one of the Spaniards I saw a few minutes ago the two towers of Tondo Roman Catholic church full of American troops. The heavy, barred gates of our basement have been closed on the street side. The streets of Manila are look deserted. During an hour the heavy roar of great guns from Dewey’s fleet has been heard here in our house bombarding either Caloocan or Malibon [Malabon]. Aguinaldo is massing his troops at Malibon [Malabon] and a decisive battle is expected.

I feel very sleepy. Captain A. Jensen of Co. E., 1st Montana vol. inf. found me sleeping or rather lying down on the ground among his men in the Spanish blockhouse* (*Blockhouse No. 2). He instructed a sergeant to make me get up & go to another part of the fort. Kept my clothes on & sat up almost all night with the noise of shooting to help keep my eyes open. Hines said the men of Co. E. did not like the way I was treated by their Captain. Says he has been drunk the last two or three days.

After breakfast Private D. Hines & I walked down the lines to almost the end of our left wing in the forest skirting the railroad where so much fighting has been done of late. The Americans 20th Kansas vol. inf. have constructed trenhes & rifle pits & are still at work. The Filipinos attacked our troops last night. While we were in the forest sharpshooters were still pegging away.

A bullet came unpleasantly near to us.

Desiring sleep & feeling the need of recuperating I gathered up my belongings and struck out for home on foot. A long, hot, dusty walk. Arrived at home at last glad to be back. Civilians are not usually welcome in a military camp when war is in progress. They do no good (from a military standpoint) & may do much harm.

4.40 p.m. The sound of cannon is still heard in the distance. Rev. & Mrs. Owens treated me to dinner — ham & cabbage. Mighty glad to get it.

Private Clayton Scott called this p.m. from General Hospital. Had conversation & prayer. He took back with him 30 War Crys –San Francisco– for distribution among the patients of the General Hospital viz. 10 No. 575, 10 No. 576 & 10 No. 577. Later Private Sam Jenson, Co. I, 1st Washington Vol. Inf. also called to see me. Had conversation & prayer together, Bro. Geo. Turner of the Ecclesia mission joined. (This brother during my first night’s absence at the front brought his family into No. 2. Came for safety. Some one warned him that he & his family were marked for death by the Filipinos.) Private Jenson donated $10. gold to the S.A. work; praise God. By Bro. J. I sent for free distribution to the Washington troops San Francisco War Crys: 10 no. 575, 9 no. 576 & 10 no. 577.

Rev. Owens who was out near the front returned this evening from near the front. The enemy has been driven back –charged. Dense clouds of smoke I saw rising heavenward was caused by the burning of Caloocan. I expect to go out to the front again tomorrow. Rushed down town at 6 p.m. & purchased some groceries. Wrote & copied a letter (my 14th weekly) to Lieut-Col. Alice Lewis, New York. 

12. Apparently, the Mormons finally took control of the commissariate and sealed it up, so that malefactors, like the cockroach and his flunkies, could not waltz  in and out and steal USG stores. 
13. Foreigners in Manila have received the word that "La noche del corte de garganta." is upon them.
14. The 2nd Oregon Furniture Thieves posted snipers in tall buildings. 
15. The Chinese-Filipinos went into hiding. As for the cockroach, his residence was barricaded. Not by him, he was too stupid to understand the necessity. It was his landlord. She was mindful of two threats: the Katipunan inside Manila, and the maniac Americans who were carpetbagging the city of Manila and its outer districts into ruin.     
16. We get more details about Milsaps escapades near La Loma  church yesterday.  Apparently the sergeant hustled the cockroach out of Captain Jensen's sight. I doubt that Milsaps wrote the  truth about the episode. The Horsethieves did not really have much use for this Salvationist. 
17. Battlefield Tourist spotlight: if the cockroach is to be believed; the supply pilferer, Hines and he walked through the 10th Pennsylvania Train Bandits to get to the 20th Kansas Cattle Rustlers; which puts those two idiots about 4 kilometers or 2.5 miles east from La Loma Church.   
18. What "we", Tú que no conoces a tu padre. Those were Kansas troopers under fire while you were safe back at the church. This is also the time for that Lone Ranger Joke which seems highly appropiate. 

Tonto is Spanish for 'stupid' or 'fool.' And Tonto, who was not so tonto, responded to that insult by calling the Lone Ranger 'qui no sabe' (with a Native American accent no less... M.), which roughly translates from pidgin Spanish as 'he who knows nothing' or 'clueless'.

19. 

A bullet came unpleasantly near to us. 

How do I treat that?  Liars lie.
20. 

Civilians are not usually welcome in a military camp when war is in progress. They do no good (from a military standpoint) & may do much harm.

Can you believe the cockroach wrote that and STILL he went to Caloocan and made a pest of himself and interfered with military operations to the point that I believe he was told to pack his stuff up and go back from whence he came? 
21. This was that shooting against Filipino cavalry?
22. Scott and a few other flunkies showed up. Milsaps gave them War Crys to sell and allowed them to hole ujp with him to await the "Night of cut Throats" as was supposedly advertized. 
24. Owens was with the troops sharing their hardships. HIM I actually believe. 

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Diary of Chriss A. Bell Feb. 10, 1899

 Last night American forces captured two small towns & California [was] fighting in left was severe but insurgents were licked. At one place center of our lines fell back purposely let insurgents in then caught them on the flanks & slaughtered them. Another hospital man killed. This makes three I think. A few days ago 6 natives were shot for firing on hospital wagon. We were issued one days rations & rolled blankets yesterday as outbreak was expected and we had some hopes of going to front but as our lines were strong enough we were not sent & fear we will not be.

25. Wheaton executed a "buffalo" ambush. First seen at Cannae in 2 August 216 BCE,

(^^^) but it was also used by the Native American peoples for centuries before that and was last seen used against gullible long knives. 

 

26. The Americans date the "kill the medic and radioman" tactic as a enemy used demoralizer of American troops from this date forward. it should be pointed out that Americans shot British stretcher bearers in the American Revolution. Fair is fair. 

[miletus12]

Diary of Alfred Burton Welch Saturday 2-11-99

Buried some Filips. The 14th were pressed on Pasa [Pasay] and we were called out to help, but were not needed. Maloban [Malabon] was taken by Mont. & Kas, Penn & 6th Art.

1. See MAP.



2. The Horsethieves, Train Bandits, and Cattle Rustlers and the 6th US Arty makes that about 2,700 men.
3. There was a forced river crossing. See PHOTO.


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Diary of Robert Bruce Payne Febr. 11, 1899

When we got up this morning we had a two miles march in heavy marching order to make before breakfast. This gave us a good appetite, but breakfast was not ready when we arrived which annoyed us somewhat as we expected to advance against the Filipinos. We had orders to be in readiness after breakfast as we were to be in the reserve but the advance after meandering around the country all day returned empty handed. So today has been a day of rest with us. I have had a bath again in the San Mateo [river]. Its bottom is sandy and the gravel is plainly visible and the smallest fish can be seen. Ten days rations were just issued to us here and our dinner was an excellent one we had been having poor fare since we have been in field hitherto. It is nearly supper time and I am writing seated in a species of rubber tree. This tree is large and spreading and close to camp. Under it is an immense stone a boulder with steps up it, so one can walk up the steps and step off in the tree. There was a bombardment of Caloocan, a small town, by Dewey this morning. During the middle of the days the heat is hardly bearable but in the evenings and mornings it is quite cool and the nights are cold. Very dry here now, even too dry to plow. We hear many banterings and quarrels now about what troops did this and that. But I can hardly realize the honour that is to be gained any way fighting a people struggling for liberty. Many of the boys have a poor opinion of the Filipinos simply because they have talked ill of them so long that now they hate them. I think they (The Filipinos, he means. M. ), are doing unwisely in fighting so powerful nation as the U.S. It reveals at once the[ir] patriotism as well as their ignorance. Nor is it by any means all ignorance.

3. My only comments are that the 1st Nebraska Cable Car Absconders were misused and countermarched to no purpose this day along the San Mateo River.  
4. PVT. Payne seems to have a good read of the situation as to the absurdity of this war in which a buinch of racist yahoos will go down in disgrace as international bullies and war criminals, while the Filipino people have not yet reckoned with just how tough an opponent they have in the Americans.

====================================================== 

More cockroach.

Diary of John E.T. Milsaps Saturday, February 11th, 1899

Caloocan, Luzon Island –Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Tondo.

One week ago tonight the Filipinos attacked Manila or rather the American outposts & what a week it has been! A week of constant conflict –day and night. Thousands of Filipinos (over 3,000) have been killed. Others wounded. And hundreds of Americans have suffered. Houses have been destroyed & devastation is evident on every side. The atmosphere is foul in places with the stench of putrefying men and animals. The Insurrectos have been beaten in every action. God has signally blessed our arms. The desire of our Government was to pursue a pacific policy, but I fear the natives mistook a generous spirit for cowardice. I heard that their contempt of our soldiers led them more than once to spit in the face of our sentries, but such work could not continue. The swagger & spirit of bravado so marked a few days ago, are gone, for they have been taught a dreadful lesson.

To me Feb. 11th will be associated a long time with horrid memories.

Rising early, after bible reading & prayer I cooked & ate breakfast then started out alone for the battlefront. The roar of great guns bombarding Malibon [Malabon] caused me to push on. By street car went to the end of the line. A civilian dressed partly in soldier’s clothes with a gun on his shoulder joined me. He proved to be a Salvationist of 22 years ago. He carried my bundle. Spoke to him re religious matters. Together, we scoured the forest in which the recent fighting has been done. Everywhere we saw the ashes of burnt huts & residences. Everything gone. A few lonely chickens and other live domestic animals wandered about lost. But the air was burdened in places with the loathsome smell of rotting human beings — their corpses. In one place lay about ten corpses bloated, black, hideous & rotten with worms eating them. In another place (same forest) lay about 6 more dead Filipinos, several apparently killed by shrapnel. One place up the road near a burnt hut lay a dead native with his back, head & hair fearfully burned. A wound in one leg led me to infer that he had been struck in the leg near the ankle by a bullet & entered a hut for refuge. The same was set afire. There he remained until the flame took hold of him. The awful agony caused the poor wretch to pull himself out into the road where he died. He was lying in the dust with his body bent & face down. In the church yard were 3 more corpses. In the cemetery another hideous sight met my gaze. A number of empty tombs are built [intiam?] –Spanish fashion. A dead soldier was crammed into one & hastily left with some loose stones put into the opening. The man’s head was thrown back, with mouth wide open & almost gone thro’ putrefaction. In another tomb lay another corpse. A funny thing connected with these vacant tombs was told me. One of the wild tribes –almost naked– crawled into one and remained there until the Americans discovered him & brought him out of his queer hiding place. He was sent a prisoner to Manila.

I met Brother Joshua Calvin in the Roman Catholic Church which was temporarily improvised into a hospital. Calvin did not go to Iloilo. His vessel was ordered to remain in the bay until further orders.

Calvin & I went down the road towards Malibon [Malabon]. This in Caloocan. The town was in possession of the Americans. A battle was in progress. Met on the road Cos, S, E., F., & H, of the First Idaho Vol. Infantry & ex-Salvation Army Sergeant-major Spankie of Fresno, Leal, who is private, had a pipe in his mouth. Called his attention to advice given him on salvation the other day & again urged him to seek Jesus. The command was ordered to fall in & marched down into the brush to take position as a reserve line. In addition to the fusilade of small arms shells were thrown into Malibon [Malabon] (which was being attacked) by a vessel of Dewey’s squadron. Calvin & I sat down at a spot by the roadside back of the American firing line (20th Kansas). Bullets flew over our heads quite rapidly. A U.S. soldier had just been wounded in the leg when we arrived. His leg was red with blood. A bandage was tied around the wound. After a while Calvin & I parted. He visited the 20th Kansas & I went back to a bluff back of the post office to watch the bombardment of Malibon [Malabon]. Also explored the flat near the bay shore. While there exposed myself to view. A gun report was heard by me in Malibon [Malabon]. In a second or two a bullety struck near me. I concluded to leave that spot without loss of time.

Met Rev. & Mrs. Owens, Bro. Geo. Turner near the Catholic Church in Caloocan. The former & I visited the firing line ogf our troops –20th Kansas & 2 guns 6th U.S. light artillery, & Sec. 4-B. Battery, Utah light artillery. Also visited the cemetery & then went to the Railroad depot. The trains are being run by the U.S. Gov’t today. We got permission from a Hospital Sergeant in charge of the train to go back to Manila –5 miles. Was a hospital train taking back wounded men & men overcome by heat. In our car 23d U.S. Inf. brass band with guns traveled with us, likewise several British officers. Naval officers have lately been watching the battles closely.

Bro. Turner moved away from our house with his family this afternoon. I cooked supper & washed dishes. Rev. Owens brought an armfull of paper mail for me, viz.: 165 copies No. 13, May 1897 Chinese War Cry & miscellaneous S.F. War Crys, S.F. “Calls”, & 3 copies ofg the number of “Victory” published by the S.A. in Melbourne.

This issue contains my write-up of the Philippines. Likewise the S.F. boys for respectively contain narratives of my experiences etc. on these Islands.

A small book, entitled “Mr. Booth, The General of the Salvation Army” by Com Booth-Tucker arrived, a Christmas present from the author.

Loaned Rev. Owens $2. Mex.

5. It looks to me upon reading these diary entries, like the cockroach, after the American army told him to get lost, went back to the Tondo and concocted a series of lying diary entries to put the best light on his unauthorized and unwanted presence at the Caloocan battlefield. I will show you why in a moment. As for his characterization for how the Filipino soldiers treated the American pickets... let is just say that it was AMERICAN reported to be the other way around and that it is the cockroach who made this claim based on his "opinion" of the situation; which was worthless.
6. First of all, the description of the fires in Manila along the north shore of the Pasig are too genuine to have been described this date IF he was north of the Tondo.
7. "Horrid memories" to me is a twinge of errant conscience from Milsdaps as the degenerate con man probably saw the "burn the huts and shoot them as they run out" with his own accursed eyes in Manila city. Note his description of what he "saw". That was about 3 km north of the Pasig. No further and it had to be well after battle for the fires to have burned down and those corpses to have putrified such. At least 48-72 hours.
8.  Much the WORSE for Father Calvin, I should think, to meet Milsaps again. His mission has just been overcome ny events. 
9. This must be this church.

10. The short REAL version is that Father Calvin went up to the line to meet the Kansas troops and the cockroach had to follow suit or be labeled for what he was: a yellow-belly. The cockroach promptly cowered behind a hill while the padre worked among the troops in the line, and when a single bullet kicked up dirt near him, he, Milsaps ran for the rear as fast as his bandy legs could carry him. So; reported the Kansans. 
11. It was the USS Concord putting a few occasional 6 inch bore high explosive shell into Caloocan. The Monitors were similarly popping Malabon and the right flank of the Tullahan River line over this date with only a shell every now and then. It was NOT a general bombardment. 
12. The 10th Pennsylvania Train Bandits stole 2 more complete trains today. So they ran the choo choos backi and forth, sending wounded back and bringing up supplies. REALLY, the Filipinos should have blown those locomotives up. Not hard to do, just tie down the safety valve and find Filipinos brave enough to feed the fire boxes until most of the water evaporates into steam and then BOOM. The trick is to know when to run for it.  As for the British officers, those "observers" attached ti 8th Corps went forward to see how the Americans handled a river line defense. The USN officers went to observe and correct naval gunfire, the army having proved incompetent in that tasking.      
13. Brother Turner moved out because he found better lodgings, not involving the company of the cockroach.  
14. PVT Leal, if you remember, was one of those American soldiers who was advised not "to marry a Filipino" by the cockroach. 
15. Notice how the cockroach bums meals, rides and money off of everybody he met? He even had the nerve to ask a soldier to carry his personal loadout. Especially on this day of battle, when the soldiers are already burdened with their own gear, what does that tell us about the cockroach?    
 
=====================================================

Diary of Chriss A. Bell Feb. 11 & 12, 1899

Nothing happened but usual round of duty. Several boys are off ships so guard work is less heavy on me. No province boats are allowed to leave harbor. Skirmishing goes on at front with but little loss in either side. Will try and take camera to front tomorrow.

16. See the difference? The 2nd Oregon Furniture Thieves seem toi be unaware of the heavby fighting. If Milsaps claims were true about general fighting the Furniture Thieves would know it and hear it.

===================================================== 

[miletus12]

Diary of Alfred Burton Welch Sunday 2-12-99

Started early for San Pedro Macati.

1. See MAP.



Southern Suburbs of the City of Manila and Vicinity, including the towns of Santa Ana, San Pedro Macati, and Pasai. Showing Insurgent Trenches.[full text descriptions]
This is where the 1st Washington Tobacco Thieves earned their murderous reputation. As bad as it was at Malabon and Caloocan, here is where the shoot anything that moves nature of the warcrimes really stood out.

2. See photo.



================================================================================

Diary of John E.T. Milsaps Sunday. Feb. 12, 1899

Manila, Luzon Island –Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Sta. Elena.

Remained at home all day in Manila, sleepy and tired. Have been on the go to & from the front all week. Felt like remaining at home because there is a lull in the storm of war. Chaplain Stevenson of the Idaho Vol. Inf. called on Rev. Chas. Owens this afternoon. The chaplain reported that a Spaniard had just been captured from inside the Insurrectos’ lines, who said the strength of the Filipino army in Malibon [Malabon] is about 10,000. Stevenson said he saw their line about 3 miles long. The line is not thin and weak. The American line is about 18 miles long. This information from a Utah artilleryman. We are under the necessity of protecting Manila on three sides.

Weather cloudy & cool with light showers.

Cooked breakfast & supper. In both cases fried bacon, oatmeal mush and cocoa. Bro. Owens gave me an apple which helped out at breakfast time. Dinner water & jelly on bread.

Commenced writing a report of the past weeks’ events as viewed through my eyes & heard thro’ my ears, for the San Francisco War Cry. They are giving me considerable space for my matter & illustrating the same fully.

The dear Lord is giving me good health of body, praise His name & delivering me from the power of temptation. Spiritual adversaries the Holy Ghost checks.

Wrote 11 pages MSS. Held no meeting. No soldiers came

3. Translation: he is hiding out at the Tondo after hot legging it and leaving Padre Calvin alone with the 1st Kansas Cattle Rustlers.
4. Father Stevenson of the 1st Idaho Potato Peelers, arrived to drop some gossip. I think you should know the REAL tactical situation as it existed. MacArthur and Harrison Otis have a brigade (About 2,700 men give or take. M.) facing off at the Tullajan River Line. The troops, Ricardi and Luna have after losing the 1st Battle of Caloocan, could be around 5,000. The frontage was from the bay to about 5 miles or 8 km. inland.
5. The Macati front (See MAP.)

Philippine-American War, 1899-1902 by Arnaldo Dumindin
JULY 24, 2019 / PHILLIP PANAGLIMA VIOLANTA

Combats between Manila and Lake Laguna de Bay

1899 US Army map of the district between Manila and Lake Laguna de Bay (lower right corner)

With fresh troops from the U.S. mainland, Maj. Gen. Elwell S. Otis ordered the clearing of the country between Manila and Lake Laguna de Bay, and a push to the north and capture Aguinaldo.

He believed that this move will stretch a line of American troops across Luzon island, thus cutting all communication between the northern and southern wings of Aguinaldo’s army.

U.S. troop strength was 20,851 at the start of hostilities on Feb. 4, 1899; the average strength was 40,000 during the 40-month war (peaking in 1900 to 2,367 officers and 71,727 enlisted men). By war’s end, a total of 126,468 American soldiers had served in the Philippines. Also, beginning in September 1899 Macabebe Filipinos — and in the next two years — Ilocanos, Cagayanos, Boholanos, Cebuanos, Negrenses and Ilonggos were recruited and served as scouts for the US Army. These regional Filipino scout units were integrated and organized as the Philippine Scouts on Feb. 2, 1901. The Philippine Constabulary was inaugurated on Aug. 8, 1901. (Read the rest at the citation. M.)

6. Another MAP.


The Wheaton Column, headed for Laguna da Bay from Manila to slice Luzon in two by following the Pasig, had about TWICE as many men or about 4,800 men. Note that the frontage here was about the same or about 5 miles or 8 kilometers and that the battles in this area was against about 4,500 to 5,000 Filipino patriots. Prominent among Wheaton's men were the 1st California Flour Mill Thieves, the 1st Nebraska Cable Car Absconders, the 1st Washington Tobacco Thieves, and 12th US Regulars along with the 4th US Cavalry and elements of the 3rd US Artillery. M.

[miletus12]

Cockroach:

Diary of John E.T. Milsaps Monday, Feb. 13, 1899

Manila, Luzon Island, –Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Tondo.

Days come and go with marvelous rapidity. I often wonder what has been accomplished in the space of a day, so fast flys the time.

I went down town twice today. Private D.C. Hines came in from the battle front with his gun & called at No. 2 with the same & a knapsack. There is a lull in thew storm of war so he was given a brief leave of absence. He left his knapsack at No. 2 & accompanied me to town. Purchased some photos (I did) at the Imperial gallery for expected stereopticon purposes. Also purchased supplies for my commissary department. The banks are closed & doing no business. I tried the door of the Indo-Chinese-Australasian bank. A Chinese with a bag of silver in his hand devined my purpose. From him I purchased $140.50 of Mexican & Spanish silver money. Paid $20. American gold for the same.

Visitors at No. 2, this day 3.

Prayed with Hines before he returned to Caloocan. Have just learned that some authorities spell Mr. Town’s name with two instead of one o.

Afternoon I visited the Escolta a second time. Secured back numbers of the “American” & the “Times” to bring my files up to date.

Cooked breakfast & supper. Took dinner with Rev. Owens. Before going to bed wrote 2 1/2 pages MS. additional to my War Cry narrative of current events.

1. The cockroach accomplished what in three months? Nothing.
2. Now that is a surprise. A 7 to 1 currency exchange does not sound right even in the chaos on this Manila date. Apparently the cockroach caught a refugee who needed hard gold to get out of Dodge, and Milsaps took advantage of the man to squeeze out a deal. There was something fishy going on here with the cockroach and the Chinese-Filipino man. Hines showed up with a rucksack full of "goodies". We only have the cockroach's "word" that Hines had leave. The cockroach bought food? Well, he had to buy food since the Mormons put a guard on the government food supplies and Mister Silvers cut off his bar tab.
3. Mister To(o)wns was on the "Wanted List" of scalawags put out by 8th Corps. I presume the "carpetbagger" was one of Milsaps's friends.
4. Funny that the cockroach had to "buy" some "toilet paper".
5. He means he "bummed" a dinner off Mr. Owens.
6. Finished the day by scribbling lies, did the cockroach.

===============================================================================

Diary of James J. Loughrey February 13, 1899

Reports state that the Insurgent leader Aguinaldo wants to surrender Malabon but Otis will not accept unless Malolas [Malolos] surrender(s) as well.

7. Aguinaldo was playing for time. Luna needed a couple of days to bring his scattered forces back together to counterattack the Americans in Caloocan. The war criminal, GEN Otis, was stupid enough to give Luna the breather. This is going to cost the Americans.
8. The 1st California Flower Mill Thieves were not anywhere near Caloocan, so that had to have come to Loughrey by soldier telegraph.

===============================================================================

Diary of John Henry Asendorf Monday, February 13th, 1899

It has been impossible for me to keep account from day to day. I will try to put it all in a nutshell because I was always occupied with work almost day and night. While all the regiment had its hands full in trying to keep the enemy, who were constantly shooting away at us on account of our small force, at bay. We were compelled to stay where we are. Therefore we threw up entrenchments all along the line which already extends over 30 miles and was occupied by only 8000 men in all. We now laid in trenches all day and night. Ten men from each company were allowed to go to town each day, five in the morning and five in the afternoon. Our wounded are doing fine. The Major is walking around and DeBolt and Rockwell are sitting up but still very sick. During this time we have burned down thousands of homes and have captured all horses and wagons within our reach. We have also taken over eight towns which were all destroyed by heavy shells which Dewey put into them. We also captured the railroad and oarshops at Caloocan. On the evening of the 11th I was sent to town for the first time to get a load of fresh meat out. The next morning I walked the five miles. When I was about two miles from the city I heard five or six shots fired along the road and at the same time I saw an officer riding along and it was him these were intended for but none of them hit him. One Filipino with a revolver in hand came running my way. I fired but missed him but the second bullet went through his heart and down he went. Unfortunately, the revolver was marked U.S. and I had to give it up. We then set fire to all the houses in this section. All told we have lost: killed 65; wounded about 300 and two missing. But the rebel losses are counted by the thousands. Good many of our boys, when found, could hardly be recognized since they had been cut up in a terrible manner. On the 12th we received mail which was delivered in the field. The boys, having no paper or envelopes, wrote on cartridge boxes or anything they could find. I sent several myself. We also have killed hundreds of dogs and cats during the engagement. On the 5th we also lost three horses belonging to our regiment. All told it was simply horrifying after all these battles. This is only what I witnessed myself but all the other regiments had equally the same experience. Many Mausers and Remington rifles were captured and many prisoners were taken, among them some of Aguinaldo’s staff and about 400 Indians which used the old fashioned bow and arrow for weapons. When captured, they were all naked and had to be dressed before bringing them into the walled city where most of our prisoners are kept. Our eight men who were captured some time ago are still held prisoner by the rebels and perhaps tortured to death by this time. During this engagement, the following were in hospital: Lieutenant Howard, Jessie Murphy, William Howard. Sick or on guard in quarters: Curry, Collins, John Brown, Kramer, George Miller, McMaster, Schrock, Herrington, Berry Miller, John Barnes and Lieutenant Woods but who went out on the battlefield on February 13th. Taken to the hospital since the battle, Robert Curry, McMaster, Carl DeBolt, Rockwell. During all these days, the weather was terribly hot and we had to carry our water for over a mile and then boil it. But, we had plenty of rations.

9. Did you notice that the 10th Pennsylvania Train Bandits were participants in the wholesale arson, theft and murder that was general policy in the advance to the Tullajan River? That in the fighting, the regiment took 300 casualties?
10. If your enemy murdered your Filipino people; that is men, women and children and made no distinction between soldiers or civilians, and set fire to anything that could burn and stole all your material goods and mistreated you and lied to you in parley and was an invader in your land as he did it, and you had a knife and you caught one of them... why should the Americans be surprised to find their killed soldiers hacked to bits by bolo men? The Americans started the atrocities.
11. It was not US policy to let enlisted soldiers keep handguns unless they were "cavalry". You see, it had proved out that these soldiers, who had pistols, had a tendency to shoot idiots... er officers whose issued orders made no sense to them.
14. "Oar houses" means places where barges and junks could be built. You wanted to control that marine industry as well as the railroad.

===============================================================================

Diary of Chriss A. Bell Feb. 13, 1899

Went to left of our line today. Took 5 pictures. Was under fire nearly all day but was not allowed to return fire. Lieut. and some regulars did shooting. Battery opened up once. Several of our men wounded.

We were in plain sight of Malabon. Passed through Caloocan. Battery on river just outside of Caloocan. The line out from town is a desolate sight. Houses burned. Huts shot down wearing apparel scattered round. Dogs howling. Deserted inturshments [instruments]*. Cartridges scattered on edge of town while flags at each hut nearly all deserted. Soldiers chasing pig. Soldier drinking glass water saying :”Would it not be funny if a shot should knock the glass out of my han.” Just then tyrnn zip and a bullet came so to him that he choked himself in dodging. Everybody dodges. One Corporal, a tall skinny fellow went out in front of trenches in plain sight but no one fired at him, I was with Barrett, Kaltz & Hill. Returning came in on railroad. Visited and took pictures of battery. Ho Ho [Binondo] fell today. No men lost.

*Philippine Diary Project disagrees with this reading and suggests [entrenchments] more logical.

15. The 2nd Oregon Furniture Thieves are furthest east and with an exposed flank. I agree that Bell meant entrenchments. Flags should be "laundry". The Furniture Thieves caught the pig. Sniper fire was present. SEE MAP.



16. As you can see, the American line was bent in a huge semicircle from Caloocan back towards Manila, trying to cover the railroad, as it followed the tributary back to the Pasig. There is a large 3 kilometer or 2 mile gap where the 2nd Oregon Furniture Thieves are hanging out on the open flank to the Pasig River proper.
17. Can you repeat after me? The war criminal, GEN Otis, is a military IDIOT. And I do not mean about the warcrimes, because he is one for those, too.

[miletus12]

Diary of Chriss A. Bell Feb. 14, 1899

Valentines day. Miss Bowman sent me some candy, cigar case, and handkerchief. Have not sent hers yet. I am her orderly. Took pictures to Cheenu photo says he will finish them in a week. Played Anderson two games chess. First he gave me queen. I beat. Second he gave me Castle. He beat. Both games were close.

1. It takes 30 days for rock candy from the United States to get to the 2nd Oregon Furniture Thieves stuck outside Malabon.
2. Maybe the Americans have the wrong tactician in charge of 8th Corps?

=======================================================

Told you the Americans were going to get it...

Diary of Alfred Burton Welch Tuesday 2-14-99

Fighting at Pasig on the Laguna de Bahia [Bai]. Reg. called out and went directly to San Pedro de Macati, where we rested & had hardtack.

Got coffee from a Cal. lad. Then took march to Pasig, about six miles along the river. It was bright moonlight and the lovely road wound along the shore among the bananas & bamboos. Went thro’ Guadalupe and one or two other towns –deserted.

Road close to H²O with high rocky hills on either side. Right bank more open, but rough & hilly with great stone quarries, potteries and carved doorways carved in the rocks leading to the catacombs, far into the hills. Great cuts in the road made awful good places for ambush.

We came in sight of Pasig, then rt. by file, up a steep, stony path to a high plateau on top of the hills.

During the day two Co’s of Cal. were burning a small village across from Pateros. They were flanked on both rt. & left, and were being cut to pieces when the Wn skirmish lines got them going and saved them from being butchered –even they (the Cal.) say so. We were under command of Col. Smith, Cal.

Slept until morn then threw skirmish line over the plateau to edge of cliff. Up to noon Co. D was reserve. Below was a broad valley of about 1200 yds. to the river, where the burning shacks of a village, and the great inland sea made us feel like the discoverers of Lake Nyaza must have felt||. The mountain battery on our left opened up on a church below and the Eng. batt. advanced the rt. of the line to within 150 yds of the el rio –when the bells in the tower boomed out a signal & the Filips who had reserved fire, opened on the Eng’s who had to fall back owing to lack of cover.

The rt. cut loose on us –lying behind the rocks on the edge of the hill with a hard fire. But they are very poor shots. Co’s D & E got orders to charge & were ready when Col. Smyth got scared and ordered us to retreat. Serg’t Burtt was sunstroke & I helped him along, so we soon were far in rear.

How they poured into us. We joined Co. D in a deep buffalo hole where 5 men lay sunstroke. Then down the cliff to river road –a squad of 4th Cav. Troop K covering our rear. Oh! That retreat –tired, hungry, thirst, mad, sick at heart, defeated– we hurried down the road toward Sto. Pedro the Laguna de Bay, covering our retreat with Gattling [Gatling] guns and 3 -2 inch cannon. Cal, Wn, Cavalry, Hawthorn battery all together with buffalo carts, ambulances, orderlies & aids mounted all together –choking the narrow road with the black devils hovering on our rear and left flank. Retreat! Oh, now I know the meaning of that word.

3. Both the 1st Washington Tobacco Thieves and the 1st California Flour Mill Thieves flowed into a KILL FUNNEL.




4. What you have just read was the 1st Battle of Pateros, which was a humiliating defeat for the overconfident Americans. Their mistakes were obvious. They marched through a road flanked by ridges on both sides, without flank or point guards out. They had contempt for the Filipino soldiery and overestimated their own ability to attain objectives for which they had inadequate reconnaissance and trail security to attain.

======================================================

Poor cockroach, how wrong he is.

Manila, Luzon Island –Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Tondo.

Our troops are now taking a respite from the tempest. The Idaho regiment returned to town for a rest. Other regiments are giving soldiers passes –that is, a few. The city looks very dull, and business very quiet. The streets are quite deserted.

Got up early this morning. Prayed over Scripture. God the Holy Ghost blessed me in my soul last night by abroad in my soul. His precious love. Praise to His dear name forever. Amen.

Cloudy weather & comparatively cool for this climate. Visitors 3. Brothers Rev. Oden & Lloyd came in from the front with their guns. The troops are required to carry arms as we are living just now in troublous times. Brother Clayton Scott called, having just been dismissed from the General Hospital. I treated Oden & Lloyd to lemonade & Scott to a lunch of lemonade & pie/ Prayed with my comrades.

Visited the post office. Rec’d a letter from Peter Kirkwood, Johannesburg, South Africa. Read some of my write-up of Philippine experiences.

Got shaved in a Spanish barber shop. Saw an extra there issued by “Freedom” announcing surrender of Iloilo to the Americans last Saturday, & that Aguinaldo has “thrown up the sponge” –run away.

Put in considerable time writing for the San Francisco War Cry; narrative of affairs down here.

The supposition that Major General Otis is awaiting the arrival of reinforcements from the U.S. before pushing the war.

5. There is a stall in the fighting. The infantry is rotating 1 out for 2 forward which is common practice when there was a lull in the combat.
6. Oden and Lloyd are NOT "reverends". They are privates. The "reverends" were by American custom and law unarmed military clergy clearly marked as non-combatants. 
7. Whenever the cockroach talks about the "holy spirit": it means he is high on "tea".
8. Clayton Scott recovered from his "diarrhea". He has not reported in. Instead he scurried off to his "boss" for reasons. If the provost was any good and not busy burning Manila to the ground, he would have that shirker in the guard house for desertion. 
9. Peter Kirkwood will be to the Boer War, what the cockroach is to the Filipino-American War, a valuable historical source for a skewed picture of that war. As long as you remembered the moralless natures of the men writing those diaries, you could rely on them for inadvertent, hilarious, and often unintentionally revealing truths about the history they misrepresented. Just fact check them constantly, for they do misreperesent the truth. 
10. Iloilo is still in Filipino hands. This will be another 2 months before the Americans have any kind of hold in the Visayan province.             
11. Another chance for a Spanish barber to shave the cockroach...
12. More lies scribbled for the San Francisco War Cry.
13. This is exactly the opposite of what the war criminal, GEN Otis, was doing. That is until his own unit commanders told him they had too many objectives and not enough troops.

======================================================

Diary of James J. Loughrey February 14, 1899

Confession and Communion at St. Ignatius Church. Reports state that Iloilo has surrendered without loss of life.

14. See 10. and see photo.

St. Ignacio Church. 

15. And General Hughes called the builders of THAT (^^^), "savages" and "Indians"? Expletive deleted.     

======================================================

Diary of John Henry Asendorf Tuesday, February 14th, 1899

We have the same weather and are occupying the same place. We have fresh meat issued in the morning. Everything is quiet all day and we all are enjoying camp life on the firing line. But, things look suspicious in the woods around us. We can see rebels sprouting around in all directions and our officers thought they would attack in the evening. And, right they were. While we were eating supper they fired volley after volley into us but shot a little too high. This they kept up for a half hour. We couldn’t see them, therefore we held our fire. After supper I went to town with a message. After delivering the same I put my horse away and laid down to sleep but had to get up in a few minutes and take 15,000 rounds of ammunition out. This was loaded on two wagons but when we got about two miles from the city I broke down breaking both shafts and the springs and got myself pretty badly bruised up. Doc Minsinger, my buddy, drove on and I stayed and watched the ammunition but the Filipinos soon gathered around me seeing my dangerous position. I drove them all back 30 yards and made up my mind to kill the first one who would advance. But, they soon left and, for a time, I thought they were going to reinforce and make it hot for me. I stayed there for one and a half hours then Doc and eight guards came with a wagon and relieved me. Arriving at the front, things were hot and several bullets hit the cart and one hit me on the forehead making a slight wound but I drove back to town. Doc Minsinger and Bob Griffith accompanied me. We kept on our alert and got safely into headquarters where we stayed and slept until the next morning.

16. As the 1st California Flour Mill Thieves and the 1st Washington Tobacco Thieves waltzed into a kill funnel, the 10th Pennsylvania Train Bandits overextended their trenches into the woods as a salient south of Caloocan. This was an opportunity too good for the Filipino army to pass up. They curled BEHIND the overextended open flanked 2nd Oregon Furniture Thieves and enveloped the American line through that open gap I mentioned yesterday. What you have read here, is the adventure John Asendorf had as a muleskinner bringing up ammunition to his company, using a stolen Filipino kalesa. It was not designed to carry ammunition weighting a quarter TONNE and 2 men. 
17. Now let mer say this about the Spanish 0.43 that smacked PVT Asendorf in the forehead. 
a. Thick skulled Pennsylvanian.
b. Chinese made cartridge with Chinese made gunpowder smuggled in from Hong Kong by English and American gunrunners to Aguinaldo's government for Filipino silver. (Williamson, one of the cockroach's "buddies" that he met in Mr. Silvers' "restauraunt" was probably one of those unofficial "Indian Agents".  Do not be deceived, if the Americans could have got the goods on those scalawags, they would have been beating on the rockpile or sent to the front as inadvertent volunteers to stop the Filipino bullets they sold to the Katipunan.
c. Going the other way, I am sure that the Katipunan would have had some unkind things in store for those smugglers, as Luna's troops discovered how feeble their gunpowder and bullets were. Add the tendency to shoot high required to get the bullets downrange to reach and you get what you got. LUCKY Americans were only slightly wounded. The Krag was not as strong as a full powered Mauser, but the Katipunan had just about run out of captured Spanish ammunition. The Chinese copies was just as lousy for the Mausers as it was for the Remington Rolling Blocks.          
d. Hence: the Krag earned a fearsome reputation among the Filipinos. It shot relatively flat, relatively smokeless, with quality US made bullets and propellant and it punched through trees and dirt getting the Katipunan soldier who hid behind a berm or a tree trunk. The Americans, also, could shoot. They had been trained poorly in everything else, but Murphy, they could shoot accurately!          

[miletus12]

Diary of Alfred Burton Welch Wednesday 2-15-99

Lay down at Sn Pedro, tired out, for I had carried Sgt Burtt’s traps besides my own. Fighting was on all night along the outposts. We were sent out without breakfast to the cemetery where we deployed as skirmishers, Co. D on left. The line, complete, extends from El Rio Pasig to Pasay on the bay where the 14th US and 4th Cav. were. The ins. were 1200 yds in front, showing that our ill-advised retreat cost us over six miles. Desperately hot, but we threw up trenches, and now as I write it is morn & our line is 14 mi. long. This was our second day.

1. That means a Model 1884 Trapdoor Springfield.



2. That is NOT TOO GOOD for the 1st Washington Tobacco Thieves. They did not have Krags. 
3. See MAP.


The Americans were driven back all the way to Pasay City, or should I write, they were "routed"; because they ran for it.    

===============================================================================

Cockroach...

Diary of John E.T. Milsaps Wednesday, February 15, 1899

Manila, Luzon Island –Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Tondo District.

Tonight I hear the voice of a Filipino woman singing, and children in the yard attached to the house in which I live are laughing & playing as gaily as tho’ no war disturbed the land. Rumor tonight states that an uprising is expected in Manila; 100 natives armed with daggers were arrested today; they were in council. Some cannon shooting was done today out at Caloocan. A battle is probably impending.

Went to the post office. No mail. Called at the Imperial photo gallery. Mañana. Asked me to wait 3 days more of the battle & other events connected therewith.

Completed my article for the S.F. War Cry of 25 pages MS. narrative of the Philippines. The subheads are:

“The 2d War” — “A House of Refuge” — “At the Front” — “Two nights in a Blockhouse” — “A Sad Death” — “Visiting the Lines” — “Horrors of the Battlefield” — “The First Gun” — “Found in the Brush.”

There are 3 Filipino & Spanish women from the first floor, in this room at the time of writing. Somehow they have got wind of trouble brewing.

Wrote & copied 4 letters. (1) Lt-Col. Wm Evans (2) Peter Kirkwood (3) Houston “Post” (sent $1. renewal of sub. for semi-weekly) (4) L.B. Armstrong — Barcelona Spain.

Mr. N.F. Hashim, Syrian, called today. He is full of business now having government contracts for grass, wood etc. His place now is Calle San Jose No. 1, Trozo.

Some of the Filipinos are not insurrectos. They are afraid of them.

Visitors to use our reading & writing room are now next to nothing. The war keeps them away.

Tonight I hear occasionally the sound of cannon in the distance, very likely at Caloocan. The sentries are alert and ready for serious business should occasion require it.

4. Our jittery Salvation Army pretender makes with the rumors as usual. Meanwhile the Filipinos go about their lives despite the complete mess the Americans made of things. 
5. Did the cockroach expect mail?!?
6. Pack of lies all of those articles. 
7. As I wrote; "jitters". He put his fears into others.   
8. The letters were begging for money and to renew subscriptions.
9. Mr. Hashim is one of those black marketeers who seems to swarm around the cockroach. He had the cavalry fodder concession as well as carpentry supplies. 
10. Dewey's fleet continues to support the Caloocan front. They will be needed all too soon; because the war criminal, GEN Otis, still has not fixed the tactical mess he made up north.   

===============================================================================

Diary of John Henry Asendorf Wednesday, February 15th, 1899

I was working all day in the commissary and hadn’t much time to see anything, but the insurgents kept firing on us all day. Some of the other regiments were engaged all day, but we kept our fire as we couldn’t locate the enemy in the woods. We have plenty to eat and during the day we are taking things easy. The outpost is engaged most of the time. At night we all were engaged for several hours but didn’t advance on them. Dewey, this day, bombarded the town of Malabon all day but on account of out weak forces couldn’t take it. This night I slept in the commissary tent and rested up good.

11. See MAPs.




12. At present the 10th Pennsylvania Train Bandits are still hung up near La Loma. 

You find information on this surprisingly well documented, but little known outside the Philippine Republic imperialist American war in the oddest places.  

[miletus12]

Diary of Alfred Burton Welch Thursday 2-16-99

Last night we had a hot time, for the (Filipinos) charged us four times. Co. D bore the brunt of these attacks & they came up within 100 yds. But they carried off the dead & wounded. They can not stand our volleys. Hawthorn battery opened up & all day the ins. (insurgents) kept the line busy especially the rt (right). Sharp shooters kept us uneasy all day & at night they were at it again. They would rush; –shoot awhile– fall back –then yell and mock us. Two Co’s of Cal. (1st California Flour Mill Thieves) were in Guadelupe [Guadalupe] church and were attacked time after time –but as often held them off. Hot. Third day of fight.

1. Notice that (Refer to the source citation. M.), Albert Welch now defamed the Filipinos he fought.
2. After the panicked rout of Wheaton's troops, Luna shifted forces south and had his subordinates apply the harassment tactics that worked so well against the Spanish. The Americans are a bit tougher as far as these morale destroying attacks. Their positions did not crumble once they dug in and stabilized their lines.
3. See PHOTOs.


4. That is the 1st California Flour Mill Thieves and the Hawthorne Battery respectively.

======================================================

Cockroach...

Diary of John E.T. Milsaps Thursday, February 16, 1899

Manila, Luzon Island –Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Tondo dist.

Cloudy but no rain; quite warm. We appear to be over a seething volcano here in Manila, and it is raging within its suppressed confines. The iron hand of military power is keeping the Filipinos of this city in check. They would murder us if they could. Last night over 100 daggers were captured near our house. We live in Tondo –one of Manila’s worst quarters & today more arrests were made of natives who are plotting to rise. The streets look deserted , business is to a large extent suspended and conditions are extremely unsatisfactory. The Filipino fruit peddlers & peddlers of almost everything else, lately so numerous have almost completely disappeared. One’s life is not safe in Manila now, save when under the providential care of God.

Went to the post office. Returning met Mr. Isaac Russell late of the Utah light artillery & late proprietor of the “American Soldier” now suspended. Russell’s head is bandaged. Was attacked by Filipinos and slashed in the head with a knife. Shot 2 or 3 of them. It is difficult to correctly appreciate the present state of affairs. I saw about 30 natives going thro’ the streets under guard. Great columns of smoke rose from the Malate quarter of the country. Probably burning houses. Some shooting is going on out at Malibon [Malabon], but the Americans are playing for time to give reinforcements an opportunity to arrive before engaging the Insurrectos again seriously.

Am tired & sleepy tonight. Rested but little last night.

Vistors 3.

Private Green of the Utah light artillery, B. Battery, Section 5, came in with his gun & accoutrements. Borrowed of me $1. Mex. which makes $3. Mex. loaned him by me.

Señora Ysabel Wood sent her youngest son up stairs to collect rent for the upper floor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena. I paid him $35. Mex. month of February.

Wrote a letter & copied it, to Commander & Consul Booth-Tucker thanking them for the gift of the Christmas Souvenir book, with short biography of the Consul.

Mailed it, also several other letters written yesterday. Started the day with Bible reading & prayer as usual. Cooked breakfast & supper of ham, oatmeal mush, cocoa & chocolate. Partook of cold dinner.. Washed dishes. Read larger part of Com. Booth-Tucker’s life of Gen. Booth. Pasted personal scraps in my Scrap Book.

5. Notice that the cockroach kept writing about "the 100 daggers". As far as I can find in the US 8th Corps records, this was inside Milsaps' fevered imagination. 
6. Of coiurse your life was not safe in Manila: the provost marshall's troops, who were the only police right now during martial law, BURNED THE CITY, north of the Pasig. Not only that happened, but those trigger-happy yahoos, shot anybody who was not "American enough in appearance"^1 who they thought looked suspicious. Or if the person was lucky, they arrested the citizen and sent him to the Bilibid or the local holding pen. It just depended on whether the yahoos had a sergeant present who knew his business and who could enforce "some" discipline.        
7. The war criminal, GEN Otis, wanted to suppress all the newspapers which locally reported how badly he expletive deleted the campaign up. 
8. Russell probably was in the fighting around La Loma where the Utah Battery was almost overrun. The Mormons managed to save their position and their guns, but they needed the 1st Kansas Cattle Rustlers' and 10th Pennsylvania Train Bandits' help to do it. Unlike Wheaton's troops, MacArthur's men did not break and run for the rear. They held their line. 
9. So, PVT Green borrowed a buck? He will repay it. See NEXT.
10. Guess who was two weeks arrears in his rent to Senora Ysabel Wood? If you guessed the cockroach...congratulations; you won a prize.   
11. The cockroach noticed the arson and admitted who did it in his diary. Imagine that.  
12. Frederick Booth Tucker. You have to remember, that the cockroach conflated Salvation Army made-up ranks and offices with actual real rankis and offices. This expletive deleted, Booth Tucker, went to the United States and was the source of a LOT of friction in the American Christian community with his high-handedness and judgementalist attitudes: though I personally believe that he thought he was doing the right things in his criticisms. He forgot that he was among AMERICANS, not the Hindu outcasts of India. He was certtainly lacking in the diplomacy and common sense departments  His brother, Bailington Booth, broke with the Salvation Army when he got into a row with Bramwell Booth, the third brother of that weird trio. The upshot was that the AMERICANS threw Booth Tucker out, Bailington renounced his British citizenship to become an  American and told the Salvation Army (Bramwell) to go pound coconuts and thus the 1900 REFORM was on. Fallout was that the Amerricans took over their own show and Bailington founded the "Volunteers of America", ditching the pretense of an "army" of Christian soldiers for a more reasonable charitable organiztion  in a secular society.  Of course you noticed which "Booth" the cockroach sided with?          
13. The British sure loved to praise themselves by putting out autobiographies. 

Luke 18:9-14 KJV

9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

That was the "problem" with Booth Tucker in a nutshell.

^1 Skin color prejudice. If you were Mexican American in Manila, and not uniformed in the US colors, for an example, you were in trouble. 

=====================================================

Diary of James J. Loughrey February 16, 1899

We left our quarters for San Pedro Mercati [Makati].

14. Every rifleman was needed at the church.



=====================================================

Diary of John Henry Asendorf Thursday, February 16th, 1899

Weather is hot as ever. The rebels are trying their best to break through our lines but we hold our own. A few more were wounded this day. Some other regiments lost several this day.

15. And another church...



The Americans liked to fortify around churches for several practical reasons: 
a. The buildings were well made of stone construction and thus offered a ready made blockhouse with a wall.
b. There was usually that stone wall or barricade that could protect an infantry unit.
c. The ground around the church was clear of natural cover so making it hard on attackers to storm the position.
d. The belfrey tower was a good artillery spotter's position. 
e. It usually made a good headquarters building. 
 

[miletus12]

Diary of Alfred Burton Welch Friday 2-17-99

Made our “forts” stronger & had a little rest. Yet the sharpshooters were very annoying. At sunset we were advanced under Col. Smith into the jungle where, by a left turn, we expected to drive them into el rio. But they slipped out and flanked upon the rt. So we fell back to our former position –the 2nd retreat under Col. Smith. The ground we went over was frightful, it being covered with a thick growth of broad leafed bananas & thorny bamboos & cut up by stone quarries, long ago turned over to the poor to live in, & a good place to hide. Holes & tunnels & mounds made it very hard to keep a good alignment, and one did not know were his rt. or lft. man was –all the same it was a bad move– if a poor Corp’s word has any weight. 4th days fight.

1. Move and countermove: the 1st Washington Tobacco Thieves were yin-yanged and repulsed. This time the retreat was more ordered. COL Smith should have been relieved for stupidity right then and there. 

===============================================================================

Diary of John E.T. Milsaps Friday, Feb. 17, 1899

San Roque, Luzon Island –Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Manila.

Up early, cooked breakfast washed dishes, then with Rev. & Mrs. Chas. Owens struck out on foot to walk down to the Cavite ferry near the Port Captain’s office. We were late. Took a “milord” (barouche) & reached the boat after the gangplanks had been pulled on the boat. They were put ashore again specially to take us on.

Reached Cavite about 10.15 a.m. Visited the arsenal and navy yard. Down there I secured from Joseph T. Davidson, A.A.A.G. of 51st Iowa’s permission to visit San Roque — got a pass– with my 2 companions. Wheeled vehicles have about all disappeared from Cavite. We walked over to San Roque. Passed the American sentry without showing the pass. The corporal in charge said it was unnecessary as he knew me.

A few houses remain in San Roque, but the whole town as a rule is in ashes & is depopulated. Domestic animals are without masters. About 200 dogs were shot by the American troops. Reason: fear that they will go mad from starvation specially thirst. The appearance of San Roque I shall not soon forget. The Filipinos fired the town before retreating. The uncaring of the people was manifested in a peculiar manner. The soil is a loose black and filled with sea shells. In this excavations were made –mostly under the houses, but in some cases, alongside. The shacks were set fire to, & the buried goods covered over, first with soil, then ashes which hid the place, but the scheme did not work. Quantities of household goods were exhumed & overhauled, & the ashes littered with miscellaneous articles: books, MSS, pictures, dresses, glassware, crockers, pillows, tools etc. etc. etc. stowed in chests, wardrobes & other furniture. I took several snapshots, one of several American soldiers bringing to Cavite a cart load of furniture, including a large mirror.

The sun was very hot. Returning from San Roque we took dinner at 3.15 p.m. in the United States Restaurant. Left Cavite for Manila on the 4 p.m. ferry boat.

Arriving in Manila Rev. Owens received a quilez. We drove to the post office & several stores for mail & groceries. I rec’d a small package with 2 Jan’y ’99 “Harbor Lights,” 2 “Local Officers” several children’s papers & no War Crys from New York. The most important thing rec’d was a personal letter from Lt-Col. Alice Lewis, New York. She answers my letters of 3, 10 & 19th (Dec presumably) date of her letter Jan’y 3d ’99. She says the Commander (Booth-Tucker) is communicating with London re the disposal of the Philippine Islands, but matters must or will remain stationary until settled. Don’t know when I am to return, but wants me to send cost of journey, route etc. so the Commander will have exact information, then he can send me explicit directions what to do.

Cooked supper. While eating it, Brother A.E. Temple of the 2d Reserve Hospital, Malate came in. We had a spiritual & other (subject) talk & prayer. He brought of me (20 cts Mex) 2 Tagalog gospels to give away. I also advanced him on credit to sell 10 copies each of St Luke & St. Mark in Tagalog to sell to Filipinos. Also gave him for free distribution: S.F. War Crys: 1 copy No. 573; 17 cop’s 575 & 14 cop’s 577. & 3 Chinese War Crys, No. 13, May 1897. Also gave him to distribute 10 copies “El Evangelista” –Spanish.

During my absence Bro. Green of B. Battery Utah artillery, brought me for a present of the 1 of the [illegible] Filipino daggers (lately captured) made to slay Americans.

Washed dishes after supper.

No serious fighting today — Temple said by yesterday American casualties were: 76 killed, 243 wounded.

In regard to the burning of San Roque I heard a lieutenant & some of the private of the 51st Iowa vol. inf. say they only had a chance to shoot one or two natives for the crime. They advanced the theory that short pieces of candles were left burning with the bottom resting in inflammable material, which caught fire when the candle burnt down & set the house in flames not a difficult matter when we consider the flimsy character of huts constructed of bamboo and nipa thatch.

1. Hallelujah! The cockroach finally figured out WHY you have to wash dishes in a bio-rich small critter environment.



2. Barouche:



3. Cavite is still isolated. Beyond San Roque is "Indian Country".^1  I think the sentry passed the cockroach through; hoping that idiot would run into a Spanish .43 "redemption" for his rotten soul.
4. The Americans have stolen all of the wheeled vehicles for obvious reasons. it is cheaper and easier to grab any karesa and a buffalo, than to ship a army 1 tonne wagon and mules from America.
5. San Roque was burned. Guess who actually set fire to it? In a replay from modern times (Chernobyl and the current Ukraine War. M.), the uncared for animals were shot as a disease preventive measure and to prevent some animals (dogs and cats and monkeys) from developing a taste for human carrion. Once again the cockroach gives a detail without understanding the WHY necessity of and for it. As for the household goods buried, both American and Filipino "bummers" looted the sequestered goods for usable items and just for the thievery of it.  No law and the scum take advantage. I mean look at the cockroach...
6. The American Restaraunt...  Which means the Reverensd Owen paid for the meal. See PHOTO for where the cockroach made a nuissance of himself.    
 
7. The cockroach means a two-wheel covered carriage. (Quilez) It appears that the cockroach bummed another free ride off Reverend Owens, too. 
 
8. For Booth-Tucker and how the Americans back home were reacting to that "nimrod" see yesterday's entry and how that went. That would be (12.) on the list of comments.
9. A.E. Temple, what we today would call an orderly or possibly a corpsman, was given news letters and Salvation Army propaganda to sell. The question was at the time and now, why would his unit commander allow one of his soldiers in the middle of a war to waste his time doing work for which the GOVERNMENT was not paying Temple? You see it is one thing if the cockroach goes out and "preaches the word and distributes literature" no matter how ineptly and uninvited. He is a civilian and his time and work is his. But, this buffoon used American soldiers to do his dirty work for him. In state of peace, it was barely tolerable, because the soldiers had free time and could do as they wished with it, but this is war, and the one thing about war, at least for the USG, is that their soldiers were and are real soldiers, and not evangelical employees, paid or otherwise, for some cockamamie pseudo-religious "military outfit" represented by a poltroon who used them to be his gophers. 
10. A bolo. 
11. Up north it was peaceful; there was a hot time in the old town tonight for Wheaton's boys; as Welch recorded.
    
 
12. How flammable is bamboo? VERY after it gets hot enough. But there is a PROBLEM with the cockroach's fairy tale about Filipinos being arsonists. See if you can figure it out...



12. Only lunatics, who never had seen bamboo pop-off like small firecrackers, would set fire to a whole village of bamboo huts in the MIDDLE of a flammable grassy terrain like the 1899 Cavite province. Besides, candle igniters are not enough, you have to have an actual good starter fire like the kindling fire mentioned for even dry bamboo to reach ignition temperatures. That stsrter fire is a fire you can see and put out easily, before the bamboo catches.  So... in an American patrolled area, who set the fires and stayed to fan them hot enough?
          
^1 In strict 19th Century cowboy or modern American military lingo, it means "a territory where the inhabitants cannot be guaranteed to not want to kill you for "good and sufficient reasons"."

===============================================================================

Diary of James J. Loughrey February 17, 1899

During the night we were attacked and fired 65 rounds at the Insurgents.

13. The 1st California Flour Mill Thieves in their part of the front, had a "quet night". See NEXT. 

===============================================================================

Diary of John Henry Asendorf Friday, February 17th, 1899

The weather is the same and the rebels are pouring many shots into us without effect, our men laying in trenches at all times. In the evening there was heavy firing on our extreme right where the California are stationed and which kept up all night. About twenty of their men were killed and many of them wounded but the insurgents lost heavily. I slept in Mauch(?) this night and guarded the Captain’s quarters. I am almost play out and feel worse the next morning.

14. The 10th Pennsylvania Train Bandits could hear the Flour Mill Thieves being worked over. 
15. The nearest Spanish word to the archaic English "Mauch, Mawk or Mauk"  word for "maggot" is "gusano". I have no idea what Asendorf meant here.