Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1899 — NATIVE ARMY IN A PANIC. [ARTICLE]

NATIVE ARMY IN A PANIC.

Filipinos Are Demoralized by the Work of Wheaton** Men. With each day the Filipino cause is becoming weaker and Gen. Otis is confident that a few more lessons such as administered during the last week will bring the larger part of the native army to time. The followers of Aguinaldo are almost in panic and with each engagement their resistance becomes more futile. Although the American advance was commenced only a week ago, remarkable progress has already been made. Several well-fortified villages have been taken, an important strategic position secured, property worth $500,000 destroyed and American gunboats are cruising Bay lake, spreading consternation in all the towns along its shores. It is impossible to accurately estimate the number of Filipinos killed in the recent engagements, but the total for the last week, it is certain, is about 1,000. Many- mortally wounded were carried away by their comrades to die in distant villages. Several hundred prisoners are held by the Americans. On the other hand, the loss to the troops in Gen. Wheaton's flying column has been slight, only an occasional man killed and few wounded. This is extraordinary under the circumstances, for the United States soldiers in taking the offensive have been at a disadvantage, invading new country and approaching from the open well-built intrenchments defended by the pick of Aguinaldo's army. Gen. Wheaton's brigade Sunday advanced against the Filipinos, clearing a tract of country two miles wide and eleven miles in length, to guard against another attempt at a surprise. Some of the Filipinos recently expelled from Cavite and the small towns in the vicinity of Pasig combined forces and Saturday night attacked a company of the Washington volunteers, a detached post at Taguig. about a mile and a half southeast of Pasig. Gen. Wheaton immediately re-enforced the Americans with two companies each of the Washington and the Oregon regiments. The post bad held the natives in check and the fire of the re-enforcing companies trepulsed them, driving them across to a| island formed by the estuary. They were thus in front of the Twenty-second regulars. On discovering that they were entrapped the natives fought desperately, aided materially by the jungle and the darkness, but they were completely routed with heavy loss after two hours’ fighting. The lost two killed and twenty wounded. Gen. Otis says that the American army ami gunboats now command the lake. He estimates that property of the insurgents valued at $500,000 has been destroyed, while quantities of rice and sugar and 400 tons of coal, which is very valuable, have been captured. Many prisoners represent that the Filipino soldiers are weakening.