HUGHES, SEPTEMBER 26, 1899

HDQRS. VISAYAN MILITARY DISTRICT AND
FIRST SEPARATE BRIGADE, EIGHTH ARMY CORPS,
Iloilo, P. I., September 26, 1899.

The ADJUTANT GENERAL,
Department of the Pacific and Eighth Army Corps, Manila, P. I.

SIR: There has been no marked change in the situation since my last letter. Matters seem to be improving in Negros and it is thought now that the election slated to take place on the 2d proximo can be held without any serious results. The revolutionists have beheaded two respectable citizens apparently for the purpose of intimidating others. Our open enemies on the island seem now to be generally assembled in two bands. One under Demasio in the north in the vicinity of Mount Silay, against which a force is now acting. The other is along the southwest coast between Quayanan and Tolon, and said to pivot about Sipclay. Some attention is being given to this band by the native constabulary, but no marked results have as yet been obtained. Major Simes, the commander of this native force, was painfully injured in the hand ten days ago by the bursting of his piece in an attack made on some of these people. He is in the hospital here and will be for duty shortly.

The operations which Colonel Snyder has just completed may put the fear of God in the hearts of those robbers who have boasted much of their impregnable positions in the mountains. Having been disturbed in Cebu it is quite probable that it will now be necessary to send a force to Bohol to protect that island from these lawless people who have been such a plague to Cebu.

#coup
#gossip -o-

In Panay there would seem to be some favorable change going on, but just how it is we do not know with any certainty. All our information comes through native sources which are never entirely trustworthy, but the current has been constant and to the effect that there has been a break of a sensible character between the Visayan and the Tagalogs. That General Delgado has been designated "High chief" or something that resembles military governor by the Luzon authorities and has dissolved the civil government and taken general charge, and, it is said, has imprisoned General Araneta and Vice-President Aboncina, who came in to see me on the authority of the said defunct civil government. But how much of all this is true I do not venture to guess. I am only certain that there has been differences and a break of some kind. This is evident from the fact that Molo, Arevelo, and Manduriao have called for our protection against the Tagalogs, They have also been shifting troops apparently from this province to Antique, but what the ultimate purpose is we do not know, but it is possible that the Tagalogs have some idea of getting to northern Luzon by way of the island of Mindoro. The Visayans on the outpost line are disposed to become quite sociable, but their advances in that direction have met with no encouragement. The rainfall has been so great in the last ten days that if we had pilots for the rice fields it might be possible to reach Santa Barbara with the gunboats.

The cold-storage meat ship that was due yesterday has not yet reported. if there is anything known about her movements it is desirable that it should be communicated to us in order that we could shape our affairs according to the facts.

Very respectfully,

R. P. HUGHES,
Brigadier-General U. S. V., Commanding.