OTIS ON SPANISH NATIVE SOLDIERS AND FOUR COMMISSIONERS

In the foregoing instructions, mention is made of representative men of Iloilo and Spanish native soldiers, whom General Miller was directed to take with him, the first to assist in making the object of the United States known and the latter in proof of good intentions.

The soldiers referred to were sent by General Rios to Manila for discharge from the Spanish military service, without permission or warning. They were about 200 of a lot numbering 600 or 700, and were Visayans belonging mostly to Panay, while the remainder were Tagalos. They were discharged upon arrival in the harbor, though not paid off, as the Spanish authorities pleaded lack of sufficient public funds, and request was submitted to permit them to land in the city. After much deliberation, it was decided to land such of them as desired to remain in Luzon on the northern shore of Manila Bay, and to send to Panay those who desired to go south. The 200, who were accompanied by their families, elected to go south. They were placed upon a Government transport, rationed, each given a small amount of money from the public funds, and departed for their homes with General Miller's command.

The representative business men had come up from Iloilo a short time before for the purpose, as they asserted, of arranging matters with the Americans so that there might be a peaceful solution of affairs. They were introduced by some of the native citizens in whom confidence was placed, and expressed themselves as desirous of having the United States troops go to Iloilo, and to accompany them in order that they might prevail upon the people to receive them without opposition. These men were intelligent and apparently very much in earnest, and General Miller, who was present at the last conference, shared fully my opinion as to their honesty. He took them with him on his own transport and gave the best accommodations the vessel offered, free of charge. Upon arrival at Iloilo, he sent them into the city to prepare the way for him and they were seen no more.

He landed the discharged native soldiers on the Panay coast, and it is believed that they joined the insurgent ranks without taking much time for consideration.

It was subsequently ascertained that while temporarily sojourning in Manila one of these representative men quietly visited Malolos, and received Aguinaldo's orders, which he carried with him to his people.

-Otis, in his 1899 report