“I have sent orders to the nearest provinces in order that within the shortest time possible horses be brought for sale, but I cannot assure Your Excellency that we will have the number of 500 that you need, because there are not many horses in this vicinity, owing to deaths from epizooetic diseases in January, February, and March last.

“Whenever we have them collected, I shall have the pleasure to advise Your Excellency.

“I have also ordered to be placed at my disposal 50 carts that I shall place at your disposition when you need them, provided you give me previous notice four days in advance.” [114]

General Anderson replied:—­

“Your favour of the 26th ultimo in relation to requisitions for cattle, horses, etc., is satisfactory I regret that there should have been any misunderstanding about it.  The people to whom we applied even for the hiring of carromatas, etc., told our people that they had orders to supply nothing except by your orders.  I am pleased to think that this was a misapprehension on their part.” [115]

From this series of communications it appears that it took three weeks, and a very direct threat to seize transportation, to bring about Aguinaldo’s promise of assistance in securing it.  What help had he given, meanwhile, in other matters?

On July 14, 1899, General Anderson wrote asking him to assist American officers in making reconnaissance of the approaches to Manila, and to favor them with his advice. [116]

On July 19, 1899, he again wrote Aguinaldo asking him to allow Major J. F. Bell, [117] who was gathering information for General Merritt, to see maps, and further requesting him to place at Bell’s disposal any available information about the force of the enemy and the topography of the country. [118]

On July 21 he wrote again asking for passes for a Lieutenant E. I. Bryan and party, who were making a reconnaissance. [119]

Such records as I have been able to find do not show what response, if any, Aguinaldo made to these several requests, but General Anderson’s original views as to the willingness of the Insurgents to cooeperate with him underwent an early change, for on July 18, 1898, in a letter to the Adjutant-General of the United States Army he makes the following statement:—­

“The Insurgent chief, Aguinaldo, has declared himself Dictator and self-appointed President.  He has declared martial law and promulgated a minute method of rule and administration under it.

“We have observed all official military courtesies, and he and his followers express great admiration and gratitude to the great American republic of the north, yet in many ways they obstruct our purposes and are using every effort to take Manila without us.

“I suspect also that Aguinaldo is secretly negotiating with the Spanish authorities, as his confidential aide is in Manila.” [120]

This suspicion was entirely justified, as we shall see later.