On January 21 General Otis wrote to Admiral Dewey that:—­

“The insurgents will not now permit us to cross their lines and have been very insulting to our officers, calling to them that very shortly they will give us battle.  My best information is that they have fully determined to attack both outside and within the city before our additional troops arrive, and the least spark may start a conflagration.” [224]

As the date of the proposed attack drew near, the work of strengthening the Insurgent positions around Manila was pushed with all possible speed. [225]

About the middle of January General Otis stationed the First Nebraska Regiment upon the high ground at Santa Mesa for sanitary reasons.  Of conditions at this time, and of the circumstances leading to the actual outbreak of hostilities Taylor says:—­

“During the latter part of January General Otis was informed on good insurgent authority that the insurgents meditated an attack upon those troops, and he was advised to remove them, as in their exposed position they would kill them all.  General MacArthur, under whose command the regiment was, placed two guns in position there, as it was fully expected that the insurgents would direct their attack upon that point, as in fact they did.  On February 4, 1899, the tents of the regiment covered the ridge, and its outposts extended along the San Juan River, a small stream which formed part of the line of delimitation between the Americans and the insurgents.

“For some days before the outbreak of hostilities the pressure of the insurgents was constant along this position, so constant indeed that in the light of subsequent events it indicated a premeditated purpose on the part of some one in the insurgent army to force a collision at that point.  On February 2 General MacArthur, commanding the Second Division of the Eighth Army Corps, wrote to the commanding general of the Filipino troops in the third zone in front of him that—­

“’An armed party from your command now occupies the village in front of blockhouse No. 7, at a point considerably more than a hundred yards on my side of the line, and is very active in exhibiting hostile intentions.  This party must be withdrawn to your side of the line at once.  From this date if the line is crossed by your men with arms in their hands they must be regarded as subject to such action as I may deem necessary.’

“Colonel San Miguel, who commanded at San Juan del Monte, replied upon the receipt of this communication that the action of his troops was foreign to his wishes and that he would give immediate orders for them to retire.  At about half past 8 on the night of February 4 a small insurgent patrol entered the territory within the American lines at blockhouse No. 7 and advanced to the little village of Santol in front of an outpost of the Nebraska regiment.  This was the same point from which the insurgents had been compelled to retire on February 2.  An American outpost challenged, and then as the insurgent patrol continued to advance the sentinel fired, whereupon the insurgent patrol retired to blockhouse No. 7, from which fire was immediately opened upon the Americans.  This fire spread rapidly down the American and insurgent lines and both forces at once sprang to arms.” [226]