his division commanders, that prevented this embarrassment, which would have been a moral and military misfortune.  We have given the General’s orders to his troops and the Filipinos after the fall of the city—­also his original statement of policy, and noted how cleverly they supported each other, and how smoothly the work of organization and administration is carried on the world is well aware.  The orders deputing the officers to discharge certain duties are plain business.  There was no departure from the strict, straight line of military government, and the threatened entanglements firmly touched passed away.  There was nothing omitted, or superfluous, and the purpose and programme of policy was made clear by events.  The confusion overcome by the genius of common sense there was order, all rights respected, the administration was a success from the beginning and continued, and is to be continued—­security is established, there is public confidence in the air—­the “faith and honor of the army” are inviolable, Manila is ours, and there is peace.  If war comes in that quarter of the globe we shall stand on ground that earthquakes cannot shake.

CHAPTER XII

The American Army in Manila.

Why the Boys Had a Spell of Home Sickness—­Disadvantages of the Tropics—­Admiral Dewey and his Happy Men—­How Our Soldiers Passed the Time on the Ships—­General Merritt’s Headquarters—­What Is Public Property—­The Manila Water Supply—­England Our Friend—­Major-General Otis, General Merritt’s Successor.

The American soldiers in the Philippines were most devoted and cheerful, patient under hardship and pleasantly satisfied that they were as far to the front as anybody and seeing all there was to see during the siege of Manila.  They were out in tropical rains, and the ditches they waded were deep with mud unless filled with water.  They were harassed by the Spanish with the long-range Mausers at night and insufficiently provided a part of the time with rations.  At best they had a very rough experience, but kept their health and wanted to go into the city with a rush.  They would rather have taken chances in storming the place than sleep in the mud, as they did for twenty days.

When the defenders of Manila concluded that the honor of Spain would be preserved by the shedding of only a little blood in a hopeless struggle and fell back from very strong positions before the advance of skirmish lines, and the American columns entered the city, keeping two armies—­the Spaniards and the insurgents—­apart, and, taking possession, restored order and were sheltered in houses, it soon began to occur to the boys, who came out of the wet campaign looking like veterans and feeling that they had gained much by experience, that they were doing garrison duty and that it was objectionable.  The soldiers who arrived on the Peru, City of Pueblo and Pennsylvania were shocked that they had missed the fight and disgusted with the news of peace.  They had made an immense journey to go actively into war, and emerged from the ocean solitude to police a city in time of peace.  It was their notion that they lacked occupation; that their adventure had proved an enterprise that could not become glorious.