Americans little by little leaving for Manila.
"General Malbar to Provincial Chief Batangas.
"According to reports by telegraph hostilities have commenced and all at Santa Mesa have fallen into our hands, also Pasay and Maytubig.
"American boat surrendered at Laguna de Bay many prisoners taken.
"General Ricarte to Provincial Chief of Batangas: Battle stopped by truce Japan and Germany intervene to learn who provoked war.
"Foreigners favor parley one American general and chiefs and officers dead." [415] Santa Ana is a suburb of Manila.

The Rosario and Escolta are the main business streets of the city.
Apparently the Insurgents must have thought that colonels were as numerous in our army as in theirs, for they reported two thousand of them killed on February 6, 1899, and threw in one general for good measure.

[416] We learn from the _Filipino Herald_ for February 23, 1899, that on that day the Filipino army captured and occupied the suburbs of Manila, while American troops were besieged in the outskirts of the city, at La Loma, and in the neighbouring town of Caloocan.

[417] But why continue.

No tale concerning American losses in the Philippines was too fantastic to be told by the leaders and believed by the soldiery and the populace.