During the few months preceding the outbreak the Filipinos had become
less friendly to their late allies. "La Independencia," the official
organ of the insurgents, frequently came out with loud denunciations
against the Americans and called the sullen natives to action against
the hated usurpers. It was not an uncommon occurrence to see the walls
of public buildings patched over with "proclamos," signed by Aguinaldo,
almost openly declaring war against the Americans and asserting the
rights of the Tagalans to their independence.

The fourteen blockhouses which had been the Spanish line of defense had
been allowed to fall into the hands of the Filipinos, who converted them
into a strong offensive and defensive work. When by chance an American
strayed beyond these fortifications, the attitude of the native sentries
was often violent and abusive. Eventually no soldiers were permitted to
go outside of the territory bounded by our outposts, and the Malay line
of muskets tightened around the city like the arm of a colossal dragon.
Repeatedly there were war alarms, and for several days the men not on
duty were kept in barracks. At times the Tagalans at the pumping station
shut off the water supply merely as an insolent challenge and an
indication of what they were able to do. On certain parts of the line
the Filipinos were seen building new intrenchments and reinforcing the
old ones.

For several weeks natives had been concentrating around the Santa Mesa,
and Lieutenant Webb was sent out to the Nebraska camp with the left
platoon of Battery A to strengthen the Nebraska position. The Santa Mesa
road was looked upon by the multitude of Aguinaldo as the natural
gateway to Manila. It was at the San Juan Del Monte bridge that they
had sought in vain to pound their way into the Spanish lines on many a
desperate battle night. One of the Utah guns occupied the very gun pit
which had been used by the Castilians as a defense from which their
cannon barked back defiance to the onrushing fanatical hordes.

Often there were wrangles between Colonel Stotsenberg and the Tagalan
officers regarding the line of outposts which the native forces should
occupy. Several times the Colonel averted hostilities by a judicious
yielding to minor points. Ultimately at the San Juan bridge a stalwart
American sentry and a diminutive Tagalan paced in parallel lines. The
Filipinos seemed anxious to aggravate the Americans into an act of
hostility, and r