The soldiers had breakfast at 7 a.m. At 8 o’clock the honorable president ordered the companies formed, and he explained to all that the only remedy left was for all to be resolute and face death; that on the morning we should have to continue the journey to the front; that it was very probable that we would encounter the Americans; that we should resist them, even though they might kill us all; that we should endeavor to break their columns so as to pass out toward the mountains in the north. Afterwards he said:
“Do you swear not to abandon me?” The soldiers cried out that they preferred death rather than to abandon him into the hands of the enemy.
After those speeches—which were made at 8 a.m.—we set out on the march for Babuyan settlement. We ascended and descended mountains; and after a continuous march we reached the settlement at 12 o’clock sharp.
About 4 o’clock in the afternoon an Igorrote from Banane brought a report informing the honorable president that the Americans had reached that settlement in their search for and pursuit of Gen. E. Aguinaldo. We passed the night very badly, since the Americans to the number of 300 were on our trail while our forces scarcely amounted to 100. We therefore kept awake and on the alert almost all night.
Speaking of the forces accompanying the honorable president since the day the women and some of our men left to go to Manila, the honorable president had available the following forces:
.—Maj. Raymundo C. Jeciel, First Lieut. Telesforo Carasco.
.—Dr. Santiago Barcelona.
.—Dr. Simeon A. Villa.
.—Major Geronimo Gatmaitan.
.—First Lieut. Teodoro Dayao, Second Lieut. Vicente Morales, and 49 soldiers.
.—First Lieut. Santiago Catindig, and 27 soldiers.
—Capt. Juan H. del Pilar, Second Lieut. Lucio Valentin, and 18 soldiers.
—Capt. Idlefonso Villareal, First Lieut. Alberto Bautista, Second Lieut. Sulfurio Luna, Second Lieut. Leoncio Alejandrino, and 33 soldiers.
—Second Lieut. Braulio de la Cruz, Second Lieut. Anselmo Subido (attached).
Total—One field officer, 11 line officers, and 107 men. These, then, constitute the only forces accompanying the honorable president.