Middletown transcript., 1898-08-27

eNAA001ANO @OSNA@SSe v
bridge they were met by the discharg
of four guns that the rebels had KEEP
concealed, coupled with witherinI
fire Of musketry, and when the mok
from the field piece cleared away ther
was not Spaniard to be seen on thl
road except such as were past running
away.
From a safe distance the SpanisI
artillery now roared time and again
while their small arm fire sounded lik'
the roll Of thunder. But as the insur
gents made no reply and did not seen
to be suffering very much from the
shower Of lead that the Spaniards wert
throwing at them the dons screwed
their courage up to the point of making
another charge. Six discharges from
the small guns and a rattling musketrJ
fire took all the appetite for further
fighting out of the Spaniards, and they
contented themselves for the remainder
of the afternoon with firing at the rebels
at long range. They did not gain foot
Of ground nor kill a single one of their
enemies
Having succeeded in getting a guide
and a canoe on Thursday, June 2,
crossed Bakor bay to witness an attack
that the rebels expected to make on the
church in Cavite Viejo. When land
ed, I was driven in two wheeled cart
through a country that consisted Of
about two-thirds swamp, interspersed
with low islands overgrown with the
most dense tropical jungle. We travel
ed over very good dirt road, evident
ly built like causeway through the
morass, and in few minutes we drew
up alongside a first class Krupp gun
near the foot Of a bridge. On the crest
Of this bridge was barricade of large
stone SO set as to leave loopholes about
three inches wide at the height of a
mans shoulder.
On arriving at this redoubt I was
surprised to find on looking through the
loopholes that the old Cavite church
was only about 200 yards away, at the
end of the narrow lane that led to the
bridge from the town. expected and
desired to reach the front, but ! had not
been anxious to go into danger needless
ly. However, having gone there volun-
tarily, could not we'll show less sang
froid than my little rebel friend, Gap
tain Salafranca, who was walking
around on the bridge as though there
was not an enemy within ten miles.
I took note Of the arrangements Of
the insurgents for the defense of the
bridge, and when the captain sent for
table and chair from the house at the
rebel end Of the bridge the least could
do was to sit down and write out what
the men about me were so anxious to
tell me concerning the incidents Of that
day at this point. So while one of the
rebels held nice silk umbrella over my
head took notes and perspired copious-
ly. As sat there and asked questions
the number Of insurgents on the bridge
rapidly increased, SO that by the time
was ready to take photograph Of the
place it was uncomfortably overcrowd-
ed. But I noticed that most of the men
took the precaution to keep their bodies
well below the level of the loopholes,
except when I took the photograph, and
then they all stood up, each one anx-
Ious to appear in the picture. But aside
from very natural and proper desire
TO take advantage of the cover provided
for them, the men about me showed no
special emotion. Then there was a
smart return Of the Spaniards' fire, the
men stepping to the loopholes and firing
with careful aim, like soldiers who ap-
preciated the value Of good ammunition
100 we'll to waste it on the mere walls
of church as long as there was an ene-
ny visible at the windows thereof.
When the fusillade had apparently run
It's course, SO far as the Spaniards were
concerned, the Filipinos almost apollo l
yized to me. At first I thought perhaps |
t was on account of the Spaniards' /
'udeness in disturbing me, but when I /
gathered that they were making excuses
or the Spaniards' bad shooting, in hav-
ng hit only one man, while they claim.
ID to have hit several men in the /
,hurch, 1 concluded I might as well 60 4
while my reputation for courage was
,ood. ! learned afterward that one
ebel had four teeth knocked out by /
,lancing shot and another received
,all in the leg. The Spaniards in the
Id Cavite church showed more pluck
han any of their comrades, having sus-
aimed close siege for nine days before
hey surrendered, on Wednesday, June
!. On the same day the rebels made
eneral advance upon Manila, closing
n from the north as well as the south.
When the old Cavite church hoisted the
White flag, the rebels were in full pos
ession Of the whole of Cavite province,
aving taken about 2, 600 prisoners and
stand Of arms and six field guns.
REMARKABLE WOUND.