The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-04-28
Fighting At EVERY STEP
The American Advance
on Calumpit.
THE STUBBORN RESISTANCE

EAoAA Oue rOTNlnc0 fOslIAOu 10 Ans
Other-Fighting More Steadily Thar
at First-The Fortifeatiens OF Calum.
pit Reached and Our Men go Into
Camp After a Hard Days Fighting.
Gallant Deed Of Kansas Troops.
Manila, April 25.-Although the sticky
condition Of the ground, due to a rain
storm, seriously impeded its progress,
General Lawton's column left San
Jose today and is expected TO reach
Norzagay this evening.
Colonel Summers is marching across
from Bocave with two battalions each
from the Oregon and the Minnesota
regiments, three troops Of cavalry and
two guns. In the meantime General
McArthur's division is in front Of Ca
lumpit to attack the rebels stronghold,
and Genera Hale, with several guns,
is threatening the enemy's flank.
A few rebels between Novaliches and
La Iona have persistently interferred
with the telegraphic communication,
but the signal corps has repaired the
breaks and captured several prisoners.
A small body of rebels at Taktay
was discovered this morning by the ar
mored launch Napidan. A few shots
scattered the rebels and drove them
inland from the lake.
General Hale's brigade, consisting of
the Nebraska, the Iowa and the South
regiments, with three guns,
J which left MalOloS on Monday, follow
ed the west bank Of the Rio Grande
river to a ford. Many small bands ot
rebels were encountered and during the
- 3 y NV
several hundred of the mem en-
trenched near Pulilat, north of Quin-
gan. Our troops attacked the rebels,
losing six men killed and eleven wound
ed. General Hale'S troops claimed that
nearly 200 dead natives were counted
along he country traversed. Among
the dead was a Spanish captain. This
South Dakota regiment bore the brunt
Of the fighting and had five men killed
and nine wounded.
The temperature today was "a and
several cases of sunstroke We're report
ed. The weather was, cloudy.
The country traverSed by our troops
is thickly wooded and the hardest for
fighting. The rebels along the Bagbag
river were reinforced from Calumpit
as the troops under General Hale ap-
preached. In the morning the Ameri-
cans captured $50 prisoners.
rs this dispatch is sent the rebels are
l Ill Tx ullCSlICLl vi Sdlu1l-
pit. The Philippine troops engaged
were we'll uniformed n well drilled.
| AS the campaign progresses the rebel
: troops are improving. They are adopt
ing methods and the accuracy of their
= shooting is evinced by the fact that
| five Americans were shot in the head.
/ General Hale at 4 o'clock this morn
ing crossed he river and advanced on
| Calumpit. General McArthur's divis-
ion also advanced n nine of the ar
mored fiat cars We're pushed ahead on
| the railroad. The Kansas regiment ad-
vanced On the right of the track and
the Montana regiment pushed On on
it's left.
The rebels are already returning to
MalolOs and are becoming troublesome.
They fired on an ambulanc yesterday
which was crossing the piazza and they
have driven the Chinese out. The Third
artillery patrolled the town last night.
BEFORE CALUMPIT.
General McArthur's division fought
it's way to the Philippine trenches be-
fore Calumpit today, advancing four
miles, mostly through woods and
jungle and crossing the Bagbag river.
This was accomplished at a cost to
the Americans Of six killed and TWEEN
ty-eight wounded, the First SOuth Da-
kota regiment being the heaviest loser.
After fording the river the South Da-
ASN NAN ~ ~
outskirts of Calumpit, but the town
was oun so strongly perfected that
General Macarthur deemed it best 20
withdraw the tired fighters and TO go
into camp for a nights rest before
making the final assault.
n largest buildings in Calumplt
were being fired by the Philippines
while the Americans were crossing the
river, fully a mile away, indicating the
enemy's intention to abandon the place.
The insurgents seem to AVE adopted
a settled policy of retiring from one
position to another, after inficting the
greatest possible damage upon the
were we'll drilled. Every foot of the
ground was tenaciously disputed by
thoroughly organized troops, who stood
remarkably firm ever before artillery
The enemy had planned to wreck our
artillery transport train. This attempt
was a failure, but a span of the iron
railroad bridge over the river was de-
stroyed, hampering the American
transportation for some time. The Phil.
ippinos cut the Orders, intending tc
have the structure fall with the train
but it collapsed prematurely of its owl
weight.
The Bagbag river, which is about 10t
yards wide at that point, was splen'
didly fortified, and the Americans were
- CpPLooNAA o~AODS &A ofGA
space from which the rebels had clear
| ed every obstruction to sight. The banl
Of the river, a high bluff, was sud
mounted with trenches, capped viii
rocks, loopholed and partly hidden h
bushes.
General Wheaton's brigade approach
+. ed the river along the railroad, leavinl
camp beyond Malolos city. Genera
Hale's, which started yesterday, wa
| earlier on the march, and Sweepin,
| westward toward the railroad. The ar
mored train was being pushed b,
Cinnamon, the Twentieth Kansas regi
ment advancing in extended order o.
the left and the First Montana regi
!, ment, with the Utah light artillery o.
the right.
h rapid firing guns Of the trail
opened the ball at 1870 o'clock a. m
) about a mile from the river, their pop
| ping alternating continuously with tn
| boom of the six-pounders.
TRa Montana regiment and the Uta