Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-08
INTRENCHED AT BACOLOR.
Gen. Macarthur Confronted by Strong
Force of Insurgents.


A cablegram from Manila yesterday says:
To clear the Filiptnos out of Bacolor about
five miles southwest of San Fernando will
be the next task Of the Americans. The
rebel general Mascardo. has a force of
: GOO men there. we'll armed and possessed
of plenty ammunition. His troops have
never met American soldiers, and they
| think, according to reports carried to San
Fernando, that they can whip the whole
lot
Bacolor is well intrenched, and thou
sands of natives are working like beavers,
digging trenches and carrying the dirt in
baskets. The enemy uses his rilemen for
fighting only, but cOmpelS the bolomen and
Chinese. and even the women, to labor in
ceSSantly.
The rebels have an outpost about a mile
beyond San Fernando, with trench that
holds between two and three hundred men.
From that point several Yolleys We're fired
last night upon the camp of the 10th Kan
SaS Regiment.
Neither Major General Macarthur nor
Major General Lawton moved today, al
though each reconnoitered the country in
his own vicinity for some miles from head
quarters, developing the presence of some
small forces of the enemy.
Holding the FiIipinos in Check.
In the vicinity of La Guina de Bay the
rebels are extremely active. but the lines
of General Oveushine and Colonel WhalIey,
who is commanding General Kings brigade
during the latter's illness, have been ma
terially strengthened, and there is no dam
ger in that direction.
The armed steamers Laguna de Bay and
CaVadonga, under Captain Grant have
gone to Guagua, about five miles southwest
of Bacolor presumably to establish a base
OF supplies for the troops engaged on the
northern campaign.
1t is rumored that Mabni, president of
the cabinet, and minister of foreign affairs
In the so-called Filipino government, who
is radical, is to be succeeded by Palermo,
the Trainer of the Spanish treaty of 1886.
This change is regarded as significant at
the present juncture.
The entrance of the Americans into San
Fernando was virtually unopposed. The
ftipinos, who expected the invaders to &p-
proach from the sea, had that side of the
town strongly guarded, but there was only
one line of trenches beyond San Tomas.
Two battalions of the 51st Iowa Regiment,
which swan the river north of the city,
We're smartly peppered while in the water,
but the rebels disappeared soon as the
Americans reached the shore. In the mean
time the hospital squad had walked across
the bridge into the city, supposing the
Americans We're there They encountered
no natives The few Spaniards and Fill
pinos who We're left welcomed the Ameri-
cans and opened their houses TO them Cen
eral Macarthur accepting entertainment at
the hands of Senior Hizon, a sugar mag
nate.
Forced to Accompany Rebels.
If the inhabitants of the San Fernando
region are to be believed, there is little
sympathy with the Instruction in that
quarter. Before evacuating the CITY the
rebels burned the church and the public
buildings, and looted the Chinese quarter.
They drove many rich Filipinos, with their
families, out of the city before them, as
we'll as hundreds of Chinese to prevent
them helping the Americans They cut
the Threats of some. Many Chinese hid
on rooftops or in cellars, and some escaped
by cutting off their queues. There are fifty
fresh graves in the churchyard.
The country beyond Calumpit is full of
all sorts of ingenious trenches and pitfalls
in the roads, with sharpened bamboo. For
tunately the Americans escaped the latter
In the swamps near Santo Tomas, where
General Wheaton's troops did their hardest
fighting-the men sinking to their waists
in mud-are many bodies of Filipinos
The army is really enjoying life at San
Fernando, which is the most picturesque
and wealthy town the Americans have
entered since the occupation of Manila 1t
Is largely built of stone, the river is close
al hand, and high hills almost surround it.
Many sugar factories indicate thriving
industry in that respect, and there are
numerous fine residences.
Gen. MacArthur's permanent headquar-
tiers are established in the best house in
town, which is richly decorated with fres-
Goes and carved woods. The troops are
encamped around in the suburbs, and are