The Red Cloud chief., 1899-06-16
LANTOy WAS IN An AMBUSH.
fiIipinos Surrounded the General
and Two Companies.
THE GUNBOATS TAKE PART.
when Their Ammunition Wa, Exhausted
the Americ ans and Their Commanded
Broke Through tho Rebel Line-From
Thirty to sixty Casualties.

unexpectedly stirred up ono of the
iveliest engagements Of the war, south
Of Las Pinas this morning upon which
occasion American field guns were en-
gagged in their first artillery battle
sgainst a Filipino battery, concealed
In the jungle.
Companies L and l Of the Twenty
first infantry were nearly surrounded
by a large body of insurgents, but the
Americans cut their way out with
veavy loss.
At daylight to-day the rebels at Ca
'ite Viejo dropped two shells from a
hig s~moothborc gun mounted in front
Of the church 10 the navy yard. The
only damage lone was splintering the
top of the huge shears on the Mole.
The guIboats Callao, Manila and Mo-
quito, then proceeded to dismount the
pun.
After silencing the big gun the gun
boats ran close along shore, lombard
Ing the rebel position. The rebels re-
piled with rife fire and with the fire
Of some small pieces of artillery. So
vigorous was the enemy's fire hat ut
e:9o a. IN. the gunboat Helena joined
the small gunboats already named,
and the Princeton, Monterey and
Monadnock, from their anchorages,
dropped occasional big shells among
the rebels.
This, apparently, only served to in
cite the rebels, as they kept up an in
cessant fire Of musketry and artillery
mans thn mouth ~ Cha v,Dptn r;,,,,
two miles north Of Bacoor. The fire
of all seven war ships were concen-
trated on this point shortly after noon,
when the upper bay presented the APP
pearance of being the scene of a great
naval battle. The insurgents were
eventually forced to abandon their
guns after holding out for about four
hours, only to be confronted by Cen
eral Lawton's force on land and in
their rear, where there was heavy
fighting.
Several buildings along the water
front were destroyed; otherwise the
effect of the bo~mbardment is not
known.
General Lawton took a battalion of
h Fourteenth regiment and two
companies of the Twenty. first regi-
ment this morning to locate the
masked rebel battery and then two
guns of the Sixth artillery and -four
mountain guns were planted against
it at 600 yards distance. The rebels
had n large gun from which they were
firing homemade canister, loaded
with nails, and two smaller guns.
Their shooting was most accurate.
The first lot of canister broke direct
ly in front of SCOTS guns and an
other shattered the leg of a private in
the Fourteenth infantry. Several
shots struck the edge of the town.
The country traversed was very bad.
being mainly lagoons, mud and water
fringed with bamboos. AS soon as
the fighting opened the Americans
were attacked by hidden riflemen on
all sides, even the amigos, or 'friend.
lv" natives, in the houses Of the town
shooting in their real
The companies of the Twenty-frs
regiment, skirmishing along the beach
with amigo guides found, apparently,
q handful Of rebels, who retreated.
The mer of the Tw~enty-frst regiment
followed and suddenly the rebels
opened a terrific fire on the troops
from the sides and rear. The soldiers
withdrew to the waters edge. finding
what shelter they could, and were
picked off rapidly. After their am
munition was nearly exhausted, the
companies of the Twenty-first retreat
ed, but General Lawton dashed down
and rallied the men.
A little group made a desperate
stand, General Lawton, Major Starr
and Lieutenants Donovan and Con.
molly taking rifles from the wounded
men, fred at the enemy, bringing
down some of the rebel sharpshootcrs
from a tree. Finally their cartridges
were all gone and they were forced to
break through the enemy's flank,
carrying the wounded to the main
body of the troops.
Lieutenant Donovan, whose leg was
broken, ~foundered for a mile through
a bog after leading his men in the
face of n greatly superior force.
General Lawton ceased fighting un-
til reinforcemepts could be brought.
Two battallons OF the Fourteenth reg
iment and one battalion of the Ninth
regiment were hurried to the front
and in the afternoon the battle was
resumed.
The Monadnock anchored close to
the shore and her heavy guns pounded
the rebels continuously, while the
smaller wal ships, steaming along the
shore, poured bullets from their rapid
fire guns at the enemy,
The Filipino force engaged appears
to have been the largest and best or
ganized body of men which has met
our troops The Americans were com
PEELED to advance along narrow roads
and over small bridges commanded by
earthworks ten feet thick.
The fighting at Las Pinas continued
holly all day long. General Lawton