The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1899-04-15

Manila, April 12.-Gen. Lawton has
captured Santa Cruz, at the extreme
end of the lake. He drove the rebels,
who We're commanded by q Chinaman
named Poa Wah, into the mountains.
The Americans had six men wounded.
The rebels lost sixty-eight men killed
and had forty men wounded.
Santa Cruz was the Filipino's strong
hold on Laguna de Bay, and it fell into
the hands of Gen. Lawton's eXpedi-
ton after some sharp, quick fighting,
forming one Of the most interesting
and important battles Of the war.
About fifteen hundred picked men
composed the expedition, which was
under the personal command of Gen.
Lawton on account Of the illness Of
Gen. King. These troops partly sur
rounded the city, while the gunboats
Laguna de Bay, Napidan and Oeste,
under command of Capt. Grant, Of
the Utah battery, shelled the city and
outlying trenches. Gen. Lawton and
his staff accompanied the troops, some
times leading charges in
Indian Fighting Tactics
which eventually resulted in the COM
plete rout of the rebels with the small
est amount of damage to the city and
slight loss to the Americans.
At sunrise Monday the assault COM
menccd. The American outlines south
of the city stretch two miles inland,
and with its left sweeping the shore, it
moved north, while the Fourth caval-
rymen on the point advanced toward
the city, pouring volleys upon the
trenches. simultaneously the gunboats
lowered along the shore Smelling the
woods ahead of the troops and driv-
ing the Filipinos inland. The Gatllngs
cleared several trenches. The whole
brigade was divided into squads of
twelve, and the fighting was carried
on III the old-time frontier fashion from
behind trees, crawling through bushes
or rushing across the open. The
trenches that were not cleared by the
gunboats gave considerable resistance
when the line was nearing the city,
and the Laguna de Bay and Oeste
bombarded for N hour in the hope Of
making them too warm for occupancy,
but did not succeed in clearing them
entirely. Gen. Lawton, with the Four
1eenth infantry battalions, approached
a narrow iron bridge across a creek on
the south border of the town. Here
a company of Filipinos
Was Intrenched
across the stream and behind a stone
barricade ut the entrance of the bridge.
The Americans rushed forward in
single file in the face of a CALLING fire,
demolished the barricade with their
hands and drove the enemy from the
trenches, killing a dozen. The Fill
pino soldiers in the town were occu-
plying various buildings and firing from
the windows and gave the invaders an
interesting hour. The Americans.
singly or in pairs entered the houses
and many warriors were taken prison.
ers. A considerable body of Filipinos
fed northward, crossing the open
, marshes. but the Calling guns poured
upon them q deadly hail until they dis
appeared in the woods, Staying dozens.
Mai. Weisenberger deployed the sharp
shooters along the shore and they crept
steadily forwards with the Gatlings.
Suddenly a large body was sent
against the enemy in the woods, driv-
ing them toward the mountains. Gen.
Lawton established headquarters at
the elegant palace of the governor and
q guard was Immediately placed in the
church. as the sacred edlfices are al
ways the first objective of loOtcrs.
Within an hour the towrs
Was Patrolled
and all looting rigidly prevented. AL
most all the inhabitants had fled DUR
ing the two preceding nights and only
a few Chinese shopkeepers have
emerged from hiding and resumed
business. On the marshes north Of
town were found forty dead Flipinos,
some terribly torn by shells and many
others wounded, to whom tile Ameri-
cans offered their canteens as though
they were comrades. A surgeon who
~traversed the field counted eighty
killed, and Gen. Lawton will report at
least sixty-eight. One Filipino, at
tempting to make his escape, slashed
yiciously at Mai. Weisenberger, who
shot and killed him. Sunday the in
surgents captured two men of the
Fourteenth infantry while unarmed,
but the Americans stole the guns Of
their captors, dubbed them, hid in the
trees over night and returned in the
Iaorning. The gunboats have been
searching the Santa Cruz river for
shipping. To-day the expedition will
push forward, the Americans having
destroyed miles Of telegraph lines, cut
ting off insIrgent communication east
and west.
Track Washed away.
Cheyenne, Wyo., April IL. = Nearly
100 feet Of track on the main line Of
the Union Pacific ut No. 1 tunnel,
near Simpson station, was washed out,
delaying all travel eighteen hours and