The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-06-21
A SEVERE BATTLE.
The Fighting Ragged from Day.
light Until Dark.
ARTILLERY ON BOTH SIDES.
American Under Great Disaoyan-
tages but Fought Splendid
Iy. Loss Estimated at
Sixty Men on Our
Side.

4 dispatch from Manila says zen.
Lawton unexpectedly stirred up one Of
the liveliest engagements Of the war
south Of Las Pinas Tuesday morning
upon which occasion American field
guns were engaged in the first artillery
duel against Filipino battery con.
eealed in the jungle. Companies T
and I of the Twenty first infantry were
nearly surrounded by a large body OF
insurgents, but the Americans cut their
way out with heavy loss.
The United States turret ship Mo
nadnock and the gunhoats Helena and
ZeaGro trained their batteries on Ba-
koor and the rebel trenches near Las
Pinas all the morning. Bakoor was
once on fire aud the natives stopped
the spread Of the flames. During the
night an insurgent cannon was fired
three times at the Americans on the
outskirts Of Las Plnas.
Gen. Lawton took battalion Of the
Fourteenth regiment and two compan-
les of the Twenty first regiment to To-
cate the rebel battery and then two
guns of the Sixth artillery and four
mountain guns were planted against l.
at 600 yards distance. The rebels had
large gun from which they we're firing
homemade canister loaded with nails,
and two smaller guns. Their shooting
was most accurate. The first lot of
canisters burst directly in front of
Scott's guns and another shattered the
legs Of a private of the Fourteenth IN
fantry. Several shots struck the edge
of the town. The country tra7ersed
was as bad as it is possible to imagine,
being manly lagoons, mud and water
fringed with bamboos.
As soon as the fighting opened the
Americans were attacked by hidden
riaemen on all sides, even the amigos,
or friendly" natives in the houses OF
the town shooting into their rear. The
companies Of the Twenty-6rst regiment,
skirmishing along the beach with amigo
guides, found, apparently, handfu!
of rebels, who retreated. The men Of
the Twenty-frst 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 of rapidly. After their
ammunition was nearly exhausted the
companies of the Twenty-frst retreated
but Gen. Lawton dashed down and
rallied the men.
Gen. Lawton ceased fighting until
reenforcements could be brought up.
Two battalions Of the Fourth regiment
and one battalion of the Ninth regl-
ment we're 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 warships, steaming along the
shere, poured bullets from the rapid
fire guns at the enemy. The Filipino
force engaged appears to have been the
largest and best organized body OF men
which has met our troops.
Wnen the battle was resumed at l
o'clock with the reenforccments, our
battery having silenced the enemys $
guns, the Americans wadlog waist
deep in the mud Of the salt fats, slow
ly and pouring steady volleys Of mus
kerry at the rebels, drove their opFon-
ents beyond the river. When the two
armies lay facing each other across the
deep stream, the enemy, practically
out of sight while the men IN blue and
khaki lay in the mud and bushes, many
of them without shelter, for three hours
without a moments cessation IN the
firing. poured bullets at the ensmy as
fast as they could load. The thous-
and rifles blended into continuous
roar was vastly different from the IL
termittent skirmishlike rattle OF most
of the engagements.
One battalion after another Gen.
Lawton summoned the reserves from
Las Pinas until only enough troops
were left in the town to prevent the
Filipinos from attacking the Amerl-
cans in the rear, which was feared, as
they were creeping around our lett
through the woods, delivering flank
ing fire, which put great strain upon
the endurance of the Americans who
were foundering in the mud across the
river, while on the right the Filipino
sharpshooters hidden in the trees, were
nennering ou. men. But. thanks to
the poor Workmanship Of the rebels,
the loss was not as great as II the Fill
pinos had shot straight.
The fighting continued hotly all day
long. Gen. Lawton called out the
whole force of 1900 men and at D
o'clock he was only able to push the
insurgents back 500 yards to the zapote
river, where they are entreDcaed. The
insurgents resisted desperately and
aggressively. They attempted to turn
the left flank Of the American troops.
The American loss is conservatlvely
estimated at sixty. The Americans
lost fifty men killed and wounded. The
Filipino loss is put at four hundred
killed and wounded.
On Wednesday the Fllipinos retreat
ed several miles South to the strongly
| fortified town of linus, where the next
battle is likely to be fought. Several
hundred women and children came into
the American lines for refuge; the road
from Bacoor was covered all day long
with processionsof them, on foot and IN
carts, driving animals and carrying
goods on their heads.
Gen. Lawton, with his staff and a
troop of the Fourth cavalry, started to
ascertain the nature Of the insurgents
position. He rode five miles along the
coast to Bacoor without discovering the
enemy. He found the town full Of
white flags. But there were no soldiers
there. The women and children who
had fed to the woods during the bonn
bardment were camping in the ruins Ct
their homes. The shells had almost