The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-11
LAWT0N TAKES SANTA CRUZ.
KNOWLEDGE OF INDIAN FIGHTING
USED TO ADVANTAGE.

Americans Had Only six Wounded
While sixty-Eight of the Insur-
gents Were Killed.
Manila, April 10.-Gen Lawton has cap
tured Santa Cruz. at the extreme end of
| the lake.
He drove the rebels, who were COM
manded by Chinaman named Pao Wan,
into the mountains
The Americans had six men wounded.
The rebels lost sixty Eight men killed
and had forty wounded.
| Santa Cruz was the Filipinos stronghold
! on Lake Laguna de Bay, and il fell into
| the hands of Gen. Lawton's expedition
after some sharp, quick fighting, forming
one of the most interesting and important
battles of the war
The plans of the American commanders
worked perfectly. with the exception that
| the progress of the expedition was delay
ed by the difficult navigation of the river.
About 1,5OO picked men composed the ex-
pedition, which was under the personal
| command of Gen. Lawton, on account of
! the illness of Gen. King These troops
partly surrounded the city, while the gum
boats Laguna de Bay, Napidau and Oeste,
| under the command of Capt. Grant of
/ the Utah battery, sheled the city and
| outlying trenches.
Indian Fighting Tactics.
Gen. Lawton and his staff accompanied
! the troops sometimes leading charges in
| Indian fighting tactics, which eventually
| resulted in the complete rout of the reb-
/ els, with the smallest amount of damage
/ In "a ri eli oh fr ri
| cans.
| The expedition started from San Pedro
| Macati at dusk on Saturday, intending to
| capture Santa Cruz by assault at day ybreak
/ But in navigating the shallow tortuous
| Pasg river, perhaps through the cunning
| of the native pilots who were not anxious
| to see the Americans successful several
! boats grounded. and 1t was nearly dawn
| when the troops reached the lake. The ex-
| petition then steamed cautiously forward,
| the Napidau and the Oeste a mile ahead
and the Laguna de Bay guarding the rear.
Rebel signal fires, however, were light
ed on the mountain tops, giving warning
of the approach of the troops.
1t was noon before the white church
towers of the city appeared in the shadow
OF the great volcanic mountain on the
marshy plain dotted with occasional palm
| groves
How the Attack Was Begun.
A Casco with a force of 200 picked sharp
| shooters under Mai Weisenberger, mostly
belonging to the first Washington regi-
rnent, was run into a shallow inlet about
| five miles south of the city.
| A few shells were then sent towards the
| entertainments of the rebels at the edge
of the woods, sending the enemy scamper-
! ing inland.
Then a number of Americans jumped
| into the water and, wading for about
! hundred yards, cTept forward and formed
| in line, covering the landing of the re-
mainder, which was finished about b
| o'clock.
The three troops of the Fourth Cavalry,
unmounted were sent ashore on a dam
gerous marshy point, directly south of the
/ city. under fire from the enemy's trench
/ es, while in the town itself there was ut
| ter silence and not a sign of life.
| Gen. Lawton. desiring 20 make an in
| spection and to give the inhabitants an op-
/ portunity to surrender, went on board the
! Laguna de Bay, and, accompanied by the
| Associated Press launch steamed Slowly
to the dock, the whole fleet watching anx-
| iously. When it was discovered by the
| glasses that the trenches and stone build
| ings were swarming with white clad SOL
| diers, the two boats withdrew, receiving
volleys from the trenches thrown up Oh
the marshy plain north of the city.
Drove Them From Trenches.
The fotila anchored in compact forma-
| tion for the night ready to resist any
| surprises from the rebel gunboats sup
| posed to be in the lake
| At sunrise to-day (Monday) the assault
! commenced. The American line south of
| the city stretched two miles inland, and
! with It's left sweeping the shore, 1t moved
north while the Fourth Cavalrymen on
the point advanced toward the city pour
! ing volleys into the trenches Simultane-
! ously the gunboats lowered along the
! shore, shelling the woods ahead OF the
! troops and driving the Filipinos inland.
! The Gatlings cleared several trenches
The whole brigade was divided into
| squads of twelve, and the fighting was
carried on in the old-time frontier fash
| ion. 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 an hour in the hope OF making them
too warm for occupancy, but did not sue
coed in clearing them entirely.
Had Much to Contend with.
Cen Lawton, with the Fourteenth In
fantry battalious, approached uarrov-
| iron bridge across creek on The south
| border Of the town. Here a company Of
| FiIpinos was intrenched across the stream
| and behind a stone barricade at the en-
| trance 10 the bridge. The Americans
| rushed forward IN single file, in the face
| of a CALLING fire. demolished the barrIcade
with their hands. ana drove the enemy
| from The trenches, killing a dozen.
The Filipino soldiers IN the town. Sc
creted In various buildings and firing from
| the windows, gave the invaders an inter-
| esting hour. There was a regular nest Of
| them In the stone jail, which is edged IN
! by a wall. This was a veritable pepper not.
! The Americans singly or in pairs entered
! the houses, and many warriors were taken
| prisoners.
A considerable body Of Flllpnos fed
northward. crossing the open marshes. bur
| the Gatiings poured upon them a deadly
| hail untn they disappeared in the woods.
| Staying dozens.
Mai. Weisenberger deployed the sharp
| shooters along the shore. and they crept
| steadily forward. aiding the Catiines.
Finally "a large body was sent against
4 a.. .Ia.a a.a.sa 81