People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1899-06-15

Manila, June l3, $40 p.m.-Gen.
Lawton Unexpectedly stirred up one
Of the liveliest engagements of the
war, south Of Las Pinas this morning,
upon which occasion American field
guns were engaged In the First artil.
lery duel against a Filipino battery
concealed in the jungle. The 6ghtiDg
continued hotly all day long. Gen.
Lawton called out the force of3,OOO
men, and at S o'clock he was only able
to push the insurgents back 500 yards
to the Seapole river where they are
entrenched. The insurgents resisted
desperately and aggressively. They
attempted to turn the left flank Of
the American troops.
The American loss Is conservatively
estimated at sixty. The battle con-
tinues.
The MOnadnock, Helena and Safro
took part In the fight. The fight was
started by the insurgents opening on
the Americans with a cannon on the
outskirts Of Las Pinas, near Cavite.
AS soon as the fight got under way
the Americans were attacked by
hidden riflemen on all sides, even the
amigos or friendly" natives In the
houses OF the town shooting In their
rear. The Americans, skirmishing
along the beach, found, apparently, a
handful of rebels, who retreated.
Suddenly the rebels opened terrific
lire 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 Twsnty-frst retreated
but Gen. Lawton rushed down and
rallied the men. A little group made
a desperate stand. General Lawton,
Major Starr, and Lleutenants Dono.
van and Connolly, taking rifles from
the wounded men, fred at the enemy,
bringing down some of the rebel
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, floundered for q mile
through bog, after leading his men
In the face Of a greatly superior force:
General Lawton ceased fighting
until reinfOrCementS could be brought.
The Filipino force engaged appears
to have been the largest and best
organized body Of men that has met
vur troops.
When the battle was resumed at |
o'clock with the reinforcements, our
battery having silenced the enemy's
guns, the Americans waAing waste
deep in the mud Of the sand fats.
slowly advancing and pouring steady
'ollsys Of musketry at the rebels,
drove their opponents beyond the
river.
Then the two armies lay facing
each other across the deep stream,
the enemy practically out of sight,
while the men In blue and kahaki lay
10 the main bushes, many Of them,
Without any shelter, for three hours
without moments cessation in the
firing.
General Lawton, though exhausted
oy the mornings fighting, rallied by
sheer will power, and was the com.
manding figure in the battle. He
went along the lines, directing and
encouraging the troops.
General Wheaton and General
Ovenshine we're equally courageous
In fact, the generals were among the
few men on the battlefield who refused
to take shelter under the hottest fire.
The only approach to the fighting
ground was by a narrow, winding
road where the bullets dropped thickly
around our men.
At 4 o'clock there was an hours lull
in the fighting and an artillery ser.
geant golloped back to where the two
guns Of the mountain battery were
waiting in reserve and shouted:
"Bringup those guns"
The sergeant then tumbled sxhaus.
ted from his horse.
Twenty wounded men we're carried
70 . cascoe tnatiye boat, waiting on
shs beach which Was rowed to Para.
mama