Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-03-28
ON THE FIGHTING LINE.

Manila. March 27.-11.3O A. M.-The
Americans, this morning. found the
important town of Polo and a number
of small villages west of the railroad
deserted and burning. They are ad-
vancing along the railroad.
Today. the Washington Volunteers
who held Pasig, yesterday. had an en-
gagement with a band of insurgents
who drove in their outposts. In the
fight the Filipinos lost several men.
40 A. M.-The Helena and the army
gunboats have shelled Malabon and
the country beyond while the Monad-
mock focused all its batteries upon
/ Paranaque for two hours, for the pur-
pose of destroying the military stores
there
A great smoke was caused. but as the
insurgents are in possession of the
town. the results of the shelling are not
| obtainable.
The evacuation of Malabon was a
| picturesque rout, thousands of men,
women and children loaded down with
household goods. some with their dear
est reasures-fightng cocks-under
their arms, poured across the swamps
in the early morning.
! An exploded caisson at the railroad
bridge proved bar to the Americans
Ten soldiers of the Oregon Regiment
| While searching for two of those killed
earlier in the fighting, sneaked into
the city. in the morning, and found the
place in a condition of chaos. The in
ha bitants. seeing them. fled in panic;
thinking the American forces We're in
possession. The Oregonians shot sew
eral armed natives and then returned
! TO camp.
The American forces did not occupy
! MaIabon, but are concentrating their
strength to strike Maiolos. Malabon
IS 4 scene of desolation. American SOL
diers have been forbidden to enter the
place for fear the natives may be lurk-
ing there.
| 3.2J p. M.-Gen. MacArthur's' division
spent the night and morning at May
kawayan. the next station beyond
| Polo. After reconnoitering his front
! he pushed along the railroad, this af-
| ternoon. toward Malolos.
| If the statement of 81 prisoners cap
| tured today. is true. the main body
of the enemy have retreated to Mala-
| los. But there are more trenches to
encounter. although over 80 villages.
including the larger settlements of Bull
acan and Guiguinto intervene.
AT every railroad station circulars
have been posted signed by the Fill
pino comma nder-in- chief Antonio
Luna. ordering all spies and bearers of
news to the enemy to be shot without
trial and instructing that all doctors
and ravishers be treated in the same
manner Further. all towns abandon
ed by the Filipino troops are first to
be burned. While deploring the exist
ence of war, the circular maintains the
undeniable right of the Filipnos to de-
fend the homes, lives and lands against
would be dominators who will kill
them, their wives and children add
ing that this motive ought to impel
all Filipinos to sacrifice everything.
The shelling of Paranque was not
premeditated. The turret ship Monad-
mock, anchored off the town, and the in
surgents. emboldened by the long sill
ence of the warships on guard duty,
opened fire on her with muskets, with
the result that one man was killed
and three were wounded The Monad
mock then destroyed half the town, in
cluding the church.
The Washington Regiment had an
exciting experience and displayed
much gallantry. The soldiers found a
band of insurgents concealed in a stone
house, over which the French flag was
flying. and Private French volunteered
to set fire to the building. He did so
and the troops approached when it was
burning and the Filipinos had ap-
parently fled. But the Americans were
greeted with a sudden volley from the
balcony of the house. The building
was then cleared Of the enemy in short |
order
740 p. MA thousand Filipinos |
composing the rear guard on the rebel |
army which is retreating on Malolos, |
Aguinaldo's Headquarters, made a |
stand, today, in SOME strong intrench- |
ments about Marilao, across the Mari
Ioa river In the engagement six
Americans were killed, including three
officers, and 40 We're wounded.
The American forces advanced from
Meycauyan mot Maykawayan). the
brigade commanded by Gen. Harrison
Gray Otis being on the left of the road
and Gen. Hale's on the right. They |
eventually discerned white roofs and
steeples among the green trees beyond
the river looking not unlike a Massa-
chusetts village.
The rebels had an unfOrdable river
Continued on page 2.)