The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1899-05-26
WERE SHELLED.
Capt. Franks "Tinclad' Gunb0ats Dis
persed Insurgents Before San Luis.
Natives who Had Assembled on the Rives
Bank Crowded About the Americans
With Expressions of Fric"d-
ship-flags Displayed.

| MANILA, May 22-Col. Kobbe's expo
dition up the Rio Grande river met
with no resistance except at the out
skirts of San Luis where several hun.
dred Filipinos were intrenched on the
banks of the stream. The rebels re.
treated beyond Candaba and the gun
boats steamed ahead, alternating their
Calling guns upon the banks and drop
ping shells wherever uniforms APP
peared on the shore. The gunboats
dispersed the insurgents before San
Luis. After they bad passed sharp.
shooters from the trees across
the river, about a hundred yards
distant, harrassed the 18th infantry,
which was marching by fours along
troops were unable to see the enemy.
| The members of one battalion laid on
their faces in the road for a quarter OF
an hour trying TO locate the riflemen
and return the fire. Two Americans
were wounded.
The road wound close TO the stream
and was thickly settled. 1t was pic
turesque march. Many groups of hun
dreds of natives were clustered under
the trees on the opposite banks, dis
playing white shirts, towels, sheets, OF
anything white on poles. Some shout.
ed welcomes to the American soldiers
but most of them maintained a sullen
silence. An old man in a carriage met
the troops two miles outside of the
town. He said: Il have lived in Eng.
land and l have told the people that
the Americans are like the English
and that they need not be afraid"
Capt Frank, in command Of the gun
boats, landed before the troops ar
rived and met with Porto Rican"
welcome. The natives who had as
sembled on the shore crowded about
the Americans, with fulsome expires
sious of friendship, apparently hall
afraid that they would be massacred.
Capt. Grant quickly distributed the
men from the gunboat La Guna de
Bay to guard the town. and the natives
sent a messenger to tell the people who
had taken refuge in the swamps to re-
turn. Hundreds of the natives there.
upon returned timidly, a man with an
improvised flag of truce flying from
a bamboo pole preceding each party.
A Capuchin priest, one of the few
whom Filipinos had not imprisoned,
| was found at Candaba. He said ii was
useless to try TO convince the natives
that the Americans had not come to
Cypress them, as they believed their
leaders, who had strongly impressed
this belief upon them and who have
told stories of massacres, rapes and
Filipino victories. The walls of the
towns were playcarded with reports OF
the slaughter of Americans, hundreds
of whom were said to have been taken
prisoners.
As soon as Maj. Kobbe reached San
Luis the natives raided the insurgents
rice stores. All day stream Of half.
naked people emerged from the store
to their homes with bags Of rice on
their heads.
On Thursday night body of rebels
returned to San Luis and burned part
of the town. Lieut. Cunningham.
with signal corps party, engaged in
running telegraph line, was camped
near the place. Maj. Kobbe sent the
army gunboat Cavadonga there and
found the party Saturday in the town.
The RIO Grande. since Maj. Kobbe
started, has been the highway for the
exodus of the natives and Saturday
there is a continuous procession OF
matched cascoes, white flags, drifting
down the river, and containing whole
families of 20 to 30 persons
The Nebraska regiment marched
from San Fernando to Calumpit, Satur-
day, for a So-days' rest. The regiment
numbers about 500 weather beaten vet
Grams Two of the companies are mere
squads, and their battered canteens
and shiny clothes show unmistakable
tudrhS VI TouSh taihPoiBh mug pus
the soldiers are happy. Several Of
them dropped by the way from the
heat, but when they boarded the spe-
cial train at Calumpit, bound for Ma
Mia, they yelled like school boys and
the other troops went TO their sta
tions and cheered heartily.
WAsHINGToN, May 2l.-The follow
ing dispatch has been received at the
war department.:
MANILA, May 2o.-Adjutant General,
Washington: Commissioners OF Agui.
naldo arrived this morning. Wish &c
consult United States commissioners
which they do ED inst. Their power
limited and apparently armistice a
condition precedent TO negotiations.
Aguiraldo asks cessation of hostilities
to ascertain desire of Filipino people
OTIS.