Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-04-27
TUESDAYS FIGHTING.
Advance of MacArthur's Men Dcs-
perately Opposcd

Advance of MacArthur's Men Dcs.
perately Opposed.
Manila, April ~. 1o:3o p. m.Gen-
cral MacArthur's division fought its
way to the Filipino trenches before
Calumpit Tuesday, advancing four
miles, mostly through woods and jun
gle, and crossing the Ragbag river.
This was accomplished at IL cost to
the Americans of six killed and TWEEN
ty-eight wounded. The First South
South Dakota regiment was the heav-
lest loser.
After fortling the river the South
Dakotans pursued the insurgents to the
outskirts of Calumpt, but the town
was found so strongly protected that
General Macarthur deemed it best TO
withdraw the tired fighters and to go
into camp for Il nights rest before
making the final assault
The largest buildings in Caumpit
the Americans were crossing the river,
emy's intention to abandon the place.
The insurgents seem to have adopted
settled policy of retiring from one
position to another, after intlicting the
greatest possible damage upon the adj
vancing army. The forces today We're
we'll drilled. Every foot of the ground
was tenaciously disputed by thorough
ly organized troops, who stood re-
markedly firm, even before artillery.
The enemy had planned 10 wreck our
artillery transport train. This at
tempt was failure, but a span of the
iron railway bridge over the river was
destroyed, hampering the American
transportation for some time. The
Filipinos cut the girders. intending to
have the structure fall with the train,
but ii collapsed prcmaturcly of its own
weight.
The Bagbag river. which is about 100
yards wide at that point, was splendid
ly fortified. and the Americans We're
compelled TO approach across an open
space from which the rebels had
cleared every obstruction to sight.
The bank of the river. a high bluff,
was sur1nountc6l with trenches. capped
with rocks loopholcd and partly hid
den by bushes.
General Whcaton's brigade APP
preached the river along the railroad,
leaving camp beyond Malolos city.
General Halc's, which started ycstcr-
day, was earlier on the march and
sweeping westward toward the rail
road. The armorcd train was being
pushed by Cinnamon, the Twentieth
Kansas regiment advancing i'm extend
ed order ON the left and the First Mon
tana regiment, with the Utah light ar
tllery. on the right
The rapid firing guns on the train
"opencd the BALI al 10:30 a. M, about
a mile from the river, their popping
alternating continuously with the
boom of the 6-pollnders.
The Montana regiment and the Utah
tered the Jungle, from which the in
surgents. who were occupying a large.
struggling village of huts, poured
heavy volleys. In the course of an hour
the Americans had forced a passage
through the woods to the open space
in front of the river, and the artillery,
Immediately on wheeling into the
open. began Smelling the Filipino
trenches.
Knnsan's Daring Exploit.
In the meantime Company X, Twcn-
,ieth Kansas, led by Captain HOLLYWOOD,
performed one of the most brilliant
achievements of the campaign. The
regiment WAS being held in reserve.
and Company IL charged a distance of
a quarter of a mile over Il eorntielo 10
the bank of the river. near the bridge
where the insurgents from Il trench
We're peppering the armored train.
then about 200 yards down the track.
The company found shelter in ditch.
Colonel Fred Funston called for vol
nnteers to cross the river. and the
colonel himself, Lieutenant Ball a
private of Company IL, a private of
Company +, 'Irumpeter Barsfield and
Corporal Ferguson, of Company l,
crawled along The iron girders.
While this was going on the men of
Company IL from the ditch We're fusil-
aiding the trenches in the endeavor to
divert attention, but the liipinos got
the range from trench down the
river and their bullets soon spattereel
the water under the structure
Having reached the broken span
the small but valorous party of Amer
leans slid down the caisson, swan a
few yards to the shore. crawled up the
bank, the little colonel leading the
way to the trenches, revolver i'm hand
while the few remaining Filipinos
bolted
Colonel Funston said afterward: at
was not much to do. We knew they
could not shoot straight. and that our
boys would ATTEND to them while we
were crossing"
General Hale's troops on the right
had the hardest fight. They followed
the north bank of the river, nearest
the town, from the east with the First
Nebraska regiment on the left and the
First South Dakota and the Fifty-frst
Iowa beyond. The country to be
lraversed was mostly jungle, but the
f'ilipinos stood their ground, even in
the open spaces.
General Hale's right joined Genera
Wheaton's left soon after noon. a
curve i'm the river enablinp the Amer