Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-04-11
LaWtOn'S Command Does Some
Brilliant Work.
AMERICAN Loss VERY LIGHT
Brigade Divided Info Squads of
Twelve and do Their advancing,
Rushing After the Old Style of
Indian Fighting on The American
FrOniier- FiIipinOS Leave SxIfy-
eight Dead on The Field.

Manila, April 10, p. m-Santa
Cruz. the Filipino stronghold on La
guna de Bay, fell into the hands of
General Lawton after some sharp,
quick fighting today, forming one of
the most interesting and important
battles of the war. This American COM
mand worked perfectly with the excep-
tion that the preceding expedition was
delayed owing to the navigation of
the river
About 1,500 picked msn commanded
by General Lawton, on account of the
illness of General King, partly sur
rounded the city, while the gunboats
Laguna de Bay, Oeste and Rapidan,
under command of Captain Grant of
the Utah battery, shelled the city and
outlying trenches. General LawtOn
and his staff accompanied the troops,
sometimes leading the charges, as in
Indian fighting, which eventually re-
suited in a complete rout of the rebels
with the smallest amount of DANA ge
to the city and slight loss of Amer
leans.
AT sunrise today (Monday) the as
sauIt commenced. The American line
south of the city stretched two miles
inland, and with its left sweeping the
shore, it moved north, White the
Fourth cavalry advanced toward the
city pouring vclleys on the trenches.
simultaneously the gunbOats lowering
along the shore, shelled the woods
ahead of the troops, driving the Fill
pinos inland The Gatlings cleared
several trenches.
The whole brigade was divided into
squads of twelve and fighting was car
ried ON in old time frontier fashion
from behind trees, crawling through
bushes or running across the open.
The trenches that were not cleared
by the gunboats gave considerable ce-
sistance whsn the line was nearing the
city, and the Laguna de Bay and Oeste
bombarded for an hour in hope of
making them TOO warm for occupancy,
but did not succeed in clearing them
entirely.
General Lawton, with the Four
teenth infantry battalion, approached
a marrow iron bridge across a creek
on the south bordec of the town Fere
a company Of FiIipinos was eEtrenched
across the stream and behind a stone
barricade at the entrance to the bridge
The Americans rushed forward in sim
gle file in the face of CALLING fire,
demolished the barricade with their
hands and drove the enemy from the
trenches, killing dozen.
Filipino soldiers in the town, Sc
creted in various buildings and firing
from windows, gave the invaders an
interesting hour. The Americans
singly or in pairs, entered the bOuscs
and many warriors were taken prison
ers. A considerable number of Fill
pinos fed northward, crossing the
open marshes, but the Gatiiug guns
poured upon them a deadly hail until
they disappeared in the woods. slay
ing dozens.
Major Weisenberger deployed the
sharpshooters along the shore and
they crept steadily forward, aiding the
Gatlings. Finally a large body was
sent against the enemy III the woods,
driving them toward the mountains.
General Lawton established his head
quarters at the elegant palace of the
governor.
On the marshes north of town were
found forty dead Filipinos, some ter
rib.y torn by shells and many others
wounded, to- whom the Americans Of
fered their canteens as though they
were comrades. A surgeon who trav-
ersed the field counted fifty killed.
and General Lawton will report at
least sixty-eight. Tomorrow the eX-
pedition will push forward, the Amer
leans having destroyed mfies OF tele-
graph lines, cutting eff the insurgent
communication both cast and west.