Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-04-28
MAKE A BRAVE FIGHT
MacArthur's Troops Reach the
Trenches Before Calumpit.
WITHDRAW TO TAKE A NEEDED REST.
The Advance to BE Resumed at Once
six Men Killed and Twenty
-. Eight Wounded in Tues
days Engagement.

six Men Killed and Twenty.
y Eight Wounded in Tues
days Engagement.
Manila, April 26.-Gen. MacArthur's
division fought its way to the Filipino
trenches before Calumpit Tuesday, adj
vancing four miles, mostly through
woods and jungle, and crossing the
Bagbag river. This was accomplished
at cost to the Americans of six killed
and rs wounded, the First South Dakota
regiment being the heaviest loser.
After fording the river the South Da-
kotans pursued the insurgents to the
outskirts of Calumpit. but the town
was found so strongly protected that
Gen. Macarthur deemed it best to with
draw the tired fighters and to go into
camp for a nights rest before making
the final assault. The largest buildings
in Calumpit were being fired by the
Filipinos while the Americans We're
crossing the river fully mile away,
indicating the enemy's intention to
abandon the place.
Insurgents Well Drilled.
The insurgents seem to have adopted
settled policy of retiring from one po-
sition after another, after inflicting the
greatest possible damage upon the adj
vancing army. The forces Tuesday
were well drilled. Every foot of the
ground was tenaciously disputed by
thoroughly organized troops, who stood
remarkably firm even before artillery.
The enemy had planned to wreck our
artillery transport train. This attempt
was failure, but span of the iron rail
way bridge over the river was de-
stroyed, hampering the American
transportation for some time. The
Filipinos cut the Orders, intending to
have the structure fall with the train,
but it collapsed prematurely of it's own
weight.
The Bagbag river, which is about a
hundred yards wide at that point, was
splendidly fortified, and the Americans
were compelled to approach across an
open space from which the rebels had
cleared every obstruction to sight. The
bank of the river, high bluff, was sur
mounted with trenches, capped with
rocks, loopholed and partly hidden by
bushes.
Approach of Americans,
Gen. Wheaton's brigade approached
the river along the railroad, leaving
camp beyond Malolos city. Gen. Hale's,
which started Monday, was earlier on the
march and sweeping westward toward
the railroad. The armored train was be-
ing pushed by Cinnamon, the Twentieth
Kansas regiment advancing in extend
ed order on the left and the First Mon
tapa regiment, with the Utah light ar
tillery, on the right. The rapid
guns on the train Opened the ball" at
a1;ao a. m. about mile from the river,
their popping alternating continuously
with the boom of the six-pounders.
Inc Montana regiment and the Utah
artillery batteries at the same time en-
tered the jungle, from which the insur-
gents, who were occupying large,
struggling village of Hub, poured heavy
yolleys. It the course of an hour tha
Americans had forced 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.
4 Ooi. Funston Again in Evidence.
IN the meantime company K, Twen-
tieth Kansas, led by Capt. Beltwood.
performed one of the most brilliant
achievements of the campaign. The
regiment was being held in reserve, and
company K charged distance of a
quarter of mile over cornfield to the
bank OF the river, near the bridge.
where the insurvents from trench
We're peppering the armored train.
then about 200 yards down the track.
The company found shelter in ditch.
Col. Frederick Funston called for VOL
unteers to cross the river, and the COL
onel himself, Lieut.. Ball, private of
company z, private of company p.
Irumpeter Barsfeld and Corp. Fergu-
son, OF company I, crawled along the
iron girders. While this was going on
the men of company K, from the ditch
We're fusillading the trenches in the en-
deayor to divert attention, but the Fill
pinos got the range from trench down
Inc river, and their bullets soon spat-
tered the water under the structure.
Having reached the broken span. the
small but valorous band of Americans
sno down the caisson, swan few wards
TO the shore and crawled up the bank.
the little colonel leading the way to the
trenches, revolver in hand, while the
rev remaining Filipinos bolted. Col.
Funston said afterwards: SIT wasn't
much to do. We knew they could not
shoot straight, and that our bows wonld
attend to them while we were cross.
ing" 0''4
Gen. 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 Ne.
braska regiment on the left and tbe
First South Dakota and the Fifty-frst
Iowa beyond. The country to be trav-
ersed was mostly jungle, but the Fill
pinos stood their ground even in the
open spaces. Gen. Hale's right Joined
Gen. Wheaton's left soon after noon a
curve In the river enabling the Ameri-
cans to pour an enfilading fire into the
enemys trenches. About this time tbe
cheers OF the Kansas troops announced
that the Americans had crossed tbe
river. Gen. Hale's men began to ford
the Chico, branch of the Bapbag
stretching to the northeast. The oen,
eral himself plunged in I'm IN III ear |