Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-26
HARD BATTLE
Is Being Waged in the Vic
unity OF Calumpit.
The USE OF ARTILLERY
BY the Enemy Caused a Great
Deal of Surprise.
OUR MOVEMENT HAMPERED
Montana and Kansas Men Will Pro-
badly be the First to Enter
the Rebel Capital.
OUR MOVEMENT HAMPERED

Manila, April 26.-6:10 p. m.-Aguin-
aldos army today is defending Calumpit
energetically which is said to indicate
that the rebels are finally making that
place their last ditch. OF stand, which
the Americans expected them to make at
Malolos.
For the first time, Filipinos are employ
ing artillery. They brought two guns
into action in the trenches today before
CalumDit, firing modern shrapnell which
burst over the heads of Gen. Wheaton's
brigade without effect.
Fighting was resumed at o'clock this
morning. During the night the engineers
repaired the Bagbag bridge thus enab-
ling our troops to cross the river
Gen. Wheaton's brigade advanced in
extended order with the Kansas regiment
to the west of the railroad and the Mon
| tana regiment to the east of it and took
up position covering one and half
miles on the south bank of the Rio
Grande.
On the opposite banks We're fortified
trenches from which a few American SOL
diers would have been able to defy thou
sands, so strongly We're they constructed.
The Americans found the trenches on the
south bank of the river deserted which
furnished them with cover from which
they could pick off the Filipinos whenever
one of them showed his head.
When the rebels began firing two puffs
of smoke simultaneously from the
trenches on each side of the railroad
track showed they were using cannon,
which was genuine surprise to the
Americans. Several shells burst close to
Gen. Wheaton's staff, but it seemed the
Filipinos failed to master the machinery
of modern shells as they were unable to
get the right range.
YOungs Utah battery was ordered into
position in the center Of the Kansas regi-
ment to silence the rebels guns and at II
O'Clock the rapid fire guns had been fer
ried across the river and came into line.
At noon the rebels were still pouring a
heavy fire in the direction of the Ameri-
cans who returned it spiritedly
Two Americans were killed and seven
wounded. AT about this time Gen. Hale's
brigade was advancing east of the line
apparently to cross the river and attack
the rebel trenches in the flank as did the
Americans yesterday.
General Macarthur has secured an order
issued by Aguinaldo to rebel command
ers telling them to instruct their men to
ecOnOmiZe their fire save their emptv
shells and not to fire at the enemy when
the latter is under cover. The F'ilipinos
are also instructed never to fire at longer
range than 100 meters and when thew
have a river or other Obstructions in front
to hold their fire until within eighty
meters. This order was issued after
the recent encounter between the Flip
mos and Americans.
Lawton is meeting with the greatest
obstacles in the character of the coun-
try. His troops have only had a few
skirmishes thus far, resulting in five of
his men being wounded. But he has been
forced to put his men at work building
roads and the transport service is giving
much trouble, the bulIocks dying of heat
and exhaustion and Chinamen, having to
be employed in pulling some of the carts
Therefore the general has been unable
to cover the ground lie had hoped to GOV.
er.
The natives flee before the eXpedition
but they swarm back to their houses as
soon as Amencan troops have passed A
few Filipino sharpshOoters are harassine
the American flanks
The commissary department. is prepar-
ing TO send more rations under strong as
cort to the front.
The United States transport Zealandia
from San Francisco arrived here TODAY
after an uneventful voyage Her troops |!
are camped on the water front.
The United States transport Sheridan
sails for nome tomorrow.