The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-04-11

ing-The Advance on The Town Delayed
by the Cunning of Native Pilots, Wto
Allowed Our Vessels to Run Aground.
The Shells of the Warships Aided in
Putting the Enemy to Flight.
Manila, April 11.--Goneral Lawton
has captured Santa Cruz, at the eX-
treme end of the lake. Ele drove tho
rebels, who were commanded by a
Chinaman named Pao-Wah, ilto the
mountains. The Americans had one
man killed and six wounded.
Santa Cruz was the Filipinos' strong
hold on Lake Laguna de bay, and it
fell into the hands of General l.awton'3
expedition after some sharp, quick
fighting, forming one of the most in
teresting and important battles of the
war.
The plans Of tho American com
manders worked perfectly, with the
exception that the progress of the cX-
pedrtion was dclayed blythe difficult nav
fgation of the river. About 800 pi k
ed men composed the expedition,
which was under the personal com
maDd of General LawtoD, on account
of the illness Of General King. These
troops partly surrounded the city,
while the G,nho&ts I4aeuna de Bay,
Napidau and Ocsto, under tie cont
mand OF Captain Grant, CT the Titan
battery. shclcd the city and outlying
trenches.
General l.awton and his star ac-
companicd the troops, sometimes lead
ing charges in Indian fighting tactics,
which eventually resulted in the cont
R!etp rOut of the rebels, with the
smallest amount Of damage to the city
and slight loss to the Americans.
The expedition started from San
Pedro MaCati at dusk on Saturday. in
tending to capture Santa Cruz by as
sault at daybgenk BUt in naViga ting
the shallow, t0rlurous Pasig river,
perhaps through the canning Of the
native pilots, who wcrc not anxious to
zee the Americans successful, several
boats grounded, and it was nearly
dawn when the troops reached the
lake. The expedition then steamed
cautiously forward, the Naplan and
the Oc$tc a mile ahead and the Iaguaa
dc Bay guarding he rear.
Rebel signal fires, however, were
lighted on he mountain tops, giving
warning Of the approach Of the troops
1t was noon before the white church
towers of the city appeared in the
shadow OF the great volcanic NOUN
tain on a E,arshy plain dotted with
occasional palm groves
A casco, with force of 200 picked
sharpshooters, under Major Wcisen-
berger, mostly belonging to the Firs-
Washington regiment was run into IL
shallow inlet about five miles south
of the city.
Then a few shells were sent toward
TIL" entertainments Of the rebels at the
edge of the wocds. sending the enemy
sea campering inland.
Then a number of Americans jump
Ell into the water and, wading for
about a hundred yards, crept forward
and formed in line. covering the land
Ing Of the remainder. which finished
about : o'clock.
The three troops OF the Fourth cav
alry. unmountcd. were sent ashore on
a dangerous marshy point, directly
south Of the city, under fire from the
enemy's trench.
Meanwhile in the town itself there
was utter silence, and not sign Of
life. General l.awton. desiring to
MAJ" an inspection and to give the
Inhabitants an opportunity to sur
TeNGHr, Went on board the Laguna de
L. L., a..
p9p"r lnunCh, steamed slowly to the
dock. the whole feet watching anX-
i0Nsly. When ii was discovered by the
R'f tar% that the trenches and stone
biIIdiuGt were swarming with white
clad soldiers the two boats Withdrew,
TccAiin% voIlnys from the trenches
thrown up on the marshy plain north
of tho city.
The iiutiln anchored in compact for
nation for The nieht, ready to resist
any surprises from the rebel gun boats
supposed To be in the lake. At sun
rise yesterday the assault commenced.
The \Merican line south of the city
stretched two milcS inland. and with
its lett sweeping the shore it moved
mort h. while the ravalrymcn on the
point advanced towards the city. pour
Ing VclloyS upon the trenches. Simul-
tiuaOua'y the gurhCata hOvcrcd along
tho s"o.c, Smelling the woods ahead of
tho troops and driving the Filipinos in
land, Tho gatIings cleared several
trenchc&.
Th" whole brigade was divided into
squads of IL. and the fighting was car
red ON in the old ima frontier fashion,
FROM behind trees, crawling through
bushes or rushing across the open.
The trenches that were not cleared by
the ennhCatS gave considerable re-
Bistancc when the line was nearing the
city, and the Lnguna de Bay and the
Oeste bombarded for an hour in the
hope OF making them too warm for oc-
cupancy. but did not succeed in clear
ing them entirely.
General Lawton, with the Fourteenth
Infantry battalions, approached mar
row iron bridge across the creek on the
south border of the town. Here /;
company of Filipinos was intrenched |
across the stream and behind a stone
barrcade at the entrance to the bridge. |
The Americans rushed forward in sim
gle flle. demolished the barricade with |
their hands and drove the enemy
from the trenches, killing a dozen.
The Filipino soldiers in the town. !