The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1899-04-15
SANTA CRUZ FIGHT
CAPTURE THE RESULT OF A MOST
INTERESTING BATTLE.

American Soldiers, Aided by Gunbosts.
Take the Place without Loss Enemy
Suffered Severely At Least Eighty
Killed, Many Wounded and q Number
CAPTURED Indian Fighting Tactics Used
By american Troops in tho Advance.
MANILA, April 1.-THE capture of
Sant3 Cruz by General Lawton's e1pe-
ditiofs followed one of the most inter-
estins kand important battles Of the war.
The merican loss, owing largely to the
use a. gunboats, was 8 wounded. The
Filipjhos are known to have lost 80
killed many more wounded and large
numfjer captured. The American expe-
ditiorEwas under the personal command
of General Lawton and his plans worked
PERFECTLY with the exception that prog
ress Ip the river was delayed by diff
cult Navigation.
The expedition was composed of
about 800 picked men. These troops
partly surrounded the city, while the
gunbpats Laguna de Bay, Napidan and
Oesta under the command of Captain
Granhof the Utah battery, shelled the
city and outlying trenches.
GeHeral Lawton and his staff accom-
panied the troops, sometimes leading
charges in Indian fighting tactics, which
eventually resulted in the complete
rout Nf the rebels, with the smallest
amount of damage to the city and slight
loss M the Americans. 1
Beginning of the Fight.
| Caxpes with force of 200 picked
sharpS Shooters under Major Weisen-
bergE, mostly belonging to the First
Washington regiment, were run into
shallow inlet about five miles south of
the city. Then few shells were sent
toward the entrenchments of the rebels
at the, edge of the woods, sending the
enemy scampering inland. A number
Of Americans jumped into the water
and, wading for about 100 yards, crept
forward and formed in line covering
the landing Of the remainder.
Thethree troops Of the Fourth cav
. airy, unmounted, were sent ashore on q
dangerous marshy point directly south
, of the city under fire from the enemy's
trenches.
Meanwhile in the town itself there
), was utter silence and not sign Of life.
! General Lawton, desiring to give the
: inhabitants an opportunity to surren.
der, gent on board the Laguna de Bay
and sSe,med slowly to the dock. Whe1
J, it siscGyared iby. the glasses that tn,
trenches and stone buildings wer'
r swarming with whiteclad soldiers th'
y boat withdrew, receiving volleys from
= the trenches thrown up on the marshy
plain north of the city.
y Gunboats Cleared tho Way.
At sunrise Monday the assault com.
;, menced. The American outlines south
!, of the city stretched two miles inland
and, with it's left sweeping the shore, it
moved north, while the Fourth cavalry
men on the point advanced toward the
city, pouring volleys upon the trenches.
simultaneously the gunboats lowered
> along the shore, shelling the woods
ahead of the troops and driving the Fill
pinos inland. The Gatlings cleared
several trenches.
The whole brigade was divided into
squads Of 10 and the fighting was car
ried on in the old time frontier fashion
from behind trees, crawling through
bushes or rushing across the open. The
trenches that were not cleared by the
gunboats gave considerable resistance
and the Laguna de Bay and Oesta bonn
barded them for an hour in the hope of
making them too warm for occupancy,
but did not succeed in. clearing them
entirely.
General Lawton, with the Fourteenth
infantry battalions, approached mar
row iron bridge across q creek on the
south border of the town. Here q COM
pany of Filipinos was intrenche1 across
the stream and behind stone barricade
at the entrance to the bridge.
Faced Calling Fire.
The Americans rushed forward in
single file in the face Of a CALLING fire,
demolished the barricade with their
hands and drove the enemy from the
trenches, killing dozen. q.
The Filipino soldiers in the town were
occupying various buildings, and firing
from the windows, gave the invaders an
interesting hour. There was regular
nest of them in the stone jail, which is
hedged in by wall. This was ver-
i liable pepper pot. The Americans,
singly or in pairs, entered the houses
and many warriors were taken prison
ers.
! A considerable body of Filipinos fed
northward, crossing the open marshes,
but the Gatling guns poured upon them
a deadly hail until they disappeared in
the woods, Staying dozens.
Major Weisenberger deployed the
sharpshooters along the shore and they
crept steadily forward with the Cat
lings. Suddenly large body was sent
against the enemy in the woods, driving
them toward the mountains.
/ Lawton Occupies the Palace.
General Lawton established head
quarters at the elegant palace Of the
Igovernor and q guard was immediately
placed In the church, as the sacred edi-
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