The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-04-29
ADVANCE ON cALUhP|L.
The Americans Drive the Numerous
and Strongly-Entrenched En-
cmy Back Four Miles.
DARING FEATS OF VALOR BY OUR BOYS.
A Plan to Wreck the Artillery Train
that Failed-FOrced n Passage
Through the Observation-Disclosures
for n Dangerous ENploit-The
CusuuIfies,


Casualties.
Manila. April 26.-Gen. M~acArhtur's
division fought its way to the Filipino
trenches before Calumpit yesterday,
advancing four miles. mostly through
woods and jungle, and crossing the
Eagbag river.
This was ACCOMPLISHED at Il cost to
the Americans of six killed and p
wounded. The First South Dakota
regiment being the heaviest loser
Pursued to the Outskirts of C~aIumpit.
After fording the river h South
Dakorans pursued the insurgents TO
the outskirts of Calumpit, but the town
was found to he so strongly protected
that Gen. Macarthur deemed it best
to withdraw the tired fighters. and go
into camp for u nights rest before the
hnal assault.
The largest buildings in Calumpit
were being fired by the Filipinos while
I the americans were crossing the river,
fully Il mile away. indicating the enc
ny'S intention to abandon the place.
l' lIL~Ail IL N'AAA " go ~
ed a settled policy of retiring from one
position after another. after inti!cting
the greatest possible damage upon the
advancing army.
The forces yesterday were well
drilled. Every foot of the ground was
tenaciouslv disputed by the thorough
ly-organizcd troops. who stood remark
p OILY firm, .yan hafprr artillery
Planned to Wreck Our Artillery.
The enemy had planned to wreck Il
artillery transport train. This at
tempt WAS Il failure. but Il span of the
iron railway bridge over the river was
destroyed. h~ampering the American
transportation for some time.
The Filipinos cut the girders, in
tending to nave the structure fall with
the train. but it collapsed premature
~ of its own weight.
The Bagbng River Fortified.
The Hagbag river. which is Ibuut 100
yards wide at that point, WIS s%plenditt-
~ fortified. and the Americans were
compelled to approach over an opcl
space from which the rebels had
cleared every obstruction to sight. The
Lank of the river, a high bluff. was
surmounted with trenches. capped
with rocks, l~oOpnoled and partly hid
den by bushes.
Cen. Whcaton's brigade approached
Tie river along the railroad. leaving
camp beyond Malolos city. Gen. ~iiale's,
which started Monday. was earlier on
the march. and sweeping westward
toward the railroad. The armorrI
train was being pushed by Chinese. the
Twentieth Kansas regimen: advancing
il an extended orGe.' On the lef, and
the First Montana regiment with liz.
Utah light artillery. On the right.
Rapid-Fire Guns and
The rapid-iiring les OF the trai;
''opencd the BALI at 49, Il. H.. arout
{! mile from the river. their popping al
t~ernating continuously with the boom
Of the six Founders.
The Montana regiment and the Utah
artillery batteries at the same time
entered the jungle, from which the in
surgents. who were occupying Il large
struggling village. Hub, poured heavy
v~olleys.
Forced n Passage Through Woods.
In the course of an hour the Amer
leans had forced Il passage Through
the woods To the open space in frCnt
OF the river. and the artillery. imme-
diatcly on wheeling into the open. be
gan Smelling the Filipino trenches.
in the meantime Co.. X. Twentieth
Kansas. led by Capt. Brltwood. per-
formed one of the most brilliant
achievements of the campaign. The
regiment was hcin" held in reserve.
and Co. X charged Il quarter of Il mile
over Il corn field to the bank of the
river. near the bridge. where the in
Surgents. from Il trench. were pepper
ing the armUrcd train. then about 200
yards bach down the track. The conf
PAM found shelter in Il ditch.
Volunteers for u Dangerous Exploit.
Col. Frederick Funston called for
volunteers to cross the river. and the
colonel himself. Lieut.. Tall. Il private
of Co. X. Il private of Co. +, Trumpeter
Barsfield and Corporal Ferguson. of
60 |, crawled along the iron girders.
While this was going on the men of
Co. n, from the ditch, were f~usiladino
The trenches in the cndeavor to divert
attention, but the Filipinos got the
range from a trench down the river.
and their bullets soon spattered the
water under the structure.
Having reached the broken span. the
small but valnrous party of Ameri-
can slid down the caisson. swan a
few yards 10 the shore. and crawIed
up the bank. the little colonel LEADING
the way to the trenches. revolver in
hand. while the few remaining Fill
pinos bolted.
at WINS Not Much to Do,
Col. Funston said afterwards:
1T wasn't much To do. We knew
they could not shoot straight. and that
our boys would tend to them while we
we're crossing"
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
regiment on the left and the
First South Dakota and the F:f.y-first
Inprn h,,,nI DI