The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-06-14
Luna REPORTED DEAD.
Said to Have Been Assasainatsd BY
Aguinaldo's Guard.
ADAYor F1aHrma WITH REBELS

, boats In the aarbor and Make Wig
erous Resistance to the Attack Of
General Lawton's Land Forces.
Manila, June Authorization be-
heved to bs reliable has reached here
Of the assassination of General Luna
and his aide-de-camp. Lieutenant
Pasco Ramon, June 8 by Aguinaldo's
guard at the headquarters of Aguip-
aldo. Luna and Ramon. 1t appears,
went to the Filipino headquarters to
confer with Aguinadlo, got into an al
tercation with the captain Of the
guard and one Of them drew . revolver.
The guard then killed Luna and Ra.
mon with their bayonsts.
At daylight yesterday the rebels at
Cavite Vieio dropped two shells from
big smooth bore gun mounted In
front Of the church into the navy yard.
The only damage done was splintsrins
the top of the huge shears on the
mols. The gunboats callao,. Manila
and Mosquito then proceeded to dis
mount the gun.
After breakfast the rebels opened
IRE along the beach to Bakoor.
After silencing the big gun at Ca
vite Viejo the gunboats ran close along
the shore, bombarding the rebel posi-
ton. The rebels replied with rifle
fre and with the fire Of some small
pieces of artillery. 30 vigorous was
the ensmy's Are that at $50 q. m. the
gunboat Helena Joined the small gun.
Ivaa DIV ~~d he
ton, Monterey and Monadnock, from
their anchor ranges. dropped OCCASION
al big shells among the rebels. This,
apparently, only served to incite the
rebels. as they kept up an incessant
FIRE Of musketry and artillery near the
mouth Of the Zapots river, two miles
north of Baloor. The fire Of all seven
warships was concentrated on this
point shortly after noon. The rebels
were eventually forced to abandon
their guns after holding out for about
four hours, only to be confronted by
General Lawton's force on land and in
their rear. where there was heavy
lighting
As soon as the land aghting opened
the Americans were attacked by hid
den riflemen on all sides, even the
amigos or friendly" natives, In the
houses of the town., shooting into their
rear.
A little group made a desperate
stand, General Lawton, Major Starr
and Lisutenants Donovan and Sonnet
ly taking rifles from the wounded mep
and firing at the enemy, bringing down
some of the rebel sharpshooters from
tree. Finally their cartridges were
all gone and they were forced to break
through the enemy's flank, carrying
the wounded to the main body of the
troops. Lieutenant Donovan, whose
leg was brSksn, floundered for mile
through a bog, after leading his men
in the face of greatly superior force.
General Lawton ceased firing until
achievements could be brought up.
Two battalions of the Fourteenth reg
iment and one battalion of the Ninth
regiment were hurried to the front,
and in the afternoon the battle was re-
sumed.
The only means Of crossing the Ia
pote was by small bridge, which the
Filipinos commanded, with trenches
spreading V-shaped, whence they could
concentrate their fire on the bridge.
They also had the advantage of the
trees and jungle, 80 the Americans
could hardly see ahead.
When the battle was resumed with
the endorsements, our battery hay
ing silenced the enemy's guns, the
Americans wading waist deep in the
mud Of the salt fats, slowly, and pour
Ing steady volleys Of musketry at the
rebels, drove their opponents beyond
the river. Then the two armies lay
facing each other across the deep
stream, the enemy practically out Of
sight, while the men in blue lay on
the mud and bushes, many of them
without shelter, for three hours, with
out moments cessation in the firing
One battalion after another, General
Lawton summoned the reserves from
Las Pinas Until only enough troops
were left in the town to prevent the
Filipinos from attacking the Ameri-
cans in the rear An army has seldom
fought under greater handicap or more
courageously than did our regulars, a
majority of whom were, comparatively
speaking, recruits. who could have
been pardoned for retiring, in the face
Of such fierce fire, from their ex-
posed positions.
1t is impossible at present to esti-
mate the number of Filipino dead.
There are many dead bodies in the
fields the Americans traversed.
This battlefield, incidentally, waa
| formerly the scene of several of the
greatest struggles between the Span
iards and the Filipinos. The Zapote
was considered impregnable, and hun
dreds of spaniards and Fllipinos have
been killed while fighting over the
same bridge in former contests for its
possession.
General Lawton, though exhausted
by the mornings fight, rallied by sheer
will power, and was the commanding
figure in the battle. He went along
the lines, directing and encouraging
the troops.
General Wheaton and General Oven.
shine were equally courageous. In
fact, the generals were among the few
men on the battlefield who refused tc
take shelter under the hottest fire.