The Forrest City times., 1899-06-16
MOST DESPERATE BATTLE.
The American Troops in the Philip pines Encounter Real War
 at Last.
\ .sTRoN6lY-posTEO BUT UNSEEN FOE.
Gods Providence and the Natives. Had Marksmanship Only Saved Our RecklessIy Brave Troops from Heavy Lossex-A Field oft Drenched in BIOOd

bOSSCS-h okt
 Drenched in Blood.
 Manila, June 14.-American field guns were engaged, yesterday, in the first artillery duel against a Filipino battery, concealed in the jungle.
 During the night an insurgent can non was fired three times at the Amer jeans on the outskirts of Las Pinas.
 Advanced to the Attack.
 Gen. Lawton, in the morning, took a battalion of the Fourteenth regiment and two companies of the Twenty-frst regiment to locate the rebel battery, and then two guns of the Sixth artil- lery and four mountain guns were planted against it at 500 yards dis tance. The rebels had large gun, from which they were firing home made canister, loaded with nails, and two smaller guns.
 Rebels Learning to Shoot.
 Their shooting was most accurate. The first lot of canister burst directly in front of Scott's guns, and another shattered the leg of a private in the Fourteenth infantry. Several shots struck the edge of the town.
 Attacked by Hidden Rinemen.
 As soon as the fighting opened, the Americans were attacked by hidden riflemen on all sides. even the ''ani- gos," or friendly natives, in the houses of the town, shooting in their rear.
 DeIuded by a DecOy
 The companies of the Twenty-frst regiment, ,skirmishing along the beach. with amigo" guides, found, apparent. ly, handful of rebels, wh) retreated. The men of the Twenty-first tc flowed, and suddenly the rebels opened ter rife fire on the troops from the sides and rear. The soldiers withdrew to the waters edge, finding what shelter they could, and were plcked off rapid ly. After their ammunition was near ly exhausted the companies of the Twenty-first retreated.
 officers Fought With Rifles.
 Gen. Lawton dashed down and ral- lied the men. The little group made a desperate stand. Gen. Lawton, Maj. anu DOlFNdu dHG Connolly taking rifles from wounded men, fired at the enemy, bringing down some of the rebel sharpshooters from a tree. Finally, their cartridges were all gone, and they were forced to break through the enemys flank, carrying the wounded to the main body of the troops.
 The Fighting Resumed.
 Two battalions of the Fourteenth regiment and one battalion of the Ninth regiment were hurried to the front, and in the afternoon the battle was resumed.
 Against an Unseen Foe.
 The only means of crossing tine Zeo- pote was by small bridge, which the Filipinos commanded with trenches spread in "" shape, whence they could concentrate their fire on the bridge. They also had the advantage of the trees and jungle, so the Ameri- cans could hardly see ahead.
 Fighting Waist-Deep in Mud.
 When the battle was resumed at one o'clock, with the achievements, our battery having silenced the enemy's guns, the Americans, wading waist deep in the mud of the salt flats, slow ly and steadily pouring volleys of mus ketry at the rebels, drove their op- ponents 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 and Khaki Say in the bushes, many of them without any shelter, for three hours, without a moments cessation in the firing pour ing bullets at the enemy as fast as they could load. }.
 The thousand rifles. blended into a continuous roar, was vastly different from the intermittent skirmish-like rattle of most of the engagements.
 All Available Achievements
 One battalion after another Gen Lawton summoned from Las Pinas un- til only enough troops of reserves were left in the town to prevent the Fiji pinos from attacking the Americans in the rear, which was feared, as they were creeping around our left through the woods, delivering a fianking fire which put great strain upon the en- durance of the Americans, who were fioundering in the mud across the river, while on the right the Filipino sharpshooters, hidden in the trees were peppering our men. But, thanks to the poor craftsmanship of the reb- els, our loss was not as great as it would have been if the Filipinos had shot straight.
 Tried to the Limit and True.
 An army, however. has seldom fought under greater handicap or more courageously than did our regu- lars, a majority of whom were. com paratiyely speaking. recruits. who