The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-08
OUR BOYS NEXT.TASK..
They viii Clear the Filipnos Out
of Baoolor.
SIX THOUSAND REBELS THERE,

Ammunition. But Have Never Yet
Met the American soldiers-These
Troops Do No Work But Fighting.
Manila, May S.-General Lawton's
column advanced to a position two
and a half miles north of Balinag on
Saturday. The advance met with but
slight opposition. Outside of Maasin
1000 rebels who occupied an entrench-
ed position were routed in short order.
Many corpses Of rebels have been dis
covered In the river at San Tomas.
Scores of rifles and other arms have
been recovered from the river into
which they were thrown by the re-
treating rebels.
To clear the Filipinos out of Bacolor,
about five miles southwest Of San Fer
nando, will be the next task OF the
Americans. The rebel General Mas
Cardo has a force Of 5000 men there,
well armed and possessed of plenty
ammunition. His troops have never
met American soldiers, and they
think, according to reports carried to
San Fernando, that they can whip
the whole lot"
. Bacolor is we'll entrenched, and
thousands of natives are working like
beavers digging trenches and carry
ing the dirt In baskets. The enemy
uses his rifemen for fighting only,
but compels the Bolomen and Chinese,
and even the women, to labor inces-
sanity.
The rebels have an outpost about a
mile beyond San Fernando, with a
trench that holds between 400 and 300
men. From that point several volleys
were fired Saturday night upon the
camp Of the Twentieth Kansas regi-
msnt.
Neither General Macarthur nor Gem
eral Lawton moved yesterday, although
each reconnoitered the country in his
own vicinity for some miles from head
quarters, developing the presence of
small forces of the enemy.
In the vicinity of La8una de Bay
the rebels are extremely active, but
the lines Of General Ovenshine and
Colonel Whellsy, who is commanding
General Kings brigade during the lat
ter's illness, have been materially
strengthened, and there is no danger
in that direction.
The armed steamers Laguna de Bay
and Cavadonga, under Captain Grant,
have gone to Guagua, about five miles
southwest of Bacolor, presumably to
establish base of supply for the
troops engaged in the northern cam
paign.
1t is rumored that Mabini, president
of the cabinet and minister of foreign
affairs in the so-called Filipino gov
eminent, who is Radical, is to be
succeeded by Palermo, the Trainer of
the Spanish treaty of 1896. This
change is regarded as significant at the
present juncture
The entrance of the Americans into
San Fernando was virtually unoppos-
ed. The Filipinos, who expected the
invaders to approach from the sea,
had that side Of the town strongly
guarded, but there was only one line
of trenches beyond San Tomas Two
battalions of the Fifty-hrst Iowa regi-
ment, which swan the river north of
the city, were smartly peppered while
in the water, but the rebels disappeared
as soon as the Americans reached the
shore. In the meantime the hospital
squad had walked across the bridge
into the city, supposing the Americans
were there. They encountered no ma
tives.
The few Spaniards and Filipinos
who were left welcomed the Americans
and opened their houses to them, Gen
eral Macarthur accepting entertain
ment at the hands of Senior Hizon,
sugar magnate.
If the inhabitants Of the San Fer
nando region are to be believed there
is little sympathy with the instruction
in that quarter. Before evacuating
the city the rebels burned the church
and the public buildings and looted
the Chinese quarter. They drove many
rich Filipinos, with their families, out
of the city before them. as well as
hundreds of Chinese, to prevent them
throats Of some. Many Chinese hid
on roof tops or in cellars, and some
by cutting off their queques.
There are so fresh graves in the church
yard.
The country beyond Calumpt is full
Of all sorts of ingenious trenches and
pitfalls in the roads, with sharpened
bamboo Fortunately the Americans
escaped the latter.
In the sWamps near San Tomas,
where General Wheaton's troops did
their hardest fighting, the men sink
ing to their waists in mud, are many
bodies of Filipinos, smelling horribly
The army Is really enjoying life at
San Fernando, which is the most pic"
.uresque and wealthy town the Amer
cans have entered since the occupa-
ton Of Manila. 1t is largely built Of
stone, the river Is close at hand, and
high hills almost surround it. Many
sugar factories indicate thriving in
lustry in that respect, and there are
numerous fine residences. General
permanent headquarters
is established in the best house in the
town, which is richly decorated with
'rescoes and carved woods.
After Bacolor has been cleared
water communication with Manila
may be established.