The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-14
INSURGENTS USED CANISTER.
AN ARTILLERY DUEL FOUGHT NOT
FAR FROM MANILA.

MS hCh-bSnCts
Desperate stand Around Las
Pinas-They Also Fought the War
ships-American Casualties Num-
bered Thirty
Manila, June 13.-Gen. Lawton unexpect-
edly stirred up one Of the liveliest en-
gagements Of the war, south of Las Pinas
this morning, upon which occasion Amer
lean field guns were engaged In the first
artillery duel against a Filipino battery
concealed in the Jungles
Companies F and l of the Twenty-frst
Infantry were nearly surrounded by a
large body of insurgents, but the Ameri-
cans cut their way out with heavy loss.
The United States turret ship Monad-
mock and the gunboats Heiena and Zafira
trained their batteries on Bakoor and the
rebel trenches near Las Plnas all the
morning. Bakoor was once on fire and the
natives stopped the spread OF the flames.
During the night an insurgent cannon
was fired three times at the Americans on
the outskirts of Las Finas.
Gen. Lawton this morning took bat
talon of the Fourteenth Regiment and two
companies of the Twenty-nrst Regiment TO
locate the rebel battery, and then two guns
of the Sixth Artillery and four mountain
guns were planted against it at 600 yards
distance
Fired Homemade Canister.
The rebels had a large gun from which
they were firing homemade canister load
ed with nails, ard two smaller guns. Their
shooting was most accurate. The first lot
of canister burst directly in front of
Scotts guns, and another shattered the
legs Of a private of the Fourteenth Infan-
try. Several shots struck the edge of the
town.
The country traversed was as bad as Il
is possible to imagine, being mainly la
goons mud and water fringed with bam-
boos.
As soon as the fighting opened the Amer
leans were attacked by hidden rifemen on
an SIDES even the Amigos, or friendly"
natives in the houses OF the town shooting
into their rear.
The companies of the Twcnty-flrst Regi-
ment sllirmishing along the beach with
Amigo guides, found, apparently, a hand
full of rebels, who retreated. The men of
the Twenty-lirst followed and suddenly
the rebels opened a terrific fire on the
troops from the sides and rear. The sol
diers withdrew to the waters edge, finding
what shelter they could and were picked
off rapidly. After their ammunition was
nearly exhausted, the companies of the
Twenty-irst retreated, but Gen. Lawton
dashed down and rallied the men.
LawtOn Used "a Gun.
A little group made a desperate stand,
Gen. Lawton, Maj. Starr and Lieuts. Don
ovan and Donnelly taking rifles from the
wounded men and firing at the enemy,
bringing down some of the rebel sharp
shooters from a tree Finally, their cart
ridges were all gone, and they were forced
to break through the enemys flank, car
rying the wounded to the main body of
the troops.
Lieut.. Donovan, whose leg was broken.
fioundered for a mile through bog, after
leading his men in the face of a greatly
superior force
Gen. Lawton ceased firing until rein
forcements could be brought up Two bat
talions of the Fourth Regiment and one
battalion of the Ninth Regiment were
hurried to the front, and in the afternoon
the battle was resumed.
Tht Monadnock anchored close TO the
shore and her heavy guns pounded the
rebels continuously, while the smaller
warships, steaming along the shore, pour
ed bullets from the rapid-fire guns at the
enemy
The Filipino force engaged appears to
nave Dttn Nuc ldlStSl anu DtSI OfBdnlZE0
body of men which has met our troops.
At the ZapOte Bridge.
The Americans are compelled TO advance
along narrow roads and over small bridges
commanded by earthworks ten feet thick.
The only means of crossing the Zapote
was by a small bridge which the Filipinos
commanded with trenches spreading V
shaped whench they could concentrate
their fire on the bridge. They also had the
advantage of the trees and Jungle as the
Americans could hardly ahead
When the battle was resumed at ]
O'Clock with the reinforcements, our bat
terry having silenced the enemy's guns,
the Americans wading waist deep In the
mud of the salt fats, slowly, and poring
steady volleys of musketry at the rebels,
drove their opponents beyond the river
When the Two armies lay facing each
other across the deep stream, the enemy
was practically out Of sight, while the
men in blue and khaki lay in the mud and
bushes, many Of them without shelter, for
three hours, without a moments cessa-
ton in the firing, pouring bullets al tho
enemy as fast as they could load. The
thousand rifles blended into q continuous
roar was vastly different from the inter-
mittent skirmish-like rattle Of most of the
engagements.
Summoned All His Troops.
One battalion after another Gen. Law
ton summoned the reserves from Las Pi-
nase until only enough troops were LEFT
in the town 10 prevent the F'ilipinos from
attacking the Americans in the rear
which was feared as they were creeping
around our left through the woods, deliv-
ering thanking fire, which put a strain
upon the endurance of the Americans who
were houndering 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
craftsmanship OF the rebels, the loss was
not as great as If the Filipinos had shot
straight.
An army has seldom fought under a
greater handicap or more courageously
than did our regulars majority of whom
were, comparatively speaking, recruits,
who could have been pardOned for retiring
in the face Of such fierce fire from their
exposed positions
The Fourteenth Regiment lay TO the
right Of the bridge and In front Of them
was the Twelfth Regiment with the Ninth
on the right and the Twenty-frst up the
road facing the bridge, which was the key
to the situation. On the bridge were the
bodies Of two Americans who had at
tempted TO rush across and many wound
ed men were carried from the open ground
before the bridge
After firing In volleys for a short time
the Americans were ordered to fire when
and where they could see the enemy. 1t
was every man for himself and the best
our men could do was 10 aim AZ the mist
made by the srnokeless powder.