The Penn's Grove record., 1899-06-16
BATTLE With FILIPINOS
.awton's Men Drove Them From
Two Lines Of Trenches,
HOTTEST FIGHT OF THE WAR.

five of Our Men Kllled-General Wheaton
Slightly Hurt by a Fall From uls
Horse-HebeI Loss Hea vy-Brave In
fsntry Charge Thro ugh Bayous in
Water Chiu Deep.
MANILA (By Cable).-After an artillery
cattle and some lively infantry skirmishes
a few days g the advance in the direc-
tton OF Bacoor was resumed soon after
noon, and it developed into the hardest
fight since the outbreak Of hostilities With
the Filipinos.
As told to General Otis by General Pho
del Pillars secretary, who deserted from
the insurgents a few days ago, the bridge
across the Zapote River was selected by
the rebels as the point at which they would
attempt to prevent any further advance Of
the American forces.
Our troops went forward with rushes,
cheering as they went ahead, under a
heavy fire. The mornings reconnaissance
had determined accurately ths enemy's
posItion. and consequently the American
troops were employed TO the pest adYSn-
tage.
The main work was the direct attack on
the bridge. Kenley's battery of four mount.
ain guns and two three-inch guns, with
Company E of the Fourteenth Infantry as
supports, advanced straight along the road
to the bridge. The other companies OF the
Fourteenth Regiment moved forward to.the
light and left of the road.
Tho rebels had dug enormous renches
along the Bacoor side of the river, and had
burned the planking in the middle Of the
bridge to prevent the Americans from
charging across and taking their positions.
The Americans pushed steadily forward
until they reached the bank Of the river,
Then Henley took his mountain runs right
up to the approach of the bridge and
poured a heavy IRE into the trenches, but
they were so well constructed that it was
impossible to damage them greatly. Our
men were so close to the enemy that they
could see their heads above the earth
works.
The Americans kept up a tremendous
fire In spite of the calling return. A few
minutes after the Americans had reached
the bridge approach several OF them were
wounded, some MORALLY.
1t was not long before the rebels began
to grow FESTIVE under the hail Of bullets
that was being poured into them, and
finally they broke and ran. The Americans
then ran along the bank of the river, and,
standing upright, directed a terrible fire
upon the fugitives. The Filipinos were
compelled to cross either the open road or
an open field, and thus presented excellent
targets for the regulars. Few OF the In.
surgonts succeeded In getting away I'M
hurt.
In a few minutes all was over. The
Americans swarmed across the river and
found many lead and dying Fillpinos In
the trenches and fields. Probably nifty
dead natives were found in the Immediate
vicinity of the bridge.
The rebels had a second line Of trenches
half a mile away. Half an hour after the
retreat from the first line firing was re.
opened from the second line. Fresh troops
were hurried forward to relieve the tired
men who had captured the first line, and a
heavy fire was opened on the enemy, who
responded Tor only a short time and then
ned.
After the fighting was over General Law
ton said that it was more like war than
anything he had seen since he had been in
the Philippines. ,
The casualties on our side were five killed
or MORALLY wounded and about twenty
five wounded, including three officers.
General Wheaton was slightly hurt by fall
ing from his horse.
General Oyenshine commanded the at
tack on the bridge. General Lawton per
sonally directed the movement. The latter
was a conspicuous mark for the enemy. He
Is q big man, and his uniform and white
helmet could be easily distinguished for Q
great distance, but he went up and down
the line unscathed.
All the afternoon the guns OF the monitor
Monadnock and gunboat Helena kept up a
heavy shelling OF the woods ahead of the
American troops, the position of the enemy
being signaled to the warshlps from tn,
beach.