The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-05


| ton, who had already entered the town
and found it deserted.
| General Halls objective point was
! Antipolo, ten miles off, and there was
| desultory firing all along the line of
march. The gunboats could be heard
Smelling the hills in advance of the col
! unln.
The column. after driving the rebels
| from the foothills near Maria Chino,
| about noon, with a loss of but two or
three, slightly wounded, proceeded with
all possible haste toward Laguna de
Bay, the Fourth cavalry in the lead,
the Oregon regiment next and the
Fourth infantry last. At 5 o'clock
those three regiments fought their sec
ond battle of the day. and it resulted.
like the first, in the complete rout of
a large Filipino force located in the
mountains and having every advantage
of position. In this fight the American
loss was four killed. three of the Fourth
cavalry and one OregOnian, and about
fifteen wounded. The Filipino loss
could not be ascertained, but the ter
rife fire which the Americans poured
into them for half an hour must have
inflicted severe punishment. In this
engagement our troops made one of the
most gallant charges of the war, and
the enemy was forced to flee in the
greatest disorder.
1t was the intention to press on to
Antipolo, but this was found impossi-
BILE, owing to the two fights and the
constant marching for more than u
hours, with nothing to eat since morn
ing and. no supply train in sight. The
troops, moreover suffered from the in
tense heat, many being Frustrated and
all greatly exhausted Consequently
they biVouacked for the night on the
second battlefield.
The cavalry, the Orgonians and two
companies of the Fourth infantry had
just crossed a small creek and entered
upon sunken road, from which they
were emerging upon a small valley sur
rounded on all sides by high and heav-
wooded rebels
Cealed in the mountains on the three
sides of the plain, opened a hot fire and
sent showers of bullets into the ranks
of the Americans. The latter deplOyed
Immediately in three directions.
Then followed a charge across the
rice fields and bitches and up the hill
sides. from which the shots came an
the time, pouring in a terrific hail, while
the air resounded with a constant rat
tie of musketry.
The Fourth cavalry. being in front,
suffered the severest loss when the at
tack opened, two of their killed being
sergeants and the other a private. The
Oregonian killed was a private.
The natives were unable to stand the
vigorous firing of the Americans long,
and at the first sign of their wavering
the cavalry. Oregonians and Fourth in
fantry men broke into wild cheers and
charged still faster up the hillside, pour
ing in Volley after vOlley until the enc
my left the places where they were
partially concealed by the thicket, fled
over the summit in the widest cOnfu-
sion and disappeared in the surround
ing valleys.
After the fight was over the firing
was continued by the Americans for
more than an hour in clearing out the
bush and driving away the struggling
Filipinos.
The troops, after camping for the
night the battlefield, started at
Sunday morning for AntipOlO, where it
was expected a strong resistance would
be made. Antipolo is a place far up in
the mountains which the SpaniardS
had said the Americans could never
capture. 1t has cost Spain the lives of
300 troops.
The progress of the column was con-
siderably delayed while passing up the
steep mountain grade by a small band
of insurgents; but these We're effect
ually routed by the Fourth cavalry,
which was in advance. and the troops
reached AntipolO in a few hours.
Our lines were Immediately thrown
around on three sides of the town and
then the final advance was made. But
it was found unnecessary to fire a shot.
Not a rebel was visible, and the town
was entirely abandoned
Two hours later, after a conference
between Gen. LawtOn and Gen. Hall,
the column proceeded toward MorOng
to drive away any rebels found in that
quarter.
When the start was made for Anti
polo in the morning the Oregon regi-
ment and the Ninth infantry were left
behind as a rear guard, and there was
considerable firing along their lines in
clearing the enemy from the high hill
between their position and the lake.