The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-04-14

the rebels, who were commanded by a
Chinaman named Pao Wah, into tie
mountains. The Americans had six
men wounded. The rebels lost sixty
tight men killed and forty men wound
ed.
An expedition consisting Of about
800 men, commanded by General Law
ton, left San Pedro Macati, on the 2iy-
er Pasig, on Saturday night, with the
purpose Of crossing Laguna de Day.,
and capturing the town Of Santa Cruz,
OIL the eastern shore on the lake. The
American troops were then, as planned,
9Arce consisted of 200 picked sharp
shooters from the various regiments,
Hawthorne's mountain battery. Gales
squadron and three troops OF the
Fourth Nevada cavalry ~unmounted;
Brooke's and Happens battalionS of
the Fourteenth infantry; Linck's bat
talon Of the First Idaho infantry, and
Francs battalion Of the First Dakota
infantry, u1lder General King.
The notilla of twenty canoes, towed
by tugs and conveyed by the %gunDoats
Laguna de Bay, OeSto and Nappidan,
and preceded by the launch containing
General LaWtOn and General King,
moved toward the lake just as evening
was setting in. 1t was a truly pic
turesque scene.
The men carried rations for ten days
with the lightest marching equipment.
General LaWtOn'S plan was to reach
Santa Cruz on Sunday morning at day
break, to capture OF destroy any rebel
Eunboats or shipping, to take the town
and then to scourge the country to the
south of the lake, a distance not yet
explored by the Americans.
Santa Cruz was the Philippines
stronghold on Lake Laguna de Bay,
and it fell into the hands of General
LaWtOn'S expedition after some sharp,
quick fighting, forming one of the
most interesting and important battles
of the war.
THE EXPEDITION DELAYED.
The plans of the American command
ers worked perfectly, with the excep-
ton that the progress Of the eXpedi-
ton was delayed by the difficult avi-
cation of the river. About 800 picked
men composed the expedition, which
was under the personal command Of
General LaWton, OF account of the i'll
ness of General King. These troops
partly surrounded the city while the
gunboats Laguna de Bay, Nappidan
and OeSte, under the command of Cap
tain Grant, of the Utah battery, she'll
ed the city and outlying trenches.
General Lawton and his staff accom-
panied the troops sometimes leading
charges in Indian fighting tactics,
which eventually resulted in the COM
plete rOut of the rebels, with the small
est amount of damage to the city and
slight loss to the Americans.
The expedition started from San Pc
drO Macati at dusk on Saturday, in
tending to capture Santa Cruz by as
sault at daybreak, but in navigating
the shallow, tOrtuouS PaSig river, per-
haps through the cunning of the native
pilots who were not anxious to see The
Americans successful, several boats
grounded, and it was nearly dawn when
the troops reached the lake. The ex-
petition then steamed cautiously for
ward, the Napidan and the Oeste a
nile ahead, and the Laguna de Bay
guarding the rear. Rebel signal fires,
however, were lighted on the mountain
tops, giving warning Of the approach
of the troops.
1t was moor before the white church
towers of the city appeared in the shad-
Ow of the great volcanic mountain on a
marshy plain dotted with occasional
palm groves.
A casco with a force of 200 picked
sharpshooters, under Major Weisen-
berger, mostly belonging to the First
washington, was run into a shallow in
let, about five miles south of the city.
A few shells were then sent toward the
Il ICI1Sl1IllCIIlS vi LII ISUSIS dL llIe tdSc
OF the woods, sending the enemy scam
pering inland.
LANDING UNDER FIRE.
Then a number of Americans jumped
into the water, and wading for about
100 yards, crept forward and formed in
line, covering the landing of the re-
mainder, which was finished about 5
O'Clock. The three troops of the Fourth
cavalry, ~unmounted, were sent ashore
J on a dangerous marshy point, directly
south of the city, under fire from the
enemy'S trenches. While in the town
itself there was utter silence and not
a sign of life. General Lawton, desir-
ing to max an inspection and to give
the inhabitants an opportunity to sur
render, went on board the Laguna de
Bay, and, accompanied by the As
ISOLATED Press launch, steamed slowly
to the dock, the whole fleet watching
,anXiously. When it was discovered by
the glasses that the trenches and stone
buildings were swarming with white
clad soldiers, the two boats withdrew,
receiving volleys from the trenches
thrown up on the marshy plain north
of the city.
THE ATTACK AT SUNRISE
The f1otilla anchored in compact for
nation for the night, ready ito resist
and surprises from the rebel gunboats
supposed to be in the lake. AT sunrise
today CMonday) the assault m
ed. The American line south of the
city, stretched two miles inland, and,
with it's left sweeping the shore, 1t
moved north, while the Fourth caval-
ry on the point advanced toward the
city, pouring volleys into the trenches.
simultaneously the gunboats lowered
along the shore, Smelling the woods
ahead of the troops and driving the
Philippines inland. The GatlingS clear
ed several trenches.
The whole brigade was divided into
squads of twelve, and the fighting was
carried on in the Old-time frontier fash
ion, from behind trees, crawling
through bushes, or rushing across the
open. The trenches hat were not clear
ed by the gunboats gave considerable
resistance when the line was nearing
the city. and the Laguna de Bay and
Oeste bombarded for an hour in the
hope Of making them too warm for oc-
cupancy, but did not succeed in clear
ing them entirely.