The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-04-05
OUR ADVANCE SO FAST
THEY COULD NOT
PREPARE.

Manila, March 80, noon The
American army advanced at s O'Clock
this morning. sweeping onward three
miles before 10 o'clock and driving
the rebels beyond Bocave, to the east
of Bulacan, and on the railroad lead
ing to MaIolos
Our troops met with but slight re-
sistance.
The Filipinos fired volleys yester-
day evening for the purpose of draw
ing the American FIRE and disclosing
the locality of our positions
Two men OF the Pennsylvania regi
ment and one man belonging to the
Dakota regiment were wounded.
The Americans remained silent.
The country between Marilao and
Manila presents picture of desola-
ton Smoke is curling from hundreds
of ash heaps and the remains of trees
| and fences torn by shrapnel are to be
seen everywhere The general ap
pearance OF the country is as fit had
been swept by a cyclone. The roads
| are strewn with furniture and cloth.
ing dropped in fight by the Filipinos.
The only persons remaining be-
| hind are few aged persons too in
firm to escape They camp beside
the ruins of their former homes and
beg passersby for any kind of assist.
ance The majority of them are liv,
ing on the generosity of our soldiers,
who give them portions of their ra-
tions.
Bodies of dead Filipinos are strand
ed 10 the shadows of the river or are
resting in the Jungle, where they
crawled to die or were left in the
wake of the hurried!y retreating
army There is no time at present
to bury them
The inhabitants who fed from Mar.
iloa and Meycausyan left in such a
panic that on tables our soldiers
found spread money and valub'es and
in the rooms were trunks containing
+! other property of fvalue.
This was the case in most of the
houses deserted They were not
molested by our soldiers, but the
Chinese, who slip 10 between the
armies, are footing when they can
and have taken possession of several
houses, over which they raised
Chinese flags, some of which were
torn down.
MACARTHUR's FURTHER AID
VANCE.
735 p. At daylight Gen Mac
Arthur's division advanced from
Mariloa along the railroad to Bigaa,
FIVE miles distant with the Nebraska,
South Dakota and Pennsylvania reg
imenss on the right and the Kansas
and Montana regiments and the
Third artillery on the left Gen.
Wheaton's brigade is in reserve.
The American forces met with
strong opposition in the jungle.
First one Nebraskan, then one Penn
sylvanian, and afterward two of the
Montana regiment were killed.
Tbity Eve were wounded, including
one officer of the Kansas regiment
The rebels burned the villages as
they retreated in bad order toward
Malolos
FILIPlNOs NOT PREPARED.
The enemy also tore up sections of
the railroad ia many places and at
tempted to bura the bridge at Bigas,
but the fire was extinguished owing
to the timely arrival of the Ameri
cans. The rebels had not finished
their trenches along the line of to-
days march. showing they were not
prepared for our advance.
1t is believed, however, that there
will be hard fight before Malolos is
taken
The Minnesota regiment reinforced
the division to day, marching from
the waterworks during the night to
Manila and going to Che front by
train.