The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-07
STORY OF THE BATTLE.
Stirring Scenes at Manila When the
Fighting Began.


idual fighting have been extremely diff. |
ficult to obtain. So far as can be gath
cred the brush commenced at S.45 on
Saturday evening by the firing OF
Nebraska sentry at Santa Mesa upon /
Filipinos who were deliberately cross
ing the line. after repeated warnings, |
with the evident purpose of drawing |
our fire.
The first shot from the American !
sentry was evidently accepted as a |
signal. for it was followed !
almost Immediately by terrific fu- |
silade along the entire Filipino line on /
the north side of the pasig river.
The American outposts returned the /
fire, with such vigor that the Flip |
mos were checked until the arrival of .
renforcements.
All the troops i'm the vicinity wer"
hurried out and the Fllipinos ceased
firing for half an hour while their own
reinforcements came up.
At 10 o'clock the fighting was re-
sumed the American firing line consist
ing of the Third artillery. the Kansas
and Montana regiments. the Mnncso-
Ia regiment the Pennsylvanians, the
Nebraskans. the Utah Httcty, the Ida
the Fourth cavalry, North Dakota vol
untcers. the South Dakotas, Colorado,
Sixth artillery and Fourteenth infan-
thy.
The Filipinos concentrated their
forces at three points, Calacan, Santa
Mesa and Ga!ingatan, and maintained
an Intermittent fusilade for som"
hours.
ARTILLERY IN ACTION.
They brought artillery into action at
Galingatan, at 1880, but only one gun
annoyed the Americans to any apprc-
ciable extent a Howitzer on the road
beyond Santa Mesa. The Third artl-
lery silenced the Galingatan battery by
firing two guns simultaneously, which
was followed Immediately by volleys
from the infantry.
Al about midnight there was a lull
in the firing lasting until 345 a. M.
when the whole Filipino line rcopenpd
tire. The Americans poured terrific
fire into the darkness for twenty min
utes and then there was another lur
until daylight. when the Americans
generally advanced.
During the night, in response to Al
miral Dewey's signals flashed across
from Cavite. the United States cruiser
Charleston and the gunboat Concord,
stationed at Malabon poured a deadly
fire from the secondary battery into
the Filipino trenches at Caloocan.
After daylight the United States lou-
BILE turret seagong monitor, Monad-
mock opened fire off Malate and Kept
shelling the Fiiipinos' left flank while
the other vessels shelled the enemy's
right flank for several hours.
BY 10 o'clock the Americans had
apparently completely routed the ane-
my and had taken the villages of Pal
awpong, Santa Mesa, Paco, Santa A.
ma san Pedro Macorte, PandoCan aud
Pasai had destroyed hundreds of native
huts and had secured possession Of the
water main and reservoir, a distance OF
six miles.
The Tennesseeans Joined the liring
line at 10 o'clock on Sunday morning
and assisted in the capturing of Sara
Mesa.
MOST NOTABLE EVENTS.
one of the most notable events Of
Sundays work was driving the Fill
pinos out of their stronghold at Pa~o
by the reserve, a few companies of
CalifOrians, commanded by Colonel Ou-
boce. The main line to the village Vas
, lined by native huts full of Filipro
sharpshooters After they had been
firing upon General King and his staff,
killing a driver, ana firing on an am
bulance of the Red Cross society, COL
I onel DubOce ordered the huts to be
cleared and burned The Filipinos con-
centrated in Paco church and convert
where they made a determined stand
in the upper stories. a platoon of Cal
/ lforians stationed on a neighboring
bridge maintained hot fire on the
Filipinos, but was unable to dislodge
/ them In the face of a terrific fusil-
! ade, Colonel Duboce and a few volun-
teers dashed into the church, scatter
ed coal oil inside of it, set fire to the
oil and retired.
: In the meantime Captain Dyer's bat
terry of the Sixth artillery bombardcd
the church, dropping a dozen shells
into the tower and roof. Company u
and part OF Company G, of the Cali
fornians dashed into the church, bUt
We're unable To ascend the single flight
of steps leading to the story above
After the inccndiaries had retired a
company of the Idahos and the Wash
: inGton guards. stationed on either side
of the building, picked off the Filipnos
as they were smoked out. Many Of the
rebels, however escaped into the brush
in the rear of the church. The Amcri-
cans captured tifty-three of the rebels
and during the fighting about the
church twenty of the rebels We're killed
Some $500 women, children and nom
/ pOmbgtantS were allowed to antpr the
American lines after promising to Q,
to the houses of friends and remain
there.
CHARGE ACROSS RICE FIELDS.
Another intensely exciting incident
occurred during the engagement. The
! WashingtOnS and ldahOs and Com,
, panies k and NJ, of the CalifOrnians
. made charges across the rice fields be,
tween Paco and Santa Anna, in the face
of a terrific fusilade. The ground TO-
day, over which they passed, is coy
cred with dead and wounded natives
The fOrme" are being buried in group'
of five and six about where they lay
} aud the latter are being brought to thc
n hospital. 1t was at this stage of tn
: lighting and at Caloocan that the Fill
} pinos suffered their heaviest losses.
The Fourteenth regulars We're in
particularly tight place near Singalo'
and Colonel DubOce was compelled I,
rush past them with the reserve il
order to prevent the regulars from be
inc cut OFF In the last line twelve mel
We're killed before the rebels retired.
Roth sides checred frequently durini
. the engagement. The American "hur
Tahs" We're almost invariably met b