The record-union., 1899-07-28
An Expedition Under Command Of
General R. \. Hall
Captures an Important Town on the South
Shore Of Laguna do Bay.
There Was Sharp Fighting for Two
diers Were Killed and Twelve
Wounded-The Filipinos Left
Three Dead ON the Field and
Twelve Were Captured.

MANILA, July 27.-(7:40 D. m)-An
expedition, comprised of troops from
San Pedro Macati. Pasig and Morong.
under Brigadier General r. H. Hall.
yesterday captured Calamba, an inn
portant town on the south shore OF
Laguna de Bay, after two hours of
sharp fighting, during which four sol-
diers were killed and twelve wounded.
The trenches commanding the harbor
We're under water. but the swampinesS
of the land made the work harder The
troops boarded caScOeS Tuesday night.
The force comprised 400 of the WASH
'ington volunteers. 450 of the Twenty
first Infantry, 150 of the Fourth Cav
airy and two guns of the First Artil-
lery. These and the gunboats Lapi-
dan and CostO assembled opposite Ca
lamba. Crowds of people in carts and
on foot were seen rushing to the hills.
Natives escaping from Calamba in ca
noes said hundred insurgents held
the town.
A force under Captain McGrath OF
the Twenty-first Infantry and Captain
Eltenherd landed east of the town, pur
found river intervening. Captain Nc
Grath and Lieutenant Batson swan
the river under fire from twenty Maui
Ser rifles. Having crossed the stream.
the officers procured a casco to ferry
the troops over The insurgents re-
treated through the town. shooting
from houses and bushes as they fled
to the hills.
Three members of the Washington
Regiment waded from cascoes through
swamps, often shoulder deep, while a
group of Filipinos concealed in hay
stacks were shooting at them, until the
Lapidan focused her six-pounders and
Gattlings on the stacks for a few min
utes
Most of the work was done before the
Washington volunteers could reach the
town.
The Filipinos left three dead. OF the
casualties on the American side two Of
the killed and three of the wounded
were members of the Fourth Cavalry.
and two killed and eight wounded be-
longed to the Twenty first Infantry
There was much shooting by Amigos,
who emerged from the bushes with
white flags. After the fight a dozen
men holding up their hands and Shout
ing "CaStillanos met the American
cavalry. Even the Spanish soldiers
embraced the Americans hysterically.
There were fifty Spanish prisoners at
Calamba, of whom some were civil off,
cials and some were soldiers. They
had been given the choice of joining
the Filipino army or becoming SER
wants, and they chose the army, in
tending to surrender to the Americans
at the first opportunity. Most of the
civilians reached the American lines
during the fighting, but the insurgents
took others away with them in their
retreat.
General Hall captured twelve Filipi-
nos with guns.
Major Henry w. Lawton. Professor
Dean G. Worcester of the American
Philippine Commission. Mrs, General
Lawton and General Lawton's son ac-
companied the expedition on board a
launch, and sat coolly in an unpro-
tected boat close to the shore during
the fighting, the bullets splashing about
them.
To-day General Hall brought to Ma,
nila the Spaniards whom the expedi,
ton had released from captivity of
more than a year.
Lieutenant Larson. commanding the
Napidan, to-day found long missing
Spanish gunboat. which had been SO
covered with bushes and nets so as not
to resemble a vessel
The Filipinos. thinking that the
Americans had evacuated the town, de-
scended from the hills to-day, intend
ing. to reoccupy Calamba. General Hall
easily drove them back. General Hall
will leave a garrison at Calamba.
1t is. reported in Filipino circles In
Manila that the insurgents recently, re-
ceived consignments of saltpeter and
lead from Japan. The insurgents had
been experiencing many difficulties In
the manufacture of good powder. that
which they produced lacking power of
penetration and range.
The two friars who were recently ar
rested here on suspicion that they were
the bearers of messages to Aguinaldo
from the Filipino Junta at Hongkong.
have been liberated for want of evi-
dence upon which to prosecute them.
AS soon as authorization can be re-
ceiyed from Madrid to incur the neces-
sary expenditures. the Spanish General
Jaramillo will send a commission COM
posed of Seniors Toral and Rios to Tar
lac to carry food, money, medicine and
clothes to the Spanish prisoners there.
,rhe commission will also reopen nego-
tiations for the release of the captured
1t is reported that $3,O0O.0OO in Mex
lean money will be offered to the in
surgents for the releases of Spaniards
General Jaramillo declines to confirm
this report
WASHINGTON. July 27.-Calamba is
a town on Laguna de Bay, about thirty
miles southeast of Manila. 1t is much
farther. south than the United States
troops have vet penetrated on land. 1t
is in the Province of La Guna. 1t has
a population of 11,476. and is twenty
seven miles from Santa Cruz on the
eastern shore OF the bay. It's capture Is
not considered of any strategical I'M
portance, except as a part of the plan
to harass and worry the insurgents,
Dreyfus' Illness slight.
RENNES, July 27.-The illness Of
Captain Dreyfus was but slight, and he