The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-04-11

Effected After Some Sharp, Quick Fight
ing-The Advance on the Town Delayed
by the Cunning of Native Pilots, Who
Allowed Our Vessels to Run Aground
The Shells of the warships Aided in
Putting the Enemy to Flight.
Manila, April 11.-General Lawton
has captured Santa Cruz. at the ex-
treme end of the lake. He drove the
rebels, who we're commanded by a
Chinaman named Pao-Wah, into the
mountains. The Americans had one
man killed and six wounded.
Santa Cruz was the FilipinOs' strong
hold 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 in
teresting and important battles of the
war.
The plans of the American com
manders worked perfectly, with the
exception that the progress of the eX-
pedition was delayed by the difficult nav
igation of the river. About ! 500 pick
ed men composed the expedition,
which was under the personal COM
mand of General Lawton, on account
Of the Illness of General King, These
troops partly surrounded the city,
while the gunboats Laguna de Bay,
Napidau and Oeste, under the com
mand of Captain Grant, of the Utah
battery, shelled the city and outlying
trenches.
General Lawton and his staff ac-
companied the troops, sometimes lead
ing charges in Indian fighting tactics,
which eventually resulted in the COM
plete rout of the rebels, with the
smallest amount of damage to the city
and slight loss to the Americans.
The expedition started from San
Pedro Macati at dusk on Saturday. in
tending to capture Santa Cruz by as
sault at daybreak But in navigating
the shallow, torturous Pasig river.
perhaps 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 expedition then steamed
cautiously forward, the Napidan and
| the Oeste a mile ahead and the Laguna
Rebel signal fires, however, were
lighted on the mountain tops, giving
warning of the approach of the troops.
1t was noon before the white church
towers of the city appeared in the
| shadow of the great volcanic noun
| tain on a marshy plain dotted with
| occasional palm groves
A casco, with a force of 200 picked
/ c ~ TCh hnT nTf lot
| berger, mostly belonging to the Firs;
| Washington regiment, was run into a
| shallow inlet about five miles south
of the city.
Then a few shells were sent toward
the entrenchments of the rebels at the
edge of the woods, sending the enemy
scampering inland.
Then a number of Americans Jump
| ed into the water and, wading for
about a hundred yards. crept forward
and formed in line, covering the land
ing of the remainder, which finished
about o'clock.
The three troops of the Fourth cav
airy, unmounted, were sent ashore on
a dangerous marshy point, directly
south of the city, under fire from the
enemy's trench.
Meanwhile in the town itself there
was utter silence, and not a sign OF
life. General Lawton, desiring to
make an inspection and to give the
inhabitants an opportunity to sur
render, went on board the Laguna de
Bay and, accompanied by the news
paper launch, steamed slowly to the
dock, the whole fleet watching anx.
iously. 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 flotilla anchored in compact for
nation for the night, ready to resist
any surprises from the rebel gunboate
supposed to be in the lake. At sun
rise yesterday the assault commenced
| The American line south of the city
stretched two miles inland, and with
its left sweeping the shore 1t moved
north, while the cavalrymen on the
point advanced towards the city pour.
ing volleys upon the trenches Stimuli.
taneously the gunboats lowered along
the shore, shelling the woods ahead Of
the troops and driving the Filipinos in.
land. The gatlings cleared severa
| trenches.
The whole brigade was divided into
squads of 12, and the lighting was car
ried on in the old time frontier fashion
from behind trees, crawling through
bushes or rushing across the open
The trenches that were not cleared b,
the gunhoats gave considerable re
sistance when the line was nearing tn,
city, and the Laguna de Bay and tn,
Oeste bombarded for an hour in tn,
hope of making them too warm for oc
cupancy, but did not succeed in clear
| ing them entirely