Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1899-04-29
THE KANSAS BOYS AGAIN.
Col. Funston, Capt. HOLLYWOOD and Other
Members Of tho Twentieth Distinguish
Themselves Mt CnlumpIt.

Manila, April 20.-Gen. MacArthur'a
division fought its way to the Filipino
trenches before Calumpit yesterday,
advancing four miles, mostly through
woods and Jungle and crossing the
Bagbag river. This was accomplished
ut cost TO the Americans of six killed
and % wounded, the First South Dakota
regiment being the heaviest loser.
After fording the river, the South Da-
kotans pursued the insurgents to tho
outskirts of Calumpit, but the town
was found to be SO strongly protected
that Gen. Macarthur deemed II best to
withdraw the tired fighters and 60 into
camp for nights rest before making
the final assault.
The enemy had planned to wreck
our artillery transport train. This at
tempt was u failure, but span Of the
iron railway bridge over the river was
destroyed, hampering the American
transportation for some time. The
Filipinos cut the girders, intending to
have the structure fall with the train,
but 1t collapsed prematurely of its own
weight. ~
The Bagbag river, which Is about 100
yards wide ut that point, was splendidly
fortified, and the Americans were COM
PEELED to approach an open space from
which the rebels had cleared every OBJ
struction to sight. The bank Of the
river, high bluff, was surmounted
with trenches, capped with rocks, loop
holed and partly hidden by bushes.
In the course of an hour the Amcri-
cans had forced a passage through the
woods TO the open space in front of the
river, and the artillery, Immediately
on wheeling into the open, began she'll
ing the Filipino trenches.
In the meantime. company X, Twen-
tieth Kansas, led by Capt. HOLLYWOOD,
performed One of the most brilliant
achievements of the campaign. The
regiment was being held in reserve,
and company X charged distance of
a quarter of mile over cornfield to |
the bank of the river, near the bridge,
where the insurgents, from trench,
were peppering the armored train,
then about 200 yards down the track.
The company found shelter in ditch.
Col. Frederick Funston called for vol
unteers to cross the river. and the col
onel himself, Lieut.. Ball, a private Of
company X, a private of company II,
Trumpetcr lIansfcld and Corporal Fer
guson. of company !. crawlcd along
the iron girdcrs.
While this was going on the men of
company X. from the ditch, were fusil-
lading the trenches in the endcavor to
divert attention, but the Filipinos got
the range from trench down the
liver and their bullets soon spattered
he water under the structure. Hav-
ng reached the broken span, the small
but valorous party of Americans slid
lown the caisson. swan few yards to
he shore and crawled up the bank. the
colonel leading the way to the trenches,
evolver in hand. while the few remain
ng Filipinos bolted.
Col. Funston said afterward: 1T was I
lot much to do. We knew they could !
lot shoot straight and that our boys
would attend to them while we were '
A,
The armored car had one man killed
nd two wounded. The Kansas rcgi- I
nent had three wounded during the ,
barge and the Utah light artillery one
Tiled and two wounded. Most of the
Their casualties befell the South Da-
ota regiments. 1t is difficult to esti- 9
,ate the insurgent losses, but they are (
% fewer than 70 killed, many OF them 4
Y the artillery. 4