The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-28
CALAMBA NOW OURS
A Filipino Trading
Town Falls With
Slight Loss.
SPANISH CAPTIVES LIBERATED.
Released From Long Bond
age They Greet Ameri-
cans Warmly.
SPANISH CAPTIVES LIBERATED.

Manila, July 27.-An expedition COM
posed of troops from San Pedro Ma
cati and Morong, under Brigadler Gen
eral R. H. Hall, yesterday, captured
Calamba, an important trading town,
on the south shore of Laguna De Bay.
There were two hours of sharp fighting.
during which four soldiers were killed
and u wounded.
The trenches commanding the harbor
were under water, but the swampiness
of the land made the work harder.
The troops boarded cascoes Tuesday
night. The force comprised 400 of the
Washington volunteers, 450 of the
Twenty-first infantry, is of the Fourth
cavalry and two guns of the first ar
tillery. These and the gunboats Ma
pidan and oeste, assembled opposite
Calamba Wednesday afternoon.
Crowds of people in cars and on foot
We're seen running to the hills. Natives
escaping from Calamba in cascoes said a
hundred insurgents held the town.
A force under Captain McGrath of
the Twenty-first infantry and CAPTAIN
Eltonherd landed east of the town. but
found river intervening. Captain Nc
Grath and Lieut.. Batson swan the
river under a fire from 20 Mauser RI
fies.
Having crossed the stream, the Off
GERS procured a cascoe to ferry the
troops. The insurgents retreated
through the town, shooting from
houses and bushes as they fed to the
hills. Three members of the Washing
ton regiment waded from cascoes
through swamps often shoulder deep,
while group of Filipinos concealed in
hay stacks were shooting at them I'M
til the Napidan focused her six-pound-
ers and Cuttings on the stacks for a few
minutes. Most of the work was done be-
fore 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 wound
ed We're members of the Fourth cavalry
and two killed and eight wounded be-
longed to the Twenty first infantry.
There was much shooting by the am
igos, who emerged from the bushes
with white flags. After the fight a
dozen men holding up their hands and
shouting "Castelanos,' met the Amer
lean cavalry. Even Spanish soldiers
embraced the Americans Historically.
There were so Spanish prisoners at
Calamba, of whom some were civil Of
f1cials and some were soldiers.
They had been given the choice of
joining the Filipino army or becoming
servants to Filipinos and chosen tho
army, intending to surrender 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. Gem
eral Hall captured twelve Filiplnos
with guns.
Major General Henry Lawton, Prof.
Dean c. Worcester of the American
Philippine committee, Mrs. General
Lawton and General Lawton's son &C
companied the expedition on board q
launch and sat coolly in an unprotected
boat close to the shore during the fight
ing, the bullets splashing about them.
Today General Hall brought to Ma
Mia the Spaniards whom the expedition
had released from captivity of more
than a year. Lieut.. Larsen, command
ing the Napidan, found today long
missing Spanish gunboat, which had
been covered with bushes and fish
net.
The Filipinos, having met reinforce
ments and thinking the Americans mad
evacuated the town, descended from the
hills today, intending to reoccupy Ca
lamba. General Hall easily drove them
back. General Hall will leave garrl-
son at Calamba.