Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-27
FIGHT FOR CALUMP|T,
Fi|ipinos Making Desperate Re-
siStance TO American Attack,
AGU|NALDo's LAST DITCH
That is The Situation, Judging
from Appearances.
REBELS NOW USING ARTILLERY.
They DO Not Seem, However, to Have
Mastered the Difficulties of Range
Finding-Lawton il Meeting with
Great NATURAL Obstacles.
REBELS NOW USING ARTILLERY.
They DO Not seem, However, to Have

| received a WOrd from 6cncldl OuS To-
! day. The departments Information cor
| sisted wholly of the Associated Press dis
| patches. There was some disappointment
| that General Otis had not cabled.
Officials Of the department did not care
TO discuss the situation in the absence Of
official dispatches, but the feeling SEEM
| ed to be that the American forces were
| meeting more resistance than was antiei-
Dated
Secretary Alger said there had been
no change I'm the programme not TO cali
for the 5000 volunteers authorized by the
act Of March %.
AGUINALDO FIGHTING DESPERATE
LY.
MANILA. April %, Clio p. M.-Agul-
naldo's army to-day is defending Calum-
pit energetically, which is said to indi-
cate that the rebels are finally making
that place their last ditch. or stand.
which the Americans expected them TO
make at Malolos. For the first time the
Filipinos are employing artillery. They
brought two guns into action in the
trenches to-day before Calumpt. firing
modern shrapnel which burst over the
heads Of General Wheaton's men without
effect
The fighting was resumed at O'Clock
this morning. During the night the
American engineers repaired the Bagbag
bridge, thus enabling our troops to cross
the river.
WHEATON'S ADVANCE.
General Wheaton's brigade advanced in
extended order. with the Kansas regiment
TO the west of the railroad and the Mon
tana regiment to the east Of it, and took
up a position covering one and a haf
miles south bank Of the Rio Grande.
The trenches are strong, and from them
a few American soldiers would have been
able to defy thousands. The Americans
found the trenches on the south bank Of
the river deserted, which furnished them
with cover from which they could pick
off a Filipino whenever he showed his
head.
FILIPINO SHELLS HARMLESS.
When the rebels began firing, two pufrs
of smoke. simultaneously, from the
trenches on each side Of the railroad
track showed they were using cannon. |
which was a genuine surprise To the |
Americans. Several shells burst close 10
General Wheatons staff, but 1t seemed |
that the FilipinOs had failed to master |
the machinery of modern shells. as they |
were unable to get the right range.
Young's Utah Battery was ordered into |
position in the centre Of the Kansas reg- |
ment, TO silence the rebels guns and at |
II o'clock the rapid-flre guns had been /
ferried across the river and came into |
line. At noon. the rebels were still pour /
ing a heavy fire in the direction of the |
Americans. who returned it spiritedly |
TWO Americans were killed and seven |
wounded.
At about this time. General Hale's Bri-
gade was advancing east of the line appa-
Tently to cross the river and attack the
rebel trenches in the flank, as the Ameri-
cans did yesterday.
AN ORDER OF AGUINALDOS.
General Macarthur has secured an or
der issued by Aguinaldo 10 the rebel com
manders. telling them 10 instruct their
men to ecOnomize their fire, save the
empty shells, and not fire at the enemy
when the latter is under cover. The
are also instructed never to
fire at a longer range than $50 metres Q64
yards). and, when they have a river or
other obstruction in front 10 hold their
fire until within eighty metres. This
order was issued after the recent en-
counters between the Filipinos and
the Americans.
IAWTON'S PROGRESS DIFFICULT.
General Iawton is meeting with the
greatest obstacles i'm the character of the
country. His troops have only had few
ikirmshes thus far, resulting i'm five of
lis men being wounded But he has been
forced TO put his men 10 work building
'oads. and the transport service is giving
much trouble. bullOcks dying of the heat
md exhaustion. and Cinnamon having 10
be employed IN pulling some of the carts.
Therefore the General has been unable
% cover the ground he hoped to cover.
The natives fee before the expedition.
1ut they swarm back to their huts as
soon as the American troops have passed.
HARASSING OUR FLANKS.
few Filipino sharpshootcrs are
iarassing the American nanks
The Commissary Department IS pre-
Daring 10 send more rations. under a
trong escort, 10 the front.
The United States transport Zeallndia
rom San Francisco. March 18th. having |
|
infantry and large quantity OF supplies.
rrived here to-day. after an uneventfu
oyage. Her troops are now camped on
he waterfront.
OFFICERS FAMILIES RETURNING.
The United States transport Sheridan |
ais for home tomorrow. She will take
mong her passengers General Charles
>iag AMI Mrs Colonel Stotsenburg. who
conveying her husbands body To the
'nited States. The Sheridan also has on ,
oard several officers families. who find
Iauila an undesirable place of residence.
PART OF CALUMPlT FALLS.
WASHINGTON, April 26.-The following f,
ab.egram was received al the War De- :
ariment late this evening:
Manila. April 8-Adjutant-Genera
LawtOn at Norzagaray and
nsat His two columns united have .
riven enemy 10 north and west. Slight l
asualtes. Names not reported. Only !
leans OF communication couriers. Mac
rthur has taken part o! Calumpit south l
river. Movement attended with diffi- c
ultics, Oh account OF jungle, heat, and q