The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-26
ANN!!H!ILATED.
Insurgent Army at Calumpit Is
Crushed
y
And Sent Scampering Into the
Hill Country.
KEY TO THE REGION
And the Filipino Capital Falls
Before
The Onward Rush of MacAr-
thurs Soldiers.
A BRILLIANT CHARGE
Made by Co. h. of the Twentieth
Kansas.
Col. Funston and a Party Swim
Another River.
A BRILLIANT CHARGE
Made by Co. Il. of the Twentieth
Kansas.
Col. Funston and a Party Swim
Another River.

New York. April PA dispatch to
the Journal from Manila April 26 says:
Gen. Macarthur division, 5000 troops
annihilated the insurgents at Calumpit
today.
Aguinaldo's troops made stubborn
resistance but were driven to the hills.
Eight Americans were killed.
Calumpit is the key to the whole of
northern Luzon.
FIGHTING THEIR WAY.
Manila, April 26.-Gen. MacArthur's
division fought it's way to the Filipino
trenches before Calumpit yesterday,
advancing four miles, mostly through
woods and jungle, and crossing the
Bagbag river.
This was accomplished at a cost to
the Americans of six killed and %
wounded, the First South Dakota reg
tment being the heaviest losers
After fording the river the South Da-
kota troops pursued the insurgents to
the outskirts of Calumpit, but the town
was found to be so strongly protected
that General Macarthur deemed it best
to withdraw the tired fighters and go
into camp for a nights rest before
making the final assault.
The largest buildings in Calumpit
were being fired by the Filipinos while
the Americans were crossing the river
fully a mile away, indicating the enc
my's intentions to abandon the place.
The insurgents seem to have adopted
q settled policy of retiring from one po-
sition after another, after infiicting the
greatest possible damage upon the ad-
vancing army. The forces are we'll
drilled. Every foot of the ground was
tenaciously disputed by thoroughly or
ganized troops, who stood remarkably
firm even before artillery.
DESTROYED THE BRIDGE.
The enemy had planned to wreck our
artillery transport train. This attempt
was a failure, but a span of the iron
railway bridge over the river was de-
stroyed, ,hampering the American trans
portation for sometime. The Filipinos
cut the girders, intending to have the
structure fall with the train, but it
collapsed prematurely of its own
weight.
The Bagbag river which is about
hundred yards wide at that point, was
splendidly fortified and the Americans
were compelled to approach an open
space from which the rebels had clear
ed every obstruction in sight. The
bank of the river, a high bluff, was
surmounted with trenches, capped with
rocks, loop-holed and partly hidden by
bushes.
Gen. Wheaton's brigade approached
the river along the railroad, leaving
camp beyond MalolOs city. Gen. Hale's
which started, earlier on the march,
was sweeping westward toward the
railroad The armored train was being
pushed by Cinnamon, the Twentieth
Kansas regiment advancing in extend
ed order on the left and the First Mon
tana regiment with the Utah light ar
tillery, on the right.
The rapid fire guns on the train
"opened the ball" at 11:30 a. m. about
q. mile from the river, their popping al
ternating continuously with the boom
of the six Founders.
The Montana regiment and the Utah
artillery batteries at the same time en-
tered the jungle from which the regi-
ment who were occupying a large, ,strag-
Cling village of huts, poured heavy vol
1eys- In the course of an hour the
Americans had forced a passage through
the river and the artillery, immediate
~ on wheeling into the open began
shelling the Filipino trenches.
KANSANS BRILLIANT CHARGE.
In the meantime, Company K, Twen-
tieth Kansas, lead by Captain Boltwood.
performed one of the most brilliant
achievements of the campaign The
regiment was being held in reserve, and
Company * charged a distance of a
quarter of a mile over a corn field to
the bank of the river, near the bridge,
Where the insurgents from a trench
were peppering the armored train, then
about 200 yards down the track The
company found shelter in a ditch.
Colonel Frederick Funston called for
volunteers to cross the river and the
colonel himself, Lieutenant Ball a
private of Company K, a private of
Company 2. Trumpeter Barsfield and
corporal Ferguson, of Company L
crawled along the iron girders
Whlle this was going on the men of
company K from the ditch where fusiI-
lading the trenches in the endeavor 70
divert attention, but the Fflipinos GOT
the range from a trench down the river
and their bullets soon spattered the wa
ter under the structure.
Having reached the broken snan the
small but yalorous party OF
Americans slid down the Gals
son, swan few Yards r.
the shore and crawled up the hank
the little colonel leading the wav TO t1f
trenches, revolver in hand. while the
few remaining Filipinos bolted.
Colonel Funston said afterwards seTt
was not much to do. We knew they
could not shoot straight and that oul