The Washburn leader., 1899-08-19
ANGELES is TAKEN.
But THE INSURGENTS FIRE 1T
FIRST.
Attacked by Accommodating Party
From the Seventeenth Infantry
the Insurgents Set Fire to the
Town and Leave for other Parts
-Calulet Natives Say That the In
surgents Are short of Ammunt-
tion-'rhat Deadly Armorcd Car
Strikes Terror to the Hearts OF
Natives.


troops remained Thursday at Caluiet.
The rebels had evidently fed far De-
yond rife range. for the American out
posts We're not disturbed and not
shot was fired during the night. AT
daybreak accommodating party con-
sisting of a battalion of the Seven
teenth infantry, with one field piece.
started up the railroad track toward
Angeles. four miles north. The party
approached within 1900 yards of the
town and opened fire with the held
gun. The Americans were received
with a badly directed rifle fire, which
the battalion of the Seventeenth re-
turned with few volleys. The
strength of the insurgents at Angeles
not being known, the situation was re-
ported to Gen. Macarthur, who did
not desire to send reinfOrcements and
directed the reconnoitering party to
return unless the rebels abandoned the
town. Soon after the receipt of these
orders it became evident that the reb-
els had set fire to the town and fed,
leaving the place to be occupied by
the Americans.
A battalion of the Twelfth infantry
was also sent on accommodating ex-
pedition toward the west, but up to
noon no firing had been heard in their
direction and no word had been re-
ceived from them ut Gen. MacArthur's
HEADQUARTERS. It. is believed that they
encountered nothing. Everything indi-
Gates that all the rebels have scattered
for miles in every direction around
Calulet.
The insurgents lost heavily in the
fighting around Calulet. 1t Is believed
that one hundred were killed aad three
or four hundred wounded. The Iowa
regiment killel thirty in one place, and
one company Of the Seventeenth sud-
denly encountered party of rebels IN
a trench and killed twelve. The Amer
ican loss was five killed and thirty
one wounded, including three officers.
The attack was complete surprise
to the insurgents, who had no idea
that movement was intended until
the armored car opened deadly fire
with two Gatljngs, q revolving cannon
and a six-pOunder. The heavy artil-
lery cnened on both flanks a moment
later. A majority of the Filipinos were
asleep when the attack was made.
Men with large bells were heard rum
ming among the shacks arousing the
soldiers.
The Americans maintained almost
perfect line four miles long, through
canebrakes where they could see moth
ing ahead. The mud in places was
knee deep in the rice fields and jun
giles. and through the bitches flowed
small rivers several feet deep. The
Filipin0s tried to ambush the Amer
leans several times, the country in the
neighborhood being we'll adapted to
these tactics. but the troops stepped
for nothing, forcing their way through
or over obstacles and firing whenever
they could locate the fleeing enemy.
The officers highly commend the re-
cruits of the various regiments.
There is reason to believe the reports
recently received that the insurgents
ar short of ammunition. as we'll in
formed natives at Calulet say the in
surgents had only forty rounds of am
munition each and that ave rounds ex-
ira were issued just before the fight.
Since the American occupation Of San
Fernando the rebels have torn up
three miles of railroad between there
and Calulet, and it is impossible to get
the armored car more than two miles
beyond San Fernando.