The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-26
OUR LOSS WAS SIX KILLED
And Twcnty.cight Wounded in
one OF the Most Stubborn.
ly Fought Battles.
The ASSAULT ON THE TOWN
Will be Made To.day...Thc In.
surGcnts Firing Calumpit
Before Rctrcating.

MANILA, April 25.-10:SO p. m.-Gen-
cral MacArthur's division fought Its
way to the Filipino trenches before Cal
umpit to-day. advancing four miles.
mostly through woods and Jungle, and
md crossing the Bagbag river.
This was accomplished at a cost to
the Americans OF six killed and twenty
eight wounded. the First Dakota regi-
ment being the heaviest loser. After
fordlng the river. the South Dakotans
pursued the insurgents to the outskirts
OF Calumpit. but the town was found
so strongly protected that General Mac
Arthur deemed it best to withdraw the
tired fighters. und TO so into camp for
Il nights rest before making the final
assault.
The largest buildings in Calumpit
were being fired by the Fiiipinos while
the Americans were crossing the river,
fully mile away. indicating the enc
my's intention to abandon the place.
The insurgents seem to have adopted
settled policy Of retiring from one po-
siilpn 10 another after iniiicting the
greatest possible damage upon the nd-
vancing army Their forces to-day
were well drilled. Every foot Of the
ground was tenaciOusly disputed by
thoroughly organized troops. who stood
remarkably firm, even before artillery.
a Plan That Failed.
The enemy had planned to wreck our
artillery transport train. This attempt
was failure. but n span of the iron
railroad bridge over the river was de-
stroyed, hampering the American
transportation for some time. The Fill
ipinnS cut the girlers intending to have
III" structure fall with the train, but
1t collapsed prcmaturely OF Its own
weight
The Bagbag river. which is about Il
hundred yards wide at that point. was
sp!endidlr fortified. and the Americans
were compelled to approach across an
open space, from which the rebels hud
cleared every obstruction to sight. The
bank of the river. high bluff. was sur
mounted with trenches. capped with
rocks. loop-holed and partly hidden by
bushes
General Wheator's brigade approach
ed the river along the railroad, leaving
camp beyond MalOlos city. General
Hale's brigade, which started yester-
day. was earlier on the march, and
sweeping westward toward the rail-
road. The armored train was being
pushed by Cinnamon, the Twentieth
regiment advancing In extended order
on the left and the First Montana regl-
nent. with the Utah light artillery, on
the right.
The rapid-Nring guns or the traia
Opened the ball" nj 1890 a. M. about
mile from the river. their popping
alternating continuously with the
boom OF the slx-pounders.
The Montana regiment and the Utah
light artillery batteries at the same
time entered the Jungle from which the
Insurgents, who occupied large strag-
Cling village OF huts. poured heavy
voileys.
Americans Force Passage.
In the course Of an hour. the Amcri-
cans had forced passage through the
woods 10 the open space In front OF the
river and the artillery Immediately on
wheeling Into the opening. began she'll
Ing the Filipino trenches
IN the meantime. Company n, Twen-
tieth Kansas, led by Captain Boltwood,
performed one OF the most brilliant
hchieFements OF the campaign. The
regiment was being held in reserve.
and Company X. charged a distance OF
quarter OF n mile. over corn field.
10 the bank OF the river, near the
pFla8e. where the insurgents, from
trench. were pcppering the armored
tram. then about Two hundred yards
uo"n tne track. The company found
shelter In n ditch.
Colonel Frederick Funston called for
volunteers to cross the river. and the
colonel himself. Lieutenant Ball. n pri-
Vatc OF Company E., private of Com
pany T.. Trumpeter Bars,ield and Cor
noral Feguson, Of Company l., crawled
along the Iron etrders.
While this was going on the men of
company k., from the ditch We're fusil-
aGihS the trenches, in the cnIcavor to
divert attention. but the Fillplnos got
the range from q trench down ,be
river. and their bullets soon spattered
the water under the structure.
Col. Funston Led tho WAY,
Having reached the broken span, the
small. but raloroHs party OF Americans
slid down the calsson. swan a few
yards to the shore and rrawlel yp the
oank, the little colonel leading the way
10 The trenches. revolver In hand, while
me few remaining Fiiipinos boited.
Colonel Funston said afterwards: at
was not much 10 do. We knew they
could not shoot straight, and that our
boys would attend to them while we
we're crossing"
General ihle's troops. on the right.
hna the hardest fighting. They follow
eH The north bank OF the river ncnrcst
n. Town from the cast. with the First
,Sehrnstn regiment on the left and the
fhSt south Dakota and the Fffty-Grst
IOWA beyond. The country to be tray
rfssd "hs mostly Jungle, but the Film
mos stood their ground even In the open
spnces. ''S"
General lInle's right Joined General
w h"hton's left soon after noon, n curve
W the river enabling the Americans to
tonr fasilading IRE into the enemy's
trenches.
FOrdcd the River.
About this time the cheers OF tho
Nahshs troops announced that the
Americana had crossed the river. Gem
eFhl llhl"'B men began to ford the CHI
."' a branch Of tho Bagbng, stretching
20 the northeast. The general himself
plunged In up to his neck, and the reg
inents. ntt'cnrryinB flags. nOundcrcd
ncross the stream. The guns OF the
lhh hght artillery were dragged over
AeAt' and formed into an extended