Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-04-27

Macarthur deemed it best to withdraw
the tired fighters and go into camp for
a nights rest before making the final
assault.
The largest gs in Calumpit
were being fired by the Filipinos while
the Americans were crossing the river,
fully mile away. indicating the
enemy's intention to abandon the place.
The insurgents seem to have adopted
settled policy Of retiring from one
position after another, after inflicting
the greatest possible damage upon the
advancing army. The forces yesterday
were we'll drilled. Every foot of the
ground was tenaciously disputed by the
filipinos, who stood remarkably firm
even before artillery.
Planned to Wreck Train.
The enemy had planned to wreck our
transport train. This attempt was a
failure, but span of railway bridge
over the river was destroyed, hamper
ing the American transportation for
some time. The Filipinos cut the grid.
ers, intending to have the structure fall
with the train, but it collapsed prema-
turely of its own weight.
The Bagbag river, which is about a
hundred yards wide at that point, was
splendidly fortified and the Americans
were compelled to approach the open
space from which the rebels had cleared
every obstacle to sight. The bank of
the river, high bluff, was surmounted
with trenches, capped with rocks, loop
holed and partly hidden by bushes.
General Wheaton's brigade ap-
preached the river along the railroad,
leaving camp beyond Malolos city.
General Hale's brigade was earlier on
the march, going westward toward the
rear. The armored transport was being
pushed by Cinnamon, the Twentieth
Kansas regiment advancing in an ex-
tended order on the left and the First
Montana on the right with the Utah
light artillery on the right. The rapid
firing guns on the train opened the ball
at 1l:3O a. m., about mile from the
river, their popping alternating con-
tinuously with the boom of the six.
Founders.
Gallant Charge of Kansans.
The Montana regiment and the Utah
artillery batteries at the same time en-
tered the jungle, from which the in.
surgents, who We're occupying large,
struggling village Of huts, poured heavy
volleys. In the course of an hour the
Americans had forced a passage through
the woods to the open space in front of
the river and the artillery Immediately
on wheeling into the open began shell.
ing the Filipino trenches. In the mean.
time the Twentieth Kansas, led by Can.
tain Beltwood, performed one of the
most brilliant achievements of the cam
palgn. The regiment was being held
III reserve, and company K charged a
distance OF quarter of mile over a
corntield to the bank of the river, near
the bridge, where the insurgents from
trench were peppering the armored
train, then about 200 yards back down
the track. The company found shelter
in ditch
Colonel Frederick Funston called for
volunteers to cross the river, and the
colonel himself, Lieutenant Ball. Cor.
poral Ferguson and two privates
craWled along the iron girders.
While this was going on the men of
company Z from the ditch were fusil.
lad1ng the trenches in the endeavor to
divert attention, but the Filipinos got
the range from trench down the river.
and their bullets soon spattered the
water under the structure.
Having reached the broken span. the
small but valorous party of Americans
sllo down the caisson. swan a few
yards to the shore and crawled up the
bank, the little colonel leading the way
to the trenches, revolver in hand, while
the few remaining Filipinos bolted.
Colonel Funston said afterwards:
| ut was not much to do. We knew
they could not shoot straight and that
our boys would attend to them while
we were crossing"
General Hale's troops on the right,
had the hardest fight. They followed
the north bank of the river nearest the