The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-26

eral MacArthur's division fought to the
trenches before Calumpit to-day, adj
yancing four miles through woods ano
jungles and crossing the Bagbag river
Six Americans were killed and 2e
wounded. The South Dakota regiment
pursued the insurgents to the outskirts
of Calumpit which was so strongly pro-
tected that General Macarthur deemed
it best to withdraw the tired fighters
and camp for nights rest before as
saulting the town. The largest buildings
of Calumpit were on fire when the
Americans crossed the river mile
away, indicating the intention of the
insurgents to abandon the place
The insurgents seem to have adopted Il
settled policy of retiring from one posi-,
tion to another, after inhicting the
greatest possible damage unon he ad
vancing army. Their forces to day
were well drilled. Every foot Of I'll,
ground was tenaciously disputed by
thoroughly organized troops, vino stopJ
remarkably firm even before artillery.
The enemy had planned TO wreck oul
artillery transport train. This attempt
was a failure, but span of the iron
railway bridge over the river was de
stroyed, hampering the American trans
portation for some time. The Eilipinos
cut the girders, intending to have the
structure fall with the train, but it col
lapsed prematurely of its own weight.
The Bagbag river which is about j
hundred yards wide ut that point. was
splendidly fortified, and the Americans
were compelled to approach across an
open space from which the rebels had
cleared every obstruction to sight. The
bank of the river, a high bluff, was sur
mounted with trenches capped with
rocks. loopholed and partly hidden b,
bushes.
General Wheaton's brigade approach
ed the river along the railroad. leaving
camp beyond Malolos city Genera
Hale's, which started yesterday was
earlier on the march, and sweepins
westward toward the railroad. The ar
nlored train was being pushed by China
men. the Twentieth Kansas regiment ad
vancing i'll splendid order on the left
and the First Montana regiment witt
the Utah light artillery on the right.
The rapid firing guns of the trail
mile from the river, their popping al
ternating continuously with the boon
of the six Founders.
The Montana regiment and the Utal
artillery batteries at the same time en-
tered the jungle, from which the insur
gents, who We're occupying a large, strag
Cling village of huts, poured heavy vol
leys In the course of an hour tn,
Americans had forced a passage through
the woods to the open space in from
of the river and the artillery, immediate
ly on wheeling into the open, begal
Smelling the Filipino trenches.
In the meantime, Company X Tween
teth Kansas, led by Captain BoItwood
performed one of the most brillian
achievement of the campaign. Tn
regiment was being held in reserve, ant
Company X charged distance of
quarter of Il mile over a cornfield t
the bank of the river, near the bridge
where the insurgents from Il trench wer
peppering the armored train, then abou
two hundred yards down the track. TIL
company found shelter in a ditch
Colonel Frederick Funston called 70
volunteers TO cross the river, and tn
Colonel himself, Lieutenant Ball,
private of Company *, a private of Com
pany Il, Trumpeter Barsfeld and Coz
poral Ferguson. of Company /, crawle
along the iron girders.
While this was going on the men o
Company *, from the ditch were fusl
lading the trenches in the endeavor {
divert attention, but the F1liplnos go
the range from trench down the river
and their bullets soon spattered tn
water under the structure.
Having reached the broken span, tn
small but valorous party of American
slid down the caisson, swan Il few yard
to the shore and crawled up the bank
the little colonel leading the way to tn
trenches, revolver in hand, while tn
few remaining Filipinos bolted.
Colonel Funston said afterward:
ut wasn't much to do. We knew
they could not shoot straight and tha
our boys would attend to them while w
were crossing"
General Hale's troops, on the right
had the hardest fighting. They follow
ed the north bank of the river neares
the town, from the east, with the Eirs
Nebraska regiment ON the left and tn
First South Dakota and the Fifty-firs
Iowa beyond.
The country traversed was mostl
jungle, but the Filipinos stood thei
ground even in the open spaces.
General Hale's right joined Genera
Wheaton's left soon after noon, IA curv,
III the river enabling the Americans L
pour an entilading fire into the enemy
trenches.
About this time the cheers of the Kan
sas troops announced that the Amer
cans had crossed the river. Genera
Hale's men began to ford the Chico,
4 u