The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-13
Province of Cavite Cleared of
Filipino Forces.
GEN. LAWTOS'S NARROW ESCAPE
In White Clothing, on Black Horse, He
Presents a shining MaTk-The Horses OF
Three of His staff Shot Under Them
Our Loss -Four Killed and About Thirty
acknowledgements Coast Town of Las
Pinas and Psrsnaque Occupied.

occupation Of the province OF CaFite mas
been broken. and. as the result OF the
present movement. the Americans now
control the important coast towns OF
PaTdnaque and Las P!nas. while long
line of insurgent trenches facing our
south line has been cleared.
The insurgents have again proved their
facility as dodgers. between $500 and
i.000 warriors, who seemed destined 10 be
captured. having disappeared. the ma
jCrity sliding away under cover OF the
night after fighting the Americans all
day. Some others came TO meet our
troops with protestations OF friendship.
The Thirteenth Infantry lost one man
killed and six wounded: the Ninth In
fantry. one man killed and five wounded;
the Fourteenth Infantry. three wounded.
arni ths First Colorado Volunteer Regi-
ment. eleven wounded.
Yesterdays work was the hardest our
army has seen. The battlefield stretched
out across the entire isthmus from La
guEa d. Bay to the haTbor While the
troops were advancing the army gun
boat Napidan, in the river near Taguig,
shelled the enemy. killing several of
then. The monitor Monadnock and the
gunboat Helena shelled Pdranaque and
.-N'F' 4 mas e-aA NoS NANAA NAAN I'LL HON "
their batteries.
Saved by Bad Siarksmsnship.
The rebel sharpshooters kept in hidins
until the American lines had passed and
then attempted 10 pot stragglers from
the trees. Thanks to their poor marks
manship, this was with out result. The
whole country proved to be a succession
OF small hills, with boggy ground between
the high, thick grass, and bushes in the
hollows,. which greatly added to the diff
fiCulty Of the advance, but gave shelter
that saved many from the enemy's bull
let's. Our men threw away their. blan-
kets, coats, and even haversacks, strip
ping to the waist and trusting to luck
for food. Water could not be obtained.
and there was much discomfort after the
canteens were emptied.
AT the outset the CoIorados, the Ninth
Infantry, and the Twenty-frst Infantry
forced the. line of insurgent trencnes,
wheeled 10 the left and droVe the enemy
toward the lake During this maneuVer
the tiii9inos, in concealed trenches on
the rlsht, opened an enfilading fire. but
the brigade, partly owing to The high
grass, had few hit.
Charged in Face of yoIIeys.
The Ninth Infantry crept around to the
right. thanking the trenches, driving out
the FilipinOs and killing many of them.
The Colorado regiment advanced to the
lake. Two companies encountered trench
es on top of knoll. where the F'ilpinos
stood waist-high above trench. pouring
a volley upon the advancing Americans.
The Colorado troops charged and drove
them out, Lieut.. Col. Moses being wound
ed in the arm as he jumped into the
trench.
In the meantime Gen. Wheaton's COL
umn advanced one and a half miles to-
ward Paranaque, where the Americans
found strong trench on ridge, out of
which they drove the FiliDinos by hard
fighting. The enemy tried to flank the
dismOunted troops OF the Fourth Cavalry,
accompanying Maj. Gen. Lawton, and at
the same time they made their only ad-
vance, throwing a skiTmish line TO flank
the Fourteenth Infantry. But they were
easily repulsed, the American artillery
coming to the crest of the hill and she'll
ing them.
About o'clock in the afternoon Cen
Wheaton's brigade, headed by Gen. Law
ton, VINO. in mis- white clothing and he'll
met, on big black horse, was a shining
mark for the enemy's sharpshoOters cir
cled to the south of Las Pinas, encoun-
tering a large force of F'ilipinos IL the
shelter of the trees. Gen. Lawton had a
narrow escape. In the first volley of
the enemy the horses of three of his staff
officers were shot from under them The
Colorado regiment bore the brunt of this
attack and dispersed the FilipinOs.
At Las Pinas and Paranaque.
Hardly had they finished off that lot
when large force appeared in the rear,
which the Ninth Infantry and a part of
the Colorado regiment drove away Ry
this time nearly the whole division was
around Las Pinas- The Americans camp
ed for the night south of the town and
in the midst of heavy rain.
At o'clock this morning Gen. Wheaton
advanced upon Las Pinas. with q troop
Of cavalry, the Twenty-first Infantry, the
Colorado regiment. part of the Ninth In
fantry, and two mountain guns. crossing
two streams, and entering the town with
out firing shot. He then advanced upon
PaTanaque. The women and children. and
for that matter, many men remained in
the towns. NO houses were destroyed.
though many were torn by the shells
from the warships. Everywhere the
Americans found white flags flying.
So far as can yet be ascertained, the
Filipino loss Is about fifty killed. about
$50 wounded, and twenty taken prisoners
The whole country is net-wOrked with
trenches. and the enemy scUrried from
shelter to shelter.
To-day long trains of commissary wag-
Ons are carrying provisions 20 the United
States troops along the road which only
Yesterday was the stronghold OF the ene-
nv and the natives. who yesterday were
probably carrying guns are to-day dotfing
their hats and gTove!ing before the Amer
leans with effUsiye greetings Of welcome
The Colorado regiment returned 20 bar
racks In Manila tonight As the ragged
and dusty men marched past the LuBeta,
- fashionable gathering place for Ma
nilans. they were heartily Chetrd.