The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-14

49, -ttAN "a I'll
chored close to the shore and her heavy
guns pounded the rebels continuously, While
the smaller war ships, steaming along the
shore. poured bullets from their rapid-fire
guns at the enemy.
The Filipino force engaged appears to have
been the largest and best organized body of
men which has met our troops.
The Americans were compelled to advance
along narrow roads and over small bridges
commanded by earthworks ten feet thick.
The only means OF crossing the Zapote was
by a small bridge. which the F1lipInos COM
manded with trenches spreading V shape,
whence they could concentrate their fire on
the bridge. They also had the advantage Of
the trees and jungle. so the Americans could
hardly see ahead.
When the battle was resumed at I o'clock
with the reinforcements. Our battery having
siienced the enemy's guns, the Americans
vading waist deep in the mud of the salt
flats. slowly, and pouring steady volleys Of
musketry AZ the rebels, drove their oppo-
nents beyond the river. Then the two
armies lay facing each other across the
stream. the enemy practically out of sight,
while the men in blue and kahaki lay in the
main bushes. many OF them without any
shelter for three hours without a moments
cessation in the firing. pouring bullets at
the enemy as fast as they could load. The
1890 rifles, blended into a continuous roar,
was vastly different from the intermittent
s&drmish-like rattle OF most of the engage
ments.
FTLIPINOS POOR SHOTS.
One battalion after another General Law
ton summoned the reserves from Las Pinas
urtil only enough troops were left in the
s..~~ - $1,000 A. trf-s- S. 49,
ing the Americans in the rear. which was
feared. as they were creeping around our
men in the woods. firing on the flank, which
put a great strain on the Americans who
were ioundering In the mud across the river,
while on the right the Filipino sharpshooters,
hidden IN the trees, were peppering our
men, But. thanks TO the poor Workmanship
Of the rebels, our loss was not as great as
straight. An army, however. has seldom
fought under a greater handicap or more
courageously than did our regulars, a ma
Jority of whom were. comparatively speak
ing, recruits. who could have been pardoned
for retiring in the face of such a fierce fire
from their exposed positions.
The Fourteenth Regiment was TO the
right and in front was the Twelfth and
Ninth up the road. facing the bridge. which
was the key to the situation On the bridge
were the bodies OF two Americans who had
attempted to rush across. and many
wounded men were carried from the open
ground before the bridge. After firing VOL
leys for a short time the Americans were
ordered to fire where they see the enemy.
1t was every man for himself and the best
our men could do was to aim at the faint
mists arising from the rebels smokeless
powder.
General L1awton, though exhausted by the
mornings fight. rallied by sheer will power.
and was the commanding figure in the bat
tie. He went along the lines directing and
encouraging the troops. General Wheaton
and General Ovenshine were equally cour-
ageous. In fact, the generals were among
the few men on the battlefield who refused
to take shelter under the hottest fire. The
only approach to the fighting ground was
by a narrow, winding road, where the rebel
bullets dropped thickly. ~wounding several of
our men.
At 4 o'clock there was an hours lull in
the fighting. and an artillery sergeant gall
Hoped back to where two guns Of the noun
tain battery were waiting in reserve, and
shouted: Bring up those guns" The SER
geant then tumbled exhausted from his
horse.
Twenty wounded men were carried to a
cascoe native boat, waiting on the beach,
which was rowed to Paranaque. 1t is impos-
eible at present to estimate the number of
Filipino dead. There are many dead bodies
IN the fields which the Americans traversed.
This battlefield. incidentally, was formerly
the scene Of several of the greatest strug-
giles between the Spaniards and the Fill
pinos. The Zapote was considered impreg-
nable and hundreds OF Spaniards and Fill
pinos have been killed while fighting over
the same bridge in former contests for its
possession. In June. 1897. Generals Pho del
Pillar and Trias turned a scale of war on
the side of the Fflipinos by deserving the
Spanish army there on the eve of a de-
cisfve battle. carrying native militia with
them, and thereby breaking the chain Of de-
tense around Manila.