The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-14

Were reinforcements, our battery hav-
| ing silenced the enemy's guns, the
Americans wading waist deep IN the
| mud of the salt flats and oouring a
steady volley of musketry at the rebels,
drove their opponents beyond the river.
| The armies lay facinig each other
across the deep stream, driving the
enemy practically out of sight, viii e
| the men in blue and khadi lay in the
main bushes, many of them without any
shelter for three hours without mo-
ment's cessation in the firing pouring
bullets at the enemy as fast as they
could load.
The thousand rifles blended into a
continuous roar, which was vastly diff
ferent from the intermittent skirmish
like rattle of most of the engagements.
| One battalion after another General
Lawton summoned from Las PinaS, I'M
| til only enough troops of reserves We're
| left in the town to prevent the Fill
pinos from attacking the Americans in
the ear, which was feared, as they We're
creeping around our left through the
woods delivering a thanking fire which
| put a great strain upon the endurance
of the Americans who We're f1oundering
| in the mud across the river while on
the right the FiHpinos sharpshooters
hidden in the trees. We're peppering our
men.
| But thanks to the poor Workmanship
of the rebels our loss was Tot as great
as it would have been if the F'ilipinos
had shot straight. An army, how
ever, has seldom fought under a great
err disadvantage or more coura2eously
than did our regulars, majority Of
whom were. comparatively speaking,
recruits, who could have been pardoned
for retiring in the face of such fire
from their exposed positions. The
Fourteenth Regiment lay to the right
of the bridge, and in front of them
was the Twelfth Regiment. with the
Ninth on the right and the Twenty
| first up the road facing the bridge,
which was the key to the situation. On
the bridge We're the bodies of two
Americans who had attempted to rush
across, and many wounded men We're
carried from the open ground before
the bridge.
After firing in volleys for a short
fire when and where they could see
the enemy. 1t was every man for
himself, and the best the men could
do was to aim at the faint mists arising
from the rebels smokeless powder.
General Lawton, though exhausted by
the mornings fight, rallied by sheer
will power, and was the commanding
figure in the battle. He Went along
the lines directing and encoura ging the
troops.
General Wheaton and General Oven
shine We're equally courageous 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 narrow winding road
where the rebel bullets dropped thick
ly, wounding several of our men, AT
o'clock there was an hours lull in
the fighting, and an artillery Sergeant
galloped back to where two guns of
the mountain battery We're waiting in
reserve, and shouted: Bring up those
guns The Sergeant then tumbled
exhausted from his horse.
Twenty wounded men were. carried to
native boat waiting on the beach,
which was rowed to Paranaque. 1t is
impossible at present to estimate the
number of Filipino dead. There are
many dead bodies in the fields the
Americans traversed.
This battlefield, incidentally, was for
merly the scene of several of the great
est struggles between the Spaniards
and the Filipinos. The Zapote was
considered impregnable, and hundreds
of Spaniards and Filipinos have been
killed while fighting over the same
bridge in former contests for it's pos
session. In June, 1895, Generals Pho
del Pillar and Trias turned a scale of
war ON the side of the Fflipinos by de-
+feating the Spanish army there on the
eve of a decisive battle, carrying native
militia with them and thereby breaking
the chain of defense around Manila.
OTIS REPORTS THE BATTLE,
WASHINGTON, June 13.-The fol-
lowing cablegram has been received
from General Otis:
Manila, June 13.--Adjutant General.
Washington: Lawton's troops had
severe engagement to-day with the
enemy in strong entertainments at the
crossing of Zapote River, near Bakoor,
Cavite province. Has driven the enemy
with heavy losses. Casualties some
thirty. Insurgents in the southern sec
ton not molested until threatened at
tack in strong force on Manila. They
are now scattered and in retreat and it
is doubtful if they make further stand.
OTIS"
GEN. LUNA REPORTED DEAD.
MANILA, June 13.-3:5O p. MN
formation believed to be reliable has
reached here of the assassination of
General Luna and his aide de camp,
Lieutenant Pasco Ramon, June 9Th, by
Aguinaldo's guard at headquarters of
Aguinaldo.
Luna and Ramon, it appears, went
to the headquarters to confer with
Aguinaldo, got into am alteration with
the Captain of the guard and one of
them drew a revolver. The guard then
onets.
COL. SMITH APPLIES FOR RE-
TIREMENT.
MANILA, June 13.-11:20 a. m.-Col-
onel Alfred T. Smith of the Thirteenth
Infantry, resident of Buffalo, N. Y, has
applied for retirement. He was over
come by the heat in last Saturdays
movement on Paranaque. 1t is not
thought, however, that his condition is
serious.
The steamer Leelanaw, Captain Storrs
from San Francisco May 1st, with
horses, arrived to-day.
THE NEWS AT WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON, June 13.-The news
of the heavy fighting almost in sight
of Manila and adjacent to the navy
yard at Cavite where Admiral Dewey
landed his forces more than a year
ago, was recalled with interest here. 1t
is evident to the officials that the in
sureents are either stronger than has