Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-02-07


situation in the Philippines and related
wholly to the continuation Of the Red
Cross relief work in Cuba.
Story of the Battle.
The story of the thrashing admins
tered by Otis and Dewey to the Fill
pinos on Sunday can now be told in de-
tail.
At S:t5 Saturday night two Filipinos
advanced to the outposts Of the First
Nebraska regiment at Santa Mesa.
They were challenged and at once fell
back. A second time they appeared
and tried to pass the sentinels. Again
they were challenged, and again they
retired. A third time they tried it. This
t me, when ordered to halt, they made a
dash past the pickets. Corporal Greedy
at once opened fire. Both Fiipinos
dropped. One was killed, the other
wounded.
The action of the two natives was ap-
parently part of a preconcerted plan to
make the Americans fire first. The
smoke from the rifles of the pickets
had scarcely cleared away when a gun
was fired from blockhouse No. T. held
by Aguinaldo's troops. This was a sig
nal for general attack.
A rush was made for the Nebraska
regiment, while fusillade was opened
all along the insurgent line from Santa
Mesa to Calvocan. The insurgents evil
IDENTIFY expeeteal-ttSS- take the Americans
by surprise. They were astonished at
the reception they got.
The Nebraskans received them with
terrible fire. The advance was quickly
stopped, and the insurgents took refuge
in the trenches that for some time past
they have been digging in front of the
American lines.
The Firing General.
The firing was then general. The out
posts of the Montana and North Da-
kota regiments were engaged, and they
held the enemy in check until re-en-
forcements We're advanced. The fusillade
Of the insurgents was very Intellectual,
and it was difficult for the American
troops to do accurate shooting in the
dark.
Meanwhile the whole American camp
had been alarmed and was prepared for
any emergency. On the fleet, too, the
men had been ordered to quarters and
Admiral Dewey was dispatching orders
to the different commanders. He di-
rected the cruiser Charleston and the
gunboat Callao stationed off Malabon.
to get close inshore and prepare to at
tack the insurgent lines as soon as it
was possible to do so.
The insurgents, after the firing first
opened, began to concentrate their
forces at three points. These were Call
coocan, Gagalanin and Santa Mesa. AT
! o'clock on Sunday morning they OPEN
ed hot fire at these three places ST
mutt neously. They We're we'll armed
with Mauser and Remington rifles. They
had mounted two siege guns at Boik-
Balik, and these, too they brought into
play.
The Americans replied with terrific
fire. 1t was very different from what
the Filipinos have been accustomed to
from spanish soldiers. The western reg
iments With which they are engaged are
made up mainly of old Indian fighters.
hunters and cowboys. who shoot to kill,
and, aiming by the flashes of the Fill
Pine rifles, they inflicted havoc in the
insurgent trenches.
The Utah light artillery swung into
position to answer the siege guns. An
duel besan. Finally the Amer
lean sunners got the range, and in q
short time the siege guns were silenced
Away down on the left the Third artil-
lery was booming away. 1t, too, intlict
ed heavy loss on the enemy.
Shelled by Dewey.
The insurgent position at Calvocan Is
near the bay. AS soon as the enemy
opened fire a that point the Charleston
and Callao got into action. The second
airy batteries of TIE vessels poured in
fierce storm of shells and solid shot
greatly assisting the efforts of the
troops.
When daylight broke, the order to adj.
vance was given to the American
troops, At the same time the Charles
ten and Calloa were again ordered into
action and the Monadnock was sent to
shell the insurscnt position off Malata.
The American troops We're deliehte,}
ith the order to advance. They press
ed forward without hesitation in the
teeth OF the encmy's fire. The F'ilipinoe
held THAR ground and fought hard. But
Admiral DeWey's ships had accurately
located their positions, and, with hi.