The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-26


MacArthur's division fought it's way to
the Filipino trenches before Calumpit
today, advancing four miles mostly
through woods and jungle and cross
ing the Bagbag river. This was ac-
complished at a cost to the Americans
of six killed and % wounded, the First
South Dakota regiment being the heav-
lest loser.
After fording the river, the South
Dakotans pursued the insurgents to
the outskirts of Calumpit; but the town
was found so strongly protected that
Gen. Macarthur deemed it best to
withdraw the tired fighters and to go
into camp for a nights rest before
making the final assault. The largest
buildings in Calumpit were being fired
by the Filipinos while the Americans
were crossing the river, fully mile
away, indicating the enemy's intention
to abandon the place.
The insurgents seem to have adopted
settled policy of retiring from one
position after another after inhicting
the greatest possible damage upon the
advancing army. Their forces today
were well drilled. Every foot Of the
ground was tenaciously disputed by
thoroughly organized troops, who stood
remarkable firm even before our ar
tillery.
The enemy had planned to wreck our
artillery transport train. This attempt
was a failure, but a span of the iron
railway bridge over the river was de-
stroyed, hampering the American
transportation The Filipinos cut the
girders, intending to have the struc-
ture fall with the train, but it collapsed
prematurely of it's own weight. The
Bagbag river, which is about hum
bred yards wide at 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 surmounted with trenches, capped
with rocks, loop-holed and partly hid
den by bushes Gen. Wheaton's brig
ade approached the river along the
railroad leaving camp beyond Malolos
city. Hale's, who started yesterday,
was earlier on the march, sweeping
westward toward the railroad. The
armored train was being pushed by
Cinnamon the Twentieth Kansas regi-
ment advancing in extended order on
the left and the First Montana regt-
ment, with the Utah light artillery on
the right
The rapid firing guns on the train
"opened the BALI at 11.30 a. m. about
a mile from the river their popping
alternating continuously with the
boom Of the six-pounders. The Mon
tana regiment and the Utah artillery
batteries at the same time entered the
jungle, from which the insurgents, who
were occupying a large, struggling viii
lage of nuts, poured heavy volleys. In
the course of an hour the Americans
had forced a passage through the.
woods to the open space in front Of the
river, and the artillery, Immediately on
wheeling into the open, began Smelling
the Filipinos' trenches.
In the meantime, Co. K, Twentieth
Kansas, led by Capt. Boltwood, per-
formed one of the most brilliant
achievements Of the campaign. The
regiment was being held in reserve,
and Company K charged a distance Of
quarter of a mile over a cornfield to
the bank of the river, near the bridge,
where the insurgents from a trench
were peppering the armored train, then
about two hundred yards down the
track. The company found shelter in
a ditch.
Col. Frederick Funston called for
volunteers to cross the river, and the
colonel himself. Lieut.. Ball, private
of Company K, a private of Company
z, Trumpeter Barsfield and Corporal
Ferguson of Company I, crawled along
the iron Orders. While this was going
en-. the men Of Company K from the
ditch were fusillading the trenches in
the endeavor to divert attention, but
the Filipinos got the range from
trench down the river, and their bullets
soon scattered the water under the
structure. Having reached the bro
ken part, the small but valorous party
of Americans slid down the caisson,
swan a few yards to the shore and
crawled up the bank. the little colonel
leading the way to the trenches, revolt
yer in hand. while the few remaining
Filipinos bolted.
Col Funston said afterwards: 1T
was not much to do. We know
they could not shoot straight and that
our boys would attend to them while
we were crossing.
Gen. Hale's troops. on the right. had
the hardest fighting. They followed
the north bank of the river nearest the
town from the east. with the First Ne
braska regiment on the left and the
First South Dakota and the Fifty-first
Iowa beyond. The country to be trav-
ersed was mostly jungle; but the Fill
pinos stood their ground, even in the
open spaces. Gen. Hale's right Joined
Gen. Wheaton's left soon after noon.
curve in the river enabling the Ameri-
cans to pour an enflading fire into the
enemy's trenches.
About this time the cheers OF the
Kansas troops announced that ne