Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-04-13
GENERAL LAwToN's ADVANCE.
To Capture Santa Cruz and Sweep
the Unexplored Country to
the south.


the south.
Manila, April 9, $3.50 a. m.-The ex.
petition of $500 men under Mai.-Gen.
Henry w. Lawton, which started last
night with the intension of crossing
Laguna de Bay, capturing the town OF
Santa Cruz, on the eastern shore of the
lake and then sweeping the country to
the south, consists of 200 picked sharp
shooters, chosen from the various reg:-
ments. Hawthorne and Mountain bat
terry, Gales squadron formed of three
troops of the Fourth cavalry, dis
mounted, with Bronko's and Tappan's
battalions of the Fourteenth infantry,
Linck's battalion of the First Idaho
infantry and Fraino's battalion of the
North Dakota infantry, under Gen.
King.
The FIotilIa.
The fotilla of 20 canoes, towed by
tugs and conveyed by the gunboats
Laguna de Bay, Oeste and Rapidana
and preceded by the launch San Pedro
Macati, on the River Pasig, moved to-
ward the lake just as evening was set
ting in. 1t was truly picturesque
scene. The men were all in high spis-
its, and carried rations for ten days,
with the ightest marching equipment.
Gen. LayvtOn's Plan.
Gen. Lawton's plan was to reach
Santa Cruz this morning at daybreak,
to. capture or destroy any rebel boats
or shipping, to take the town and then
scour the country to the south of the
lake, a district not explored by the
Americans. The tactics will be those
of the old-time frontier fighting, and
it is probable that the command will
be divided into squads of IL, under
non-commissioned officers.
In Gen. Lawton's absence the second
division is temporarily commanded by
Gen. Ovenshine, whose lines extend
from the beach near Malate, south ii
Manila, to the shore of Laguna de Bay,
The Insurgents Make n Mistake.
The withdrawal of the IS companies
constituting the expeditionary force
made gap in the line from the beach
Pedro Macati, which was subsequently
filed by the Fourth regular infantry
The rebels on the extreme right,
withdrawal of the troops, and they
withdrawal of the troops, and they
attempted to sneak through after
nightfall, but they met with a warm
reception and fell back in disorder on
discovering that the line was still in.
tact.
Important News Looked For.
Washington, April 10.-The war de.
partment authorities look for import
ant news from Manila to-day, announc-
ing, in all probability, the capture of
the city of Santa Cruz, a leading town
in a country as yet untouched by the
American forces and now in the hands
of the Filipino forces.
OccasIOned No Surprise.
No report of the movement of Gen.
Lawton's men has been made to the
war department, but the press an
nouncement occasioned no surprise,
for the move is looked upon as one of
the natural steps in Gen. Otis careful
ly laid plans against the insurgents.
Santa Cruz is a place of considerable
Importance in several respects. 1t is
the capital of the province of Laguna
and has population, according to the
best available information here, of
considerably more than $4,000 persons.
1t is regarded as likely that Gen. Law
ton already has gained possession of
this little stronghold, as it is but a
short journey over the Bay lagoon, a
freshwater sea, which comes almost
up to Manila itself, which is 4S miles
away from Santa Cruz.
VIII Serve as an object Lesson.
The details of the dispatch show
Gen. Lawton, by essaying the forma-
ton of squads of IL men each, will
make thorough reconnaissance of the
ground before making a definite at
tack upon the city and vicinage. 1t is
felt here that there will be only show
of resistance by the natives, and wheth-
er they actually surrender the town OF
abandon it to the southwark, the cam
paign against the place will serve as
an object lesson of the determined pol
icy of our forces in the island.
An Opening Wedge.
Santa Cruz is apparently an opening
wedge for the country beyond. From
it lead highways in all directions, to
Manila, by going around the shores of
Bay lagoon, and to the important point
of Batangas, and the well-advanced
province of Tuyabas, whose capital
is located 81 miles from Manila. Gen.
Lawton, however, may not
any material advance beyond Santa
Cruz at this time as the region to the
south is a very broken country, COW
cred with mountains, and the rainy
season is coming on so that his pur-
pose may be merely to gain an adj
vantageous position for the future.
AguinaIdo Issues a Decree.
Madrid, April 10.-The following dis
patch from Manila is published here: |