Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-04-14
SANTA CRUZ CAPTURED,
Another Filipino Stronghold in
Possession of Americans.

of Gen. Lawton's expedition Monday after
some sharp, quick fighting forming one of
the most interesting and important battles
of the war. The plans of the American
commanders worked perfectly with the ex-
ception that the progress of the expedition
was delayed by the difficult navigation of
the river. About 1900 picked men com
posed the expedition, which was under the
personal command of Gen. Lawton, on ac-
count of the illness of Gen. King. These
troops partly surrounded the city, while
the gunboats under the command of Capt
Grant of the Utah battery shelled the city
and outlying trenches Gen. Lawton and
his staff accompanied the troops, some
times leading the charges in Indian fight
ing tactics, which eventually resulted in
the complete rout of the rebels with the
smallest amount of damage to the city and
slight loss to the Americans.
The expedition started from San Pedro
Macati at dusk on Saturday, intending to
capture Santa Cruz by assault at daybreak,
but in navigating the shallow, torturous
Pasig river perhaps through the cunning of
native pilots, who were not anxious to see
the Americans successful, several boats
grounded and it was nearly dawn when
the troops reached the lake. The expedi-
ton then steamed cautiously forward, the
gunboats Napidan and Ceste a mile ahead
and Laguna De Bay guarding the rear.
Rebel signal fires, however, were lighted
on the mountain tops, giving warning of
the approach of the troops. 1t was noon
before the white church towers of the city
appeared in the shadow of the great vol
canic mountain on a marshy plain dotted
with occasional palm groves. A Casco a
square ended, fiat bottomed boat, with a
e Il. I
Major Weisenberger, mostly belonging to
the LIST Washington regiment, was run into
a shallow inlet about five miles south of the
city. A few shells were sent towards the
Entertainments of the rebels at the edge of
the woods, sending the enemy scampering
inland
Then a number of Americans jumped
into the water and, wading for about 100
yards, crept forward and formed in line,
| covering the landing of the remainder,
| which finished about o'clock. The three
troops of the 4th cavalry, unmounted, were
| sent ashore on a dangerous marshy point,
directly south of the city, under fire from
the enemy's trenches.
Meanwhile in the town itself there was
utter silence and not a sign of life. Gen.
Lawton, desiring to make an inspection
and to give the inhabitants an opportunity
| to surrender, went on board the Laguna
| De Bay and, accompanied by the Associ-
ated Press launch, steamed slowly to the
dock, the whole fleet watching anxiously.
| When it was discovered by the glasses that
| the trenches and stone buildings were
swarming with white clad soldiers the two
boats withdrew, receiving volleys from the
trenches thrown upon the marshy plain
north of the city.
| &Tha Hotilla anch0rad in cOpnnapt fnrna
ton for the night, READY to resist any sur
prises from the rebelsgunboat supposed to
be in the lake. At sunrise Monday the
| assault began. The American line south of
| the city stretched two miles inland and with
it's left sweeping the shore, it moved north,
| while the fourth cavalry men on the point
advanced toward the city pouring volleys
upon the trenches. simultaneously the gun
boats lowered along the shore Smelling the
woods ahead of the troops and driving the
Fiipinos inland. The Gatlings cleared sew
eral trenches.
The whole brigade was divided into squads
of twelve and the fighting was carried on
in the old time frontier fashion from be-
hind trees, crawling through bushes or
rushing across the open. The trenches that
were not cleared by the gunboats gave con
siderable resistance when the line was near
|
Ceste bombarded them for an hour in the
hope of making them too warm for occu-
pancy, but did not succeed in clearing them
entirely.
Gen. Lawton, with the Fourth infantry
battalions, approached a narrow iron bridge
across creek on the south border of the
town. Here a company of Filipinos was
entrenched across the stream and behind &
stone barricade at the entrance to the
bridge. The Americans rushed forward il
single file, in the face of CALLING fire, de
molishing the barricade with their hands
and drove the enemy from the trenches
killing dozen.
The Filipino soldiers in the town secrete(
in various buildings and firing from thu
windows gave the invaders an interesting
hour. There was a regular nest of then
, in the stone Jail, which is hedged in by
wall. This was a veritable pepper pot
The Americans singly or in pairs entered
the houses and many native warriors wer
taken prisoners.
A considerable body of Filipinos file,
! northward, crossing the open marshes, bu
the Cuttings poured upon them deadl,
! hail until they disappeared in the woods
! dozen being slain.
Ma or Wesenberger deployed the sharp
shooters along the shore and they crep
steadily forward, aiding the Gatlings. Fl
nally a large body was sent against tn
-, enemy in the woods, driving them towar
! | the mountains.
j Gen. Lawton established headquarter
. at the elegant palace of the governor an
a guard was Immediately placed in tn
" church, as the sacred edifices are Away
! the first objective point of looters. With
/ an hour the town was patrolled and a
: looting rigidly prevented.
:, Almost all the inhabitants had fled durin
r the two preceding nights and only FEY
!, Chinese shop keepers have emerged frol
! hiding and resumed business.
d On the marshes north of the town weI
o found 40 dead Filipinos, some terribly tor
y by shells, and many others wounded,
whom the Americans offered their canteeI
l. as though they were comrades. A surgeo
t who traversed the field counted so killed
/. Later details of the attack on the GU
1t posts of the Minnesota regiment betwee
At Biga and Bocava, Monday night, state thu
At two were killed and IA wounded Simu
a. taneous the outposts of the Oregon reg
IN ment at Marilao were attacked and thr,
G. Americans killed and two wounded II
At loss of the enemy was 10 killed, six woun
Of ed and two prisoners.
Sc The withdrawal of the Is companies co
1e stituting the expeditionary force made
gap in the line from the beach to Culicu
IN just southwest of San Pedro hacati, viii