The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-15
THE CALUNPIf FIGHT.

II Is a vivid description OF the light
a, calumplt which one Of the English
war correspondents ihs the Philippines
has sent TO his paper, The Americans
crossed the Rio Gratde on an iron
brIdre. the woodwork % which had been
TORN away by the retreating insurgents.
The soldiers therefore, had to crawl
along on a naked girder like crabs. The
Kansas men were the first to cross. and
we're scattered along in string from
one end OF the bridge TO the other. The
insurgents were too busy fleeing to open
Ore. which was rather fortunate for our
folks. The correspondent followed the
soldiers over and went to inspect the
trenches of the insurgents. he said he
found them individually formidable.
well constructed and perfectly un-
harmed by IRE. In a corner, shaded
BY large mats, lay the body Of man in
the light blue cotton clothes and large
straw hat which form the Filipino uni
form. He had been struck in the head
by bullet and been laid out carefully
by his comrades Atbook In Spanish
relating to the Jewish wars lay by his
side. as Il the poor fellow had been
seeking military INSTRUCTION therefrom.
Certainly the defense might have been
quite as ably conducted on the lines
indicated in those pages This was the
only dead body found In the trenches.
Beyond the trenches commanding the
approaches to the bridge l came across
the body OF man WIN mad been firing
under the cover of hut. His rifle had
no back sight. A village which here
ran along the bank bore signs OF the
thousands Of bullets discharged by the
Americans IN tattered walls and leaf
strewn gardens: 4 horse day dead I'M
der a house where II had gbeen tied up,
some sheep ran away 1leating when I
reached the road: few little dogs eyed
me furtively from the corners in which
they thoughc themselvQs laoncealed; but
the horrible native pigs 5Saddled about
boldly. wondered how there could be
so many living things akter so many
hours fusilnde; even thesehickens were
running about quite cheerIly in con-
siderable numbers. Turning back again
l found a sorry pony tied. to a fence.
Evidently was the fr9tfp9an there. II
was a duty to release the poor creature,
that 1t might seek food and water.
Then, on the road behind the trenches
/ found two bodies Of fugitlVes-eVl-
IDENTIFY part OF that halt dozen seen
making a bolt for 1t at the end. They
had not yet been disturbed. but had
fallen as shown in my drawing. Some
men, however, were now approaching,
and before long the little bundle OF
clothing which the inslTgent carries
with him would be overhauled ana e&-
amined for loot.
About hundred yards from the
river culvert under the embankment
had been untillZed as nm office and aft
erward as a hospital by the insurgents.
Among papers and pieces Of furniture
lay three dead men who had been
brought thlther; crouched on or near
little old iron bedstead were three
wounded, crying piteously for water ana
pestered by the thousands OF flies at
tracted by them. The American sur
Eeon general, brisk humane fellow,
was Vainly attempting to tend the Fill
iplno wounded and soInei cdses OF coll
lapse among the troops when he was
called away-to the firing lhe. Before
he went he had the dead hauled out and
put into trench, thus clearing u space,
and was attempting to keep away the
strnEgIers who would persist In stop
ping and talking, getting In the way
and making general nuisances OF them
selves. Now, then, boys he kept say
ing, Just go on where you're wanted
or 60 back II you're not well: anyway
IT'S no use standing around here.
II appears that our men have taken
with them the American expression,
"the only good Indian Is 2 dead one,
and they have improved upon 1t In
way which viii be particularly shock.
ing to the AtkInsonites. With dreadful
disregard OF the feelingsl Of the Fill
pInos, dead and living, the boys pass
by the body OF dead native, Killed In
battle, and murmur to themselves
There's another dead negro"
The correspondent says that the piece
OF native artillery which made so much
noise in the earlier part rnf the fight
was a sort Misunderstanding rifle cannon,
dated 1866 There was no eleVatlnB
gear; a wooden wedge served as Well.
The ammunition laying by the side was
six-pound protectiles Of diit6rent pat
terms. which upon discharge. being
about two inches too small In diameter
for the gun, would rattle about the
grooves and fly whlthersoeverthe artil-
leryman did not direct"
The entertainments Of the Insurgents,
the correspondent says, were of good
construction, but with no conception OF
a plan. Two of the most formidable
looking defenses which had been COW
cred with iron and steel rails were nj
such angles that they COULD easily De
enfiIsded from the opposite bank. They
had signs but OF the sllghtelt occupa-
ton. and the number Of empty cart
ridge cases was small. Ongtne right OF
the bank there were hardly any marks
Of rifles In the loopholes. Fhe NUMBER
OF the insurgents attempting 2 DEFEND
the position would probably be over
estimated at $50 men; I believe II was
considera bly, less. The front to defend
should have been almost continuously
occupied for about mile; 1000 men IN
the first line would not have been TOO
many. The TANKS were unwntched np-
parently, and certainly not guarded. Al
together the leadership Of the Filtplnos
was OF the feeblest nature.rf The exact
number OF guns available to the Amer
leans / cannot state, but three were
on the field. A brigade OF intantry WAS
engaged, and in direct Support n mile
IN Inc rear, n second brigade WAS avail
able. II was like crushing an egg with
n steam hammer ! counted ten lnsur-
gent dead, five OF them killed In flight.
/ have heard that fifteen killed were
counted-whIch Is likely enough TO De
true, considering that for over SIX hours
lead was being shed across the river by
about 900 men. Five wounded were
picked up and tended by the American
doctors. The American loss was one
killed and half dozen wounded. a.
Between the cats and the hoSs tne
sleep OF the tired American seems 70
be made particularly lively. The Fll-
-. 4, q. .g.aartH.Nl a n0iuR uI n par