The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-27
FIGHTING At CALUMP|T
Insurgents Are Making a Last
Ditch Contest.
ARE USING ARTILLERY
Lawton Is Meeting With Great Obstacles
in Executing His Flank Move
ment-Is Making Slow
Progress.

dos army to-day is defending Calumpit
that the rebels are finally making that
place their last ditch, or stand, which
the Americans expected them to make
| at Malolos.
For the first time the Filipinos are
employing artillery. They brought two
| guns into action i'll the trenches to-day
before Calumpit, firing modern shrap-
| nell which burst over the heads of Cen
eral Wheaton's brigade without effect.
Fighting was resumed at O'Clock
this morning. During the night the en-
gineers repaired the Bagbag bridge
thus enabling our troops to cross the
river.
General Wheaton's brigade advanced
in extended order with the Kansas regi-
ment to the west of the railroad and
the Montana regiment to the east of it
and took up a position covering one and
a half miles on the south bank of the
Rio Grande
On the opposite banks were fortified
trenches, from which a few American
soldiers would have been able to defy
thousands, so strongly were they con-
structed. The Americans found the
trenches on the south bank of the river
deserted. which furnished them with
cover from which they could pick off
the Filipinos whenever one of them
showed his head.
When the rebels began firing two
puffs of smoke simultaneously from the
trenches on each side of the railroad
track showed they We're using cannon,
which was a genuine surprise to the
Americans Several shells burst close
To
seemed the FilipinCs failed to master
the machinery of modern shells, as they
were unable ito get the right range.
4oung's Utah battery was ordered
into position in the center Of the Kan
sas regiment to silence the rebels guns,
and at II O'Clock the rapid fire guns
had been ferried across the river and
came into line. At noon the rebels We're
still pouring heavy fire In the direc-
ton of the Americans, who returned
it spiritedly.
Two Americans We're killed and seven
wounded. AT about this time General
Hale's brigade was advancing east of
the line, apparently to cross the river
and attack the rebel trenches in the
flank, as did the Americans yesterday.
General Macarthur has secured an
order issued by Aguinaldo to rebel COM
manders telling them to instruct their
men to economize their fire, save their
empty shells and not to fire at the en-
envy when the latter is under cover.
The Filipinos are also instructed never
to fire at longer range than $50 metres,
and when they have a river or other
obstruction in front to hold their fire
until within 80 metres. This order was
issued after the recent encounter be-
tween the Filipinos and Americans.
LaWton is meeting with the greatest
obstacles in the character of the coun-
try. His troops have only had a few
skirmishes thus far. resulting in five of
his men being wounded. But he has
been forced to put his men at work
building roads and the transport service
is giving much trouble, the bullocks
dying of heat and exhaustion and Chi
namen having to be employed in pulling
some of the carts. Therefore the gen.
era1 has been unable to cover the
ground he had hoped to cover.
The natives flee before the expedition
but they swarm back to their houses
as soon as the American troops have
passed. A few Filipino sharpshooters
are harassing the American TANKS.
The commissary department is pre-
pairing to send more rations under
strong escort to the front.
The United States transport Zealan-
dia, from San Francisco, arrived here
to-day after an uneventful voyage.
Her troops are camped on the water
front.
The United States transport Sheridan
sails for home tomorrow.