Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-14


wading waist deep in the mud and salt flats
advanced slowly and, pouring steady volleys
of musketry at the rebels, drove their op-
ponents beyond the river Then the two
armies lay facing each other across the deep
stream, the enemy practically out of sight
wh the men in blue and khaki lay in the
m rs. many of them without any
s. WILMA, hours without moments
ce~IIf;I, " .. pouring bullets at
the emcs> VI, auld load.
The thous5~>p TO a contn-
intermittent skirmsh- -lrNe>> lie of most of
the engagements.
One battalion after another General Law
ton summcned from Las Pinas until only
enough troops OF reserves were left in the
town to prevent the Filipnos from attacking
the Americans in the rear, which was feared,
as they were creeping around our left
through the woods, delivering a fanking
fire, which put a great strain upon the en-
durance of the Americans, who were floun-
derng in the mud across the river, while
on the right the Filipino sharpshooters, hid
den in the trees, were peppering our men,
But, thanks to the poor craftsmanship or
the rebels our loss was not great as it
WOulQ nave DetU IL lIlt llplhos hotu oLS'
straight An army, however, has seldom
fought under a greater handicap or more
courageously than did our regulars, a ma
jority OF whom were, comparatively speak
ing recruits who could have been pardcned
for retiring in the face of such fierce fire
from their exposed positions.
The Fourteenth regiment lay to the rlghl
of the bridge and in front of 1T was the
Twelfth regiment, with the Ninth on the
right and the Twenty first UP the road,
facing the bridge which was the key to the
situation. On the bridge were the bodies
of two Americans who had attempted to
rush across and many wounded men were
carried from the open ground before the
bridge.
Every Man for Himself.
After firing in volleys for a short time the
Americans were ordered to fire when and
where they could see the enemy. 1t was
every man for himself and the best our
men could do was to aim at the faint mists
arising from the enemy's smokeless pow
der. General Lawton, though exhausted by
the mornings fight, rallied by sheer will
power and was the commanding figure in
tAe battle. He went along the lines, di-
recting and encouraging the troops.
General Wheaton and General Ovenshine
erals were among the few men on the bat
tlefeld who refused to take shelter under
the hottest fire. The only approach to the
fighting ground was by a narrow, winding
road where the rebel bullets dropped thickly,
wounding several of our men.
At o'clock there was an hours lul in
the fighting and an artillery sergeant gal
loped back to where two guns of the noun
tain battery were waiting in reserve and
shouted:
Bring up those guns"
The sergeant then tumbled exhausted from
his horse.
Twenty wounded men were carried to a
cascoe (native boaD waiting on the beach,
which was rowed to Paranaque.
1t is impossible at present to estimate the
number of Filipino dead There are many
dead bodies in the fields the Americans
traversed.
This battlefield, incidentally, was formerly
the scene of several of the greatest strug
gules between the Spaniards and the Fill
pinos. The Zapote was considered impreSna-
BILE and hundredssof Spaniards and Filipinos
have been killed while fighting over the
same bridge in former contests for it's pos
session. In June, 1897, Generals Pho Del
Pillar and Trias turned the scale of war on
the side of the Filipinos by deserting the
Spanish army there the eve of a de-
cisive battle, carrying native militia with
them, and thereby breaking the chain of
defense around Manila.
Report from General Otis.
WASHINGTON, June 13.-The following
cablegram has been received from General
Otis:
MANILA. June 13.-Adiutant General,
Washington Lawton's trops had severe
engagement today with enemy in strong en-
trenchments at crossing of Zapote river,
near Bacoor, Cavite province. Has driven
enemy with heavy loss; our casualties some
thirty. Insurgents in this southern section
not molested until they threatened an attack
in strong force on Manila. They are now
scattered and in retreat Doubtful il thew
make further stand. OTIS
ASShSSINhTE EENEpAI IUNh