Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-26
lat CALUMP|T'S GATES
Macarthur Fights His Way 70
the Filipino Trenches,
THE TOWN SET ON FIRE.
Enemy is Apparently Preparing 10
Abandon It.
FUNSTON AGAIN TO THE 'FRONT.'.
lie Leads In the Performances of .
Particularly Gallant Exploit~wa
Lose Six Men Killed and Twenty
Eight Wounded.
FUNSTON AGAIN TO THE 'FRONT.'.
Eight Wounded

| MANILA, April 25.--lO:30 p. M--GenerL
MacArthur's Division fought it's way To-
the Filipino trenches before Calumpt to-
day. advancing four miles, mostly through
woods and Jungle and crossing the Bag
bag river. This was accomplished at a
cost to the Americans OF six men Killed
| and twenty-eight wounded. the First
South Dakota Regiment being the heav-
Test loser After fording the river. the
South Dakotans pursued the insurgents Ia
the outskirts Of Calumpit, but the town
was found so strongly protected thar
| General Macarthur deemed II best tn
withdraw the tired fighters, and 60 so
into camp for a nights rest before making
the final assault.
TOWN BEING FIRED.
The largest buildings in Calumpit wera
being fired by the Filplnos while tho
Americans were crossing the river, fully
mile away. indicating the enemy-s in
tention to abandon the place. The insur.
gents seem to have adopted a settled
policy Of retiring from one position to
another. after inficting the greatest pos
sible damage upon the advancing army
Their forces to-day were well drilled.
Every foot Of the ground was tenaciously
disputed by thoroughly organized troops.
who stood remarkably firm. even before
artillery.
The enemy had planned 10 wreck our
artillery transportation train This at
tempt was a failure, but a span of tho
iron railroad bridge over the river was
destroyed, hampering the American trans
portation for some time. The Filipinos
cut the girders. intending To have tho
structure fan with the train. bur II COL
lapsed prematurely. of its own weight.
REBEL FQRTIFICATIONs FINE.
Tho Baghag river which is about "a
hundred yards Wide at that point. was
splendldly fortified. and tho Americans
were compelled to approach across an
open space, from which the rebels had
cleared every obstruction TO sight. Tho
bank Of the river, a high bluff, was sur
mounted with trenches, capped with
rocks. loopholed, and partly hidden By
bushes.
General Wheaton's brigade approached
the river along the arilway, Leaving camp
beyond Malolos City. General Hale's,
which started yesterday, was earlier on
the march, and swept westward toward
the railroad. The armored train was
being pushed by Chinamen, the Twentieth
Kansas Regiment advancing In extended
order on the left, and the First Montana
Regiment with the Utah Light Artillery,
on the right.
THE BALL OPENED.
The rapld-fre guns of the train Opened
the balP' at 1870 a. NJ, about a milo
from the river their popping alternating
continuously with the boom of the six
Founders.
The Montana regiment and the Utah
artillery batteries, at the same time en-
tered the jungle. from which the insur-
gents. who We're occupying strong,
struggling village OF huts. poured heavy
YOlleys.
In the course Of an hour the Americans
had forced "a passage through the woods
TO the open space in front OF the river.
and the artillery. Immediately on wheel
ing into the open, began shelling thu
Filipino trenches.
In the mean time Company X. Of tho
Kansas regiment. performed one OF tho
most brilliant achievements Of the cam
paign. The regiment was being held I'm
reserve, ard Company charged a dis
tance Of a quarter Of a mile, over a coin-
field lot, on the bank % the river near
the bridge, whore the insurgents from
trench were peppering the armored train.
then about 200 yards down the track. The
company found shelter In a ditch.
FUNSTON AGAIN TO THE FRONT.
Colonel Frederick Funston called for
volunteers 20 cross the river. and the Col-
onel himself. Lieutenant Ball, a private
Of Company X, private Of Company r.
Trumpeter Barsheld and Corporal Fer
guson. Of Company !, dawled along the
iron girders.
While this was going on the men Of
Company X. from the ditch. were fusil-
lading the trenches I'm an endeayor TO di-
vert attention. but the Filipinos got the
range from a trench down the river and
their bullets soon spattered the water un-
der the structure.
Having reached the broken span, the
small but valorous party OF Americans
sid down the caissOn swan few yards
to the shore and crawled up the bank,
the little colonel leading the way TO the
trenc1es revolver I'm hand, while the few
Filipinos bOtcd. Colonel Fun
ston said afterward: 1T wasn't much to
do. We knew they could not shoot
straight. and that our boys would attend
to them while we were crossing"
HALES FIGHTING HARDEST.
General Uale's troops on the right had
the hardest lighting They followed tha
north bank of the river nearest the town
from the east. with the First Scbraska
Regiment on the left and the First South
Dakota and the Fifty-first Iowa beyond.
The country traverssG was mostly Jungle.
but the Filiplnos stood their ground even
IN the open spaces.
General Haies right Joined General
Wheaton's left soon after noon. a curve
In the river enabling the Americans 10
pour an enhlading fire into the enemy's
trenches. About this time the cheers Of
the Kansas troops announced that the
Americans had crossed the .iyer.
FoRDING THE CHICO.
General Hale's men began 10 ford the
Chico. q branch OF the B0gbag stretching
% the northeast. The General himself
plunged In up TO his neck. and the regi-
nents all carrying fags. iioundered
across the stream. The guns OF the Utah
light Artillery We're dragged over next.