Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-06-19


bridge, which the Filipinos commanded
with trenches spreading Vshaped
whence they could concentrate their
fire on the bridge. They also had the
advantage of the trees and jungle, so
the Americans could hardly. see ahead.
When the battle was resumed at one
o'clock, our battery having silenced the
enemy's guns, the Americans Wading
waist deep in the mud of the Salt flats,
slowly and pouring steady volleys Of
musketry at the rebels, drove them
beyond the river. Then the two ar
mics lay facing each other across the
deep stream, the enemy being practi-
cally out OF sight, while the men in
blue and kahaki lay in the main
bushes, many of them without shelter,
for three hours, without moments
cessation in firing, pouring bullets at
the enemy as fast as they could load.
The thousands of rifles blended into a
continuous roar vastly different from
the intermittent skirmish-like rattle
of most engagements. One battalion
after another, Gen. Lawton summoned
the reserves from Las Pinas until only
enough troops were left in the town to
prevent the Filipinos 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 endurance of the Americans,
mhn moro Ho17n n oriror in 41,o ,,o,7d
across the river, while on the right the
Filipino sharpshooters, hidden in the
trees, were peppering our men. But,
thanks to the poor craftsmanship CT
the rebels, our loss was not as great
as it would have been if the Filipinos
ever, seldom fought under a greater
handicap or more courageously than
did our regulars, a majority of whom,
comparatively speaking, are re-
cruits, who could have been
pardoned for retiring, in the
face of such fierce fire, from their ex-
posed positions The 14th lay to the
right of the bridge and in front of
them the 18th, with the 9th on the
right and the 21st up the road, facing
the bridge which was the key to the
situation. On the bridge were the
bodies Of two Americans who had at
tempted to rush across, and many
wounded men were carried from
the open ground before the bridge.
After firing in Volleys a short time,
the Americans were ordered to fire
where they could see the enemy.
1t was every man for himself, and the
best the men could do was to aim at
the faint mists arising from the reb-
els smokeless powder.
Gen. Lawton, though exhausted by
the mornings fight, rallied by sheer
will power, and was the commanding
figure in the battle. He went along
the lines directing and encouraging
the troops. Gems. Wheaton and Oven
shine were equally courageous. In fact
the generals were among the few men
on the battlefield 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 4 p. m. there was an hours lull
in the fighting, and an artillery ser
geant galloped back to where the two
guns Of mountain battery were wait
ing in reserve and shouted: Bring
up those guns The sergeant then
tumbled exhausted from his horse.
Twenty wounded men were carried
to a canoe 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 battle
field was formerly the scene of sew
eral of the greatest struggles be-
tween the Spaniards and the Filipinos.
The Zapote was considered impregna-
BILE and hundreds of Spaniards and
Filipinos have been killed while fight
ing over the same bridge in former
contests for it's possession. In June,
1897, Generals Pho del Pillar and Trias
turned the scale on the side of the
Filipinos by deserving the Spanish
army there on the eve of decisive
battle, carrying the native militia
with them, thereby breaking the chain