The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-04-11
HOW SANTA CRUZ WAS TAKEN
THE TROOPS 1L4TERIALLY IIDED
 BY THE GUNBO4TS.
The Rebels Completely Routed With the Smallest Amount of Damage to the City-A Surgeon Counts Eighty Dead FilipinOs.
FilipinOs.

the Smallest Amount of Damage to thu
 City-A Surgeon Counts Eighty Deat
 F1ipinos.
 Manila, April 10-7 p. m.-Sants
 Cruz, which was captured by the Amer.
 jeans at 10 o'clock yesterday morning
 was the Filipinos stronghold on Lake
 Laguna de Bay and it fell into the
 hands of General Lawton's expedition
 after some sharp, quick fighting, form
 ing one of the most interesting and i'm
 portant battles of the war The plans
 of the American commanders worked
 progress of the expedition, which was
 delayed by navigation of the river
 About fifteen hundred picked men com-
 posed the expedition, which was under
 the personal command of General Law
 ton on account of the illness of General
 King. These troops partly surrounded
 the city, while the gunboats Laguna de
 Bay, Napdan and Oesto, under the
 command of Captain Grant of the Utah
 trenches. General Lawton and his staff
 accompanied the troops, sometimes
 leading charges in Indian fighting tac-
 tics, which eventually resulted in the
 complete rout of the rebels with the
 smallest amount of damage to the city
 and slight loss to the Americans.
 The expedition started from San Ped
 TO Nacati at dusk on Saturday, intend- l ing to capture Santa Cruz by assault
 at daybreak. But in navigating the l shallow, tortuous Pasig river, perhaps l through the cunning of the native pi- lots, who were not anxious to see the Americans successful, boats grounded, and it was nearly dawn when the troops reached the lake. The expedition then steamed cautiously forward, the Napi
 dan and the Oesto a mile ahead and the Laguna de Bay guarding the rear. Reb el signal fires, however, were lighted on the mountain tops, giving warning of the approach of the troops. It was noon before the white church towers of the city appeared in the shadow of the great NOlCdUlC IllOuIldIH OH d lIidlSHy plain dotted with occasional palm groves. At Casco a force of two hun dred picked sharpshooters, under Major Weisenberger, mostly belonging to the First Washington regiment, were run into a shallow inlet about five miles south of the city.
 Then a few shells were sent towards the entrenchments of the rebels at the edge of the woods, sending the enemy scampering inland Then number of Americans jumped into the water, and, wadng for about a hundred yards, crept forward and formed in line, cov- ering the landing of the remainder, which was finished about o'clock. The three troops of the Fourth cavalry, un- mounted, were sent ashore on a dam gerous marshy point, directly south of the city, under fire from the enemy's trenches. Meanwhile in the town itself there was utter silence and not sign of life. General Lawton desiring to make an inspection and to give inhabi- tants an opportunity to surrender, went on board the Laguna de Bay and, &C., companied by the Associated Press launch, steamed slowly to the dock, the whole fleet watching anxiously. When it was discovered by the glasses that the trenches and stone buildings were swarming with white-clad soldiers the two boats withdrew, receiving volleys from the trenches thrown up on the marshy plain north of the city.
 The f1otilla anchored in compact for nation for the night, ready to resist any surprises from the rebel gunboats supposed to be in the lake, At sunrise to-day (Monday) the assault was com menced. The American line south of the city stretched two miles inland, and, with it's left sweeping the shore, it moved north, while the Fourth cav airy on the point advanced toward the city pouring volleys upon the trenches. Simultaneously the gunboats lowered along the shore, shelling the woods ahead of the troops and driving the Fil- ipinos inland. The gattlings cleared | several trenches. The whole brigade was divided into two squads of twelve | and the fighting was carried on in the | old frontier fashion from behind trees. | through bushes or rushing caross the open. The trenches that 1 were not cleared by the gunboats gave resistance when the line was nearly the city, and the Laguna de Bay and Oesto bomharded for an hour in the hope of making them too warm for occupancy but did not succeed in clearing them entirely.
 General Lawton, with the Fourteenth battalions, approached a nar- row iron bridge across a creek on the south border of the town. Here a of Filinipos were intrenched across the stream and behind stone barricade at the entrance to the bridge The Americans rushed forward in sim gle file, in the face of a galling fire, the barricade with their hands and drove the enemy from the killing d dozen. The Filipino soldiers in the town, secreted in vari- 1us buildings, and fighting from the gave the invaders an interest ing hour. There was regular nest of .hem in the stone jail, which is wedged n by wall. This was veritablc pep per pot. The Americans singly and n pairs entered the houses, and many warriors were taken prisoners
 A considerable body of Filipinos fled crossing the open marshes, put the gatling guns poured upon them deadly hail until they disappeared in | he woods, staying dozens. Major Weis- ,nberger deployed the sharpshooters