The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-06-15
FIERCE!
Battle In Philippines
Worst of the
War.
By Cable From Manila, June II.

The companies of the 21st regiment,
skirmishing along the beach with Amigo
guides, found apparently a handful of reb-
els. who retreated. The men of the 21st
followed and suddenly the rebels opened a
terrific fire the troops from the sides and
rear. The soldiers withdrew to the waters
edge finding what shelter they could and
were picked eff rapidly. After their
munition was nearly exhausted the COM
panies of the 21st retreated, but Gen. Law
ton dashed down and rallied the men.
little group made desperate stand Gen.
Lawton, Maj Starr and Lieuts. Donovan
and Donnelly taking rifles from the wound
ed men and firing at the enemy, bringing
down some of the rebel sharp shooters from
a tree. Finally their cartridges were all
gone and they were forced to break through
the enemys flank, carrying the wounded
to the main body of troops.
Lieut.. Donovan, whose leg was broken,
houndered for mile through bog after
leading his men in the face of greatly
superior force.
Gen. Lawton ceased fighting until rein
forcements could be brought up. Two
battalions Of the 14th regiment and one
tc the front and in the afternoon the battle
was resumed.
The Monadnock anchored close to the
shore and her heavy guns pounded the
rebels continuously, while the smaller war
ships, steaming along the shore, poured
bullets from their rapid fire guns at the
| enemy The Filipino force engaged ap
! peared to have been the largest and best
! organized body of men which has met our
troops. The Americans are compelled to
advance along narrow roads and over small
bridges commanded by earthworks 10 feet
thick.
The only means of crossing the Zapote
was by a small bridge, which the Filipinos
commanded with trenches spreading ~
shaped, whence they could concentrate their
fire on the bridge. They also had the advan-
tage of the trees and jungle, the Ameri-
cans could hardly see a head When the
battle was resumed at 1 o'clock with the
reinforcements, our battery having silenced
the enemy's guns, the Americans, wading
waist deep in the mud of the salt flats slowly
and pouring steady voileys of musketry at
the rebels, drove their opponents beyond
the river. Then the two armies lay facing
each other across the deep stream, the enemy
practically out Of sight, while the men in
blue and Kahaki lay in the main bushes,
many of them without any shelter for three
hours without moments cessation in the
firing, pouring bullets at the enemy as fast
as they could load.
The thousand rifles blended into con-
tinuous roar was vastly different from the
intermittent skrmish- like rattle of most of
the engagements.
ALL THE MEN NEEDED.
One battalion after another Gen. Lawton
summoned the reserve from Las Pinas until
only enough troops were left in that 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 great strain upon the en-
durance of the Americans, who were fioun-
dering in the mud across the river. while on
the right the Filpinos sharp shooters hid
den in the trees. were peppering our men.
But, thanks to the poor craftsmanship of
the rebels, our loss was not as great as it
would have been if the Filipnos had shot
straight. An army, however, has seldom
fought under a greater handicap OF more
courageously than did regulars, a ma
jority of whom were, comparatively speak
ing, recruits, who could have been par
dcned for retiring in the face of such
fierce fire from their exposed positions
The 14th regiment lay to the right of the
bridge and in front of them was the 18th
regiment, with the Ninth 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 attempted to rush across and many
wounded men were carried from the open
ground before the bridge.
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 aris-
ing from the rebels smokeless powder.
COURAGEOUS LEADER.
Gen. Lawton, though exhausted by the
mornings fight, rallied by sheer will power,
and was the commanding figure in the bat
tie. He went along the lines directing and
encouraging the troops.
Gen. Wheaton and Gen. Ovenshine were
equally courageous. In fact the generals
were among the few men on the battle
field who refused to take shelter under the
hottest fire. The only approach to the fight
ing ground was by narrow, winding road,
where the rebel bullets dropped thickly,
wounding several of our men,
At o'clock there was an hours lull in
the fighting, and an artillery sergeant gal
1oped back to where two guns of the noun
tain battery we're waiting in reserve and
shouted Bring up those guns"
The sergeant then tumbled exhausted from
his horse.
Twenty wounded men were carried to
cascoe native boat) waiting on the beach
which was rowed to Paranaque.
1t is impossible at present to estimate
the number of Filipino dead. There
many dead bodies in the fields, the Ameri-
cans traversed. This battlefield, inciden-
tally, was formerly the scene Of several