The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-03-31

O1lA 49, =" f'ND
United States troops under Brigadier
General Lloyd Wheaton captured the
town Of Malinta, beyond the Tuliahan
river, today after a sharp fight. Col
onel Harry c. Egbert, Of the Twenty
second regular infantry, was killed.
Prince L~oewenstein, formerly aide de
camp on the staff Of Brigadler General
Miller at Iloilo, somehow got In front
of the firing line and was shot IN the
side, dying almost instantly. A Ger
man who accompanied him was wound
ed.
The American casualties today were
much lighter than those yesterday, the
, total losses thus far reported since the
~ommencemen of the engagement be-
ing forty-five killed and las wounded.
General Wheaton entered Mallnta'
which is a small village of nuts, at l
o'clock this afternoon.
The United States gunboat Helena
and the other %gunboats have been
Smelling Malabon, about a mile north
west of Caloocan, for several hours.
The insurgents made a fierce resist
ance to the American advance up the
railroad at Malinta- In addition to the
fatal wounding of Colonel Egbert, sew
eraI men of the Twenty-second infan-
try and several of the Oregon and
Kansas regiments were killed.
Evidently anticipating a lombard
ment by the fleet, 1000 rebels vacated
Malabon last night, leaving a few to
burn the town. General Wheaton's
brigade, composed Of the Second Ore
gon AMI the Twenty-second and Twen-
ty-thir infantry, stretched out along
the railroad from Caloocan to the III
Iiahan river, was pOWerless TO prevent
the withdrawal, owing to the natural
obstacles and to the strong opposition.
A column of smoke at daybreak was
the first timatiOn of the enemy IN
tentions, but others followed in a
dense balloon-shaped cloud. The names
of the burning rice mills and large
buildings could be plainly seen from
Caloocan, despite the strong sunlight.
BY II o'clock in the morning the
only building of Importance not ue-
stroyed in the centre OF the town was d
large stone church., but even at noon
fresh fires were started among the ma
tive huts in the outskirts of Malabon,
although the general exodus took place
much earlier. Many of the repels
sought refuge in the suburbs OF NaVo-
tas and Casag, or were driven inland
by the shells of the Helena, Callao,
= N~ingdapan and Lagunda de Bay.
In the meantime General Wheaton S
brigade held the railroad to the river,
but was unable to repair the Drldges'
which a been destroyed by the
enemy, or to advance, owing to the op-
position and the hills on the othe1
side.
The calculations of both Genera
Hale and General Harrison Gray GUS
whose brigades constituted Genera
McArthur's division, were much inter
fered with by the character OF the
country in front of both, and the enc
my was able to take advantage OF TINS
so that the operations against Nova
liChes and Polo were delayed, thouSE
the right wing of the division swung
out, sweeping the enemy in a north
westerly direction.
General Wheaton's headquarters las
night were a half mile south OF tht
river. on the railroad. The opposite
bank was protected by a blockhous'
and entertainments. Occasionally the
artillery and infantry fired across tn
stream. Finally the engineers moved
a construction train up 70 the prluse
the iron frame work OF Whlcn re
manned and began to replace the moor.
While this was going on the Secone
Oregon regiment crossed the river OF
the left and the Twenty-second on IN
right. with four companies OIL III
emit infantry supporting tn'
latter regiment. A rising, clear grouh'
stretched away a distance OF half {
miIa to Malinta, situated on it's crest
In front of the village were stront
Filipino entertainments, but no fill
pinos were to be seen. Apparently
they had fled. The Twenty-second reg
iment approached d~iagonally,. VIII
General Wheaton and his staff clos
behind, the scouts observing the grounC
When the Americans were W1thll
about 300 yards of the en~trenchInemt
the F%flipinos volleyed heaViiy. N ~
Twenty-second, which was holding TN
centre. suffered considerably, but VIII
the Oregons on the left and the Kan
sans on the right in the woods, tn
lighting was KEPT up for half an hour
the Twenty-second infantry advanc
ing UP the slope, through the thlcl
grass. under the hottest fire.
General Wheaton and his staff Wer
all the time under a rain of bullets. Col
onel Egbert, who was in the tnlckTS
lighting, was shot in the ABDOMEN III
was placed on a stretcher an al
tempt was made to carry him to tn
ears, but he died on the way
1t was a most affecting scene. Gen
eral Wheaton, barring his head, sald
You have done nobly." Colonel ES
bert gasped in reply: Il must ole'
am too Old -
trenches.
Though apparently their force wa
much smaller than the Americans
they had an immense /
position and an opportunity TO re
treat.
General McArthur's advance guart
the Third artillery and the Twentiet
Kansas regiment, Joined Genera
Wheaton's brigade shortly after Ma
linta was taken, approaching along TN
NOvaliches road westerly.
The soldiers were much exhausted
and there were several ~prostration
from the heat, which was intense. IN
dead and wounded were collected i
the shade of trees, and carried o
stretchers by Chinese across the. rive
to the train.
After lunch General McArthur's d
vision advanced toward Polo.
The Second Oregon regiment en-
countered 1000 Fflipinos west of Ma