The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-02-15
MORE BLOODSHED,
COMBINED CHARGE CARRIES CALOOCAN


noon made a combined attack upon
Caloocan and reduced it in short
order! At a signal from the to Yer Of
the de la LONE church, the United
States double, turreted monitor Mon
adnock opened fire from the bay with
the big guns Of her turret on the
earthwolks, with great effect. Soon
afterward the Utah battery bonn
barded the place from the land side.
The rebels reserved their fire until
the bombardmept ceased, when they
fired volleys of musketry as the Mcn.
tana regimant advanced on the
jingle. The Kansas regiment, on
the extreme left, with the Third
artillery deploying to the light,
charged across the open and carried
the earthwolks cheering under a
heavy fire. Supported by the arti!'-
lery at the church, the troops further
advanced, driving the enemy, fight
ing every foot, right into the town
line, and penetrated to the presiden-
cha and lowered the Filipino flag at
$50 p. m. The enemy's sharpshoot-
ers in the Jungle N the right fred
at long range on the Pennsylvania
regiment, but the rebels were soon
silenced by shrapnel sbells, and the
the Pcnnsylvanians remained in the
trenches. As the Americans adj
vanced they burned the native buts.
The rebels we're moved down like
grass, but the American loss was
slight.
The monitor Monadnock which has
played such an important part in The
battles around Manila, has four ten
inch guns. They are breech-loading
rifles and can fire steel projectiles
weighing more than 500 pounds to a
distance of ~ miles, although it is
probable the gunpers would make
more misses than hits at that range.
Gen. Otis has notified the depart
ment at Washington, that be had
been obliged to buy-a large number
of horses to supply the Transporter
ton needed, owing to the lengthen'
ing of the American lines. These
horses, so.called, are really the little
native Filipino ponies, which, it is
said at the war department have been
found to be the best animals for pack
and draft purposer that can be Sc
cured. Some big American horses
have been taken to the islands by
the troops but they have sickened
and died and altogether have proven
to be wholly unfit for the climate.
On the other hand, Gen. Oils reports
that he has mounted several troops
of cavalry on the little native ponies
with good results.
Secretary Alger says he has not
sent any instructions since the be-
ginning of hostilities and would send
0 He fully expects that Gen.
Oils will make no terms with Agui.
naldo while the latter is armed, and
that a condition precedent to dealing
with him at all is the return of the
insurgents and the surrender of their
arms. Certainly Gen. Otis is not ex-
pected to now take any action that
will amount to a recognition of the
insurgents as o foe to be treated with
on the basis of an independent ma
ton.
For reasons that they will not d.
vulge officials do not expect the at
tempt to be made to land the
American troops at IIoiloimmedlately,
though that was the understanding
a day or two ago, based on Gen.
Otis advices as to his intentions. It
is possible that it has been concluded
to be good policy to allow the natives
10 Panay TO learn for themselves the
disasti Gus fute that has oyertaken
Aguinaldo's forces in the neigbbor-
hood of Luzon, hoping that they may
be induced to abate their resistance
to Gen. Mlller's attempted landing.
Then, too, as there are considerable
foreign interests in this town, which
is second only to Manila in the Phil
ippines, it may be deemed necessary
to give formal notice Of the American
purpose to attack the place in order
to enable proper precautions to be
taken. IIoilo is distant from Manila
$50 miles, and the waters between
are not easy Of navigation.
Aguinaldo is reported to have es
tablisbed his headquarters at Mala-
bon for the purpose of rallying his
forces for a decisive blow.
Some soldiers belonging to the
Fourteenth infantry unearthed sew
eral tons Of Spanish shells, evidently
stolen from the arsenal at Civite and