Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-03-23
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
A Fierce Battle in the Vicinity
of Taguig.
THE REBELS SEVERELY PUNISHED
In the Darkness Two Americans Are
Killed and Twenty Observation-Disclosures
ant Frank Jones Among Fallen-Prop-
erty OF Insurgents Valued at 100000
Is Destroyed and Over Two Hundred
Natives Killed.

MANILA, March 20.-Somr of the
rebels recently expelled from Cavite
and small towns in the vicinity OF
Pasig combined forces and last night
AS already cabled-attacked COM
peny Of the Washington volunteers.
detached post at Taguig, about a
mile and half southeast Of Pasig.
General Wheaton Immediately REIN
forced the Americans with two COM
panies each of the Washington and
Oregon regiments. The post had held
the enemy in check and the fire Of the
reinforcing companies repulsed them,
driving them across to an island form
ed by the estuary. They were thus in
control of the Twenty-second regi-
ment.
On discovering that they were en-
trapped the rebels fought desperately,
AIDED materially by the jungle and the
darkness, but they were completely
routed with heavy loss after two
hours fighting.
The Americans lost two killed and
twenty wounded, among the latter be-
ing Lieutenant Frank Jones.
General Wheaton determined TO
punish the natives, and at daybreak
today his brigade started in the fol-
lowing order: The Sixth artillery,
holding the extreme right; the Ore
gon volunteers, heauing the center:
the Washington regiment keeping to
tie endge of the lake and the 4 wenty
second regulars occupying the right
of the line which swept the whole
country along the lake, in a south
easterly direction, toward General
Ovenshines position.
The line thus extended over two
miles of country, which was rough and
covered with thick jungle, advanced
eleven miles. The enemy fed, the last
of them being seen about 4:30 o'clock
this afternoon, At scarcely any time
did the Americans get within 1900
yards of them.
The troops are r-turning to PasiG
tonight, exhausted by the hard work
under a hot sun.
The Oregon regiment had one man
killed and four wounded and the
Twenty-second regulars one wounded
According to the official reports no
fewer than 200 Filipinos were killed
General Otis says the American
army and gunboats now command the
lake. He estimates that property of
the insurgents valued at $500, 900 has
been destroyed, while quantities of
rice and sugar and 400 tons of coal,
which is very valuable here. have
been captured.
Many prisoners represent that the
Filipino soldiers are weakening. The
generous treatment that the Ameri-
cans administer to the native prison.
and wnnn1n1 fo ina
the insurgent army powerfully.
In the opinion of the Americans,
however, the Filipino leaders will con-
tinue to provoke fighting just as long
as they can retain their hold upon
their followers, because they have
everything to gain and nothing to
lose.
The enemy have twice as many men
on their firing lines as they have
arms, and the fact that so few arms
are captured by the Americans is be-
cause the guns of the wounded Fill
pinos and many of those who surren-
der are spirited away
The armed tugs Laguna de Bay and
Oeste have returned to San Pedro
Macati and reported the result of their
tour of the lake. On Friday morning
last they shelled the town of Moreng,
the rebels fleeing without making any
response to the fire. The Americans
landed a party, which destroyed a
quantity of stores and all the stone
buildings except the church.
The expedition then proceeded to
Majayjay, where a sugar mill and saw
mill were destroyed.
On arriving at Santa Cruz, town
of 1000 inhabitants, it was learned
that the enemy was strongly en-
trenched and prepared to defend the
position, assisted by two gunboats and
several launches. Moreover, the mouth
of the river was blocked with rocks
and bamboo.
A few shells caused an exodus of
the citizens, but not of the enemy's
troops. The Americans did not at
tempt a landing.
Captain Grant, who is in charge of
the expedition, asks for reinforce
ments and will probably take Santa
Cruz tomorrow.