The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-17
GENERAL RuNsToN,s FIND.
Correspondence Discov-
cred in a Cache.

AguinnldO's Correspondence DiscOv
cred i'm a Cache.
| General Funston has forwarded to the
War Department an account of the cap
ture OF large quantity of Aguinaldo's
correspondence. The documents seized
| contain Aguinaldo's correspondence with
Admiral Dewey and Consul wildman
and include letter book with copies OF
all letters written by the Filipino leader.
The papers captured show that Agui-
naldo had dealings with merchants in Ma
| Mia and Hongkong. and when the docu-
| ments are received by the War Depart
| ment officials thorough investigation will
be made.
General Funston reports that at the
time OF the capture he had gone on a per-
sonal reconnaissance with eighteen OF his
| men. He was not on any special clew,
but was merely investigating the country
surrounding Bongabon and Pontabangan,
about twenty miles up the Rio Grande de
Pampanga from Cabanatran. On both
sides of the river a fertile plain extends
for some miles with rice fields and cane
brakes here and there. The valley of the
Rio Grande is shut in by steep bluffs COW
cred with dense forests.
While riding along General Funston dis
covered a small bamboo ladder in a cleft
OF the cliffs, and he stopped to investigate.
The ladder was perfectly perpendicular,
and beside it q rope hung from the brink
Of the cliff to the ground. One of the men
pulled the rope, and 1t rang an alarm be !
back in the woods. Then the men quickly
scampered up the ladder, end at the top
found a footpath leading into tas foIest t.
They followed this, and found cache in
geniously hidden among the trees Of a
ravine and rooted over with nipa.
1t was evident that the place had been
guarded, and that the guard had fled on
the approach of the Amercans. When the
nipa was removed General Funston dis
covered between thirty and forty large
wooden cases packed with papers and docu-
ments. Everything that had been saved
from Malolos when it fell after the as auit
by General Wheaton had been removed
here. There were about thousand g
pound Hotchkiss shells, quantity Of dyna-
mite bombs. Office furniture from the Ma
lolos audencia, and ancient Spanish school
books dating fifty years back. Much of the
rubbish was burned, by oder of General
Funston, but the state papers, compris ng
the correspondence of Aguinaldo and his
chief officials from the time of their earli-
est dealing with Admiral Dewey down to
the flight from Malolos were preserved
and sent to Manila.
The same mail report brings an account
of the operations of Captain Dodd's troop
OF the Third Cavalry in the Province OF
Ilocos Norte. during April. The report of
these operations shows how aggressively
the Americans are fighting.
On April 49, near Paoay there was fight
which resulted in the location Of body of
rebels who were preparing for feast on
the 18th of April. Captain Dodd's men,
fifty five in number, hurried to the place
in single file. They dismounted and fought
on foot. The fight lasted an hour, at the
end of which ffty-three dead insurgents
were counted on the ueid and forty-four
were captured
Later it was learned that there was a
large force of Ladrones on the Batac River.
On the morning OF April %. Captain Dodd
led his troop around and beyond the Fill
pino outpost. About daylight the Filipino
outposts discovered that the Americans
were between them and the main camp
which was on a wooded plain with the
mountains to the northeast and east and
wooded hills to the south with the en-
The cavalry was entering the plain from
the west and Captain Dodd Immediately
divided the troop into four parties. One
detachment under Lieutenant Chitty, was
sent to the north of the camp; one under
Lieutenant Mckinley to the east, and one
under Lieutenant NacNalIy to the west
and southwest, and Captain Dodd took the
rest Of the men to the south. Lieuten-
ants Mckinley and Chltty first opened fire
upon the insurgents, who surged to the
south, where they were stopped by Cap
tain Dodd. twelve being killed there. They
went to the north again, and were met by
a heavy fire. They again broke to the
south and charged Captain Dodd's detach-
ment, but were driven back and fed to
the northwest, and we're again stopped.
They made a stand h.re, and the Ameri-
cans closed in on them. The insurgents
numbered 300 as against so tavalrymen.
The Filipinos lost 100 killed and FIVE cap
tured.
In the whole operations only two Ameri-
cans were hurt-one WAS hit with spear
and one was cut with bolo. In several
instances the cavalrymen were in such
close quarters that their carbines were
useless and had to be thrown aside and
pistols used.