The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-17
HARD FIGHT N The CLOUDS.
AMERICANS FIGHT AGUINALDo HIGH
!. IN THE MOUNTAINS.
Four Companies Of Gen. msrch's
Command Defeat Insurgents-Cou-
raxeous Flank Movement Puts
Aguinaldo's Followers to Flight.


MANILA, Dec. u. via San Francisco.
Jan. 16--The Associated Press correspon-
dent with March's battalion, pursuing AZ
uinaldo through the mountains which
Spanish soldiers and writer's have said
were impossible to white men, sends from
Bontoc the following account of the fight
OF December 2, wherein Gen. Gregorio Piiar
was killed:
"The entire march Of March's battalion
of the Thirty-thlrd infantry, from Candon
to Cervantes. has been a remarkable ex-
Mott. With four depleted companies OF
Cunninghams handful Of scouts the COM
M Se left sno a
having received Information on his journey
up the coast which led to the bchsy thst
Aguinaldo had left the coast road at Can
don for the mountains, instead OF go
Ing further north. as had been supposed.
This information was confirmed ~ zen.
Young, who remained at Candon with one
troop of the Third cavalry and sent Two
other troops to occupy Santiago and then
ordered March's battalion into the noun
talns after Aguinaldo: The men had only
140 rounds of ammunition. no fations ana
had to live on the country.
1.-THE four companies were commanded
by Capts. Jenkinson and Davies and
days hard climbing the command reached
q point two miles beyond the village OF
Iingai, where the fight occurred. There
trail se leading sSs sa " nsy pI up
the insurgents had constructed trenches
from which they could pour deadly hre
down on the troops advancing up the
lower reaches Of the trail or In the valley
below. Cunningham's scouts. with Davies
company. were in the advance. and were
fired upon first. Jenkinson's company went
few shots these troops waited in the shell
ter OF a hill. The enemy continued their
fire. and Jenkinson ordered charge
around bend In the trail Capt. Cum
ningham and Lieut. McClemand led the
charge, and as the men rushed around
the bend they came into fun view OF the
a weii-directed FIRE from the trenches and
from behind rocks and trees.
Americans Fail Under Hot Fire.
''Half dozen of Jenkinsons men fell.
killed or wounded, within a few feet of
each other. some hitN In several places.
Their comrades dragged them behind shell
battalion, coming up, the troops sought
what shelter they could while March sent
twelve sharpshooters to the top of knoll
on the opposite side of the valley, overlook
ing the trenches. These men made the
ascent OF the knoll under heavy nre. but
when they reached the. top their. well-di-
rected shots had the effect of making the
insurgents careful not to expose them
selves. March then directed Tompkins to
execute a flank movement with his COM
Thousand feet high on the Insurgents left.
Tompkins, with Lieut.. True and fifty men,
made the ascent of the hill by dragging
themselves up with the aid of bushes and
punches Of grass, and reaching the rocks
above found several insurgents there, who
fired on them, but were soon put to night.
Tompkins then took a position overlook
Ing the entire rebel force. and took them
completely by surprise, as they evidently
never supposed that the Americans could
climb an almost vertical hill and flank
them out of their position. The company
on the hill and the sharpshooters ON the
knoll poured In murderous fire, and at
the same time March, with three COM
panies below, charged up the hill, shooting
and yelling. The insurgents broke from be-
hind the rocks and trenches and every
other position, and fled up the trail ami
into the thick underbrush, and the fight
was over.
Insurgents Put to Flight.
Their force was not large, probably not
over zoo, but only twenty-five passed in re-
treat over the trail through to Cervantes.
The remainder were killed and wounded
or escaped into the brush. Pillars body
was found in the road where his men had
been compelled to abandon IL. The bodies
of six others, including a lieutenant were
found, but this was only small propor-
ton of their losses, for a number were seen
to fall from the rocks and mountain side
into an inaccessible abyss below, and
bloody trails led In every direction, show
ing where the dead and wounded had been
carried into the brush. The American loss
was two killed and nine wounded. Part of
heavy mist settled over the mountains,
concealing the trail The two American
dead were buried where they fell and
the remainder of the column moved on In