FIGHTING IN THE PHILIPPINES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2355, 13 April 1899, Page 27

FIGHTING IN THE PHILIPPINES.

NIGHT ATTACK ON THE MINNESOTA GUARD. THOUSANDS OP INSURGENTS HOMELESS. By the courtesy of Captain Rose, of the steamer Egremont Castle, which arrived in Sydney from Manila, the # Morning Herald is in a position to give some detailed particulars of the sanguinary con-, flict which took place between the American troops and the Filipinos in consequence of the former attempting to take the city of- Manila, and thereby converting the streets of the place into a battlefield. The " Freedom," writing on Saturday, February 25, states that on the previous Wednesday flames broke out in a low portion of the city known as Santa Cruz, where the population is mostly Chinese. Like lightning the flames spread from house to house, kerosene or some other highly inflammable substance having evidently' been used, and in a very short time, and before any effective work could be done either by the native brigade or by the insuranco companies' volunteer brigade, the fire had obtained complete mastery. The Minnesota Guards and otj^er soldiers worked manfully, and performed what might almost be termed prodigies in their efforts to preserve law cud order, but the flames were continually gaining ground until the whole district between Calles, Lacoste, Gandara, and Aranque was well ablaze. Then the devilish machinations of the incendiaries began to show themselves again in reneated attempts to cut the hose, .but the " boys " were in most cages too strong for them, and two, if not more, met with a short shrift, and their lifeless bodies lying in a side street proved that they had paid the last penalty for their fiendish work. The damage is estimated between 500,000 and 1,000,000d01. "Just about the time that the Santa Cruz fire had been fairly got under control a brilliant glare to the north-westward announced that Tondo was the scene of the next conflagration." When .. the firemen reached the fire it was roaring with the crackling of burning bamboos, and they were greeted with the " ping, ping of Mauser bullets. In . the meantime 20 or so men of the Minnesota. 1 ? under Captain Robinson in the outpost quarters were having a desperate time of it. Just a« the fire broke out at Tondo a sharp fusillade commenced all round the outposts' house, the bullets whistling through >t in all directions. The Minnesotas returned the fire with friterest, but that they were in an unenviable position was shown by the fact that the house was riddled through and through with bullets. The insurgents came ricjht up to the gate. Captain Robinson whilst gallantly leading hin men to the gate was hit on the lip with a bullet, whilst Sergeant Shepherd, Private Wooding, and Private Galvin received serious wounds. Eventually the fire of the Minnesotas drove off the insurgents. Whilst the Tondo hotbed was- wafting heavenwards in sheets of flames, and whilst the 13th Minnesota men were fighting for their lives, the fire fiends got to work in the San Nicolas quarter. It was a pkgue spot, and was swept off the face of the city. The United States soldiers found it necessary to use their rifles, and many Filipinos bit the dust.

On the following (Thursday) morning ths 'brave outpost of Minnesota riflemen was reinforced by the M Company, which drove •the rebels into a swamp before returning to the bullet-riddled house. The company then went to Tondo to clear out the hornets' ■nest there. The rebels had put up breastworks, and required a sharp fire before they were dislodged. Some of them wore uniforms, come were old and bent, and some •were mere boys. During the firing n British resident named Curtis, employed as an engineer in a cotton mill, was shot and killed. Another employee named Simpson was shot in the stomach. A member of A Company Rifles who was or the sick list, but would go out and fight, was killed. The Montanas riflemen fought bravely, Lieutenant French was shot through the Jioart. The 23rd Regiment h<wi two men killed and several irounded. The riflemen •had to fight hard in repelling several massed attacks by the Filipinos.

CAPTAIN CONBY'S OPINION,

Captain Conby, of the Egremont Castle, said that from what he could gather during his stay there he thought the position of the Americans was very unenviable, and that it was extremely doubtful if even ultimately they would get possession of the islands. They held about 17 miles of coast, of which, roughly speaking, the town of Manila is the centre, and a semi-circle described on this base would bound their dominion on land. In some cases, the insurgent lines approach as close as four miles to the city, and in no case are they more than nine miles off. Fighting occurred daily while the Egremont Castle was in Manila, and things were rapidly going from bad to worse, the Filipinos being determined to fight to the very last. At the first" onset the Filipinos were dislodged by the American naval fire from many of the places in their possession, but the rebels, on returning to the fray, succeeded in retaking some of them, and, in the captain's opinion, unless the Americans sent out heavy reinforcements, they would have all their work cut out. A scouting expedition was sent out from the American lines while the Egremont Castle was there. The insurgents, who could see the Americans advancing, made a desperate charge, but they were met with volley after volley from the Yankees, and driven back temporarily. In the meantime, Companies M and I of the First Californians came up as reinforcements. The insurgents again charged the American line,

and v a hot engagement now ensued, whioK lasted till about 6 o'clock in the evening, when the insurgents ceased firing. During this latter engagement a tremendous fire to the left and in the line of the Nebraskas was heard. The insurgent*, knowing they could not get more reinforcements, and aa their loss was over 100 killed, and 10 prisoners, four of whom were wounded, decided to withdraw their outpost, only a stray shot from a sharp shooter on th& main line of attack being heard now and then. The American loss was two killed and four wounded slightly. Those killed were Privates J. F. Adams, of Company M ; and Alton A. Rinehart, Company XL, First Waehingtons. The four injured belonged to the Californias. During the stay of the Egremont Castle, 1400 men arrived from the States, bringing the total forces up to about 25,000, but these are not nearly sufficient to cope with the rebels, and further reinforcements were looked for. Even with large reinforcements it will be extremely dangerous to attempt to occupy the interior, as it is swarming with rebels perfectly familiar with the country. On the coast the Americans, with the aid of the squadron, had an easy task, but their task in the interior would prove very- much more difficult. Five American men-of-war were In the harbour, and three transports, in addition to H.M. ships Narcissus and Powerful, and representatives of the fleets of Japan, Germany, and France. Shipping was fairly brisk, and there was a good number of merchantmen in the harbour, but - trade, owing to the war, was almost completely demoralised. ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. From Manila papers by the Egremont Castle, we extract the following : — On the 2lßt ult. a man in the garb of a Catholic priest attempted to pass through the lines at San Pedro Macati, and, disra* gnrding the sentry's challenge, was ixystantly shot. On the evening of the 20tb ult. there was a big fire at Paco, in which 75 houses suffered destruction. Fighting has been general all along th» lines, and on the 24th and 25th ult. the Pennsylvania Company had a lively and exciting time. The rebels in the vicinity of De Loma made a desperate attempt to surround them. The outposts were forced to retire, and attempts were made to outflank them on either side. After the retirements of the outposts, however, the Americans stuck to their trenches, and fired volley after volley at the enemy, and forced them to retreat. Many rebels were killed witb« out the loss" of a single American. On the 25th an individual, said to be • Spaniard, cane from the insurgent line to Kansas outposts, saying he had been- a prisoner among the rebels, and desired to go to Manila. • On being searched a sort of circular letter was found, stating that there would be a general attack along the line ftt 3 a.m. the following day, and asked all patriotic Filipinos in the town to rise ftt the same time. The Americans were forced to abandon Guadelope, and had to retreat towards San Pedro Macati. Admiral Dewey and a party, including ladies, visited the line at San . Pedro, aud were fired on by the insurgents. On the 22nd ult. the natives played their long-threatened trump card by starting feveral conflagrations in the city simultaneously in and about Santa Cruz quarter. More than half of Santa Cruz was obliterated, and a large slice of Tondo and the outer portion of Binondo. On the 23rd fires were in full swing, and Tutuban was burning, and some place towards Paco. Tha soldiers and the firemen had a terrible time subduing the flames. Half a dozen natives were caught cutting the hose, and were ebot down, while several firemen had narrow escapes from assassination. Natives were found lurking in dark corners firing at anybody. Simultaneously a large body of natives got past the American outpost and entered Tondo, and that suburb was all night long a regular battlefield. Just when the fires were breaking out in Tondo, a sharp fusillade commenced, all round the house, bullets whistling through it in all directions. The firing was at once returned with interest. Captain Robinson, in gallantly heading his men through the gateway, was struck by a ballet in the upper lip, whilst Sergeant Shepherd, Private Wooding, and Private Galvin also received wounds, more or less serious. Eventually the fire of the 13th proved too much for the natives, who withdrew, resuming •their general attack at daybreak, although stray shots kept coming along towards the quarters at intervals throughout the night. As a sample of the hot time the Yankee** must have had, a representative of Freedom counted no 'less than 38 bullet holes in the picket gates in front of the quarters, whilst the walls of the latter ar« suggestive of a box of dominoes, so spotted

- were they. Lieutenant Trench was slwt ■ through the heart. On Saturday, the 25th, the insurgents in Sampaloo started a fire, -which destroyed 40 or 60 nouses. In the fire-swept district of Tondo the Chinamen have been very busy looting the houses. Even the churches ; ■were devastated of their sacred ornaments, j T?he loot of the Santa Anna Church was a disgraceful affair, the Chinamen even tearing the gold leaf off the edge of the massive (holy water bovrl. An order lias been isstted at Manila- comHnanding^ all British subjects to register their names at the Consulate, with their wives and families (if any). Passengers per the steamer Banan re-^j ported at Manila on the 27th. ult. that various rebels entered Culion, saying that they had orders from Malolos to take over the government of the island, and when they got possession of some j 20 firearm*, owned by the natives, they j immediately began a frightful sack of frhe^ tows, killing all who offered resistance.