Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Jjc lUatehjnnn ana Soutljron. ^ TM SUMTER WATCHMAN, Srtftbliabed April. 1850. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE T- UK SOUTHRON, Jktabiished Jane is< 6 Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. SUMTER. S. C.. WEDNESDAY. JUNE 21.1899 New Series-Vol. XVIII. No. 47 Ou O Published 2T8T7 Wednesday, 3?. ?3r. Osteen SUMTER, S. C. TCRH8 : 1.50 per annum-lo advance. DTKSTISIXIST: BO Square first insertion.". 1 00 S very subs quent insertion-..... 50 Contracts for three months, or longer wil be made at reduced rates. Ail communications which subserve private interests will be charged for as ad ter tiements. Obituaries aad tributes of respects will be charged for. Severe Battle Fought in the Philippines. SAGED FROM DAYLIGHT UNTIL DARK. Maoila, June 13 6 05 p. m.-Gen. Lawton unexpectedly stirred up coe of thc liveliest engagements of the war south of Lis Picas this morn io g upoo which occasion American field goos were engaged in tbs first artillery duel against a Filipinos battery concealed in the jungle. Companies F and I of the Twenty first infantry were nearly sourrounded by a large body of insurgents, but the Americans cut their way out with heavy loss. The United States turret ship Mo nadnock and the gunboats Helena aod Zeafiro trained their batteries on Bakoor and the rebel tren ob es near Las Pinas all the morning. Bakoor was once on fire and the natives stopped the spread of the flames. Baring the night an insurgent can non wac fired three times at the Americans on the outskirts of Las Picas OME MADE CANISTER Gen. Lawton this morning took & battalion of the Fourteenth regiment and two companies of the Twenty-first regiment to locate the rebel battery sud then two guns of the Sixth art ery and four mountain guns were planted against it at 600 yards distance. The rebels had a large gun from which they wera firing home-made canister loaded with nails, aod two smaller guns Their shooting was most accurate. The first iot el canisters burst directly in front of Scott's guns and another shattered toe legs of a private of the Fourteenth infantry. Several shots struck the edge of the town. The country traversed was as bad as it is possible to imagine, being mainly lagoons, mud and water fringed with bamboos. SHOT BY "AMIGOS" IN THE REAR. As soon as the fighting opened the Americans were attacked by hidden riflemen oo all sides, even the amigos, or "friendly" natives io the houses of the towo shooting into their rear. The companies of the Twenty first regiment, skirmishing aloog the beach with amigo guides, fcuod apparently, a handful of rebels, who retreated. The men of the Twenty first followed and suddenly the rebels opened a terrific fire on the troops from the sides and rear. The soldiers withdrew to thc water's edge, findiog what shelter they could aod were picked off rapidly. After their ammunition was nearly exhausted the companies of the Twenty first retreated, but Gen. Law too dashed down and rallied the men. ENEMY WELL ORGANIZED. The Filipino force engaged appears to have been the largest and best orgaoized body of meo which has met our troops Tba Americans are compelled to advaooe aloog carrow roads aod over small bridges commanded by earthworks tso feet thick. The only meaos of crossing the Zipote was by a small bridge which the Filipinos commanded with trenches spreading V shaped, whence they could concentrate their fire on the bridge. They also had the advantage of the trees and jangle so the Ameri cans could hardly see ahead. When the battle was resumed at 1 o'clock with the reinforcements, cur battery having silenced the enemy's guns, the Americans wading waist deep io the mud of the salt fiats, slowly and pouring steady volleys of musketry at the rebels, drove their oppooents beyond thc river. "RAPID FIRE" FOR THREE HOURS. When the two armies lay facing each ether across the deep stream, the enemy, practically out of sight while the men io blue a^d khaki lay ID the mud aod bushes, r ny of them with out shelter, for th* ;e hours, without a moment's cessatioj in the firiog, pour ed ballets at the enemy as fast as they cc^ld load The thousand rifles blending into a continuous rear was vastly different from the intermittent skirmishlike rattle of most of the engagements. ALL RESERVES CALLED UP One battalion after another Gen Lawton summoned the reserves from Las Pinas until oaly enough troops were left in the town to prevent the Filipinos from attacking the Ameri cans in the rear, which was feared, as they were creeping around our left through the woods, delivering a flanking fire which pot a great strain upon the endurance of the Americans who were floundering in the mud across the river, while on the right the Filipino sharpshooters, hidden io the trees, were peppering our men But, thanks to the poor marksman ship of the rebels, the loss was not as great as if the Filipinos had shot straight. ARTILLERY ORDERED UP. At 4 o'clock there was an hour's lull in the fighting and the artillery sergeant galloped back to where two guns of the mountain battery were waiting in reserve and shouted : "Bring up those guns " The sergeant then tumbled ex hassled from his horse. Twenty wounded men were car ried to a cascoe (native boat) waiting on the beach, which was rowed to Paranaque. It is impossible at the present time to estimate the number of Filipino dead. There are many dead bodies in the fields the Americans traversed. FIELD OF BLOODY BATTLES. This battlefield, incidentally, was formerly the scene of several of the greatest struggles between the Span iards and the Filipinos. The Zapote was considered impregnable and hundreds of Spaniards and Filipinos have been kilted while fighting over the same bridge in former contests for its possession In June, 1397, Gen. Pio del Pilar and Gen. Trias turned a scale of war on the side of the Filipinos by deserting the Span isb army there on the eve of a de cisive battle, carrying the native malitia with them and thereby break ing tbe chain of defenses around Manila. THE BATTLE CONTINUES. 10 p. m-The fighting at Las Pinas continued hotly all day long Gen. Lawton called out the whole force of 3,000 men and at 5 o'clock he was only able to push the insur ?gent8 back 300 yards to the Zapote river, where they are entrenched. The insurgents resisted desperately a*id aggressively They attempted j to turn the left flank of the Ameri can troops The American loss is conservatively estimated at eixty. The battle continues. INTENSE INTEREST FELT IN WASHINGTON. Washington, June 13 -The news of the heavy fighting almost within sight of Manila aad adjacent to the navy yard at Cavite where Admirai Dewey landed his forces more than a year ago was received with intense interest here. It is evident to the officials that the insurgents either are far stronger than bas been realiz ed, or that they have come to the end of their resources and aie making this last struggle in sheer desperation. Otherwise it is hard to understand why they should come down to the shore of the bay and fight the war ships Adjutant General Corbin steadfast ly maintained his confidence in the success of the present movement in Luzon, and said today that he felt encouraged at the advices that came from Otis. He bad driven the enemy with heavy loss, and that the latter could not be reassembled in force. Still, there is great concern exhibited over the conditions that confront the American troops in this campaign, and there was a reuewai of the inquiry as to whether or not there is to be further reinforcement of the troops or another call for volunteers The statement was made in reply to this, that Gen Otis has or will have ail the men he estimated for, and the opinion of Gen. Otis in these matters, it can be 6aid, ib to determine the policy of the president in the matter. - nra. - - -yga^ Boers Make Last Concession. Pretoria, June 14 -The voiksraad has resolved to accept President Kruger's franchise proposal and refer them to the people before putting them into operation. President Kruger, in thanking the raad, said : "In these troublesome times we do not know what is going to happen " England, be added, had not made even one concession, and he could not give more. He reminded the raad that God bad always stood by them. War, he aseerted, be did not want, but he would noi relinquish anything more. In conclusion, he called them all to witness that though their inde pendence had once been removed, God had restored. Bacoor Reduced to Rain. NEXT BATTLE WILL PRO BABLY BE AT TRENCH ES ABOUT IMUS. Manila, June 14, 4.40 p. m.-The Filipinos retreated eeveral miles southward after yesterday's engage ment, to the strongly fortified town of Imus. The shelling of the American war ships drove the rebels from Bacoor so that the Americans control several miles of cost. Gen. Lawton, with his staff and a troop of the Fourth cavalry,started to ascertain the nature of the insurgents position, fle rode five miles along the coast to Bacoor without discovering the enemy. Be found the town full of white flags But there were no soldiers there. The women and children who had fled to the woods during the bom bardment were camping in the ruins of their homes. The Bhells had almost knocked the town to pieces. The big church was wrecked and many buildings were ruined Even the trees and shrubbery were torn as by a hailstorm. 8.40 p. m -Before dark last night the Fourteenth infantry swam the Zapote river, charged and carried the trenches, a heavy fusillade of artillery preparing the way and covering the crossing. The insur gents broke for the Ninth and the Twelth crossed a bar of the sea and came upon their left flank at a point where the body of marines with Maxim guns landed under protection of the ships' batteries and fired upon the enemy's left rear with a demoral izeing effect. The Twenty-first cross ed the river by a bridge as soon as it could be mended. 3ixty five dead Filipinos were found in the trenches, most of them shot through the head. Several five inch smooth bore gones were captured, with ammunition marked "U. S. Navy yard " After crossing the river the troops were withdrawn, with the exception of the Ninth and Twenty first, these regiments being left with ,oor guns ! to guard the bridge. As they were being formed into companies the insurgents commenced to fire volleys from the bamboo jungle three hundred yards away. The regiments formed into line rapidly and coolly through under fire, and cheering, rushed to the woods, driving the enemy a mile away, the Filipinos disputing every foot The Fourteenth encamped across the river, the men caring for many of the Filipino wounded. Eight prisoners were captured. The majority of the Filipinos wore red uniforms. INSURGENTS TURN DEWEY'S GUNS ON AMERICANS. Chicago,June 14-Accrding to Gen Andereon, commanding the department of the Likes, the heavy losses of the Amerioan troops in the recent engage ments with the Filipinos at Los Finas and Bacoor, south cf Manila, were caused by the artillery whioh Admiral Dewey presented to Aguinaldo last winter. The batteries in poeitioo, Gen. Anderson says, are being operated by Spanish prisoners who have been released by Aguinaldo with the under standing that they enlist in the insurgent army. Geo. Anderson took the first detach ment of troops to the Philippines last fail and was a promiment figure in the first negotiations with the Filipino government. "When Admiral Dewey captured Cavite,'' said Gen Anderson, "be took possession of a iot of artillery and later presented it to Aguinaldo. It is these cannoo that are now being used by the insurgents against our troops with such terrible effect in the province south of Manila. The Spaniards operating ihe guns are experts in the handling of field pieces and are evident ly using their knowledge with deadly effect on our troops. The native Filipioo kcows nothiog of the proper handling of artillery " GEN. OTIS' REPORT ON THE BATTLE Washington, June 14.-The follow ing was received at the war department today : Manila, June 14. Adjutaut General, Washington : Lawton's troops under Wheaton and Oveo6biue oocupy country south to Bacoor : have soouted westward and some distance southward on line Zipote river and Baooor road : enemy appears to have retired to Imus, abandoning bay country. The fighting yesterday severe ; our ioss ten killed and forty wounded ; majority at crossing Zipote river. Enemy driven from heavy and well constructed intrenohmtn's to which they held teoaciously ; their loss several hundred, of whom fifty buried this morning Will not proba bly make any determined future stand in southern provinces. Otis. NAVY ASSISTS ARMY. Washington, Jane 14.-The navy department ha^. received the following oabiegram from Capt. Barber, the naval officer in command at Manila, respect* iog the fighting there yesterday : Jtlanila, June 13. Secretary Navy, Washington : The insurgents fired at navy yard from masked batteries Ships of var shelled position and iotrenchments. The Helena aod Monadnock landed forces to aesist io maintaining the position until re-enforced by the army. The movement was successful, Ene my was routed. No casualties in the navy. Barker The News That the Censors Permit to Pass. Death of Gen. Luna Not Credited Enlisting Volunteers for Service. Manila, June 15, 5 50 p. m.-Capt. Cable, of Gen. Wheaton's staff, with three companies of the Twenty-First regiment reconnoitered in the direction of Imus The rebels, who were apparently expecting an attack, retired, leaving behind them 20 Spanish prisoners who joined the Americans. The rebels have probably gone to the mountains alosg the lake. According to native stories, the rebels carried 100 dead and 300 wound ed through Bacoor after tho recent battle. The natives are now fioodiDg into Bacoor, and it is probable there are many soldiers in plain clothes among them. The whole section is practically without food and Maj. Geo. Otis has ordered the distribution of rice and beef to the inhabitants. Many people still refuse to credit the story of the assassination of Gen Luna at Aguinaldo's headquarters, though the reports to the effect are most circumstantial and from good sources. Rumors of ansassisations and disasters from the rebel camp are so frequently printed io the local papers that they come to be regarded with indifference. The latest is that the governor of Cebu has been killed by natives because of his friendship to Americans. A prominent commercial man with exceptional means of learning of the Filipino movements claims to know Gen. Luna is still alive, adding that if he were dead and if his death occurred a month ago people would have expect ed a collapse of thc revolution to follow. The failure of the Filipinos to follow up tho peaco negotiations strengthens the impression that their overtures were mereiy to gain time and in order to lure the Americans to show their hands. The Independencia, a revolutionary organ, of May 20, a copy of which has just been obtained, prints an interview with Geo. Luna showing the arguments he used to keep up the spirits of his followers. He represents the Filipino cause as prospering, "because tho Amenicen have gained only a hun dredth part of Luzon by hard fighting," and says the woman and children tilling tba fields within the American line give proceds cf their work to support the Filipino army. Ho is said to have further remarked : "More Americans will be killed by ambuscade, surprises and disease than in battles "I detest war, but we cannot acoept peace at any price but independence. The Americans suffered for their own independence and in their own hearts they appreciate why we resist them." ORGANIZING VOLUNTEERS. Washington, June 15.-Pursuing a policy determined upon some months ago, Gen Otis is organizing three reg iments in the Philippines composed of officers and men of the Slate volun teers who desire to remain in the ser vice. The army bill authorized this kind of enlistment io the Philippines. If the full complement caonot be made up from those discharged volunteers in the Philippines the regiments will be organized and officered io skeleton form until recruits caa be seat from the United States to fill them. Gen. Otis and volunteer officers in j the Philippines have been consulting to j see bow many men will enlist. The j number bas not been very large as thers seems to be a desire on the part of the volunteers to return to the Uni ted States with their organizations. These three proposed regiments ot regulars will sail from San Fransisco oo the 22d and 24th and those under orders for Manila will give Gen. Otis i 33,000 fighting men. The field and staff officers and cap tains of these three regiments will be selected from the volunteer and regular officers who have demonstrated their special fitness to oommand and who have distinguished themselves in action. It is expected also that the first lieu tenants will be chosen from second lieu tenants in the service in the Philippines who may be especially commended by Gen Otis. The volunteer second lieu tenants wili probably go out from the United States with the recruiting squads. REBELS LOSE HEAVILY. Washington, Juce 15.-Gee Otis cabled today os fallows : Maoiia, Juce 15. Adjataut General, WashiDgtoo. Success Lawton's troops Cavite provioce greater than reported yester day. Enemy numbering over 4,000 lost in killed, wounded and captured more than one-third ; remainder much scattered, have retreated south to Imus, their arsenal ; of five pieces of artil lery three captured. Navy aided greatly on shore bay, landing forces occasionally. Inhabitants in that coun try rejoice at deliverance and welcome with enthusiastic demonstrations arrival of our troops. Otis. REPORTED ASSASSINATION OF "FRIENDLY." Washington, June 15.-The war department bulletins the following : Manila, June 15. Ad'utant General, Washington. Prominent Filipino, friendly to Americans, assassinated at Cebu. In habitants that locality urgently request American protection in stronger force. Have sect- battalion Tennessee aDd two guns from Hollo which insures peace. Hughes now in charge of affairs in that section. MORE TROOPS NEEDED Commander Ford's Opinion of Tbe Pilippino Campaign. Baltimore SUD, Juue 12. Commander John D. Ford, fleet engineer of the Asiatic station, reached his home 1,522 West Lao vale street, on Saturday morning before noon, after an absence of a year and a half, most of which period he spent on board the cruiser Balti more in the bay of MaDila. Commander Ford was the only Baltimore officer on board the Balti more during the battle of Manila and since His return on. the army transport Zelandia, having left Manila on May 9, probably completes his last voyage in the service of his country and he expects to be retired in a short tine. When I left," said Mr, Ford yes terday, "we held not quite as much ground as was ours during the first part of August last year, and out lines were restricted to the suburbs of Manila The troops did push out into the country, but could not hold the ground they made by raids and were oblidged to fall back It ie impossible to conquer the people or j to gain the islands without more sol- j diere out there and but if we bend our energies to doing it we can beat them and take the island Sit ; would mean great loss of life and considerable time, but it could be ! done. As it is now it is all we can j do to hold our own The insurgents j are constantly encoachiog and though, as I have said, raids are made, the natives driven back and j the lines thrown out, we can't hold i the ground because we have Dot enough men "The line is always active ard there is no relief. Men spend months in the trenches subjected to great mental and physical sta D and never knowing at what moment they will be assailed The lines of the natives are often not a block away from our own, and th8 rule is when you see a head exposed to shoot it. The natives are always on the defensive They make no advauces of their own, but wait and shoot when they can, do all the damage to us they know how and when we saily out they are driven back into places where it is impossible to follow, so stiong is their number, so impregnable the country INTELIGENT, LIBERTY-LOVING PEOPLE "The Filipinos pictured in the sensational papers are not the men we are fighting They are entirely distinct and Eeparate. The fellows we deal with out there are not igno rant savageB, fighting with bows and arrows, but an intelligent, liberty lov people, full of courage and determin ation. The idea that the Filipino ia an uncivilized being is a mistaken one Originally the native? cf those islands sprang from Ja- :se stock and are identically the same race, with a change in language and cus toms There was a time when the feudal system prevailed io Maniis, but no vestige no w remains and the savagery of the pepple is found only in the very lowest class of "negritos" or 'little niggers,' as the Filipinos are called. "I have pictures taken here, which Makes the food more del ROYAL CAKfNO POWt I brought home, of native women who would be handsome anywhere, and of good looking, brainy men. They have the intellect and the stamina to govern themselves and have done it for 300 years, although under the rule of Spain. They were the clerks, and bookkeepers, the assessors and managed the entire machinery of government. Their courage is undoubted, and they fight to the death, having among them a superstition that if you are killed you do not really die, but in three days reappear somewhere else. STRONGER THAN EVER. "As for their condition now, as far as I can see, they are stronger, more determined and more skillful in the art of war than when the fighting out there started, and as days go by they increase in strength and knowl edge, having nine or eleven millions of people to draw from. They are armed with Mausers-the best rifle in the world-and are far better marksmen than the Spaniards At first they shot high and missed, but now they have caught OD and aim low with deadly effect. They have a good government now, which they are operating successfully, and pre serve law and order. They certainly don't think theirs is a hopeless fight and I don't think anyone else does who knows anything about it. FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM. "What they are fighting for now is absolute and entire liberty. They don't want ua there or over them, and in the course of time might wear out our patience entirely. An excellent 'postal and telegraph sys tem is in existence, which we wish very much we could get hold of. While they fight for entire freedom, all they ask is a chance for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and they care not whether it be a republic of their own or some form devised for them by the great United States of America I see nothing promising in the struggle now or any hope of speedy success on our part, unless many more troops are sent out. PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED. "The problem can be solved, however, and I believe that if a proposal was made to the natives to lay down their arms upon the prom ise that the United States would annex the islands, treat them as Americans and make their country a territory of ours, the rebellion-if such it can be called, for we had no claim on them-would meit away like a block of ice before the 6un. A good, level headed governor could be appointed and given full veto power, while the rest of the govern ment could be in the hands of the natives They could bs called to gether and elect their own legisla ture and leaders, operate their own politics and manage their own affairs. I believe firmly they would accept this proposal and surrender, as they realize the possibility iu event they establish a republic of their owu, of Germany coming along ano taking an island here, France an island there, and England three or four islands somewhere else No propos als of this kind have, however, been made to the Filipinos. THE SPANISH PRIESTS CAUSE TROUBLE .'.The chief thorn in the side of the islanders is the Spanish priest, and when he is taken out of the country much of the trouble will dissolve itself. Not that I mean their religion should be taken away from them and efforts made to teach them another kind, because that would leave them with none at ail. They are all Catholics and 1 kuow of no people who more strictly live up to the requirements of their religious belief, but the Spanish priests have created most of the trouble for the natives. There is now a good chance to send them out, as they are Spanish officials and should go with the rest of the Spanish institutions What they want is their own prieeta -native priests - and not a change in :el:gion. Their ideas are well expressed along this line by the clause in the procla mation issued by the government on July 1. It reads: 'There shall be general religious toleration, but measures shall be taken for the abolition and expulsion of the relig ious^communilies, who with an iron hand have hitherto demoralized the actual civil administration.' This is what they want-to get rid of the Spanish priests, and in their place have priests of their own race and country." ? &MU NO POWDER URE iicious and wholesome ER CO., NEW YORK._ I ill HW --^BBi