GENERAL
LAWTON'S
WORK IN THE
shine should pierce the insurgent line near San Pedro M a c a t i . Wheaton was then to swing toward the lake, and Ovenshine toward the bay, taking the strong insurgent works at ParaĂąaque and L a s Pinas in reverse. The day proved to be the hottest of the year. No drinking water was found along the line of march, and a considerable number of the troops were fresh from the United States, and had not become acclimated. The num-
PHILIPPINES.
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revolt of '96, and they therefore considered it sacred ground. Before leaving Las P i n a s they went before the native priest of that town and took a solemn oath to hold the Zapote River or die i n their trenches. On the afternoon of June 12th, General Lawton reconnoitered their position from the fighting-top of the gunboat " H e l e n a , " arid later, after landing, went forward with a small detachment, endeavoring to exactly locate
GENERAL LAWTON's DAUGHTERS, FRANCES, CATHERINE, AND LOUISE, AGED, RESPECTIVELY, E L E V E N , NINE, AND SEVEN YEARS.
ber of heat prostrations resulting was so great that it became necessary to abandon the original plan of operations and concentrate the two columns. This was done under the personal direction of General Lawton, and the movement toward L a s Pinas was then continued in the face of determined opposition. The command camped for the night close to the town. Under cover of darkness the enemy withdrew, retreating to a strong position along the southern bank of the Zapote River. A t this very place a small insurgent force had inflicted a severe defeat on a vastly superior body of Spanish troops during the
their left. During this reconnoissance several Mauser volleys, as well as a number of shrapnel shells, were fired at his little party at short range from across the river. On the following day occurred the famous battle of the Zapote River. Before it opened General Lawton took two companies, and moving along the beach, forded the stream at its mouth, passing around the left of the enemy's line, and, under the direction of a native guide, reaching a position well in his rear. One company was left behind as a support, in order to prevent the advance from being cut off, and the other pushed on until within less than 200 yards of the only