rifles of Lieutenant Fleming were on
the south side of the Bag Bag, and it is only a mile from here to the
Filipino stronghold. The advance began early on the morning of the 27th.
A platoon under Lieutenant Naylor, who had been in charge of Battery A
pieces since the wounding of Captain Wedgewood, one gun under Lieutenant
Critchlow, Fleming's two guns and a Hotchkiss in charge of Corporal
Bjarnson were pushed by hand over a bridge hastily constructed over the
waters of the Bag Bag. The clattering din of the infantry could soon be
heard in altercation with the insurgents at the front. The insurgents,
behind intrenchments, were sending volleys fast into the Americans from
the north bank of the Pampanga. It was observed that the long bridge had
been partially destroyed and the rails torn from the track for several
hundred yards. The heavy iron beams of the bridge were placed above the
two lines of intrenchments. Iron rails supported the ponderous beams,
and between them was formed a long slot for Filipino rifles.

The three big Utah guns were rushed to a position on the right of the
station, about 100 yards from the enemy, and where there was partial
protection from a nipa hut. Earthworks were quickly thrown up and to
divert the enemy's attention while this was going on, a squad of Montana
men kept up a constant fire from a position immediately in front of the
artillery. Bullets came in sheets from the Filipino position. A Montana
sharpshooter, shot through the head, fell dead at the foot of the
half-made emplacement. Fleming's guns pointed through an aperture broken
through the solid brick walls of the station facing the half-demolished
bridge. Further off to the left Corporal Bjarnson with the revolving
Hotchkiss was with the line of Kansas infantry under Colonel Funston.
Out on the left Colonel Funston was performing the famed and intrepid
feat by which he was able to cross the river. Protected by the swift
fire of the revolving Hotchkiss, a Kansas man with a rope swam the swift
moving waters of the Pampanga and fastened one end to the base of a
bamboo tree. Then Funston with about forty of his men crossed the river
on hastily constructed rafts, guided by the long ropes. Suddenly this
small body of warriors charged and attacked the insurgents on the left
flank. The insurgents who had valiantly and stubbornly held their
position, were terrorized by the unexpected onslaught, and the whole
line in the east side of the brid