Admiral Dewey visited the gunboats on the 21st, stating he would send two rapid-fire guns for the "Laguna de Bay." That was the object of his visit, which was short. The same day General King and his staff came aboard and were taken up the stream. Word was soon afterward received that the Wyoming battalion was going to advance on the enemy near Guadaloupe on the left of the river early the following morning but as the gunboat was not in a position to aid in the expedition she remained inactive when the firing began the next morning.
On the day following Lieutenant Naylor again landed with a small force of men at San Felipe, where he set fire to the buildings and cut down trees which would have obstructed the view. Nothing occurred until the night of the 25th, when desultory firing was heard at San Felipe, and following this matters were unusually quiet until the night of March 1st. That day the insurgents were encountered at San Pedro Macati and the Gatlings, the three-inch and the 1.65-inch guns were brought into action. During the firing Sergeant Shea received a slight wound in the hand. A three-inch gun was disabled in this engagement. Two days later another conflict took place at the same point resulting in the complete defeat of the enemy, who was forced from his position after a severe bombardment.
The morning of March 4th opened cloudy with "Laguna de Bay" at San Pedro. A sharp skirmish soon began. The natives held their position for some time but were finally compelled to give way before the superior strength of the Americans. Under orders from General Wheaton the gunboat followed them and directed a deadly fire into the woods on both sides of the river. During the fight, which lasted several hours, the boat was frequently struck by the bullets of the enemy. It was during this encounter that Private John Toiza of the Third Artillery laid down his life. He was shot in the left breast, the bullet passing downward through his heart, killing him instantly. A shell also lodged in the 1.65-inch gun, disabling it for the time.
On March 5th Admiral Dewey again came alongside and stated that General Otis had declared he believed he would keep the gunboats down the stream if they did not cease fighting so much. Then the Admiral added with emphasis, "We ought to have three such boats."
Two days later when Hale's brigade made an advance upon the insurgents on the left, and the natives were hurried with great speed toward Mariquina and the San Mateo river, the "Laguna de Bay" again performed excellent service in flanking them and turning their left wing against our right.
Very early on the morning of March 13th the battle of Guadaloupe and Pasig opened, the attention of the guns on the boat being centered on Guadaloupe. Meanwhile Wheaton advanced his troops on the right to Patteros and along the Pasig. The advance to Guadaloupe began along the river with the gunboat in the vanguard. Two insurgents partially concealed in the bushes on the banks were taken prisoners and turned over to the Twenty-third Infantry. Sunken cascos, loaded with rock, were frequently encountered, but the boat avoided them with only a little delay. Generals Anderson and Wheaton moved up from the right and the gunboat started up the stream. Near the Mariquina river they met with a fierce fire from both sides of the stream but no one on the boat was injured. Two Filipino launches were noticed but they got away. A casco was found in which were the clothing of some Filipino officer and men. The wearers had escaped.
On the day following there was a brisk engagement at Pasig in which the town was bombarded with good effect, some thirty of the enemy being killed, while the remainder were sent flying in all directions.
Nothing of interest occurred until Wednesday, March 15th, when a casco manned by natives was chased down the river. She was overhauled but not until her crew had jumped overboard and swam ashore. The "Laguna de Bay" raised a white flag for the purpose of investigating, but the insurgents instead of recognizing it pivoted a sharp small rim fire upon the boat which answered with a heavy rain of shell and shrapnel.
Two days later an expedition, led by the gunboats, headed for Morong on the opposite side of the lake. Lieutenant Webb with a Gatling and twenty-four men went ashore to make a reconnoissance. This small detachment was followed by three infantrymen under Captain Pratt. Upon the advance of the Americans the enemy retreated quickly across the plain and disappeared in the shades of the mountains beyond. One thousand bushels of rice and three cascos were captured at this place and a letter from General Pilar directing a general advance on Pasig was also found. But few inhabitants remained in the town and upon questioning them it was learned that the Filipinos had several large launches on the Pagsanyan river.
Major Grant had long been working to interest General Lawton in favor of an expedition against Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is situated on the eastern shores of the lake just behind the point of a mountain which juts out into the water. She is the agricultural center of all the rich land on the eastern side of the island of Luzon. All the smaller towns of the surrounding country look up to her. She is the emporium to which all the farmers and travelers and merchants resort and from which they reap a bounteous harvest.