Philippine-American War, 1899-1902

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Felipe was born in Cavite Nuevo (now Cavite City) on Jan. 28, 1861. A dedicated music teacher and composer, he was appointed by Emilio Aguinaldo as Director of the National Band of the First Philippine Republic.

His composition was adopted as the Philippine national anthem on Sept. 5, 1938.

He died in Sampaloc, Manila on Oct. 2, 1944.
To suit the music of "Marcha Nacional Filipina", Professor Jose Isaac Palma wrote a poem in Spanish entitled, "Filipinas" which was published for the first time in the first anniversary issue of the revolutionary newspaper "La Independencia" on Sept 3, 1899. It became the lyrics of the national hymn.



Palma was born in Tondo, Manila on June 3, 1876. He was educated at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. He joined the Katipunan in 1896 as an ordinary soldier but later General Antonio Luna who put up "La Independencia", which became the official newspaper of the Republic, took him in to edit the Tagalog section.

He wrote "Filipinas" in the house of Doña Romana G. vda de Favis at sitio Estacion (now Barangay Poblacion West), Bautista, Pangasinan Province (Bautista was the old barrio Nibaliw of Bayambang; on June 24, 1900, Nibaliw was renamed "Bautista", in honor of San Juan de Bautista or John the Baptist, and upgraded into a separate municipality).

1898: La Independencia staff, with pennames. FRONT row (L to R): Fernando Ma. Guerrero (Fulvio Gil), Joaquin Luna, Cecilio Apostol (Catulo)...MIDDLE row (L to R): General Antonio Luna (Taga-Ilog), Florentina Arellano, Rose Sevilla, Salvador del Rosario (X or Juan Tagalo)...BACK row (L to R): Mariano del Rosario (Tito-Tato), Clemente Jose Zulueta (M. Kaun), Jose C. Abreu (Kaibigan), Epifanio de los Santos (G. Solon), Rafael Palma (Hapon or Dapithapon).

A few members of the "La Independencia" staff (ABOVE) were the first to sing the words of this poem to the tune of the "Marcha." Among themwere Cecilio Apostol, another literary genius during this time; Jose Palma's brilliant brother, Rafael, later to become the president of the University of the Philippines; Fernando Ma. Guerrero who became the editor of "La Opinion" and "El Renacimiento", Epifanio delos Santos, and Rosa Sevilla de Alvero (BOTTOM), a journalist, social worker, educator and women's suffrage advocate.

Rosa Sevilla de Alvero

Palma died in Manila, on Feb. 12, 1903.

The first translation into English of Palma's poem was written in the 1920s by Paz Marquez Benitez of the University of the Philippines. The most popular translation, called the "Philippine Hymn", was written by Senator Camilo Osias and an American, Mary A. Lane. The "Philippine Hymn" was legalized by an act of the Philippine Congress on Sept. 5, 1938. Filipino translations started appearing during the 1940s, the most popular being O Sintang Lupa ("O Beloved Land") by Julian Cruz Balmaceda, Ildefonso Santos and Francisco Caballo. O Sintang Lupa was approved as the national anthem in 1948. On May 26, 1956, during the term of President Ramon Magsaysay, the Tagalog words were revised. Minor revisions were made in 1966, and it is this final version which is in use today.

The Filipino national flag was hoisted for the first time by Emilio Aguinaldo on May 28, 1898 at the Teatro Caviteño. The urfurling was witnessed by about 270 captured Spanish marines and a large group of officers and men of the U.S. Asiatic Squadron.

Filipina mestiza poses with a rifle

The San Francisco Call, June 29, 1898

Filipino women and girls in Bacoor, Cavite Province. Photo was taken in 1898.

Facsimile of a pass issued from Bacoor, Cavite Province, by President Emilio Aguinaldo to Associated Press correspondent Martin Egan. Written in Tagalog, the main dialect in Manila and nearby provinces, it says: "Ang may taglay nito na Americano G Egan ay biniguiang pahintulot na makapaglagos sa kanyang pakay, Kavite 2 Julio 1898 Ang Dictador. (signed) EAguinaldo." A free translation is as follows: "The bearer, the American Mr. Egan, has been given permission to cross Filipino lines in the pursuit of his objectives, Cavite July 2, 1898. The Dictator, (signed) E. Aguinaldo."

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US Infantry Troops Arrive In The Philippines, June 30 - July 31, 1898

A portion of the 1st California Volunteer Infantry Regiment that arrived in Cavite Province on June 30, 1898

The first American infantry troops arrived in the Philippines on June 30, 1898. They were commanded by Brig.

Gen. Thomas M. Anderson. [He was a son of Maj. Gen. Robert Anderson, who had commanded Fort Sumter at the

beginning of the American Civil War in 1861].



With Aguinaldo's consent, they were assigned to the arsenal and Fort San Felipe Neri in Cavite Province.

Spanish troops outside Manila

General Anderson located the outer and inner lines of the Spanish defenses of Manila. It was decided that a

joint naval-infantry attack could best be made from the south, and to secure that line of advance pending the

arrival of General Merritt, a camp site was selected on the bay shore at Tambo, Paranaque, about 3 miles (5

km) south of Malate, Manila. It was an abandoned peanut farm that offered good access to Manila and easy

egress to the sea.

The San Francisco Call, issue of July 8, 1898, reports that Emilio Aguinaldo has proclaimed himself

President of the revolutionary Philippine republic on July 1.

The Commandant's House at the Cavite Navy Yard, ca 1899.

On the Fourth of July, during the celebration of America's Independence Day, Brig. Gen. Thomas Anderson

invited Emilio Aguinaldo to see the review of the US First Brigade at the Cavite navy yard. He was indisposed

but sent his band instead.



A day or two later Aguinaldo called on General Anderson; he was received with military honors. A company of

the 14th US Regulars presented arms as he came to the headquarters building, and the trumpeters blew the

General's salute.

He had no confidences to exchange. Aguinaldo asked directly what the Americans intended to do in regard to

the Philippines.

"We have lived as a nation 122 years," replied General Anderson, through his interpreter, "and have never

owned or desired a colony. We consider ourselves a great nation as we are, and 1 leave you to draw your own

inference."

Aguinaldo said to his interpreter:

"Tell General Anderson that I do not fear that the Americans will annex the Philippines, because I have read

their Constitution many times and I do not find a provision there for annexation or colonization."

The beach near Camp Dewey at Tambo, Paranaque, 1898.

On July 15 one battalion of 1st California volunteers was placed at Tambo and a depot of supply and

transportation established. Two days later, the two remaining battalions of the 1st California regiment were

sent over from Cavite, and the camp --- first called Camp Tambo --- was renamed Camp Dewey, in honor of the

commander of the naval squadron.

July 1898: American soldiers in San Roque, Cavite Province

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On July 17 and 31, the second and third expeditions, under Brigadier-Generals Felix V. Greene and Arthur C.

MacArthur, Jr., respectively, arrived in Cavite harbor and were transferred to Camp Dewey, the transfer being

completed about August 9.

By this time, 470 officers and 10,464 infantry troops had been stationed in the country.

The incident took place on July 17, 1898. The Spaniards in Manila, according to the Diario de Manila,

looked on the Germans as being their friends and sympathizers, and the advent of Germany's fleet as

encouragement to Spanish interests. The Germans saluted the Spanish flag on several occasions after Admiral

Dewey established his blockade. Neither the English nor French saluted the Spanish flag, and only in one

instance did the Japanese salute it.

July 19, 1898; More landings of American troops near Manila, and positions of US and foreign ships.

[Illustration from The San Francisco Call, issue of July 23, 1898.]

Maj. Gen. Wesley Merritt (West Point class 1860), who had been assigned to the command of the newly created

Department of the Pacific, as well as of the 8th Army Corps, assumed command of the US forces upon his

arrival on July 25.

Mess of Battery D, California Heavy Artillery at Cavite, 1898.

He found General Anderson's headquarters, with the California Heavy Artillery, 14th and 23rd United States

Infantry, and the 2nd Oregon Volunteers, at Cavite; while General Greene was encamped with his brigade at

Camp Dewey.



The left, or north, flank of General Greene's camp extended to a point on Calle Real about 3,000 yards

(meters) from Fort San Antonio de Abad (ABOVE, in February 1899), a polvorin or powder magazine close to the

beach at the southern end of Malate, which formed the right extremity of the outer line of the Spanish

defenses of Manila.

Typical Spanish earthworks and shelter

From Fort San Antonio de Abad the Spanish lines extended to the left, eastward, in trenches and blockhouses,

through swamps and ricefields, encircling Manila and covering all avenues of approach from the land side.

Spanish barricade at Malate, Manila. Photo was taken after the battle.

An old muzzle loader that the Filipinos captured, and placed in their trenches in front of Fort San

Antonio de Abad, Malate, Manila.

The Filipinos occupied positions facing these lines throughout their extent. On Calle Real (now Roxas Blvd.),

the road passing Camp Dewey parallel to the beach, the Filipinos had established an earthwork about 800 yards

from Fort San Antonio de Abad. They also had possession of the approach by the beach proper, and occupied the

Pasay-Manila road, parallel to Calle Real, and about 700 yards to the eastward of it. The outposts of General

Greene's camp were posted in rear of the Filipinos.

The Filipinos were persuaded to withdraw from Calle Real in order that the American troops could move

forward; the former moved to the east of Calle Real, and the trenches from the beach to Calle Real were

occupied by Greene's outposts on July 29. On the right were detached barricades occupied by the Filipinos,

extending over to the rice swamp just east of the Pasay road.

Spanish entrenchments near Manila. Photo was taken after the battle.

Facing these, the Spanish works of earth and sand bags, 7 feet high and 10 feet thick, stretched to the

eastward, with a slightly concave trace, to Blockhouse 14, a strongly fortified position on the Pasay road,

and distant about 1,200 yards from Fort San Antonio de Abad, thus enveloping the American right. Seven guns

were mounted in the stone fort on the Spanish right, and two steel 3.2-inch mountain guns near Blockhouse 14;

the line was manned throughout its length by infantry, with strong reserves in Malate and Intramuros.

Spanish soldiers in Manila. Photo was taken in 1898

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On July 31, shortly before midnight, the Spaniards opened a heavy and continuous fire with infantry and
artillery from their entire line. Battery H, 3rd Artillery, the 10th Pennsylvania Volunteers, and 4 guns of
batteries A and B, Utah Artillery were in the trenches at the time and sustained the attack for an hour and a half, being reinforced by 1 battalion of 1st California Volunteers and Battery K, 3rd Artillery. The firing
ceased at about 2 A. M. The casualties on the American side were 10 killed and 43 wounded.

On August 1, General Merritt organized the American troops into one division (interestingly enough
named the 2nd Division; there was no 1st Division) commanded by Brig. Gen. Thomas M. Anderson. Brig. Gen.

Arthur C. MacArthur, Jr., commanded the 1st Brigade and Brig. Gen. Francis V. Greene (West Point Class 1870)

commanded the 2nd Brigade.

The brigades and their components:





On the nights of August 1, 2, and 5, the Spaniards opened up again with infantry and artillery fire; one

American soldier was killed.

The USS Monterey (CENTER) and the USS Charleston (RIGHT) at Manila Bay.

On August 7, General MacArthur's brigade being in position, and the USS Monterey, for which the navy had been

waiting, having arrived, General Merritt and Admiral Dewey sent to the Spanish Governor-General in Manila a joint letter warning him to remove all non-combatants from the city within 48 hours, and notifying him that

operations against Manila might begin at any time after the expiration of that period.

The Governor-General replied that on account of being surrounded by the Filipino forces there was no place to

which they could safely send their sick, wounded, women, and children.

Merritt and Dewey purposefully left Emilio Aguinaldo out of any plans and preparations regarding the capture of Manila.



On August 9, a formal joint demand was made for the surrender of Manila, based upon the hopelessness of the Spanish situation without possibility of relief, and upon considerations of humanity dictating the avoidance

of the useless sacrifice of life entailed in an assault and possible bombardment.

Fermín Jaudenes

The Spanish cause was doomed, but Fermín Jaudenes (ABOVE, in 189, who had replaced Basilio de Agustin as

Governor-General on August 4, devised a way to salvage the honor of his country. Negotiations were carried

out through Belgian consul Edouard Andre.

A secret agreement was made between the governor and American military commanders concerning the capture of

Manila.

The Spaniards would put up only a show of resistance and, on a prearranged signal, would surrender. In this

way, the governor would be spared the ignominy of giving up without a fight. American forces would neither

bombard the city nor allow the Filipinos to take part; the Spanish feared that the Filipinos were plotting to

massacre them all.

A Filipino is executed by garrote, a strangulation machine. The garrote consisted of a brass collar
with a back piece pushed forward by the impulse of a big screw working through a post. The neck of the
condemned was placed in the brass collar, and when the executioner turned the handle of the screw, the back piece in the collar pressed against the top of the spine, thereby snapping the spinal cord. PHOTO was taken in 1898.

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For centuries the Spanish had ruled the Philippines with a heavy--often deadly--hand. They considered the

Filipino people to be ruthless, uncivilized, and sub-human. There was great fear that if the city fell to

Aguinaldo and his revolutionary forces, there would be hell to pay.

The Spanish army's Company 3, Casino Club Corps, in the Philippines. Photo taken circa 1898.

Spanish troops in Manila

Spanish soldiers in live fire practice at the Luneta, Manila

Spanish troops drawn up in company formation

The Santa Lucia Gate of Intramuros, the walled district of Manila

Old bronze cannons at Intramuros, the walled district of Manila

Filipino soldiers, their artillery and 2 Americans in Malate district, Manila. Photo was taken on July
1, 1898.

On August 11, a Filipino regiment in the Spanish army was suspected of being about to desert. The Spanish

officers picked out six corporals and had them shot dead. Next night the whole regiment went over to

Aguinaldo's army with their arms and accoutrements.

On August 12, fighting between American and Filipino troops almost broke out as the former moved in to

dislodge the latter from strategic positions around Manila. Brig. Gen. Thomas Anderson telegraphed Aguinaldo,

"Do not let your troops enter Manila without the permission of the American commander. On this side of the

Pasig River you will be under fire."

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