Philippine-American War, 1899-1902

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Aug. 13, 1898: Mock Battle of Manila

PEACE PROTOCOL, Aug. 12, 1898, 4:23 p.m., Washington, D.C. [August 13, 4:23 a.m. in Manila] : Jules

Cambon, Ambassador of France and representing Spain [SEATED, left] and William R. Day, U.S. Secretary of

State [SEATED, near center], sign the protocol suspending hostilities and defining the terms on which peace

negotiations were to be carried on between the United States and Spain. The protocol was signed in the

presence of Pres. William R. Mckinley [STANDING, 4th from right].

Generals Wesley Merritt and Felix Greene looking at Spanish positions, August 1899

13th Minnesota Volunteers fighting in the woods near Manila

Capt. Thomas Bentley Mott, aide to Maj. Gen. Wesley Merritt, wrote: "...the bugle sounded the advance, the

whole camp sent up a tremendous cheer, showing that neither rain, the darkness of the night, nor the unseen

foe could dampen the involuntary delight of the men at the idea of at last getting at their enemy."

A carabao (water buffalo) drags a gun of the Utah Light Battery into position

General MacArthur's 1st Brigade began its movement towards the Spanish positions on the road leading to

Pasay. The terrain was swampy, the roads muddy, but by 8:05 a.m. most of the elements had reached their

forward positions and taken shelter for the opening volley.

1st Nebraska Volunteers moving on the seashore toward Manila

1st Colorado Volunteers kneeling on the beach to fire

Less than a mile to the west, General Greene's 2nd Brigade was making its advance along the beach. Leading

the way was the 1st Colorado Volunteer Infantry Regiment, followed by volunteer regiments from California,

Nebraska, Utah, Pennsylvania, and Oregon. Ahead lay the Spanish fortification at Malate district, Fort San

Antonio de Abad.

Company I of the 1st Colorado Volunteers advances through the grass

Fort San Antonio de Abad: Photo shows damage from Admiral Dewey's naval guns

At 9:45 a.m., two of Admiral George Dewey's ships (the cruiser Olympia and the gunboat Petrel) began

bombarding Fort San Antonio de Abad. There was only sporadic and light return fire. As the 1st Colorado

Volunteers neared its walls, the naval bombardment stopped.

Aug. 13, 1898: Two wounded Spanish soldiers found by the Americans inside Fort San Antonio de Abad.

The fort was deserted, save for two dead and two wounded Spaniards.

Original caption: "From the staff at left, the First Colorado lowered the Spanish and swung out the

American flag." Fort San Antonio de Abad, Malate district, Manila

1st Colorado Volunteers occupy Fort San Antonio de Abad in Malate district, Manila

At 10:35 a.m. Capt. Alexander M. Brooks of Denver, Colorado raised the Stars and Stripes over the captured

fort.

Original caption: "Bamboo intrenchment of the Filipinos across the Manila and Dagupan railway. The

cannon is a bronze piece captured from the Spaniards, June 1898".

As the naval bombardment ended and the American forces continued north in two columns, the Filipinos --- who
had not been apprised of the script ---raced to join the battle. They thought there was a real battle going
on that would liberate their capitol and they did not want to be left out.

The Filipinos assaulted from four directions - the column of General Pio del Pilar took Sampaloc district;
that of General Gregorio del Pilar took Tondo district, that of General Mariano Noriel took Singalong and
Paco districts; that of General Artemio Ricarte routed the Spaniards in Sta. Ana district and pursued them
all the way to Intramuros.

General Greene's 2nd Brigade left Malate and continued along the beach.

Aug. 13, 1898: 1st Colorado Volunteers entering Ermita district, Manila, close to Intramuros.

Aug. 13, 1898: The first 2 American soldiers killed during the battle of Manila.

Spanish POWs quartered in Intramuros, Manila, receiving their rations.

Spanish soldiers in the southern Philippines awaiting repatriation to Spain; about 3,000 were shipped out

Spanish arms captured by the Americans (20,000 Mausers, 3,000 Remingtons, 18 modern cannon and many of
the obsolete pattern)

Original caption: "American troops guarding the bridge over the river Pasig on the afternoon of the
surrender."

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Blockhouse No. 14. Around this spot a great deal of the fighting of August 13 took place. A shell from

a Utah gun took away the corner.

The gun that destroyed Spanish Blockhouse #14

Meanwhile, in the east, MacArthur's 1st Brigade moved through the Spanish trenches, overran Blockhouse #14,

and confronted the Spanish position at Blockhouse #20 near Singalong.

Photo taken in 1898 or 1899: 13th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment Gatling Gun crew in the

Philippines; the Minnesotans arrived in Manila on Aug. 7, 1898 and left on Aug. 10, 1899. The Regiment was

mustered out with: 51 officers and 952 men; 6 officers and 68 men were wounded in action, 2 officers and 42

men died (4 Killed in Action, 1 officer and 2 men died of wounds,1 officer and 33 men died of disease, 1

drowned).

When the 1st Brigade's 13th Minnesota Volunteers approached, the Spanish defenders fired a few rounds in a

token resistance. It was met by a similarly light return fire from the Americans. Hearing the sound of the

skirmish, the Filipinos rushed into the foray. A pitched battle ensued, the soldiers of the 13th Minnesota

caught in a cross-fire between the Spaniards ahead of them and the Filipino forces behind them.

Astor Battery crew going to the front

The men of the Astor Battery charged the stronghold in a pistol attack which saw the Spanish withdraw. It was

probably at Blockhouse #20 that the Americans prohibited the Filipinos from proceeding any farther, and

MacArthur's advance the rest of the way to the central city was unopposed.

US Third Artillery acting as infantry. In backqround is the strongest Spanish blockhouse outside the

walled district of Intramuros, Manila.

At 11:00 a.m., as the two American columns converged on Intramuros, Admiral Dewey hoisted the international

signal flag "Do you surrender?".



Meanwhile, General Greene and his troops had reached the Luneta, the city promenade (ABOVE, pre-war 1890's),

where they were confronted with a heavily defended blockhouse, and a group of Spanish soldiers who, like the

Filipinos, apparently were not privy to the unfolding script.


The periodic sniping from the Filipinos at the outskirts made the Spanish wary of an American double-cross,

while Admiral Dewey wondered if the Spanish were about to pull some kind of quick trick when the surrender

flag failed to rise over the city. A huge Spanish flag continued to float over the city walls near one of

the heavy batteries.



At 11:45 a.m., the Belgian consul's launch drew alongside the Olympia. Consul Edouard Andre (LEFT) conferred

with Admiral Dewey.

Flag Lt. Thomas Brumby took the largest American flag on the ship and went aboard the launch. The launch

steamed away toward Manila, 1,500 yards away.

At 12:00 p.m., the international signal "C.F.L.", meaning "Hold conference", was hoisted over the city

walls.



At 2:33 p.m., Lt. Brumby returned and reported that the Spaniards would surrender as soon as General Merritt

got 600 to 700 American troops inside Intramuros to protect them from the Filipinos. Admiral Dewey ordered

Lt. Brumby to tell General Merritt that he agreed to anything.

American troops marching into Intramuros

The Americans rushed into Intramuros.



At 5:45 p.m., the Spanish flag went down and Lt. Brumby (ABOVE, in 189 hoisted the huge American flag in

its place. The 2nd Oregon band struck up "The Star-Spangled Banner" while the Spanish women wept. The ships

of the US fleet saluted the new flag with 21 guns each. In ten minutes 189 saluting charges were fired.

Programme of the musical concert on board Dewey's flagship, August 13th, the day of the fall of

Manila

At 6:00 p.m., the band on the Olympia struck up "The Victory of Manila".

The squad of 2nd Oregon Volunteers detailed to escort and raise the American flag over Manila.

Aug. 13, 1898: Group of American officers before the Puerta Real ("Royal Gate") of Intramuros,

Manila.

Terms of capitulation were promptly agreed upon between American and Spanish commanders and the occupation of

the Spanish capital of the Philippines was complete. The Americans at once began to fraternize with their

Spanish counterparts.

Squad of Spanish prisoners, surrendered to Brig. Gen. Francis V. Greene on Aug. 13, 1898

After the American flag was raised over Intramuros, Aguinaldo demanded joint occupation. General Merritt
immediately cabled Brig. Gen. Henry C. Corbin, US Army Adjutant-General, in Washington, D.C.:
"Since occupation of the town and suburbs the insurgents on outside are pressing demand for joint occupation of the city. Situation difficult. Inform me at once how far I shall proceed in forcing obedience in this matter and others that may arise. Is Government willing to use all means to make the natives submit to the authority of the United States?"

An American soldier and two native Filipino policemen guard an entrance to Intramuros, Manila. PHOTO was taken in late 1898.

Meanwhile, by 10:00 p.m., 10,000 American troops were in Intramuros; the 2nd Oregon Volunteers guarded its 9

entrances. General Greene marched his 2nd Brigade around Intramuros into Binondo district.

Audience room in the Malacañan Palace at San Miguel district, Manila.

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The 1st California Volunteers were sent east to the fashionable district of San Miguel and took over Malacañan Palace, official residence of the Spanish governor-general.

1st California Volunteers in Manila

1st Colorado Volunteers marching in Manila

The 1st Colorado Volunteers were sent into Tondo district and the 1st Nebraska Volunteers were established on the north shore of the Pasig river. General MacArthur's 1st Brigade patrolled Ermita and Malate districts.

1st Nebraska Volunteers in formation near their quarters at Binondo, Manila, 1898.

Maj. Gen. Wesley Merritt and Brig. Gen. Francis Greene inspecting Fort San Antonio de Abad after the battle.

On Aug. 17, 1898, General Merritt received the following reply from General Corbin:

"The President directs that there must be no joint occupation with the insurgents. The United States in the
possession of Manila City, Manila Bay, and harbor must preserve the peace and protect persons and property

within the territory occupied by their military and naval forces. The insurgents and all others must
recognize the military occupation and authority of the United States and the cessation of hostilities proclaimed by the President. Use whatever means in your judgment are necessary to this end. All law-abiding people must be treated alike."

A Filipino battalion in formation in the outskirts of Manila, shortly after the capture of the city by

the Americans. Source: Lopez of Balayan

The Americans then told Aguinaldo bluntly that his army would be fired upon if it crossed into Intramuros.



The Filipinos were infuriated at being denied triumphant entry into their own capital. The hot-headed
Filipino generals thought it was time to strike at the Americans, but Aguinaldo stayed calm and refused to be pushed into a new war. However, relations continued to deteriorate.

A US soldier is photographed beside a stack of cannonballs near the Santa Lucia gate of Intramuros district, Manila.

A modern Spanish Krupp gun, 1898.

Spanish POWs held by the Americans in Manila

Spanish POWs held by the Americans in Manila

Spanish POWs held by the Americans in Manila

Spanish POWs quartered in Intramuros, Manila, receiving their rations.

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US troops on the Escolta, Manila; not too far from here, on Calle Lacoste in nearby Santa Cruz
district, an American guard shot and killed a seven-year-old Filipino boy for taking a banana from a Chinese
fruit vendor.

Two American soldiers pose with their .45-70 Springfield Trapdoor rifles. Photo was taken at the

Centro Artistico Fotografico ("Photographic Arts Center") in Manila in late 1898.

Graves of American soldiers killed in Manila. The "mock" Battle of Manila was not entirely bloodless.

Spanish soldiers who were not privy to the "script" put up serious resistance at a blockhouse close to the
city and in a few other areas. Six Americans died while the Spanish suffered 49 killed and 100 wounded.
Overall, 17 Americans were killed fighting the Spaniards, 11 on July 31, August 1-2 and August 5 in
skirmishes at Malate district.

4th US Regular Infantry Regiment encampment at the Luneta, Manila

V. Tokizama, Japanese military attache to the Philippines with Colonel Harry Clay Kessler (CO, 1st
Montana Volunteers), Major Robert H. Fitzhugh and 1Lt. William B. Knowlton; photo taken in Manila, 1898

A squad of American soldiers is enthralled by the Filipino "national sport" of cockfighting

The Ayuntamiento in Intramuros district, Manila. Photo taken in 1899.

Americans in Manila. Photo taken in 1898.

The arrogance of the Americans and their continuing presence unsettled the Filipinos.

The 1st South Dakota Volunteer Infantry Regiment at rest at the Presidio, San Francisco. The regiment,
consisting of 46 officers and 983 enlisted men, was commanded by Col. Alfred S. Frost. It left the Presidio
on July 23, 1898 and arrived at Cavite Province, in Manila Bay, on Aug. 31, 1898.

The 38th US Volunteer Infantry Regiment upon their arrival at Manila, Dec. 26, 1899

Questions on their actual motives surfaced with the continuous arrival of American reinforcements, when there
was no Spanish enemy left to fight.

13th Minnesota Volunteers, acting as police, raid an opium den and arrest 4 Chinese addicts. Photo

was taken in Manila in late 1898.

It did not take long for the Filipinos to realize the genuine intentions of the United States: the Americans
were in the islands to stay.

13th Minnesota Volunteers Regimental Band at Manila

Soon after the Spanish surrender at Manila, Pvt. Fred Hinchman, US Army Corps of Engineers, wrote his
family about the Filipino soldiers: "We shall now have to disarm and scatter these abominable, semi-human
monkeys." [John Durand, The Boys: 1st North Dakota Volunteers in the Philippines, Puzzlebox Press, 2010, p.
132].

Aug. 24, 1898: First Filipino-American Fatal Encounter

Calle del Arsenal, the main street in Cavite Nuevo, Cavite Province. Photo was taken in 1897.

On Wednesday, Aug. 24, 1898, the first fatal encounter between the Filipinos and Americans took place in

Cavite Nuevo (now Cavite City), Cavite Province. The U.S. Army put it down as a street fight.

Pvt. George H. Hudson of Battery B, Utah Light Artillery Regiment, was killed; Cpl. William Q. Anderson of

the same unit, and four troopers of the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment were wounded.

On Saturday, Aug. 27, 1898, the New York Times reported:



Internal Filipino communications reported that the Utah artillerymen were drunk at the time.

American soldiers and Filipino civilians at Cavite Nuevo. Photo was taken in 1898-1899.

American soldiers and Filipino children at Cavite Nuevo, 1898-1899.

Aug. 29, 1898: General Otis Becomes New Commander of 8th US Army Corps, Orders Philippine Army To Leave

Manila

Major Generals Wesley Merritt (6th from Right) and Elwell S. Otis (4th from Right), and their staffs
in front of Malacañan Palace, San Miguel district, Manila

Maj. Gen. Elwell S. Otis replaced Merritt on Aug. 29, 1898. Ten days later, on September 8, he demanded that
Filipino troops evacuate Manila beyond the demarcation lines marked on a map that he furnished Aguinaldo.
Otis claimed that the Peace Protocol signed in Washington D.C. on August 12 between Spain and the United
States gave the latter the right to occupy the bay, harbor and city of Manila. He ordered Aguinaldo to comply
within a week or he would face forcible action. Aguinaldo's emissaries asked Otis to withdraw his ultimatum;
when he refused, they requested him to moderate his language in a second letter. The American commander
agreed.

Maj. Gen. Elwell S. Otis and his staff on the veranda of Malacañan Palace, San Miguel district,
Manila

[tormentor_jack]

AMIGO.....a very interesting movie i guess....

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On September 13, Otis wrote Aguinaldo an amended letter:

A Filipino regiment preparing to leave Manila

On September 15, about 2,000 Filipino soldiers marched out of the zones. They did not know of the ultimatum, but were told about the succeeding "friendly request". Their bands played American airs and they cheered for the Americans as they withdrew.



Otis acceded to Aguinaldo's request that Gen. Pio del Pilar (ABOVE) and his troops continue to occupy Paco district. First, Aguinaldo asserted that Paco was traditionally outside the jurisdiction of Manila. Second, he was unable to discipline Del Pilar who would surely refuse to move out in response to his orders. [The Americans called Pio del Pilar a "fire-eater".]

In any case, he would gradually withdraw his troops from the command of Del Pilar, until his force was too small to be threatening.

[Twenty-five days later, on October 10, Brig. Gen. Thomas M. Anderson submitted to the Adjutant-general, US 8th Army Corps, an official complaint against Gen. Pio del Pilar:

"Sir:

"I have the honor to report that yesterday, the 9th instant, while proceeding up the Pasig River, on the steam launch Canacao, with three officers of my staff, the American flag flying over the boat. I was stopped by an armed Filipino guard and informed that we could go no farther. Explaining that we were an unarmed party of American officers out upon an excursion, we were informed that, by orders given two days before, no Americans, armed or unarmed. were allowed to pass up the Pasig River without a special permit from President Aguinaldo.

"I demanded to see the written order, and it was brought and shown me. It was an official letter signed by Pio del Pilar. division general, written in Tagalo and stamped with what appeared to be an official seal. It purported to be issued by the authority of the president of the revolutionary government, and forbade Americans, either armed or unarmed, from passing up the Pasig River. It was signed by Pilar himself.

"As this is a distinctly hostile act. I beg leave to ask how far we are to submit to this kind of interference.

"It is respectfully submitted that whether this act of Pilar was authorized or not by the assumed insurgent government, it should, in any event, be resented."]

Aguinaldo's headquarters at Bacoor, Cavite Province. Photo was taken in 2006. Source: www.flickr.com/photos/15452709@N00/292183090

Aguinaldo transferred his headquarters and the seat of his government from Bacoor (ABOVE) to the inland town of Malolos, 21 miles (34 km) north of Manila on the line of the railroad. Here he was out of range of the guns of the US fleet, and in a naturally strong position.

The first American newspaper in the Philiipines, The American Soldier, reports on corruption under the old Spanish regime. This issue came out on Nov. 5, 1898.

[skadiboy]

nice topic... murag gabasa kog libro ani word by word ;P

[anggwaponi]

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Top 3 Philippine church bells in US camps
NOTE: News link courtesy of Inquirer.net

[anggwaponi]

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Descendants of Balangiga warriors renew demand for bells' return, pin hope on Duterte
NOTE: News link courtesy of interaksyon.com

[comewhatmay]

" ... and Rosa Sevilla de Alvero (BOTTOM), a journalist, social worker, educator and women's suffrage advocate ... ".

naglibog ko ani kay murag wa ni match ang dates


well, i guess mga anak o descendants na tingali ning nakaadtu sa US





Exhibit on Filipinas in DC who pushed for PH women’s suffrage
Origin: Data from Inquirer.net