Capture of Manila.
Nothing of importance occurred for several days after the battle of Malate. Troops were landed on the Bacoor shore, and the foreign warships took up their respective positions: the British and the Japanese vessels near the American fleet, the French and the German vessels on the other side of the bay. An ominous quiet brooded over all.
On August 7th, the following letter was sent by General Merritt and Admiral Dewey to General Jandenes:
To the General-in-Chief commanding the Spanish Forces at Manila:
Sir: We have the honor to notify Your Excellency that operations of the land and naval forces of the United States against the defenses of Manila may begin at any time after the expiration of forty-eight hours from the receipt by you of this communication, or sooner if made necessary by attack on your part.
This notice is given to afford you an opportunity to remove all non-combatants from the city.
Yours Respectfully,
Wesley Merritt, Major-General U. S. A.,
Commanding.
George Dewey, Rear-Admiral U. S. N.,
Commanding.
To this the Spanish general replied in a polite note; that on account of the fact that he was surrounded by the insurgents he was without “a place of refuge for the increased number of wounded, sick, women, and children” within the walls. He doubtless hoped that his mention of this fact would put off the attack altogether.
And it did delay it for several days. However, General Merritt then issued the following order, which was translated into Spanish:
In view of the extraordinary conditions under which this army is operating, the commanding general desires to acquaint the officers and men with the expectations he entertains as to their conduct.
You are assembled on foreign soil, situated within the western confines of a vast ocean, separating you from your native land. You have come not as despoilers or oppressors, but simply as the instrument of a strong, free government, whose purposes are beneficent, and which declared itself in this war champion of those oppressed by Spanish misrule.
It is therefore the intention of this order to appeal directly to your pride in your position as representatives of a high civilization, in the hope and with the firm conviction that you will so conduct yourself in your relation with the inhabitants of these islands as to convince them of the lofty nature of the mission you have come to execute.
It is not believed any acts of pillage, rapine or violence will be committed by soldiers or others in the employ of the United States, but should there be persons with this command who prove themselves unworthy of this confidence, their acts will be considered not only as crimes against the sufferers, but as direct insults to the United States Flag, and be punished on the spot with the maximum penalties known to military law.
It was decided to begin the attack on Saturday morning, August 13th.
Accordingly, a little before nine o’clock the fleet began to move in close to the city. The Olympia led the way, followed by the Raleigh and the Petrel, while the Callao and the launch Barcelo hugged the shore. The Monterey, with the Baltimore, Charleston, and Boston formed the reserve. The ships were all cleared for action, and moved majestically and silently forward. It was raining heavily.
Suddenly at twenty-five minutes of ten, the Olympia opened with her 8-inch guns. The first four shells were aimed at the Spanish fort at Malate—known as San Antonia de Abad. On account of the rain it was difficult to get the range, and so these first shells all fell short. The Raleigh, Petrel, and Callao also opened upon the fort, and as soon as the range was determined, the shots did great havoc, the fort soon being rendered untenable.
The Callao, under Lieutenant Tappan, and the launch Barcelo, which were nearer inshore, threw their shells among the Spanish riflemen, who replied but feebly.
General Merritt and his staff and the color guard of the First Oregon were on the despatch boat Zafiro.
General Anderson directed the operations on shore.
About twenty minutes after the bombardment began, General Greene, with the left wing, began the land-attack, the advance being made toward Malate, under cover of a heavy fire from the Utah Battery.
The troops, with colors flying, marched rapidly up the beach. The bands were playing and the men rushed forward with a cheer. Six companies of the Colorado regiment leaped over the enemy’s breast-work and took position behind some low hedges but a few hundred feet from the Spanish line. General McArthur led the right wing, and was ably supported by the Astor Battery, under Captain March. It shelled a Spanish block-house with its Hotch-kiss Mountain guns, and then gallantly charged the position with revolvers. It lost three men killed.
Meanwhile, the bombardment had ceased, and the Colorados, the Californians, and the Eighteenth Regulars drove back the Spaniards from Malate, and occupied the position, where the Californians at once raised the Stars and Stripes.
In the suburbs of Malate and Ermita, where the Spaniards had erected street barricades, there was now considerable street-fighting, and the Californians, under Colonel Smith, advanced as far as the Luneta, within 300 yards of the citadel. At this moment General Greene, with several members of his staff, came galloping up the Luneta, a scattering fire playing upon him and his companions from the adjoining houses, until a white flag was raised above the southwest corner of the fort.
Don Basilo Augustin: Spanish Captain-General of the Philippine Islands.
At this,—and while the Americans were standing at rest,—the Spaniards in the citadel opened fire upon them, fatally wounding two Californians: privates Dunsoupe and Lamerson. This has never been satisfactorily explained, but it was probably due to the confusion of the moment; for 2000 Spaniards, retreating from Santa Ana before a large body of insurgents, that were shooting at them, just then came up, and it was to aid these that the Spaniards behind the walls fired a volley after the flag of surrender had been raised.
General Greene then ordered the retreating Spaniards inside the walls, as a letter from the Captain-General was received inviting the American commander within for a consultation. General Greene himself, with Adjutant-General Bates, entered the city.
When General Merritt, on the Zafiro, saw the white flag, he sent General Whittier, with Flag-Lieutenant Thomas M. Bramley, ashore to meet the Captain-General to discuss the terms of surrender.
General Whittier found the Spanish officials much disturbed. Because of the Spaniards seeking refuge in the city from the insurgents, it was believed the Americans were continuing the attack.
When General Merritt himself entered the city, about three o’clock, the situation was explained, and a conference with General Jandenes resulted in the following terms of capitulation.