CHAPTER XIII.
Of the Siege of Manila by the English, in the Year 1762.
The courts of England and Spain had declared war in the month of November, 1761, but nothing of this was known at Manila, although there were reasons for our being in some degree on our guard. A priest, who held a correspondence with the English on the coast, received information of an expedition which was preparing there, and Father Quadrado, an Augustine, received a letter from his father by way of China, which informed him of the commencement of hostilities with the English; but as it was private intelligence, and not confirmed, those who had gone on their different pursuits to Canton and Batavia paid no attention to it. On the 14th of September, 1762, an English vessel appeared in the bay, which would not admit our officers on board, and having made soundings all over the bay, sailed again by the point of Mariveles.
The Mahhicas Indians informed us they had seen a large ship of two tiers of guns, and manned with white men, the captain of which had put many questions to them respecting the ships which traded to New Spain. In Manila it was generally believed this ship was not in search of the Philippine Islands, but was on its passage home to Europe, and as it was near the commencement of the winter season, that she was making all despatch to save the monsoon. It afterwards appeared, however, that an English fleet had sailed from Madras the beginning of August for the express purpose of taking Manila, and which was to rendezvous at the island of Luban in case of separation, and which actually did take place in consequence of a gale of wind, which obliged one English frigate to put into Canton, and delayed the arrival of two others eight days after the rest of the squadron appeared in our bay.
On the 22d of September, at half past five in the afternoon, a fleet was discovered, consisting of thirteen sail, and notwithstanding he was thus taken by surprize, the Governor immediately adopted every needful measure of defence, and sent reinforcements to Cavite. While preparations were thus making for the reception of an enemy, an officer was despatched with a letter to the commanding officer of the squadron, demanding to know who he was, and what motive he had for entering the harbour. The following day, in the morning, two English officers landed, and brought the answer of Admiral Cornish, who commanded the squadron, and Brigadier-General Draper, who commanded the troops, stating, that they had orders from the King of Great Britain to take possession of these islands, and they demanded an immediate surrender, for if any resistance were made, having a force sufficiently formidable to attain the object in view, they should commence hostilities as soon as they received an unfavourable reply. The Governor answered, that the proposition they had made could not be accepted by subjects faithful to their allegiance, and that they were ready to lose their lives in the defence of the honour of their Sovereign. The squadron, in consequence, approached near the south front of the powder manufactory, and about six in the afternoon they took possession of that redoubt, in which our people had left some saltpetre, and other effects, having only had time to remove the powder. Supported by the fire of the squadron, they took possession successively of the churches of Malate, La Hermita, San Juan de Bagunbayan, and Santiago, and of all the houses in those suburbs of Manila.
Two piquet guards made a sortie, but not being able to sustain the heat of the enemy’s fire from the church of Santiago, they were obliged to retire.
If our troops had, in the first instance, opposed the landing of the enemy, they possibly might have repulsed them, for they effected it in the day-time, when the sea ran high, and there was a very great surf, which occasioned the loss of one of the launches, carrying an eighteen pounder, with the whole of her crew. The other launches landed their troops, the water breast high, carrying their muskets and cartouch boxes on their heads; and under these disadvantages two hundred reached the shore, who immediately drew up in line, covering the landing of the rest. If under these circumstances they had been attacked, what might not have been expected from the gallantry of our troops? But our numbers were so insignificant, that they were no more than adequate to the defence of the walls. The whole force in Manila consisted of the King’s regiment, which was so reduced by death and desertion, and by different detachments in the galleons and garrisons, that they could scarcely muster five hundred and fifty men, of which the artillery consisted of eighty, most of them Indians, very little accustomed to the use of great guns.
On the arrival of the English, four companies of militia were formed from among the merchants, and a few days after five thousand Indians came to our aid, who not knowing how to handle a musket were of very little use. The English had one thousand five hundred European troops, consisting of Draper’s regiment, two companies of artillery, three thousand seamen, eight hundred seapoy fusileers, and one thousand four hundred seapoy pioneers, making in all a force of six thousand eight hundred and thirty men. How was it possible to resist such a force, and think of preventing it from disembarking?
On the following day, the 24th, our batteries of San Diego and San Andres commenced their fire, but with very little effect, the enemy being under cover of a church. The same day arrived a galley, which had been despatched by the commander of the Philipino, Acapulco ship, which had put into Palapag. As soon as the enemy perceived this galley, they despatched a light frigate and four shallops in chase, when perceiving itself pursued, it bore up for Navotas, where it was run on shore, and the crew quitted it, leaving on board only the captain and some passengers, who were made prisoners. Not being able to get off the galley, the English set it on fire, after stripping it of every thing valuable. Those who escaped informed the Governor that the Philipino was at Palapag, and that the captain was desirous of measures being adopted, without loss of time, for securing the treasure she had on board.
The English likewise, by means of the despatches they had taken in the galley, got information of the situation of the Philipino, and sent off that night a ship of the line and a frigate in quest of her; but instead of her they fell in with the Trinidad, which had just arrived on that part of the coast in her route to Acapulco, and of which they made a prize, with her valuable cargo. Contenting themselves with this, they gave the Philipino an opportunity of putting her treasure on shore, thus preserving what proved our only resource during this war, as we shall see afterwards. In the night a sortie was made from the fort, with a view to dislodge the enemy from the churches, in which they had strongly established themselves. The command of this sortie was given to Monsieur Faller, a Frenchman, who had served in Manila. He sallied out with two four-pounder field pieces, and the requisite number of artillerymen, fifty fusileers of the regulars, a few militia, and eight hundred Indians, armed with lances. He attacked the enemy at his quarters, and the action lasted the whole night; but observing that the English received fresh succours, he withdrew his people towards the church of San Juan de Bagunbayan, from which he kept up a fire against the church of Santiago until the following morning, and from thence, by means of a reinforcement which was sent him from the fort, he was enabled to make good his retreat. This sortie could be considered only as an empty vaunt, for how could they flatter themselves, with a handful of men, with dislodging the English from the churches, which may be considered, in fact, like so many castles, having such immensely thick walls of square stone? Faller by this attempt incurred the charge of treason, however unjustly.