Philippine-American War, 1899-1902

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Philippine-American War, 1899-1902





CASUALTIES, February 4, 1899 - July 4, 1902:

Filipinos : 20,000 soldiers killed in action; 200,000 civilians died

Americans : 4,390 dead (1,053 killed in action; 3,337 other deaths)








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Background: The Philippine Revolution and the Spanish-American War



The Philippines (TOP, 1898 map) was a colony of Spain from 1571 to 1898. Spanish rule came to an end as a result of the Philippine Revolution and US involvement with Spain's other major colony, Cuba.

The Philippine archipelago, with a total land area of 300,000 sq km (115,831 sq mi), comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, located close to the present-day countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau and the island of Taiwan.

The capital, Manila, is 6,977 miles (11,228 km) distant --- "as the crow flies" --- across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco, California, U.S.A. The two cities are separated by 6,061 nautical miles of water.

Luzon and Mindanao are the two largest islands, anchoring the archipelago in the north and south. Luzon has an area of 104,700 sq km (40,400 sq mi) and Mindanao has an area of 94,630 sq km (36,540 sq mi). Together, they account for 66% of the country's total landmass.

Only nine other islands have an area of more than 2,600 sq km (1,000 sq mi) each: Samar, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Mindoro, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol and Masbate.

More than 170 dialects are spoken in the archipelago, almost all of them belonging to the Borneo-Philippines group of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family.

Twelve major dialects – Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, Pangasinense; Southern Bicol, Kiniray-a, Maranao, Maguindanao and Tausug (the last three in Muslim areas of Southern Philippines) – make up about 90% of the population.

The population in 1898 was about 9 million.

Spanish soldiers in the Philippines. Photo taken in 1896.

Spanish field kitchen in the Philippines, 1896 or 1897

Spanish troops battling Filipino rebels in the undergrowth; photo taken in 1896 or 1897.

The Cuban Insurrection broke out on Feb. 24, 1895. The rebels were led by the poet Jose Marti y Perez, now considered as Cuba's national hero (BOTTOM).

Jose Marti y Perez

The Cubans had set up propaganda in the United States to support their cause for independence; the Cuban community had built connections with senators, congressmen and with the press.

American business interests were perturbed by the tumult in Cuba; in addition, public opinion in the US became aroused by newspaper accounts of the brutalities of Spanish rule. These reports were not exaggerated: between 200,000 and 400,000 Cuban civilians died from starvation and disease in Spanish concentration camps.

The 1890's were marked by mounting efforts in the United States to extend American influence overseas. These were often justified by references to Manifest Destiny, a belief that territorial expansion by the United States was both inevitable and divinely ordained; this belief enjoyed widespread support among U.S. citizens and politicians.

Manifest Destiny was promoted by the publishers of several prominent U.S. newspapers, particularly William Randolph Hearst, the publisher of The New York Journal, and Joseph Pulitzer, the publisher of the New York World.

William Randolph Hearst

Joseph Pulitzer

They called for the United States to intervene on the side of the Cubans.

The spirit of imperialism growing in the United States—fueled by supporters of Manifest Destiny—led many Americans to believe that the United States needed to take aggressive steps, both economically and militarily, to establish itself as a true world power.

Fearing U.S. intervention in Cuba, Spain moved to a more conciliatory policy, promising home rule with an elected legislature. The Cuban rebels rejected this offer and the war for independence continued.

The Roanoke Daily Times., Roanoke VA, Aug. 22, 1896, page 1

Aug. 30, 1896: Dead Filipino rebels found inside the Cordeleria de Peñafrancia, the rope factory owned by Sancho Valenzuela in Bacood, Santa Mesa district, Manila.

The Philippine Revolution, led by Andres Bonifacio, broke out on Aug. 30, 1896. The rebels attacked but failed to capture the Spanish powder depot and water reservoir in San Juan del Monte, a suburb of Manila; 153 rebels and 2 Spanish soldiers died in the fighting that spilled over into the adjacent Santa Mesa district of Manila. Uprisings in other places took place shortly thereafter.

Aug. 30, 1896: First Filipino POWs of the Philippine Revolution. The tallest prisoner is Sancho Valenzuela; he and fellow rebels Ramon Peralta, Modesto Sarmiento and Eugenio Silvestre, were executed by firing squad at the Luneta, Manila, on Sept. 6, 1896. Valenzuela was hard to kill: four more shots, fired close to his head, scattered his brains over the grass.

Governor-General Ramon Blanco (BOTTOM) placed the first eight provinces to revolt against Spanish sovereignty under martial law. They were Manila, Laguna, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija.

Governor-General Ramon Blanco

Hundreds of suspects were arrested, questioned under torture, imprisoned or deported to the Carolines or to the Spanish island colony of Fernando Po in faraway Africa. [The Caroline Islands are found in the western Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Guinea. At present, they are divided between Micronesia and Palau. This area was also called Nuevas Filipinas or New Philippines as they were part of the Spanish East Indies and governed from Manila. Fernando Po Island, where 151 Filipinos were deported on Oct. 14, 1896, is now known as Bioko in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.]

PHOTO taken in 1894. Between 1823 and 1897, 158 patriots and martyrs were executed on the Luneta promenade by the Spanish colonial administration

Retouched photo of Spanish soldiers executing Filipinos on the Luneta, ca 1896-1897

A great number of Filipinos were executed at the Luneta in Manila or elsewhere.

The San Francisco Call., Sept. 7, 1896, page 1

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Nevertheless, despite the repression, tortures and executions, the revolution continued to spread throughout the archipelago.

The Evening Bulletin, Oahu, Hawaii, issue of Oct. 12, 1896, describes events at Cavite, Manila, and Amoy (China) that took place in the first 3 weeks of September 1896

The Evening Bulletin, Oahu, Hawaii, issue of Oct. 19, 1896, reports on the events that took place in the Philippines on Sept. 9-10, 1896

1896 or 1897: Spanish soldiers lead a Filipino rebel to execution

1896 or 1897: Spanish firing squad executes two captured Filipino rebels

1896 or 1897: Six Filipino rebels are about to die

Same scene as in preceding photo, after the shots were fired. Original caption: "Fusilamientos de insurrectos, ca. 1896-1898.MUSEO DEL EJÉRCITO, Madrid". Photo was probably taken in 1896 or 1897.

Oct. 1, 1896: A battalion of Spanish marine infantry -- part of the "Ejercito Expedicionario" -- arrives in Manila. This first reinforcement from Spain consisted of 22 officers and 895 men commanded by Col. Juan Herrera.

Oct. 1, 1896: The Spanish marines head for Intramuros, the walled district of Manila.

October 1896: A company of Spanish soldiers in Manila.

1896: Group of Spanish soldiers in the patio of their quarters in Intramuros district, Manila.

The Islander, Harbor, Washington, issue of Oct. 29, 1896

A Spanish Army Sergeant in 1896.

A native Filipino soldier in the Spanish Army. Photo was taken in the mid-1890s.

A native Filipino member of the Guardia Civil Veterana, clothed in the 3 types of Guardia uniforms: (LEFT to RIGHT) De Cuartel (barracks), De Marcha (field) and De Gala (ceremonial). In October 1897, two months before the truce of Biyak-na-Bato, there were 3 Guardia Civil regiments in the Philippines with a total manpower of 155 Spanish officers and 3,530 natives. The Guardia Civil discharged both military and police functions.

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Oct. 31, 1896: The cells of Fort Santiago in Manila were jampacked with suspected rebels and 52 Filipinos died due to asphyxiation

1896: Spanish soldiers in the field, probably in Cavite Province

Spanish friars of the Dominican Order, ca 1875-1880. A major cause of the Philippine Revolution was the tyranny, oppressive practices and blatant racism of the religious orders.

[Friarocracy --- the power of religious orders --- was a constant of Spanish colonial rule over the centuries. Friars of the Augustinian, Dominican and Franciscan orders conducted many of the executive and control functions of government on the local level. They were responsible for education, health, census-keeping and tax collection, and supervised the selection of local police and town officers. They kept a tight rein on public morals and reported seditious activities to the authorities. Contrary to the principles of the Roman Catholic Church, they used information gained in confession to pinpoint troublemakers.]

Spanish military and civil officials in front of Puerta de Isabel II. The huge man, 2nd from right, is unidentified.

Original caption: "Spanish luxury in the old days." Photo taken in Manila in the 1890's

Spanish civilians at a station of the Ferrocaril de Manila a Dagupan (Manila-Dagupan Railway). The line, launched on Nov. 24, 1892, was part of the British-owned Manila Railway Company. Photo taken in the 1890's.

Two Spanish women and an upper-class Filipina in Manila. Photo taken in the 1890's.

Spanish schoolgirls in Manila. Photo taken in 1890.

Bullfighting in Manila in the 1890s. The bull ring was located in Paco district. An American writer who was in the Philippines in 1898-99, Joseph L. Stickney, described the state of the sport in the country: "Neither Spanish bull-fighters nor Spanish bulls are brought to the island, so that native talent has to be obtained to play both roles. The bulls are timid and lazy, the bull-fighters are little better, so that the traveler does not see bullfighting of the same sort that he would in Spain, Cuba or Mexico."

Two roosters are about to "spar". Cockfighting, or "sabong", is deeply ingrained in Philippine culture. It dates back to the pre-Spanish era; it was, and still is, the king of sports in the countryside. In actual bouts, the roosters battle with 4-inch razor-sharp steel gaffs attached to the back of their left legs. Considered as too brutal, cockfighting has long been banned or driven underground in most other countries, but it remains largely popular in the Philippines and is virtually the national sport. [PHOTO taken in the 1890's].

Photo taken in Manila in the 1890's

Filipinos at a religious procession with fish. Photo taken in the 1890's.

Filipinos at a religious procession with fish. Photo taken in the 1890's

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Bonifacio, a gifted public speaker and mass organizer but a poor combat tactician, faltered in battle. On the other hand, the reticent Emilio Aguinaldo, the second leading personality in the revolution, made others do the political work for him; what he lacked in charisma, he made up for with an innate military acumen. He scored spectacular victories over the better-armed Spaniards in Cavite --- the heartland of the revolution --- and except for the Cavite peninsula, had gained control over the entire province. A power struggle ensued between the two men, the contentious issue being who was abler to lead the war for freedom.

Spanish troops defending a house

General Blanco tried to maintain Spanish control by shifting to a more conciliatory policy. He declared to the effect that it was not the purpose of his Government to oppress the people and he had no desire "to slaughter the Filipinos."

The Evening Times, Washington, D.C., issue of Nov. 19, 1896

The new benign strategy did not sit well with the Spanish friars. They wanted the restive Filipinos to be flogged into submission.

The Manila Cathedral was the seat of the Archbishop of Manila during the Spanish colonial period; it still remains as the ecclesisastical seat of the Archdiocese of Manila. (PHOTO was taken in 1900).

Manila Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda and the religious orders worked hard behind the scenes to get Blanco ousted. They used all possible means, including bribery, to bring about his dismissal.

General Camilo Garcia de Polavieja is honored upon his arrival in Manila, Dec. 3, 1896.

The friars believed that Blanco's newly arrived second-in-command, General Camilo Garcia de Polavieja, would be easier to impress with their point of view.

They sent a telegram to their cohorts in Madrid.

The telegram read thus :

"Situation more grave. Revolt spreading. Apathy of Blanco unexplainable. To remove danger, an urgent necessity is the appointment of a new governor-general. Opinion unanimous, Archbishop and Provincials."

They included Polavieja's name in the shortlist of nominees submitted to the Queen Regent.

General Camilo Garcia de Polavieja

On Dec. 13, 1896, Polavieja (TOP, in 1896) replaced Blanco as Governor-General.

He proved to be as brutal as his counterpart Valeriano Weyler was in Cuba. Under his direction, the Spanish soldiers seldom took prisoners; civilians were herded into cramped concentration camps. Many died from ill-treatment, disease, and starvation.

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Polavieja also ordered the execution of the non-militant reformist Jose Rizal and 24 others.

Dec. 30, 1896: Jose Rizal, later enshrined as the Philippines' national hero, is executed at the Luneta, Manila (the Luneta was alternately called Bagumbayan, or “new town" in Tagalog). Photo was taken by Manuel Arias Rodriguez; this copy is from the Museo del Ejercito in Madrid, Spain.

New York Tribune, Aug. 10, 1897. The Italian anarchist, Michele Angiolillo, claimed that he assassinated Spanish Prime Minister Antonio Cánovas del Castillo on Aug. 8, 1897 to avenge the Barcelona anarchists and Jose Rizal. He was executed by garrote on August 20 of the same year.

Jan. 11, 1897: Thirteen members of the reformist La Liga Filipina -- all freemasons-- are about to die at the Luneta, Manila

[One of the martyrs was a pure Spaniard, Moises Salvador. An Insulare (Philippine-born Spaniard), he was born in Quiapo, Manila on Nov. 25, 1868. He walked barefooted to his death spot on the field while calmly smoking a cigar. Moises Salvador Elementary School in Sampaloc district, Manila, was named in his honor on July 13, 1936].

Executed were: Numeriano Adriano, Jose A Dizon, Domino Franco, Eustacio Mañalac, Cpl. Cristobal Medina, 2Lt. Benedicto Nijaga, Ramon Padilla, Braulio Rivera, Francisco L Roxas, Antonio Salazar, Moises Salvador, Luis Enciso Villareal and Faustino Villaruel

[2Lt. Benedicto Nijaga and Cpl. Cristobal Medina were native Filipino members of the Spanish army. Nijaga Park in Calbayog City, Samar Province, was named in Lieutenant Nijaga's honor].

When the revolution broke out in August 1896, there were about 1,500 Spanish troops posted in the Philippines. Their native auxiliaries numbered around 6,000. Reinforce- ments from Spain were received beginning in October 1896.

"The Revolt in the Philippine Islands: Scenes in Manila," Harper's Weekly, New York, January 2, 1897.

Sacramento Daily Record-Union, Jan. 17, 1897, page 9

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By January 1897, a total of 25,462 officers and men had arrived from Spain. Governor Polavieja had an available force of over 12,000 to suppress the rebels in Luzon island, where the insurrection was most active.



His plan for 1897 had two phases: first, "pacify" the zones separated from Cavite, and then to make an offensive campaign against that province. Accordingly, the month of January saw the fully-loaded Spanish forces successfully attacking the scantily-armed rebels in the provinces of Bulacan, *****g, Bataan, Zambales, Laguna and Batangas. By January 22, Spanish field commanders reported that no rebel force could be found in all Batangas, and the same was reported from Bataan and Zambales.

Spanish map pf the Cavite war front, 1896-1897

On Feb. 13, 1897, Governor Polavieja opened his Cavite campaign and threw 9,277 troops in a full offensive against Aguinaldo. They were led by General Jose Lachambre, Deputy Commander of the Spanish forces.

The important towns of Silang, Dasmarinas, Imus and Bacoor fell in quick succession.

General Jose Lachambre

By the middle of March 1897, General Lachambre (TOP) had dispersed almost every rebel contingent of any importance in the province.

Brig. Gen. Jose Marina Vega (last name is "Marina"), Commanding Officer of the Second Brigade, Division of Laguna, Batangas and Tayabas, Spanish Army; the division commander was General Jose Lachambre. Despite the unit's nomenclature, its main area of operations was Cavite Province. Photo was taken at a Manila studio in 1897.

Captured family members of a Filipino insurrecto. Photo was taken in 1897 at Imus, Cavite Province.

1896 or 1897: Spanish soldiers with captured Filipino insurrectos

Spanish battery of two breechloading guns firing at the Filipinos at Zapote river bridge.

Spanish battery pounds Filipino positions in Cavite Province

Interior of Spanish entrenchment at Dalahican, Noveleta, Cavite Province.

Spanish entrenchment at Dalahican, Noveleta, Cavite Province.

Spanish army redoubt at Noveleta, Cavite Province.

Spanish army officers and men in the Philippines

Spanish troops at mass, 1897

Spanish soldiers at prayer in Dalahican, Noveleta, Cavite Province.

Spanish soldiers at prayer, circa 1897

Spanish battery of two 13-cm Whitworth cannons at Porta Vaga, Cavite Nuevo (now Cavite City).

Spanish guard at the main entrance to Cavite Nuevo (now Cavite City).

The cuartel (barracks) of the Guardia Civil at Noveleta, Cavite Province. Photo was taken in 1897.

Spaniards bombard Filipino positions at Noveleta Bridge, Cavite Province.

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Spaniards discharge their mortar at the Filipinos in Noveleta, Cavite

Spanish cavalry in the Philippines: In October 1897, two months before the truce of Biyak-na-Bato, there were two Spanish cavalry units in the country; the Regimiento de Caballeria de Filipinas numero 31 (31 officers, 161 Spanish troopers, 453 Filipino troopers), and the Escuadron de Lanceros Expedicionario numero 1 (11 officers, 162 Spanish troopers).

Spanish cavalry in the Philippines: A portion of the Escuadron de Lanceros Expedicionario. Photo was probably taken in 1897 at Cavite Province

Spanish cavalryman in the Philippines

1897: Spanish soldiers in Silang, Cavite Province

Spanish army officers in Bacoor, Cavite Province. Photo probably taken in 1897

Feb. 25, 1897: Spanish firing squads execute mutinuous Filipino customs guards and others at the Luneta, Manila.

On March 22, 1897, rebel delegates met at Barrio Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias), Cavite, to plot the defense of the beleaguered province. But once the convention opened, the agenda changed: Bonifacio was voted out as rebel chief, Aguinaldo took his place, and the revolutionary organization underwent a total makeover.

On April 15, 1897, Governor-General Polavieja resigned owing to bad health.

Fernando Primo de Rivera

On April 23, 1897, he was replaced by Fernando Primo de Rivera (TOP, in 1897).

Meanwhile, Andres Bonifacio's subsequent actions following his ouster led to his execution by Aguinaldo on May 10, 1897.

A few days after Bonifacio's death, Aguinaldo and his men, sorely lacking weapons and ammunition, abandoned Cavite to avoid total destruction by massive Spanish offensives. The intact rebel army moved to Talisay, Batangas Province, with the Spaniards in hot pursuit.

The Spanish forces surrounded Talisay in the hope of capturing Aguinaldo, but he slipped through the cordon on June 10 and proceeded with 500 handpicked men to the hills of *****g Province (now Rizal). He crossed the Pasig River to Malapad-na-Bato, near Guadalupe, passed through San Juan del Monte and Montalban, and on to Mount Puray.

Biyak-na-Bato: The Filipino rebels' new base of operations. Photo taken in late 1897

After a short rest, Aguinaldo and his men proceeded to Biyak-na-Bato, San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan Province, where he established his headquarters.

The Times, Washington, D.C., June 20, 1897 Page 1

He joined forces with General Mariano Llanera. The Filipinos' new base of operations was located in the heavily-forested foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range.

Spanish troops skirmishing with Filipinos in the bamboo

From Biyak-na-Bato, Aguinaldo harassed the Spanish soldiers garrisoned in the Central Luzon Provinces.

Aguinaldo (central figure) in front of the mouth of a cave in Biyak-na-Bato

Filipino revolutionaries at their encampment in Biyak-na-Bato. Photo taken in late 1897.

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The Filipino rebels also established what is now known as the Biyak-na-Bato Republic.

The provisional constitution of this Republic was prepared by Felix Ferrer and Isabelo Artacho, who copied, almost word for word, the Cuban constitution of Jimaguayu. The Biyak-na-bato Constitution was signed on Nov. 1, 1897. Its preamble states:

"The separation of the Philippines from the Spanish monarchy and their formation into an independent state with its own government called the Philippine Republic has been the end sought by the Revolution in the existing war, begun on the 24th of August, 1896; and , therefore, in its name and by the power delegated by the Filipino people, inter- preting faithfully their desires and ambitions, we the representatives of the Revolution, in a meeting at Biac-na-bato, November 1, 1897, unanimously adopted the following articles for the constitution of the State."

Governor Rivera was frustrated by his failure to crush the Filipino revolutionaries. The Madrid government had already sent over 50,000 cazadores to the Philippines together with several artillery, cavalry, engineer and supporting units, way above the 20,000 troops that the Colonial government had originally estimated it needed to crush the uprising.

Rivera asked for more troops but the home government declined; massive commitment in the Cuban revolution had already tied down more than 150,000 soldiers. Reluctantly, he agreed to negotiate for a truce and perhaps even a settlement of the conflict with the Philippine Independence movement.

The colonial government and the Filipinos knew that to continue hostilities meant an inconclusive war of attrition. The standoff in the battlefield prompted both sides to explore the prospects of an armistice. A mestizo lawyer, Pedro Paterno, volunteered to act as mediator between the two sides. For four months, he traveled between Manila and Biyak-na-Bato.

December 1897: Seated. L to R, Pedro Paterno, mediator of the Pact of Biyak-na-Bato, and General Emilio Aguinaldo. Standing, L to R, rebel leaders Isabelo Artacho, Baldomero Aguinaldo, Severino de las Alas, Antonio Montenegro and Vito Belarmino. (Paterno became one of the founders, and Montenegro a founding member, of the pro-American Partido Federal when it was organized on Dec. 23, 1900.)

On Dec. 14, 1897, the Pact of Biyak-na-Bato officially halted hostilities.

New-York Tribune, Dec. 17, 1897, Page 1

The Pact ordered Aguinaldo and other major revolutionaries to be exiled and live peacefully in Hong Kong, where they would be paid $800,000 in Spanish-Mexican currency (read as "pesos"; the symbol used for the peso was "$", basically the same as for the US dollar). Spain would grant an "ample and general amnesty" to the remaining revolutionaries pending they forfeit their arms.

The Pact alluded to "the desire of the Filipino people for reforms", like the suppression and eventual expulsion of the tyrannical and oppressive Friars, secularization of the religious orders, and establishment of an autonomous political and administrative government. [By special request of Governor-General Rivera, these specific conditions were not put down in writing, owing to his assertion that otherwise the Treaty would be in too humiliating a form for the Spanish Government, while on the other hand he guaran- teed on his word as gentleman and officer the fulfillment of the same].

In conclusion, $900,000 was to be paid to the citizens of the Philippines, who suffered greatly from the effects of the war.

Dec. 27, 1897: Emilio Aguinaldo and 36 other Filipino rebel leaders arrive in Dagupan, Pangasinan Province, in a railcar. From left: Gregorio del Pilar, Wenceslao Viniegra, Emilio Aguinaldo and Vito Belarmino. At extreme right is Pedro Paterno, who mediated the Pact of Biyak-na-Bato. From Dagupan, the exiles proceeded to the port of Sual, Pangasinan, where they boarded the merchant steamer SS Uranus; bound for HongKong

Dec. 27, 1897. Emilio Aguinaldo and the other exiles boarding launches at the Port of Sual that took them to the steamer SS Uranus; they reached Hongkong on Dec. 31, 1897.

The Pact, however, was an empty promise for both parties; they were only biding time until they could launch another offensive. Spain had no intention to fully pay up or grant reforms. Comparatively, Aguinaldo planned to use the money to buy arms and ammu- nition and revivify the revolt. Thereafter, Spain actually delivered a mere $600,000 out of the $1,700,000 promised. Filipino prisoners were released on amnesty then rearres-ted on fabricated charges; more than two hundred men were executed. On the other hand, the arms turned in by the rebels consisted of old or broken rifles and pistols, and guns made of bamboo and wrapped in metal.

Two months later, on Feb. 14, 1898, the exiles effectively repudiated the truce when they undertook to buy arms in Shanghai and Hong Kong to resume the revolution. It had become clear that, as expected, the Spanish authorities would not abide by the terms of the Treaty. [Aguinaldo had also received a letter from Lt. Col. Miguel Primo de Rivera, nephew and private secretary of Governor Rivera, informing him that neither he nor his companions could ever return to Manila].

Then fate intervened on the other side of the globe.

The USS Maine

On Feb. 15, 1898, at 9:30 p.m., a mysterious explosion sank the American battleship USS Maine in Havana Harbor, killing 264 men.



With no proof, purveyors of the "Yellow Press" accused the Spanish of blowing up the ship (although Spain had no motive for doing so). "Remember the Maine" became a call to arms for Americans.

On April 25, 1898, the U.S. Congress voted for war against Spain.

President William Mckinley (LEFT) and his war cabinet, 1898.

President William McKinley’s War Room, upstairs at the White House, 1898. Benjamin F. Montgomery, left, mans the telegraph desk. Today this is the Lincoln Sitting Room.

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Battle of Manila Bay


May 1, 1898: Dewey destroys Spanish fleet at Manila Bay

The USS Olympia at Hong Kong Harbor. Commodore George Dewey had his ships' brilliant peacetime white and buff schemes over-painted to war gray; this made them less conspicuous in battle. PHOTO was taken in April 1898.

On April 22, 1898, the US Asiatic Fleet commanded by Commodore George Dewey was riding at anchor in the British port of Hong Kong. Navy Secretary John Davis Long (BOTTOM) cabled the commodore that the United States had begun a blockade of Cuban ports, but that war had not yet been officially announced.

Navy Secretary John Davis Long

Commodore George Dewey

On April 25, Dewey (RIGHT) was notified that war had begun and received his sailing orders from Secretary Long : "War has commenced between the United States and Spain. Proceed at once to Philippine Islands. Commence operations at once, particularly against the Spanish fleet. You must capture vessels or destroy. Use utmost endeavors."



On that day, due to British neutrality regulations, the American squadron was ordered to leave Hong Kong (ABOVE, in 189. While Dewey's ships steamed out from the British port, military bands on English vessels played "The Star-Spangled Banner," and their crews cheered the American sailors.

The USS Petrel at Hong Kong, prior to getting swathed in wartime gray, April 15, 1898

Commodore Dewey violated China's neutrality and anchored his fleet about 30 miles (50 km) down the Chinese coast, at Mirs Bay, and waited for further instructions. The squadron consisted of 1,744 officers and men, and 9 vessels: the cruisers Olympia, Baltimore, Raleigh and Boston, the gunboats Concord and Petrel, the revenue cutter McCulloch, and the transport ships Zafiro and Nanshan.

The USS Concord at Hong Kong wearing wartime gray paint, 1898.

The Chinese did not bother to protest, and for two days the crews drilled with torpedoes and quick-fire guns, and aimed their eight-inchers at cliffside targets on Kowloon Peninsula.

The Atlanta Constitution, issue of April 27, 1898.

At 2:00 p.m. on April 27, the American squadron raised anchor and left Mirs Bay for the 628-mile run to the Philippines (1,162 km). The Olympia's band blared "El Capitan" and the men shouted, "Remember the Maine!"



The British colony of Hong Kong is located in the upper left corner of this 1899 US army map

Battle of Manila Bay