Americans occupy Manila: August 13, 1898

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Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

Title: Americans occupy Manila: August 13, 1898
Language: English
Source: The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume 9 (No. 8) August 1929
Year: 1929
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Fulltext: THE AMERICAN UtlAlVltiPK up uuivuvir^ujz juuKrt/iL rtUgUSL; X^4, Americans Occupy Manila: August 13, 1898 From “Leroy” Commemorating the American Occupation of Manila, August 13, 1898, we published Leroy’s authoritative account of the event. The reader will find other material in this issue on the same subject. It will all serve to refresh the memory of oldtimers and to inform the younger reader—for auld lan£ syne.—Ed. The American troops had been organized by an order of General Merritt on August 1 into the Second Division of the Eighth Army Corps, under command of General Anderson, composed of two brigades under command respectively of generals MacArthur and Greene. The navy was all ready for the attack on August 9; but, besides the pending negotiations with the Spanish authorities, delay seems to have been caused by General Merritt’s request that the attack be made on Saturday, August 13, when the tide in the estuaries between the American forces and the Spanish trenches and Fort Antonio de Abad would be most favorable for fording. Mean while, the ground was thoroughly reconnoitered by various daring American officers and privates. On August 12, General Anderson prepared the formal plan of attack for the 8500 troops who were in position in the two brigades south of Manila. Merritt himself did not come on shore, but kept his headquarters on the navy transport Zafiro, from which he could watch the operations and move promptly into the city when the time should come. His instructions to his forces on shore were sent over on the night before the attack, in the form of a memorandum for general officers in camp regarding the possible action of Saturday, August 13, and the next morning his adjutant landed with precise instructions as to the posting of troops in the various parts of the city after it was entered. * * * The morning of August 13 was misty and cloudy, hampering signal communication between the vessels and the shore. At nine o’clock the Olympia led most of the fleet into position off the fort below Malate. The Monterey, however, steamed in as close as the shallow water would permit in front of the walled city, and trained her guns on the Luneta battery; while the Con cord took position off the mouth of the Pasig, ready to open on the battery there or to meet any movement to escape on the part of the vessels in the river. The Olympia opened fire on Fort Antonio at half past nine, followed by the Raleigh and Petrel and the little captured gunboat Callao. The navy fire, which continued, more or less spasmodically during an hour, did no great damage to the Spanish fort or other works, and probably was not meant to do so. The guns of the Utah artillery, firing from a thousand yards on land, raked the parapet of the crumb ling old fort, and finally a shell from one of the vessels exploded its magazine; but this was all wasted ammunition, for the fort never fired in return, and was abandoned almost at the first shot, in accordance with the plans which General Tejeiro had secretly promulgated for a retreat. * * * Various circumstances combined to interfere with this programme of outward show: among them, the withdrawal of the Spanish right more rapidly than had been expected, under the Utah artillery fire and the advance of. the Colorado infantry; the raising of the red (sic) flag on the fort somewhat earlier, therefore, than the troops farther inland were expecting it, while they had become occupied also quite vigorously with MacArthur’s brigade in front of Singalong and with the insurgents at Santa Ana; the fact also that the Spanish plans of retreaj had been confided to but a few of the general officers, and one or two of them were incensed and quite ready to take some comfort out of shortlived resistance to the Americans. Acting under his modified instructions, General Greene had started the Colorado volunteers forward upon the Spanish position about three quarters of an hour after the bombardment began, and the navy was then signaled to cease firing. The Colorado troops went gayly to the attack, rapidly fording the estuary, rushing into the old IN RESPONDING fort from behind, raising the American flag over it, and then starting to follow up the Span iards who were withdrawing into Malate. Op position, . however, had developed from the Spanish trenches on the right and bullets also came from the Spaniards who had retreated into Malate; one man was killed while raising a flag over a house, and several were wounded. But the Eighteenth Infantry and Third Artillery had been ordered forward against the * trenches Cavite’s Main Street: Calle Trece Mártires Atlantic Gulf and Pacific Co. OF MANILA ENGINEERS MANUFACTURERS CONTRACTORS 71-77 Muelle de la Industria MANILA, P. I. TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL on the right near the beach, and their occupants were speedily in full retreat. At the same time, General MacArthur’s brigade farther eastward had begun its advance, the Astor and one of the Utah batteries dragging their guns along by hand, after they had driven the Spaniards out of the blockhouses on that part of the line. The resistance to Greene’s brigade, such as there was, was all over. The troops held in reserve came along up the beach; the Nebraskans marched in toward the walled city on the sand the gunboat Callao guarding them; the Cali fornia and Colorado troops were reformed in the streets of Malate and, together with the Eigh teenth Infantry, proceeded slowly through that suburb and Ermita, toward the open space between the latter and the walled town; while along the two parallel streets of the suburbs the Third Artillery battery and the Tenth Pennsyl vania followed them. A battalion of the Eigh teenth Regulars elicited some spirited firing for a few moments from the Spanish troops; there 11 was also some stray shooting from the houses, and Mauser bullets were heard at intervals coming from the right, where the insurgents were pressing into the city, around the right of Mac Arthur’s troops; these circumstances made the advance through the suburbs somewhat slow. General Greene himself had ridden for ward and came out into the open space in front of the Luneta at one o’clock, to see the white flag flying conspicuously on the southwest angle of the city walls, where it had been displayed since eleven o’clock,—the hour at which the American soldiers had entered the fort at Malate, —and perhaps longer. Admiral Dewey had at that hour signaled the city, Do you surrender? and the reply in the international code had been a request for conference. The personal rep resentatives of the American chiefs in com mand, Flag-Lieutenant Brumby and Colonel Whittier, had at once gone ashore, and were in conference with the Spanish authorities inside the walls when Greene’s troops arrived outside these old fortifications and faced the Spanish soldiers who lined their top and other Spanish troops who were retreating confusedly from the southeastward, each side uncertain as to what should be its attitude toward the other. When the Spanish troops in the suburb of Santa Ana initiated their rather premature retreat, they were pressed closely by the in surgents, and one or two small detachments with officers were captured. This force of insurgents was now pushing on toward the walled city, and up the Pako road toward the walls there came also a large force of Filipinos who had moved with no resistance around MacArthur’s right. Shots between them and the troops on the walls and those retreating to the gates were being exchanged, and, as the American reg iments came out into the open space stretching back from the bay, they also joined in. Several men of the California regiment, which, under General Smith, was endeavoring to block the Pako road to the insurgents were hit. Most of all, there was danger of a promiscuous engage ment, in the then bewildered state of mind of the various troops and their commanders. * * * The Spanish officers were as eager to prevent this indiscriminate firing as were the Americans, and communicated to General Greene from the walls that negotiations for the capitulation were going on at headquarters. He thereupon went inside, improving the opportunity to commu nicate with General Merritt, through Colonel Whittier, the condition of the forces on land. The Spaniards offered no great objections to the general conditions of the capitulation as pro posed by the Americans, although the specific terms were not agreed upon until the following THE YOKOHAMA SPECIE BANK . LTD. 1 -• (ESTABLISHED 1880) HEAD OFFICE: YOKOHAMA, JAPAN Yen Capital (Paid Up) - - - - 100,000,000.00 Reserve Fund - 105,500,000.00 Undivided Profits . . . - 9,346,622.43 MANILA BRANCH 600 DASMARINAS, MANILA K. YABUKI Manager PHONE 2-37-59—MANAGER PHONE 1 2-37-58—Export, Current Account, Cashier I 2-37-55—Import, Accountant day. Meanwhile, their consent to surrender caused the Oregon troops, who were awaiting on small transports at Cavite, to be sent for, that they might enter and police the walled city. It was General Greene’s prescribed duty to march his troops across the river and distribute them as guards in the business and residence sections north of the Pasig. * * * General MacArthur’s troops had been as signed to occupy all suburbs of the city south of the Pasig. But, as has been seen, they had met some resistance, through the failure of the plans for a united withdrawal of the Spanish outer line, and perhaps also through a desire of the Spanish officers facing them to have the sat isfaction of a fight. The terrain in which this Sta. Lucia Gate, Manila brigade had to operate was much more difficult than that nearer the bay, while the unwillingness of Merritt to ask for more insurgent trenches or to extend the line farther inland had made it impossible to prepare as well as might have been done for an attack. The firing of insurgents on their right, where they had massed in numbers for several days, brought MacArthur’s men under the Spanish fire early in the morning held their places, however, until the ;king had compelled the abandonment of the blockhouses in front and the American Flag gone up on Fort San Antonio. In the thicks near Singalong, they met vigorous resistance to their advance from intrenched troops who were under cover. General Anderson authorized them to move around to the left and follow Greene’s men into the city but they were too heavily engaged. An advance party of Min nesota volunteers and of Astor Battery men, with no arms but revolvers, charged the Spanish position against considerable odds; the main body of the Twenty-third Infantry and Min nesota volunteers supported them, and the resistance was soon over. The brigade moved on cautiously, however, through the uncertain territory, and it was 1:30 before it was discovered that all the Spaniards had withdrawn from the front—some time before, in fact. These forces then pushed on to occupy the districts assigned to them, and thus made contact with the troops which Greene had sent to keep the insurgents out on the southeast. The latter had, however, fully established themselves in some of the southern districts of the city, and were helping themselves to the Spanish military barracks. The Oregon troops were policing the walled city and had begun to receive the surrender of arms from the Spanish soldiers who had retreated thither, and also to occupy their military quar ters, before the bases of the capitulation were finally agreed upon, late in the afternoon, upon the arrival of General Merritt at the new head quarters. It was only after the announcement of its terms that the Spanish flag was hauled down from over Fort Santiago, in the corner of the walled town, and the American flag went up in its place, at 5:30p. m. Even then, the capit ulation was not put into formal shape until the following day. The Spaniards were conceded a surrender with the honors of war (which was in agreement with their previous stipulation and with the hypothesis that this was a surrender rather than a capture); but there were some difficulties about minor points, particularly as to the return of the arms of the troops, to which the Americans finally consented, in case either party should afterward evacuate the city. The most important difficulty lay in their desire to interpose a preamble, much in the form of the preliminaries to a formal treaty, prescribing especially conditions as to the public and private property of the city. The Americans insisted that all public property and public funds should be surrendered to them, pending peace nego tiations, and closed the articles of the capitula tion as adopted with this declaration (on the lines of those governing General Scott’s oc cupancy of Mexico City): This city, its inhab itants, its churches and religious worship, its educational establishments, and its private property of all descriptions are placed under the special safeguard of the faith and honor the American army.” All the Spanish troops defending the city did not surrender until the afternoon of Sunday, August 14. That morning word was sent out to the com manders of the outer Spanish line running from the river near Santa Mesa northwest to the bay * * * to come in and lay down their arms, and the American line was pushed out to cover practically the ground which Ithey had held. The Spaniards stated that they wou d surrender over 13,000 troops, and they did eventually turn over about that many Mauser and Remington rifles; but most of their native os had been lost by desertion, and there were fewer than 9,000 soldiers under arms in the city, including two practically complete regiments of native troops. Nearly $900,000 (value in Mexican silver) were captured, P750,000 being in the public treasury and the rest in the custom-house and other dependencies of the administration. The Americans had taken possession, on the after noon of the 13th, of the captain-of-the-port’s office, this over the protest of the Spanish of ficerincharge, who, in spite of the overwhelming military force surrounding him, declared that he dared not surrender the office unless given a written statement that he had yielded only to {Please turn to page 25 col. 3) IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL nugiT im \A2ttZL.XJVA2V" UH711HSEK UP ^UlVllVLE.IV^IL JUUKHAL ns of the Roman Catholic Church GIBBON—(Continued from. July) x he chaste severity of the fathers, in whatever related to the commerce of the two sexes, flowed from the same principle; their abhorrence of every enjoyment which might gratify the sensual, and degrade the spiritual nature of man. It was their favorite opinion, that if Adam had preserved his obedience to the Creator, he would have lived forever in a state of virgin purity, and that some harmless mode of vegetation might have peopled Paradise with a race of innocent and immortal beings. The use of marriage was permitted only to his fallen posterity, as a necessary expedient to continue the human species, and as a restraint, however imperfect, on the natural licentiousness of desire. The hesitation of the orthodox casuists on this interesting subject betrays the perplexity of men unwilling to approve an institution which they were compelled to tolerate. The enumeration of the very whimsical laws which they most circumstantially imposed on the marriage-bed would force a smile from the young and a blush from the fair. It was their unani mous sentiment that a first marriage was ade quate to all the purposes of nature and of society. The sensual connection was refined into a resem blance of the mystic union of Christ with his church, and was pronounced to be indissoluble either by divorce or by death. The practice of second nuptials was branded with the name of a legal adultery; and the persons who were guilty of so scandalous an offence against Christian purity were soon excluded from the honors, and even from the alms, of the church. Since desire was imputed as a crime, and marriage was tol erated as a defect, it was consistent with the same principles to consider a state of celibacy as the nearest approach to the divine perfection. It was with the utmost difficulty that ancient Rome could support the institution of six vestals; but the primitive church was filled with a number of persons of either sex, who had devoted them selves to the profession of perpetual chastity. A few of these, among whom we may reckon the learned Origen, judged it the most prudent to disari4 the tempter. Some were insensible and some were invincible against the assaults of the flesh. Disdaining an ignominious flight, the virgins of the warm climate of Africa encountered the enemy in the closest engagement; they per mitted priests and deacons to share their bed, and gloried amidst the flames in their unsullied purity. But insulted Nature sometimes vindi cated her rights, and this new species of martyr dom served only to introduce a new scandal into the church. Among the Christian ascetics, however (a name which they soon acquired from their painful exercise), many as they were less presumptuous, were probably more success ful. The loss of sensual pleasure was supplied and compensated by spiritual pride. Even the multitude of Pagans were inclined to estimate the merit of the sacrifice by its apparent difficulty; and it was in the praise of these chaste spouses of Christ that the fathers have poured forth the troubled stream of their eloquence. Such are the early traces of monastic principles and in stitutions, which, in a subsequent age, have counterbalanced all the temporal advantages of Christianity. The Christians were not less averse to the busi ness than to the pleasures of this world. The defence of our persons and property they knew not how to reconcile with the patient doctrine which enjoined an unlimited forgiveness of past injuries, and commanded them to invite the rep etition of fresh insults. Their simplicity was offended by the use of oaths, by the pomp of magistracy, and by the active contention of public life; nor could their humane ignorance be convinced that it was lawful on any occasion to shed the blood of our fellow-creatures, either by the sword of justice or by that of war, even though their criminal or hostile attempts should threaten the peace and safety of the whole com munity. It was acknowledged that, under a less perfect law, the powers of the Jewish con stitution had been exercised, with the approba tion of heaven, by inspired prophets and by anointed kings. The Christians felt and con fessed that such institutions might be necessary for the present system of the world, and they cheerfully submitted to the authority of their Pagan governors. But while they inculcated the maxims of passive obedience, they refused to take any active part in the civil administration or the military defence of the empire. Some indulgence might, perhaps, be allowed to those persons who, before their conversion, were al ready engaged in such violent and sanguinary occupations; but it was impossible that the Christians, without renouncing a more sacred duty, could assume the character of soldiers, of magistrates, or of princes. This indolent or even criminal disregard to the public welfare exposed them to the contempt and reproaches of the Pagans, who very frequently asked, what must be the fate of the empire, attacked on every side by the Barbarians, if all mapkind should You’ve possibly wondered, right up to now, why Scotch men’s sticks are crooked. —Judge. But there’s one thing preem inently straight and fine about the Scotch— It’S ROBERTSON SCOTCH WHISKEY For Highballs! Of course, For cocktails the knowing Ma-1 nilan always relies on GORDON GIN Kuenzle and Streiff Importers Manila, P. I. zo adopt the pusillanimous sentiments of the new sect. To this insulting question the Christian apologists returned obscure and ambiguous answers, as they were unwilling to reveal the secret cause of their security; the expectation that, before the conversation of mankind was accomplished, war, government, the Roman empire, and the world itself, would be no more It may be observed that, in this instance likewise, the situation of the first Christians coincided very happily with their religious scruples, and that their aversion to an active life contributed rather to excuse them from the service, than to exclude them from the honors, of the state and army. (Continued in September) Americans Occupy Manila: August 13, 1898 (Continued from page 9) superior force, as otherwise he would subject himself to court-martial. The same process was gone through, only in more dramatic form, on the 19th, when the Americans took possession of the custom-house almost at the point of bayonets; and similar formalities, though less of theatric display, were connected with the transfer of control over the treasury, the mint, and in ternal revenue office. There was naturally delay in assuming charge of the affairs of civil administration, as the first days were occupied with the posting of the troops and the military and the provost organization necessary to control the situation and police the city. For a few days, the so-called Veteran Civil Guard (native soldiers organized to serve as police in the city of Manila) remained in their places under their Spanish officers, but this was impracticable for various reasons, not the least being the bitter hostility of the native population to this or ganization, which was only too justly accused of past abuses. * * * The conception which the Spaniards generally had held of the Americans, as being no respecters of persons, property, or religion, may be seen from the astonishment which they expressed at the literal fulfillment of the clause of the capit ulation relating to the churches and other prop erty pertaining to the Catholic worship. As for the foreigners resident in Manila, * * * they have never failed to render tribute to the effective way in which they brought about and kept order in the city, with comparatively few instances of disregard of private property. Both Merritt and Dewey had dispatched cablegrams to Hongkong, for tramsmission thence to Washington, as soon as the city fell. These messages did not reach Washington until the morning of August 18. But Washington had meanwhile received word of the arrival at Hongkong on August 15 of the Kaiserin Agusta, a German battleship, bearing there ex-GovernorG eneral Augustin and news of the capture of Manila, this vessel having taken the Spanish general on board and started for Hongkong just before the flag was changed over the city. The peace protocol had been signed on behalf of Spain by Ambassador Cambon of France at about 4.15 p. m. on August 12 in Washington, or at the same time that the American troops were drawn up in their trenches, all ready for the attack, on the dawn of the 13th at Manila. The orders to suspend hostilities, cabled from Washington on the 12th, together with the text of the protocol, which provided for the occupation by the forces of the United States of the city, bay, and harbor of Manila, pending the negotiation of a definitive treaty, did not reach Dewey and Merritt, through Hongkong, until August 16. The Spanish governor-general at once sought to have the terms of the capitula tion nullified and the American occupation of the city based upon the protocol; but the Amer ican official attitude at Manila, as also later at Paris in negotiating the treaty of peace, was that Manila was captured, and was not sur rendered in consequence of the protocol. (Please turn to page 29) IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL inc, ^n/iiviDZK ur VsUMLVLEJXAUE J UU KN AL 29 H. M. Cavender, general agent, The Robert Dollar Co., Manila, was a recent visitor to Hong kong in the interests of his company, having left Manila on the S. S. President Pierce June 28 and returned aboard the S.S. President Taft July 8. Robert Woodfine, connected with the operat ing department of The Robert Dollar Co., Ma nila, underwent an operation at St. Paul’s July 2. Mr. Woodfine’s recovery was rapid and we are glad to see him about again. Leonard Yates, Far Eastern representative of the Prince Line, with headquarters in Hong kong, was a visitor to Manila in July, having arrived aboard the S.S. Machaon July 10 and returned to Hongkong aboard the S.S. President Taft July 12. O. D. Martinez, oriental operating manager for The Robert Dollar Co., with headquarters at Shanghai, arrived in Manila July 2 aboard the S.S. President Harrison and returned to Shang hai July 6 aboard the S.S. President Jackson. Mr. Martinez was on a business trip in the inter ests of his company. Walter Sokall, formerly connected with The Robert Dollar Co., Hongkong, accompanied by Mrs. Sokall, passed through Manila July 16 aboard the S.S. President Johnson enroute to Naples, Italy, where Mr. Sokall will take up duties as general agent for the company. S. G. King, formerly connected writh the Chicago office of the Dollar Steamship Line, accompanied by Mrs. King, arrived in Manila July 4 aboard the S.S. President Jackson to take up duties in the passenger department of The Robert Dollar Co. Ole May, assistant passenger agent, The Robert Dollar Co., was married to Miss Phoebe Davis of Los Angeles on July 15. Mrs. May arrived in Manila aboard the S.S. President McKinley July 15. E. W. Latie, accompanied by wife and son, arrived in Manila July 25 aboard the S.S. Em press of France to take over the office of the States Steamship Co., as general agent, reliev ing Hecter Hunt, who is leaving Manila on the S.S. Empress of Russia for the United States. L. Everett, president of the firm which bears his name, accompanied by his family, sailed for Shanghai July 26 aboard the S.S. President Jefferson. F. A. Vezina, formerly passenger agent, Cana dian Pacific, Manila, left Manila aboard the S.S. Empress of Asia July 5 for Montreal on a six months’ furlough. Mr. Vezina has been relieved by G. R. Razavet, formerly in the passenger office of the Canadian Pacific, Hongkong. J. M. W. Munro, formerly acting manager of the shipping department of W. F. Stevenson Co., Manila, during the absence of F. M. Chalmers on furlough, is now in charge of the Iloilo office of that firm during the absence of H. Thompson, on furlough. Americans Occupy Manila: August 13, 1898 {Continued from page 25) By the operations of the United States Signal Corps, cable communication between Manila and Hongkong was restored late on the night of August 20, and the first message that it bore direct from Washington was one of congratula tions from President McKinley. On the 26th, General Merritt was instructed to turn over the command to General Elwell S. Otis, who had arrived on August 21, at the head of the Fourth expedition, comprising nearly 5,000 troops on four transports, and himself to proceed to Paris, after consulting fully with Admiral Dewey, in order to present his information and views and those of the admiral to the Peace Commission there. Understanding Our Age {Continued from page 2Jf) we may use it at all times to the best advantage and in order that we may dedicate it to the task of exalting human endeavor. Evil has always existed, and will continue to exist, side by side with good, in order to stimulate our diligence and eternal vigilance in making the world better fitted for habitation by intelligent and gregarious individuals, destined to live within the pale of peace and love and not as voracious beasts in the wilderness. I hope that our colleges will understand fully their mission and will seek to train their students not merely to be professional and technical men, but something better—men of broad culture and open mentality, men of their age who understand that the world is in constant rotation and that their country cannot remain beyond its in fluence; that everybody has the obligation of contributing something to human achievement, in order to make the world a little better than when they came into it. The fountains of life and knowledge are inexhaustible, to the end that humanity may drink in abundance and slake its persistent thirst for boundless and infinite advancement. The annual report of ex-Governor Stimson was published in full in the Manila Daily Bulletin of Thursday, August 8. It is. for the year Stimson was here, 1928, and reiterates that the land laws must stand as they are, that Manila is a place of intransigent sentiment, etc., some of which is rather interesting reading. Coming at a time when the Journal was being made ready for the press, no more notice than this pageclose can here be taken of it. Maybe space will be available next month. 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