Battle of Manila (1898) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Manila
Part of the Philippine Revolution and Spanish–American War
"Raising the American flag over Fort Santiago, Manila, on the evening of August 13, 1898." drawing from Harper's Pictorial History of the War with Spain.
Date 13 August 1898 Location Manila, Philippines Result American victory Spanish forces surrender the city to the Americans End of the Spanish–American War in the Philippines
Belligerents
United States Filipino Revolutionaries	Spanish Empire Philippines
Commanders and leaders
Wesley Merritt Arthur MacArthur Jr. George Dewey Emilio Aguinaldo Antonio Luna	Fermin Jáudenes Basilio Augustín
Strength
10,700 40,000	13,000
Casualties and losses
19 killed, 103 wounded	49 killed, 1 fort

The Battle of Manila (also called the Mock Battle of Manila) happened on August 13, 1898. It was a land battle in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. This battle marked the end of the Spanish–American War in the Philippines.

The main groups fighting were Spanish forces, led by Governor-General Fermín Jáudenes, and American forces, led by General Wesley Merritt and Commodore George Dewey. Filipino revolutionaries, led by Emilio Aguinaldo, also supported the American side.

It's called the "Mock Battle" because the Spanish and American commanders secretly agreed on how the battle would go. Their plan was to transfer control of Manila from Spain to the United States. They also wanted to keep the Filipino revolutionary army from entering the city center. This battle left American forces in charge of Intramuros, the walled city center of Manila. Filipino forces surrounded the city, which later led to the Philippine–American War.

What Led to the Battle

After the American navy won the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, the U.S. Navy, led by Admiral George Dewey, blocked off Manila. They waited for American ground troops to arrive. The United States put together a large group of soldiers called the Philippine Expeditionary Force. This force was led by General Wesley Merritt.

On May 16, the first group of American soldiers left San Francisco. General Merritt asked for information about how strong the Spanish forces were in the Philippines. He learned that Spain had about 40,000 troops, with about 15,000 of them in Manila.

By June, American and Filipino forces had taken control of most of the islands. The only part still under Spanish control was Intramuros, the old walled city of Manila. The first American troops arrived in the Philippines on June 30. By this time, about 12,000 U.S. soldiers had landed. Also, about 40,000 Filipino revolutionaries, led by General Antonio Luna, had dug many miles of trenches around Manila. They even cut off the city's water supply.

Secret Talks for Surrender

Filipino leader Emilio Aguinaldo offered surrender terms to the Spanish Governor-General Basilio Augustín. Augustín first refused, hoping more Spanish troops would come to help. But as American and Filipino forces got closer, Augustín realized he couldn't win. He secretly tried to negotiate with Aguinaldo, even offering money. However, Aguinaldo refused.

When the Spanish government found out Augustín was trying to surrender to the Filipinos, they were very angry. They removed him from his job on July 24. Fermin Jáudenes became the new Governor-General.

Life inside Intramuros became very difficult. The city was crowded, and people were suffering. Governor Jáudenes knew the city would fall soon. He was worried about what might happen if the city fell to the Filipino revolutionaries, fearing revenge and looting. So, he secretly suggested to Admiral Dewey that the city surrender to the Americans after a short, fake battle.

Dewey first said no because he didn't have enough soldiers to stop the Filipino forces from entering the city. But when General Merritt's troops arrived, Dewey agreed to the "mock battle."

Planning the "Mock Battle"

General Merritt wanted to take the city quickly. But Admiral Dewey waited, trying to arrange a surrender without much fighting. On August 4, Dewey and Merritt gave Jáudenes 48 hours to surrender. They later extended this deadline.

Secret talks continued, and the details of the mock battle were planned on August 10. The plan was simple:

• Dewey would start firing his ships at 9:00 AM on August 13.
• He would only target Fort San Antonio Abad (a weak fort outside Manila) and the strong walls of Intramuros.
• At the same time, Spanish forces would pretend to retreat.
• Filipino revolutionaries would be kept out of the city.
• U.S. forces would advance.
• After a short show of fighting, Dewey would raise a signal flag.
• The Spanish would then raise a white flag to surrender Manila to the U.S. forces.

This plan meant that American forces would defeat the Spanish, and Filipino forces would not be allowed into the city. This would save lives and prevent the Spanish from having to surrender to the Filipinos, which they found shameful.

The Battle Itself

On the evening of August 12, General Merritt ordered General Anderson to tell Aguinaldo not to let his troops enter Manila. The message said, "Do not let your troops enter Manila without the permission of the American commander."

On August 13, the American commanders didn't know that Spain and the U.S. had already signed a peace agreement the day before. So, Dewey began his bombardment as planned. Dewey told his ship captains not to cause serious damage to Manila. However, gunners on one ship, not knowing about the secret plan, hit the city several times before their captain stopped them.

General Greene's American soldiers quickly moved through Malate, Manila and took control of Binondo and San Miguel, Manila. They used new weapons like the M1897 Trench Gun, which was good for close fighting. General Arthur MacArthur Jr. also advanced, overcoming some resistance. This put Manila in American hands, except for Intramuros.

Soon after entering Malate, U.S. troops saw a white flag on the walls of Intramuros. American officers went ashore to talk with Governor-General Jáudenes. General Merritt then met with Jáudenes and they quickly agreed on the surrender terms.

Filipino Involvement

Filipino revolutionaries also attacked, as they had planned. This quickly caused problems with the Americans. At 8:00 AM that morning, Aguinaldo received a telegram from General Anderson. It warned him not to let his troops enter Manila without American permission.

However, General Anderson's request was ignored. Aguinaldo's forces pushed forward alongside the American forces. They directly faced the Spanish troops. Even though the Spanish were waving a truce flag, the Filipino soldiers fired at them. This made the Spanish fire back.

Even though a bloodless "mock battle" was planned, some fighting did happen. Spanish troops opened fire in a small skirmish. This resulted in 19 American soldiers killed and 103 wounded. 49 Spanish soldiers also died. This happened because Filipino revolutionaries thought the battle was real and joined the advancing U.S. troops. Despite these unplanned casualties, the battle mostly went as planned: the Spanish surrendered the city to the Americans, and it did not fall to the Filipino revolutionaries.

After the Battle

General Anderson sent Aguinaldo a telegram later that day. It said:

Dated Ermita Headquarters 2nd Division 13 to Gen. Aguinaldo. Commanding Filipino Forces.--Manila, taken. Serious trouble threatened between our forces. Try and prevent it. Your troops should not force themselves in the city until we have received the full surrender then we will negotiate with you. -Anderson, commanding.

Aguinaldo, however, demanded that Filipino forces also occupy Manila. On August 13, Admiral Dewey and General Merritt asked their superiors in the U.S. how to handle this.

General Merritt learned about the peace agreement between Spain and the U.S. on August 16, three days after Manila surrendered. Admiral Dewey and General Merritt received a telegram on August 17. It stated that the U.S. President wanted:

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.

Reports came in that Filipino forces were taking things from parts of the city they occupied. They were not just targeting Spanish people but also their own people and foreigners. U.S. commanders pressured Aguinaldo to move his forces out of Manila.

Negotiations were slow. On September 8, General Elwell Stephen Otis (who was in charge while General Merritt was away) wrote a long letter to Aguinaldo. He told Aguinaldo that his armed forces must leave Manila and its surrounding areas. He warned that if they didn't leave by September 15, the U.S. would use force.

After more talks and letters, Aguinaldo wrote on September 16 that his armed groups had left the city and its suburbs.

For the most part, the fall of Manila ended the Spanish–American War in the Philippines. The American action of stopping Filipino forces from entering Manila made the Filipinos feel betrayed. They had seen the Americans as helpers against Spanish rule.

The war with Spain ended, but in February 1899, the Philippine–American War began. Tensions were very high between Aguinaldo's Filipino forces and the American soldiers. On February 4, a U.S. Army soldier fired the first shot at a Filipino revolutionary soldier. Filipino forces fired back. This started the Battle of Manila of 1899. Aguinaldo sent a message to General Otis, saying the fighting was against his orders. Otis replied, "The fighting, having begun, must go on to the grim end."

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Manila (1898) para niños