CHAPTER XIII. THE MANILA CAMPAIGN. BY MAJ-GEN, WESLEY MERRITT, U. S. A OMMODORE DEWEY'S matchless Naval victory over the Spanish fleet in the Bay of Manila, May 1, 1898, raised a difficult and unlooked-for problem in the prosecution of the war with Spain. In order to follow up the advantage gained, and to secure full control of the capital of the islands, it was necessary to send heavy reinforcements of troops at the very earliest possible date. It was estimated that a force of at least 20,000 men would be required for the capture of the city itself and its subsequent occupation. The task of organizing, arming and equipping so large a body of troops under pressure of such urgent necessity was simply enormous. San Francisco was selected as the rendezvous for the troops; and the first regiment of volunteers, the Second Oregon, arrived at this point May 13, 1898. On May 16, Major-General Wesley Merritt, United States Army, was placed in command of the Department of the Pacific, which department included all the military forces which participated in the Philippine operations. The first expedition to the Philippines, under command of Brigadier-General Thomas M. Anderson, United States Volunteers, consisting of the First California Infantry, the Second Oregon Infantry, part of the Fourteenth United States. Infantry, and a detachment of California Artillery-115 offi cers and 2,386 enlisted men-sailed May 25, arriving off Manila June 30. The second expedition, under the command of BrigadierGeneral F. V. Greene, United States Volunteers, sailed June 15, and consisted of the First Colorado, First Nebraska, Tenth Pennsylvania Infantry, four companies each of the Eighteenth and Twenty-third United States Infantry, twỏ batteries Utah Artillery and a detachment of United States Engineers a total of 158 officers and 3,428 enlisted menreaching their destination July 17. The third fleet of transports, in command of Brigadier-General Arthur MacArthur, United States Volunteers, put to sea June 27, carrying four companies of the Eighteenth and four companies of the Twenty-third United States Infantry, one company of United States Engineers, the First Idaho, First Wyoming, Thirteenth Minnesota, First North Dakota and detachments of the Hospital and Signal Corps. This fleet did not drop anchor in Manila Bay until July 31, six days after the arrival of the transport Newport, which sailed from San Francisco June 29, with General Merritt and his staff, four batteries of the Third United States Artillery and the Astor Battery (New York Volunteers). There was an aggregate in the three expeditions of 470 officers and 10,464 enlisted men, including those on the Newport, who participated in the operations before Manila. The fourth and subsequent expeditions did not arrive until after the fall of the city. The military situation in Manila Bay when General Merritt assumed command of the troops was as follows: Rear-Admiral Dewey's fleet of warships was anchored off Cavité, outside the line of military transports and supply vessels. He was in full control of the bay, and his vessels passed and repassed within range of the water batteries at Manila, without drawing the fire of the enemy. General Anderson commanded the military forces prior to General Merritt's arrival, with headquarters in Cavité, that town being occupied by the Second Oregon, detachments of California heavy artillery and two regiments of regular infantry. General Greene's brigade, comprising the troops of the second expedition, with the addition of the Third United States Artillery was encamped not far from Manila, along the line of the bay shore, and near the village of Paranaque, about five miles by water and twenty-five miles by the road from Cavité. The left or north flank of Greene's brigade camp extended to a point on the Calle Real, the only road out of Manila toward Cavité, one and a quarter miles from the outerine of the Spanish trenches of Manila. The Spanish line stretched eastward from old Fort San Antonio (the powder magazine), just south of the Malaté suburb, in more or less detached works, through swamps and rice fields, completely encircling the city and covering all avenues of approach. Between the American and Spanish lines on the Calle Real, along the front of General Greene's brigade, the Filipino insurgents under General Aguinaldo had established an earthwork within 800 yards of the magazine fort. In addition, the insurgents occupied a position to the right of Greene's line, on the road leading from the village of Pasay, and they also commanded the approach by the beach. In fact, they held positions of investment at various points opposite the Spanish line throughout their entire extent. They had been waging a desultory warfare against the Spaniards for several months, their forces now numbering about 12,000 men. They were well supplied with small arms and ammunition, besides several antiquated field pieces. The presence of a quasihostile force of native troops between the American and the Spanish positions was, of course, very objectionable. The situation was difficult to deal with, owing to the peculiar relations which existed between the American and the insurgent leaders as a result of the active operations undertaken by the latter, more or less encouraged by the naval authorities, prior to the arrival of the army reinforcements. General Emilio Aguinaldo, the principal leader of the insurgents, shortly after the battle of Manila Bay, had come to Cavité from Hong Kong and begun active work in raising troops, and had succeeded to some extent in pressing the Spaniards back toward Manila. At least 4,000 officers and men had been made prisoners by Aguinaldo's forces; and they held full possession of the territory adjacent to Manila, including the Province of Cavité, which Admiral Dewey had allowed them to occupy. Aguinaldo then proclaimed himself president of the Philippine Republic, and, at the time of the arrival of the third expedition, he had established executive and legislative departments, and was ostensibly in complete control of an independent government. On July 4, in a letter addressed to General Aguinaldo, General Anderson, in behalf of the United States, expressed entire sympathy for the native people of the Philippine Islands and the most friendly sentiments toward them. A desire was also expressed both to have the most amicable relations with the insurgent commander, and to have his people co-operate with the Americans in military operations against the Spaniards. Considerable correspondence, mainly with regard to the difficulty of collecting supplies for the American forces, passed between Generals Anderson and Aguinaldo. It was found necessary to solicit the latter's aid in obtaining horses, buffaloes, carts, etc., for purposes of transportation, for which the native population was disposed to charge exorbitant prices. Further communications passed between them on the subject of securing maps and other data concerning the topography of the country about Manila. Aguinaldo, although profuse in promises of assistance in every possible direction, actually rendered very little aid. This correspondence was abruptly terminated by a letter from the Filipino General dated July 24, in which he asserted that he had come from Hong Kong in order to prevent his own countrymen from making common cause with the Spaniards against the Americans and protested against the landing of American troops in places conquered and occupied by the insurgents, without previous notice, in writing, to his "Government.” General Merritt sought no communication with the insurgent leader, not wishing to recognize his authority until Manila should be under American control, when he would be in a position to issue a proclamation and enforce his authority in the event of Aguinaldo's pretentions conflicting with his designs. Aguinaldo did not offer his services as a subordinate leader and the preparations for attack were conducted independently, no attempt being made to secure the co-operation of the insurgents. The wisdom of this course was subsequently fully established by the fact that when the American troops carried the Spanish intrenchments, extending from the sea to the Pasay road on the extreme Spanish right, they were. under no obligations, by prearranged plans of mutual attack, to turn to the right and clear the front still held against the : |