Today in Philippine History: Battle of Zapote Bridge

JUNE 13, 1899

The Battle of Zapote Bridge was the second largest battle in the Philippine-American War next to the February 4, 1899 Battle of Manila. Gen. Henry Ware Lawton assisted by Generals Loyd Wheaton and Samuel Ovenshine led 3,000 troops to crush the Philippine Revolutionary Army in Cavite. They were repulsed several times by the 5,000-strong infantry force of Gen. Artemio  Ricarte and Gen. Mariano Noriel. Admiral George Dewey unleashed a hundred sailors armed with machineguns that forced the Filipinos to retreat after many in their ranks lay dead. 

Photo credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/ 

Today in Philippine History: Americans Victorious in Battle of Las Pinas and Paranaque

JUNE 10, 1899

Brig. Gen. Loyd Wheaton and Col. Samuel Ovenshine led provisionary brigades and took separate routes and met south of Manila. This reconnaissance-in-force under Maj. Gen. Henry Lawton was aimed to clear the countryside between Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay after Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo’s Philippine Revolutionary Army retreated to the hills of Luzon. The heat-stroked American forces fought the Filipinos while Admiral George Dewey’s fleet in Manila Bay shelled the towns of Las Pinas and Paranaque that led to the defeat of the revolutionaries.

Photo credit: http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/

Today in Philippine History: The Battle of Alapan

MAY 28, 1898

The Battle of Alapan was the first military victory of General Emilio Aguinaldo after his arrival from exile. The 12,000 newly-armed Philippine Revolutionary Army engaged and defeated Gen. Leopoldo Garcia Pena’s troops in Alapan, Imus, Cavite. The Philippine flag sewn by Marcela Marino de Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo, and Delfina Herbosa de Natividad in Hong Kong was unfurled by Aguinaldo and hoisted for the first time at the Teatro Caviteño in front of Filipino troops, captured Spanish soldiers and American troops of Commodore George Dewey.

Photo credit: http://nhcphistoricsites.blogspot.com/

Today in Philippine History: The Revolutionary Navy

MAY 20, 1898

The Revolutionary Navy started on this day when the Filipino flag was hoisted on the ship Magdalo. U.S. Commodore George Dewey turned over Admiral Patricio Montojos’ Reina Cristina’s small pinnace which the navy renamed Magdalo. President Emilio Aguinaldo formed the Revolutionary Navy during the second phase of the Philippine Revolution. It operated with eight steam launches captured from the Spaniards while wealthy Filipino patriots donated bigger ships. The navy’s flagship, Filipinas was purchased in China and naval stations were built.

Photo credit: http://www.navy.mil.ph/history.php