UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



767 



American troops numbered more than 11,000. The 

 Filipinos had been restrained from assailing the 

 city with great difficulty by the able diplomacy of 

 Admiral Dewey. This danger and the impatience 

 and uncomfortable situation of his own troops ren- 

 dered imperative the speedy action of Gen. Merritt, 

 now that his force was strong enough to police the 

 city as well as to capture it. On Aug. 7 Gen. Mer- 

 ritt and Admiral Dewey gave notice to Capt.-Gen. 

 Jaudenes that they might begin operations within 

 forty-eight hours, and when in his reply he ex- 

 pressed solicitude for the sick, wounded, women, and 

 children, they appealed to him to surrender as a 

 course as honorable as it was humane in view of 

 the hopelessness of the military situation. He asked 

 for time to consult his Government, but such delay 

 they declined to grant. In the meantime both 

 sides were making every preparation for battle. 

 The commanders had no knowledge that the two 

 governments had concluded a truce. The attack 

 was delayed beyond the time set in the ultimatum 

 to give Gen. Merritt time to extend his line around 

 to the east so as to save and guard the bridges 

 against the insurgents who were bent on plunder 

 and vengeance against the Spaniards. The intend- 

 ed attack was carefully kept from their knowledge. 

 The Spaniards were unwilling to yield up the de- 

 fenses of the city without a contest and yet were 

 anxious to have the Americans in possession before 

 the insurgents on the other side could force their 

 lines. They understood that Admiral Dewey would 

 not shell the city itself if the forts of the walled 

 town kept silent, and they intended to capitulate 

 after the Americans broke through the outer line 

 of defenses, having a circumference of 10 miles 

 around the city. In the morning of Aug. 13 the 

 fleet, consisting of the " Charleston," " Baltimore," 

 " Boston," " Concord," " Monterey," " Olympia," 

 " Raleigh," " Petrel," and the captured " Callao " 

 and " Barcelo," bombarded the fortifications of Ma- 

 late, and after many shells had fallen in the water 

 found the range in spite of a heavy mist and rain. 

 Shells exploded inside of Fort San Antonio de Abad, 

 setting fire to ammunition and stores. Simultane- 

 ously the Utah battery played on the breastworks. 

 The Colorado regiment advanced before the bom- 

 bardment had ceased, firing volleys, which were 

 answered by the noiseless Mausers, and an hour 

 and a half after the first shot they had possession 

 of the fort. Followed by the California troops they 

 drove the Spanish infantry out of their intrench- 

 ments, rushed the Malate barricades, fought from 

 house to house, and reached the Luneta and espla- 

 nade, when a white flag was raised. The insurgents 

 had opened fire before the Americans and were ad- 

 vancing upon the town from the opposite side 

 passing by Gen. McArthur's troops, which had been 

 extended far to the right to hold them in check. 

 When Gen. Greene found bodies of insurgents en- 

 tering the city he drove them back. In the confu- 

 sion some of the Spaniards continued to fire upon 

 the Americans after the signal of surrender was 

 displayed. On the right the Astor Battery, eager 

 for the fight, attacked the Spanish blockhouses, and 

 when Gen. McArthur ordered an advance the Span- 

 iards were driven from their barricades, but not 

 without inflicting some losses. The total losses of 

 the Americans in the engagement were 5 killed 

 and 45 wounded. 



The city and the Spanish troops capitulated with 

 the honors of war, and the Americans placed a 

 strong guard in all parts of the city to protect them 

 and the citizens from the insurgents. Gen. Merritt, 

 as Military Governor, issued a proclamation in 

 which he assured the people of the islands that he 

 had not come to wage war upon them nor upon 

 any faction among them, but to protect them in 



their homes, their employments, and their personal 

 and religious rights; that the municipal laws, so 

 far as they were compatible with military govern- 

 ment, would remain in force: that the port of 

 Manila would be open to the people of all neutral 

 nations, as well as to the American p-nplc, upon 

 the payment of the established rates of duty; and 

 that no persons would be disturbed in their persons 

 or their property so long as they preserve the peace 

 and perform their duties toward the representa- 

 tives of the United States. 



Additional re-enforcements were sent to the 

 Philippines in the middle of August. Major-Gen. 

 Elwell S. Otis took the chief military command, 

 allowing Gen. Merritt to devote all his attention to 

 political and administrative problems. The total 

 force numbered 641 officers and 15,058 enlisted 

 men. It comprised the Fourteenth, Eighteenth, 

 snd Twenty-third Infantry, First California, First 

 Nebraska, Tenth Pennsylvania, First Wyoming, 

 First Idaho, Thirteenth >linnesota, First Colorado, 

 First Washington, First South Dakota, First Ten- 

 nessee, Twentieth Kansas. Fourth Cavalry, first 

 troop of Nevada cavalry, four heavy batteries of 

 the Third Artillery, two light batteries of the Sixth, 

 the Astor Battery, four companies of California 

 Artillery, two batteries of Utah Artillery, one com- 

 pany and one detachment of United States Engi- 

 neers, and detachments of the Signal and Hospital 

 Corps. 



Gen. Merritt appointed Gen. McArthur Military 

 Commandant of Manila, Gen. Greene Provost Mar- 

 shal, Col. Smith (who was succeeded later by Brig.- 

 Gen. C. A. Whittier), Director of Fiscal Affairs, 

 and Capt. Glasspert Collector of Customs. Gen. 

 Anderson was appointed commandant at Cavite. 

 Gen. Elwell S. Otis was assigned to the command 

 of the United States troops in the Philippines. 



Peace Negotiations. On July 26 Jules Cam- 

 bon, French ambassador, to whom the interests of 

 Spain had been committed when diplomatic rela- 

 tions were broken off, was instructed to inquire if 

 peace negotiations could be opened. The Presi- 

 dent replied to the French note on July 30, with a 

 statement of the preliminary conditions that the 

 United States would insist up'on as a basis of nego- 

 tiations. The President did not for the moment 

 put forward any claim for a pecuniary indemnity, 

 but required the relinquishment of all claim of 

 sovereignty over or title to the island of Cuba, as 

 well as the immediate evacuation of that island; 

 the cession to the United States and immediate 

 evacuation of Puerto Rico and other islands under 

 Spanish sovereignty in the West Indies, and the 

 like cession of an island in the Lad rones. The 

 United States would occupy and hold the city, bay, 

 and harbor of Manila pending the conclusion of a 

 treaty of peace, which should determine the control, 

 disposition, and government of the Philippines. If 

 these terms were accepted by Spain in their entirety, 

 the United States would name commissioners em- 

 powered to meet commissioners appointed on the 

 part of Spain for the purpose of concluding a 

 treaty of peace on this basis. 



A protocol of agreement was signed by SeenfeVJ 

 Day and Ambassador Cambon on Aug. 12, contain- 

 ing' the following articles embodying a basis for the 

 establishment of peace between the two count r 



ARTICLE I. Spain will relinquish all claim of 

 sovereignty ever and title to Cuba. 



ART. XLSpain will cede to the United States 

 the island of Puerto Rico and other islands now 

 under Spanish sovereignty in the West Indies, and 

 also an island in the Lad rones, to be selected by the 

 United States. 



ART. III. The United States will occupy and 

 hold the city, bay, and harbor of Manila pending 



