Subic Bay History
CHAPTER
THREE
THE
BOLO WAR
The signing of the
Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898, ended the war between the United
States and Spain and coincidentally shut the door on the Filipino dream
of Independence. The
Filipinos, under their President, Emilio Aguinaldo, still had their own
plans for the Philippines and America soon found herself embroiled in a
war of counterinsurgency in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
Although the U.S. Army
would play the major role in the war, the U.S. Navy and U.S Marine Corps
joined in many operations against the insurgents.
Navy ships, operating from the former Spanish naval base at
Cavite, supported Army operations with shore bombardments and provided
transportation.
U.S. Marine Colonel
Percival C. Pope, an eccentric, completely bald veteran of the Civil
War, arrived at Cavite with the First Battalion on May 31, 1899.
Lt Colonel George F. Elliot with the Second Battalion of 364 men
arrived on September 21, bringing the number of Marines at Cavite to 30
officers and 916 men. A
third battalion of 340 Marines arrived at Cavite on December 15, led by
Major Littleton W.T. Waller, a small, dashing 19 year veteran with a
fiery mustache. The Marines immediately began operations against the
insurgents as well as taking over the garrison at the Cavite naval base
from the U. S. Army.
While the war raged
throughout the islands, Subic Bay and the former Spanish naval station
there were largely ignored. No
Americans had been there since the showdown with the Irene and the
Filipinos insurgents remained in undisturbed possession of the entire
district and its quiet waters.
Along the Kalaklan
River, on the northern edge of Olongapo, stands 1,000 foot Kalaklan
Ridge, its craggy tip jutting into the bay to form Kalaklan Point.
On the slope of this
ridge, protected by the highpoints of the terrain, the Filipinos
constructed a gun battery. One
of the six-inch guns that the Spanish had brought to Grande Island, was
brought across the bay, laboriously hauled up the steep ridge and
mounted on a concrete foundation behind a 40foot parapet.
A 3-inch, smooth bore artillery piece was also installed in the
battery. Rows of banana
trees were planted along, the front to hide it.
At the rear was a long building used as a barracks and magazine.
American ships at first
did not routinely patrol Subic Bay although it offered an ideal refuge
to vessels carrying supplies between Manila and Hong Kong. A vessel could slip into the bay and safely unload a cargo of
contraband for the insurgents, then sail out again undetected.
In the summer of 1899,
the American authorities decided to include Subic Bay in the list of
places to be visited by the patrolling gunboats.
The first few visits were uneventful - the insurgents either did
not want to provoke a bombardment or they thought that, by remaining
silent, the Americans would assume the bay was peaceful and shift the
patrols to more active areas.
But at last, the
insurgents realized the patrols were not going to stop and they prepared
to confront the Americans. Admiral
Montojo’s guns at Subic Bay would finally be used against the
Americans - but with Filipinos manning them instead of Spaniards.
On a routine patrol, the
lightly armed supply ship, Zafiro entered Subic Bay and came
under fire from the insurgent battery.
She withdrew undamaged and reported the incident to Naval
Headquarters at Cavite. The
armored cruiser USS Charleston was dispatched to Subic Bay and quickly
silenced the battery with her 8-inch guns.
As the ship was withdrawing from action and preparing to return
to Cavite, the Filipinos rallied and discharged a parting shot in
defiance after her. The
Americans felt this provoking gesture called for' strong action.
Saturday, September 23,
1899, dawned clear with a light breeze and a smooth sea as the USS
Charleston, USS Concord, USS Monterey and Zafiro steamed across Subic
Bay to destroy the insurgent battery once and for all.
The Monterey's huge 10 - and l2 - inch guns opened fire as
soon as she cleared Kalaklan Point.
Under the terrible onslaught of the Monterey's bombardment, the
Filipinos manning the battery were able to pull the firing lanyard of
their gun only once, sending a single round in reply to the attack.
The Charleston signaled,
"Prepare to land" and three columns of steam launches with 180
sailors and 70 marines got underway toward the shore. An eyewitness reported "the fire was intense as the
heavier ships were enveloped in smoke, firing rapidly, the smaller ones
firing their secondary batteries and machine guns ... to all was added
the rattling of Gatling guns in the steam launches.”
About three hundred
insurgents now rushed from the navy yard towards the more open spaces of
the town of Olongapo and began firing small arms at the landing party.
One American sailor was hit, a bullet passing through both thighs
and his forearm. Most of
the fire, however, went over or fell short of their mark.
The Filipinos, thinking to improve their aim had filed off the
rear sights of their Mausers.
When the entire American
landing force was ashore and in position along the beach the ships
ceased fire. The landing
party scrambled up the rocky slope to the battery.
Gunner A. Olssen placed a charge of guncotton in the gun, blowing
off the muzzle. Fearing the
tenacious Filipinos would still use it, a second and third charge were
set completely destroying the gun.
The job complete, the landing party withdrew, returned to their
ships and sailed for Manila.
The battery at Subic Bay
was destroyed but insurgent forces still held the navy yard and the town
of Olongapo.
In December of 1899, an
American Army operation was launched to clear the provinces around Subic
Bay of insurgents. Major
Robert E.L. Spence selected 90 soldiers of the 32nd U. S. Volunteers for
the capture of Olongapo.
As the soldiers entered
Santa Rita, on the outskirts of Olongapo, several shots rang out.
The Americans quickly returned fire and the insurgents scattered.
The Army met no further opposition as they went on to capture the
navy yard, containing, "a large quantity of naval stores, valued at
many thousands of dollars."
The Navy had been
informed of the intended movement against Olongapo and early the next
morning Rear Admiral John C. Watson arrived in Subic Bay aboard his
flagship, USS Baltimore, in company with the battleship USS Oregon.
Major Spence came aboard
the flagship to report to the Admiral and noted that Watson was
"much surprised to find the United States Army in full possession
of the Olongapo Naval Yard."
Watson ordered U.S.
Marine Captain John T. "Handsome Jack" Myers ashore with a
force of 100 Marines to "take charge of the Naval Station at
Olongapo," and, "to take care of all public property and
prevent any destruction of the same."
The Marines first task
after reaching shore was to find the highest flagpole on the navy yard.
It was located in front of the hospital. On December 10, 1899, at
8:45 a.m., exactly one year after the armistice was signed with Spain,
the Stars and Stripes rose above the naval station.
The Marines had
responsibility for the garrison of the naval station while the U.S.
Army, with headquarters at Subic Town on the northern side of the bay,
remained in administrative and operational control of the surrounding
area.
Captain Herbert L.
Draper relieved Myers as commander of the garrison force on Christmas
day, 1899. Marine scouting
parties continued searching the area around Subic Bay for insurgents.
One of these patrols discovered the gunboat, Don Francisco, believed to
be the personal boat of the President of the Philippine Republic, Emilio
Aquinaldo. The Don
Francisco, reported to be carrying a load of gold to buy guns for the
insurgents was found hidden in the Binictican River near the navy yard.
When a detachment of sailors and Marines went up the river in
small boats to take possession of the gunboat they found that the engine
had been sabotaged and was inoperative.
Within a few days spare parts were found and the gunboat got up
steam and, under the command of Ensign Chase, was brought to the yard.
No gold was ever recovered.
On January 13, 1900,
Captain Draper sent a scouting party to nearby Boton village to
investigate a report that two Filipinos were recruiting for the
insurgent leader, Major Alba. The
village was surrounded and the two insurgents, armed with bolos, were
captured.
Later that same month.,
Draper received information that at least 50 insurgents were in Boton
village. He took 40 Marines
in 4 boats and proceeded to the village, 2 boats up the Boton River and
2 up the Opac River. The
Marines planned.. to surround the village and capture the insurgents,
but as Draper later reported, "owing to the length of time occupied
in getting up the muddy rivers and the great difficulty encountered -
all the men being obliged to jump out of the boats and push them over
the mud banks at least every 50 yards - the enemy escaped from the
town."
On the return trip, one
boat was fired upon from the thick vegetation lining the banks of the
river. Draper rushed with
his crew through the dense swamp to assist, finally abandoning the boat
to slash their way through the jungle on foot.
The enemy retreated and-Draper decided it was impossible to
pursue them through the dense jungle without unacceptable risk to his
men.
Fresh, potable water was
not available on the navy yard so it was necessary to send water details
to the village of Binictican, near the mouth of the river of the same
name. On February 16, 1900,
a water party of seven Marines, was attacked by insurgents.
The Marines took cover and fought until a rescue party from the
navy yard led by Sergeant Harry Harvey arrived.
Corporal W.A. Sullivan and Private C.M. Welch were killed and the
insurgents retreated to the town of Morong, some five miles away.
Draper was determined on
the prompt punishment of the insurgents.
The gunboat Manilono was present at Olongapo and willing
to assist in the retaliation but was broken down and unable to get
underway. Draper arranged
with the master of a native steamer, the Balanyan, to tow the
gunboat, with a force of 107 men aboard, down the coast to Morong.
Shortly after midnight Draper's force arrived to discover that
the insurgents had established a headquarters with a blockhouse and a
system of entrenchments at Morong.
Surprising the insurgents, the Marines took the town with little
resistance, destroying about 400 round3 of ammunition and burning the
blockhouse and other buildings. Draper
returned to Olongapo about 1:00 p.m., "when the construction of
coffins for the dead continued, the same having necessarily stopped in
order that the men could be available for duty with the expedition.
The dead were buried at 5: 00 pm.”
Sergeant Harvey was
promoted to Gunnery Sergeant and awarded the Medal of Honor for his
actions during the ambush at Subic Bay.
Early in the occupation
Draper offered the town of Olongapo as a place of refuge for Filipinos
not sympathetic to the insurgent cause and desiring to live in peace. After the ambush and a number of other less serious
incidents, Draper ordered the inhabitants of two nearby villages,
Binictican and Boton, to move into Olongapo within 3 days or be declared
outlaws. According to his
official report, the Marines gave "the good people who owned houses
(in the two villages), houses in Olongapo.”
Six days later when the
gunboat Nashville came to Subic Bay on routine patrol,, Draper arranged
for her to shell the villages. After
the bombardment, Draper and 100 men entered the towns, found them
abandoned and completed their destruction.
In addition to his
military duties, Captain Draper exercised civil authority of Olongapo
granted by the U.S. government. Wishing
to work though elected officials as much as possible, Draper held a
municipal election in Olongapo on January 28, 1900, "to promote the
general welfare and secure the regular routine of peaceful life for the
Filipinos in Olongapo.” The inhabitants, casting secret ballots, chose
Damaso Esteban as president, a vice president and secretary.
Draper had final approval on the selections and "having the
opinion that some confidence could be reposed in the persons elected,”
he installed them in their of f ices with "due and appropriate
ceremonies.”
On the recommendation of
the new municipal government, which Captain Draper found "works
excellently,” he appointed five native policemen, "uniformed in macheteas
and old full-dress helmets, so that they may be distinguished by the
Marine patrols at night."
The Marines supplemented
the local government in various ways. They passed out food when harvests
fell short, supplied medical supplies and attention and set up a school
for the teaching of English, with Lieutenant George C. Thorpe as
instructor.
Insurgent activity
around Subic Bay soon tapered off and relative peace prevailed. Olongapo
gradually increased in population. By the middle of March, 1900, the
local government had issued over 400 credulas, or personal tax
certificates, signed by Draper. The small taxes levied were used to
defray the cost of maintaining the native police and providing
sanitation and street cleaning services for the town.
Source: SUBIC BAY From Magellan to Mt. Pinatubo; by: Gerald R. Anderson; pp. 20-26
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