The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-26
HOW PHILIPPINES BECAME ours
sham Battle of MaIate Fought for
Effect ON Spain.
Correspondence of the St. Louis Globe
Democrat.

Correspondence of the St. Louis Globe
Democrat.
That the bombardment of Malate fort
and the stormiug of the trenches at the
city of Manila was a sham battle pure and
simple is the information contained in an
interesting bit of inside history divulged
in a letter from a petty officer on board
the Olympia, Admiral Dewey's flagship
to a friend in Duluth, MINI. In the light
of what is told the affair takes on com
pIexion of comic opera It might be said
parlance would be called a "hlppodrome."
So far as known, this is the first lnkling
of the true state of affairs that has reach
ed the public. 1t in no way detracts from
the fame of Admiral Dewey. BY dint of
unparalleled daring and hard fighting he
had the Spaniards at his mercy. Manila
was under his guns, and that he chose 10
join in little scheme to let the Spanish
commander down easy, so that the latter
could put on a better front on his return
home, merely shows that his spirit of
generosity and accommodation is equal TO
his gallantry. The letter is dated at Ca
vite, Oct. 6. 1t says:
Il suppose you would like to hear the
yarn about the fall of Manila. l take it
for granted you have heard how Rome fell
in days of yore. BY the lime you get this
letter the fall of Manila Will doubtless
seem an old story, but here goes, never
theless:
Dewey and Merritt had sent several
joint notes to Jandnes (Augusti had re-
signed demanding the surrender of the
city, and representing the needless slaugh-
ter and suffering which would ensue if It
became necessary to lombard and storm
the town. Jandines answered, saying that
he was compelled to resist until overpow-
cred, and was required to keep his nom
combatants in the walled Town, as he was
afraid the insurgents would massacre them
if they were transferred. Finally, through
the offices of the Belgian consul, a com
promise was made The agreement was to
the effect that we should make a sham
battle of it, the fleet to lombard Malate
Fort, and the army to storm the trenches.
81 heard the gist of this myself. l was
working on the poop the day before the
engagement, when Admiral Dewey and one
of the generaIs-G think it was Gen. Greene
were sitting there, Anyway, 1 overheard
Dewey say to his 'nibs:
"'Wen, I'm going over tomorrow, at
9:15 to lombard Malate. The understand
ing is that they win not fire a shot. The
Belgian consul will be waiting to take
Brumby ashore TO hoist the flag. If they
fire on my fleet ] viii destroy the city
"This was on the 12th. That afternoon
the divisional officers had the gun cap
tains up on the after turret, taking bear
ings on the Manila Notifications. We had
found a fine telescope in Cavite on the I'd
of May and had it on board and mounted
on a tripod. BY its aid we could see every
trench, fort battery, blockhouse, and
might almost say, every gun in Manila. We
had Manila pat then.
Gwen, the next morning we hove anchor
at 8 o clock, steamed TO Manila and came
about 900 yards right abreast of the city.
The foreign fleet had been notified on the
18th to get out of range. And who do you
think were the first to get out of the way?
Nobody Tess than our German friends, and
they took with them their terrible
Kr-r-r-wupp' guns. The foreign fleets an
chored according to the way their sympa-
thies tended-the English and Japs near
our transports, and the French, German
and Austrians away up at the northern end
Of the bay, nearly hun down.
1--WE opened fire something after
O'Clock and kept it up pretty regularly, but
not rapidly, until Y. The army signaled
to us, Cease firing; we are to charge
And charge they did. No doubt at all
about that. They went over three-quar-
ters of a mile of rough country, through
three trenches almost flied with water
four feet Deep and did not stop until they
were in the city, where they halted to re-
store formation. From the first moment
the first trench was passed the affair de-
generated from a fight into foot race.
The Spaniards could have given a big
handicap to our troops and then beaten
them. We could see them dropping over
one side of the Malate for as the Colo
RADIO troops came up on the other. / sup
pose you know that the Thirteenth Min
nesota was the first troop TO enter the
town.
at this time, about y o'clock, Admiral
Dewey called che Belgian consuls tug
alongside and sent Brumby' the flag lieu
tenant and two signal men ashore TO re-
ceive the surrender. They took a No !
American ensign 1.-THE largest regulation
flag made to hoist when the surrender
was made.
I'VE waited oil the afternoon until 3
o'clock, when the Belgian consul again
came alongside. He brought word chat
Jandines would surrender as soon as a
general with GO troops should be landed
In order to protect the town from the in
surgents. Gen. Merritt went ashore with
60 Of the Oregon volunteers. marched up
the I.unate ana grounded arms IN front OF
the governors palace. Then che ceremony
commenced. when the transfer OF soyer-
eighty was made we hoisted the sIrs
ana Stripes ana down came the blood aud
gold The two fiags passed each other
about midway 81 tha SIAN. We saw u IA
once, ana lei loose. We Immediately sig
nailed, 'cheer nag and Ore the national Lao
luie' That night We anchored W the
ciiy 'front.'