Campaigns of the Philippine - American War During the Philippine – American War between 1899 and 1902 , the United States Army conducted nine military campaign s . Two additional campaigns were conducted after the official end to the war on July 4 , 1902 in connection with the Moro rebellion , which continued until 1913 . Some other significant actions occurred outside of organized campaigns , both during the war itself and in the post - war period . Philippine – American War period . Campaigns during the war . Manila campaign ( February 4 – March 17 , 1899 ) . The Manila Campaign was conducted between , February 4 and March 17 , 1899 . During the Spanish – American War , Emilio Aguinaldo ( who had led an unsuccessful insurrection against Spain in 1896 - 97 ) organized a native army in the Philippines and secured control of several islands , including much of Luzon . Cession of the Philippines to the United States on December 10 , 1898 via the Treaty of Paris disappointed many Filipinos , and on February 4 , 1899 Aguinaldo ' s followers clashed with American troops . The Americans , numbering about 12 , 000 combat troops under Major General Elwell Otis , defeated Aguinaldo ' s force of some 40 , 000 men and suppressed an attempted uprising in Manila . American columns pushed north , east , and south from Manila to split the insurgent forces and seize key towns . The column pushing north , commanded by Major General Arthur MacArthur , captured the town of Caloocan . The column pushing east , commanded by Brigadier General Lloyd Wheaton , pushed out of Manila and gained control of the Pasig River , which connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay , permanently interrupting communications between insurgent forces in north and south Luzon . The column pushing south , commanded by Brigadier General Henry Lawton , was tasked with a long raid along Laguna de Bay ; its mission assignment was limited because of manpower shortages due to primacy of the northern theater . The Manila campaign split the Filipino forces in two , one section north and the other south of Manila , joined only by a narrow corridor running through the towns of Pasig , Pateros , Taguig and Muntinlupa between American lines and the shore of Laguna de Bay . This denied Aguinaldo direct control of Filipino forces south of Manila , in the most revolutionary provinces of Batangas , Laguna and Cavite . Antonio Luna continued as commander of the northern section , and Aguinaldo appointed Mariano Trías commander of the southern section . Iloilo campaign ( February 8 – 12 , 1899 ) . The Iloilo campaign was conducted between February 8 and 12 , 1899 . Although control of Luzon was the principal military objective in 1899 , measures were also taken to establish American control over other important islands . Iloilo on Panay island was occupied on February 11 , Cebu City on the island of Cebu on February 26 , Bacolod on Negros on March 10 , and Jolo in the Sulu Archipelago on May 19 . Malolos campaign ( March 24 – August 16 , 1899 ) . On March 17 , 1899 , General Otis reorganized his 8th Corps , breaking it into a defensive force for Manila and an offensive force to pursue operations against Aguinaldo ' s forces north of Manila . The Malolos campaign was conducted between March 24 and August 16 , 1899 . General MacArthur ' s column advanced along the railroad to the north . Malolos the capital of the insurgent First Philippine Republic government , was the first objective . MacArthur ' s column captured Malolos on March 31 , but Aguinaldo had decamped transferred his capital to San Fernando , Pampanga on the same day . on May 5 , and the stronghold of San Isidro , Nueva Ecija ( which was held only temporarily ) on May 15 . The advantage gained through capture of Malolos was exploited by advancing to Angeles , which was captured on August 16 . MacArthur sent one brigade up the Manila – Dagupan railway line while another brigade forded the Quingua river and moved up a wagon road to the west . Otis intended for Lawton to advance west to Baliuag as a blocking force , but Lawton believed he was to move north to Norzagaray to draw Filipino forces away from a defense of Luna ' s stronghold at Calumpit . At Calumpit , where Luna ' s main force was located , thousands of laborers had strengthened the formidable natural defenses with trenches roofed by steel rails or boilerplate for protection from shrapnel and the construction of breastwork s at several points . Some 4 , 000 soldiers defended Calumpit itself , with another 3 , 000 guarding the flank at Baliuag . Otis had intended to launch his offensive on April 24 , but action began a day early , on April 23 , when American scouts examining the approaches to Quinga were pinned down . Battle developed as American forces were committed to support the scouts . American forces overran Quinga in fierce fighting on April 23 and 24 , putting them in position to threaten Calumpit . On April 25 , American forces assaulted Luna ' s stronghold , which fell after a day of heavy fighting . The American advance northwards stopped at Calumpit while negotiations aimed at ending hostilities were conducted . Colonel Manuel Arguelles , representing Aguinaldo , arrived in Lawton ' s camp to request a three - week armistice for Aguinaldo to call together his scattered government to discuss terms . Lawton sent him on to Otis , who refused a truce but did wire Lawton and MacArthur to hold their positions . On May 2 , Aguinaldo ' s representatives proposed a three - month cease - fire , couched in language which required Otis to acknowledge the Philippine Republic as a sovereign nation . Otis refused the truce on those terms , but gave the delegate a copy of President McKinley ' s plan for a Philippine civil government , which would include an advisory council and judiciary selected from Americans and Filipinos . Aguinaldo ' s delegates were won over . Aguinaldo ' s cabinet headed by hard - liner Apolinario Mabini was ousted and replaced with a " Peace cabinet " headed by Pedro Paterno , which sent the delegates back to Manila to discuss surrender terms with Otis . General Luna , however , arrested the delegates and Paterno ' s cabinet and restored Mabini and the hardliners . Negotiations collapsed , and Otis resumed his offensive . American forces resumed military action , capturing San Fernando , Pampanga on May 4 . Between February 4 and May 4 , MacArthur ' s troops had pushed American lines over 40 miles north . Their supply lines were in shambles and barely half the troops were still fit for active duty . Exhausted American troops recuperated in San Fernando for the rest of May and MacArthur ' s forces solidified their control of the railroad corridor linking San Fernando to Manila . Laguna de Bay campaign ( April 8 – 17 , 1899 ) . The Laguna de Bay campaign was conducted between April 8 and 17 , 1899 . While MacArthur ' s column had been hammering the insurgents along the railroad to the north , Major General Henry Lawton took his column south , captured Santa Cruz in the Laguna de Bay area on April 10 , and returned to Manila on April 17 . Otis recalled Lawton from the Laguna de Bay Campaign despite Lawton ' s desire to capture the town of Calamba in order to strike a hard blow at the north before losing his volunteer troops . As Lawton ' s forces departed , they could see Filipino troops reoccupying Santa Cruz . First San Isidro campaign ( April 21 – May 30 , 1899 ) . The first San Isidro campaign was conducted between April 21 and May 30 , 1899 . Lawton ' s troops captured Bocaue , Bulacan on April 25 . After the pause in May while negotiations were underway in Manila , Lawton resumed his advance . On May 1 – 2 , they captured San Rafael , Baliuag and Bustos . After some days of rest , they took San Miguel on May 15 and San Isidro on May 16 . Aguinaldo and fragments of the insurgent Philippine Republic government had decamped from San Isidro before its capture . At Balawag on May 7 , Lawton issued General Field Order No . 8 , which authorized the creation of the first local government under the Americans as follows : Zapote River campaign ( June 13 , 1899 ) . The Zapote River campaign was completed in a single day , June 13 , 1899 , and consisted largely of a single battle . Operations in Luzon in mid - 1899 had halted for the rainy season . During this pause the first Philippine Scout units were organized and large numbers of additional troops began to arrive , bringing the strength of the American force ( Eighth Army Corps ) to some 47 , 500 men by the end of the year and 75 , 000 a year later . Cavite campaign ( October 7 and 13 , 1899 ) . The Cavite campaign was conducted between October 7 and 13 , 1899 . In October 1899 , organized resistance in Cavite and adjacent provinces was destroyed by forces under General Wheaton and Brig . Gen . Theodore Schwan . In the same month , General Otis launched a three - pronged offensive in North Luzon directed at Aguinaldo ' s remaining forces . Perhaps as a diversion , Filipino forces south of Manila had attacked Calamba and Los Baños in Laguna and Imus and Bacoor in Cavite in late 1899 . In order to free troops to join the advance north , Otis moved to " attack and severely punish these Cavite insurgents " . Lawton headed south with three columns . One column swept the lines between Imus and Bacoor and along Laguna de Bay . A second moved along the west shore of Manila Bay , with warships providing fire support . A third advanced down a narrow peninsula from the Cavite naval station to Novaleta . Second San Isidro campaign ( October 15 – November 19 , 1899 ) . A second San Isidro campaign was conducted between October 15 and November 19 , 1899 . San Isidro , October 15 - November 19 , 1899 . Lawton ' s column moved up the Pampanga River , recaptured San Isidro on October 19 , and neared San Fabian , Pangasinan on the Lingayen Gulf on November 18 . The advance was spearheaded by a brigade under General Samuel Young , which reentered San Isidro on October 20 . Young pressed northeast towards Cabanatuan , Nueva Ecija , a city reputed to hold two dozen American and 4 , 000 Spanish prisoners of war , advancing slowly over difficult terrain . Tarlac campaign ( November 5 – 20 , 1899 ) . The Tarlac campaign was conducted between November 5 and 20 , 1899 . MacArthur ' s forces advanced through the Central Luzon plain , seized Tarlac on November 12 , and reached Dagupan on November 20 . On November 5 , MacArthur ' s forces began clearing out the countryside between his garrison at Angeles and Arayat , Pampanga in Pampanga , and intending to advance onwards to Bamban , Tarlac . Though hampered by a typhoon which caused rivers to rise ten feet and washed out roads , the forces entered the town of Tarlac on November 12 . After delaying four days to repair washed - out roads and bring up supplies , a 900 - man task force crossed a half - mile washout on November 17 and occupied Bayambang , Pangasinan on November 19 and entered Dagupan the next day . San Fabian campaign ( November 6 – 19 , 1899 ) . The San Fabian campaign was conducted between November 6 and 19 , 1899 . General Wheaton with his command sailed from Manila on the 6th , landed at San Fabian ( November 7 ) , routed insurgents at San Jacinto ( November 12 ) , and linked up with MacArthur ' s column at Dagupan on November 20 . Significant actions outside of campaigns . Pursuit of Aguinaldo . On October 31 , scouts intercepted a message from Aguinaldo dated October 5 , declaring that he was shifting his capital to Bayombong , Nueva Vizcaya . Elements from the Second San Isidro campaign and the San Fabian campaign reacted to this unexpected circumstance in an attempt to capture him . Aguinaldo , retreating before MacArthur ' s advancing troops , had left his latest temporary capital in Tarlac and moved north up the railroad to Bayombong . At a November 13 conference , he decided to disperse his army and begin guerrilla war , then rode the train north 20 miles and set off across country for Pozorrubio , Pangasinan , 12 miles to the east . Aguinaldo was met en route by General Gregorio del Pilar , swelling his party to over 1 , 200 . Aguinaldo reached Pozorrubio on November 14 , but his rear guard had been attacked by pursuing American troops and his mother and son captured . When the American troops entered Pozorrubio the next morning , Aguinaldo had already left . Recognizing that American troops blocked his escape east , Aguinaldo turned north and west on November 15 , crossing the mountains into La Union province . Lawton wanted to send Young north to intercept Aguinaldo , but Otis ordered Lawton to advance no further north than San Jose , Nueva Ecija , and to dispatch troops to seal off passes to the east . With permission from Lawton , Young proceeded northeast with a small force towards Tayug , Pangasinan to block Aguinaldo ' s escape route . Aguinaldo ' s escape north from Pozorrubio should have been blocked by a force under General Wheaton which had left Manila by sea on November 6 and arrived in San Fabian , Pangasinan the next day . Shortly after that force came ashore , however , a typhoon struck , flooded the countryside , and made movement almost impossible . Wheaton was not able to send troops to Pozorrubio until November 16 , the day after Aguinaldo had left . Having dispersed his army , Aguinaldo was no longer limited to routes able to accommodate a large force . He could now travel rapidly in small parties , and his destination was more difficult for pursuing American forces to predict . On November 17 , Aguinaldo reached Naguilian , La Union . Young , suspecting that Aguinaldo was moving up the west coast and that he might turn eastwards at Candon , Ilocos Sur , in the direction of the Tirad Pass , sent a battalion to block the pass . On December 2 , that battalion engaged Aguinaldo ' s rear guard in the Battle of Tirad Pass , in which General Gregario del Pilar was killed . Aguinaldo had escaped through the pass . At the time of the battle , Aguinaldo and his party were encamped in Cervantes , about 10 km south of the pass . After being notified by a rider of the outcome of the battle and the death of Del Pilar , Aguinaldo ordered that camp be broken , and departed with his party for Cayan settlement . Capture of Aguinaldo . On March 23 , 1901 General Frederick Funston and his troops captured Aguinaldo in Palanan , Isabela , with the help of some Filipinos ( called the Macabebe Scouts after their home locale ) who had joined the Americans ' side . The Americans pretended to be captives of the Scouts , who were dressed in Philippine Army uniforms . Once Funston and his " captors " entered Aguinaldo ' s camp , they immediately fell upon the guards and quickly overwhelmed them and the weary Aguinaldo . On April 1 , 1901 , at the Malacañan Palace in Manila , Aguinaldo swore an oath accepting the authority of the United States over the Philippines and pledging his allegiance to the American government . On April 19 , he issued a Proclamation of Formal Surrender to the United States , telling his followers to lay down their weapons and give up the fight . " Let the stream of blood cease to flow ; let there be an end to tears and desolation , " Aguinaldo said . " The lesson which the war holds out and the significance of which I realized only recently , leads me to the firm conviction that the complete termination of hostilities and a lasting peace are not only desirable but also absolutely essential for the well - being of the Philippines . " Ending the war . American President Theodore Roosevelt unilaterally declared the insurrection at an end on July 4 , 1902 . His official issuance , however , was a proclamation of general amnesty for persons who had participated in or supported Philippine insurrections against the U . S . , and explicitly excluded parts of the territory " inhabited by Moro tribes " . Post - war period . Post - war non - campaign actions . March across Samar . In reaction to the Balangiga massacre , Governor General Adna R . Chaffee tasked General Jacob H . Smith to pacify Samar . General Smith ordered a brutal pacification campaign , for which he was later court - martialed . Post - war campaigns . Mindanao campaign ( July 4 , 1902 – December 31 , 1904 and October 22 , 1905 ) . The Mindanao campaign was conducted between July 4 , 1902 and December 31 , 1904 , and included other action on October 22 , 1905 . In 1902 serious trouble began with the Moros , a Mohammedan people in Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago , who had never been completely subjugated by the Spanish . When the Army occupied former Spanish garrison points , the Moros began to raid villages , attack soldiers , and otherwise resist American jurisdiction . Between July 1902 and December 1904 , and again late in 1905 , the Army dispatched a series of expeditions into the interior of Mindanao to destroy Moro strongholds . Col . Frank D . Baldwin with some 1 , 000 men ( including elements of his own 27th Infantry and a mountain battery ) invaded the territory of the Sultan of Bayan near Lake Lanao and defeated the Sultan ' s forces in the hotly contested Battle of Bayan on May 2 , 1902 . Capt . John J . Pershing headed a similar expedition into the Lanao country in 1903 , and Capt . Frank R . McCoy finally killed the notorious Moro outlaw , Dato Ali , in the Cotabato district in October 1905 . Jolo campaign ( May 1 – 24 , 1905 , 6 – March 8 , 1906 and June 11 – 15 , 1913 ) . The Jolo campaign was conducted in three segments , May 1 – 24 , 1905 , 6 – March 8 , 1906 and June 11 – 15 , 1913 . In May 1905 , March 1906 , and June 1913 , Regulars had to cope with disorders too extensive to be handled by the local constabulary and Philippine Scouts on the island of Jolo , a Moro stronghold . During May 1905 , followers of a Sulu Moro leader named Pala gathered in a volcanic crater and surrendered to American forces . On March 6 , 7 , and 8 , 1906 the battle of Bud Dajo was fought to a successful conclusion by Regulars and in mid - June 1913 Moros at Bagsac were whipped .