The Battle of Marilao River was fought on March 27, 1899, in
Marilao, Bulacan
Marilao, officially the Municipality of Marilao ( tgl, Bayan ng Marilao), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 254,453 people.
With the continuous expansion ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, during the
Philippine–American War
The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...
.
It was one of the most celebrated river crossings of the whole war, wherein American forces crossed the Marilao River,
which was wide and too deep to ford, while under Filipino fire from the opposite bank.
Background
After the failed
Filipino counterattack to regain
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
on February 23, General
Antonio Luna
Antonio Narciso Luna de San Pedro y Novicio Ancheta (; October 29, 1866 – June 5, 1899) was a Filipino army general who fought in the Philippine–American War before his assassination in 1899.
Regarded as one of the fiercest generals of his ...
, the Chief of War Operations of the Philippine Republic, resigned his post on February 28 in protest to the reinstatement of the Kawit Battalion, which Luna had disarmed for insubordination during the earlier
fighting around Caloocan. During Luna's absence, President
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who is the youngest president of the Philippines (1899–1901) and is recognized as the first president of the Philippine ...
himself took over the military affairs, for the only time in the whole course of the war.
Meanwhile, the Americans, anticipating another counteroffensive from the Filipino side, took their time waiting for reinforcements under General
Henry Ware Lawton
Henry Ware Lawton (March 17, 1843 – December 19, 1899) was a U.S. Army officer who served with distinction in the Civil War, the Apache Wars, and the Spanish–American War. He was the only U.S. general officer to be killed during the Philippi ...
. These arrived between March 10 and 23.
By March 25, the Americans under General
Arthur MacArthur, Jr.
Arthur MacArthur Jr. (June 2, 1845 – September 5, 1912) was a lieutenant general of the United States Army. He became the military Governor-General of the American-occupied Philippines in 1900; his term ended a year later due to clashes w ...
renewed their offensive against Caloocan and Polo, up to the ultimate drive to Malolos.
Battle
The American force, after the Battle of Malinta, had advanced to Marilao on March 27. It was part of the campaign for the
Capture of Malolos
The Capture of Malolos ( fil, Labanan para sa Malolos), also known as the Battle of Malolos, occurred on March 31, 1899, in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine–American War. General Arthur MacArthur Jr.'s division advanced to Malolos alon ...
, the Philippine capital. The Filipino force was led by President
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who is the youngest president of the Philippines (1899–1901) and is recognized as the first president of the Philippine ...
himself, commanding the organized forces of General Isidro Torres, General Pantaleon Garcia (who just came straight from
Dagupan
Dagupan, officially the City of Dagupan ( pag, Siyudad na Dagupan, ilo, Siudad ti Dagupan, fil, Lungsod ng Dagupan), is a 2nd class independent component city in the Ilocos Region, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
with a thousand riflemen)
and Colonel Enrique Pacheco.
The Americans fought with the Filipinos within the range of around . Meanwhile, the Filipinos destroyed bridges to delay American artillery units. The Americans gained superiority in the battle only after severe fighting and the use of gunboats in the river that "''made great execution''" of Filipino soldiers.
The official American account of the battle stated that Aguinaldo acted with a great sense of military strategy, averting a disastrous rout while succeeding in inflicting heavy damage on the Americans. The losses in the American drive to
Malolos
Malolos, officially the City of Malolos ( fil, Lungsod ng Malolos), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to th ...
, the account also stated, had proven the Filipinos' effective fighting ability.
Aftermath
On the American side, the American official history stated that 14 were killed and 65 more wounded.
In the account of
Teodoro Agoncillo
Teodoro Andal Agoncillo (November 9, 1912 – January 14, 1985) was a prominent 20th-century Filipino historian. He and his contemporary Renato Constantino were among the first Filipino historians renowned for promoting a distinctly nationalist ...
, the battle resulted to 15 killed and 70 wounded.
The Filipino side had sustained 90 dead.
After resting at
Guiguinto, Bulacan
Guiguinto, officially the Municipality of Guiguinto ( tgl, Bayan ng Guiguinto), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 113,415 people.
Guiguinto is one of the fa ...
from March 29 to 30, 1899, the American division under
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Arthur MacArthur, Jr.
Arthur MacArthur Jr. (June 2, 1845 – September 5, 1912) was a lieutenant general of the United States Army. He became the military Governor-General of the American-occupied Philippines in 1900; his term ended a year later due to clashes w ...
pushed to the suburbs of Malolos by the afternoon of March 30.
Malolos fell the next day, on March 31, since the Americans faced only token resistance. The American forces would rest in Malolos until April 1899, when they would have to shatter the Calumpit-Apalit Line at the
Battle of Quingua
The Battle of Quingua ( fil, Labanan sa Quingua, es, Batalla de Quingua) was fought on April 23, 1899, in Quingua — now Plaridel, Bulacan, Philippines, during the Philippine–American War (1899–1902). The engagement was a two-part battl ...
and
Battle of Calumpit
The Battle of Calumpit (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Labanan sa Quingua''), alternately known as the Battles of Bagbag and Pampanga Rivers, was fought from April 25–27, 1899, in Calumpit, Bulacan, during the Philippine–American War. Taking ...
.
References
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Marilao River
Marilao River
1899 in the Philippines
History of Bulacan
March 1899 events