The Last Action of the Spanish American War:
The Siege of Baler
by Miguel Hernandez Torres
The besieged church at Baler which Spanish defenders held for 337 days
Click here for a plan of the church compound defended by the Spanish Troops
General:
The Siege of Baler on the island of Luzon in the Philippines commenced during
the Spanish American War. However, cut off from communications with its own
government and military, the Spanish defenders of Baler were not aware that the
war had actually ended on December 10, 1898, and continued their heroic, if
futile, defense against the Philippine forces for 337 days. This is the story of the
defense of Baler.
Background:
Even today, the town of Baler on the Eastern coast of island of Luzon in the
Philippines is quite isolated from that nation's capital city, Manila, some 225
kilometers distant, as the crow flies. But in 1898 it was even more remote,
reachable only by ship or by traversing on foot through nearly impassable jungle
trails that were often washed out by torrential tropical rains.
It was no wonder that Captain Enrique de Las Morenas y Fossí, the commander
of a fifty-seven man Spanish detachment of the Second Expeditionary Rifle
Battalion knew nothing of the defeat of the Spanish fleet at Cavite by
Commodore George Dewey on May 1 1898. And, more importantly, he was
unaware that the fighting of the Spanish American War had ended with an
Armistice on August 13, 1898. Nevertheless, Captain Las Morenas was fully
cognizant of the threat posed by Filipino insurgents in northern Luzon. Earlier, on
June 1, 1898 he began work to dig a well, stock food supplies and ammunition
and to fortify the church compound of San Luís de Toledo in Baler's town square
against a possible attack.
The Siege Begins:
On June 28, 1898 Las Morenas received a report that the towns residents had
fled into the surrounding jungle and on the afternoon of the 29th Filipino troops
bombarded the church with their "Lantaca" cannons made of hollowed out palm
tree trunks and strengthened with bands of iron. They used mostly stone shot
and caused little damage to the building but they made a tremendous noise when
they hit the church's metal roof.
Following the noisy cannonade, a flag of truce appeared in the square in front of
the church. It was carried by the town's priest, Father Candido Gomez Carerro
who also bore a message from the Filipino commander, Colonel Calixto
Villacorte who had a force of approximately 800 men. His note said, in part,
"surrender now and you will be treated as gentlemen and if you do not, I will
leave no stone standing in your stronghold." It was the first of many offers to
submit made over the following eleven months that were refused by the
Spanish. On that first day Las Morenas' defiant answer was, "Commence firing
any time you like.” The Spanish held on to their fortress for the next 337 days
despite the almost continuous Filipino assaults and worsening conditions inside
the church.
Since they were trapped in the confines of a small building with windows and
doors shut there was little air circulating. And, as if that was not enough
discomfort, the heat and the humidity and the stench from overflowing latrines in
the church yard, magnified the problem. To say nothing of the deafening missiles
showered on them every day. Meanwhile, the food supply began to diminish
through usage and spoilage. Enemy rifle fire did cause casualties but diseases
such as beriberi, dysentery, and fevers did more damage. The first to die was
Father Gomez who had elected to stay with his countrymen.
In September Captain Las Morenas came down with Beriberi. His second in
command, Lt. Juan Alonzo Zayas, a native of Puerto Rico, died of wounds and
command finally fell to Lt. Saturnino Martin-Cerezo when las Morenas died in
October.
By mid November, having failed to dislodge the Spanish defenders Villacorte
under flag of truce left newspapers on the church steps that told the story of
Spain's planned departure from the Philippines and that now the war was
between the Spanish and the Americans was over. Lt. Martin-Cerezo refused to
believe it. As far as he was concerned this was simply a Filipino ruse. Next
Villacorte brought in Spanish civilians and ultimately a uniformed Spanish Officer
left behind to wrap up Spain's affairs on the island. This was to no avail. To the
Lieutenant they were just Spanish turncoats in the employ of the Filipinos.
Lt. Saturnino Martin-Cerezo
In December there were only 35 Spanish effectives left and Martin-Cerezo
embarked on a bold plan to replenish the dwindling supply of food. Under intense
covering fire he sent Privates Chamiso and Alcaide sallying out of the church and
into a nearby house and set it afire. This fire rapidly spread to adjoining houses
being used by the Filipino troops and forcing them to move further way from the
church. The fire also burned a stand of trees that deprived the Filipinos of much
needed cover. In the confusion of the fire. the Spanish recovered a considerable
amount of food the insurgents left behind as well as vegetable seeds.
Unbeknownst to the defenders on December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was
signed, in which Spain transferred the Philippines to the U.S. for a payment of
$20 million. From that time, technically the Spanish defenders at Baler were
fighting to defend U.S. territory. By the end of 1898, 134 days had elapsed since
the siege began, during which one Spanish soldier died of wounds and thirteen
of disease. Of the thirty-eight remaining troops only twenty-three were effective,
with the rest being sick. The Filipinos also had suffered a casualties but mostly
from the high rate of accurate Mauser rifle fire the Spanish were able to inflict on
them from their protected firing positions in church windows as well as from the
enclosed church yard walls and bell tower.
The new year brought more Spanish emissaries to Baler but again Lt. MartinCerezo turned them away. In early March the Spanish defenders had a stroke of
luck when a water buffalo wandered near the church during a lull in the siege. A
well aimed shot brought the animal down and the Spanish dragged the carcass
back to the church yard where butchered and had meat for the first time in
months.
In April the Americans got into the act when Lt. Commander James Gilmore and
U.S. Marines from the gunboat USS YORKTOWN attempted to rescue the
Spanish, but shortly after coming ashore, he and his twenty-five Marines were
ambushed by the Filipino forces. Several Marines were wounded and Gilmore
was captured and held prisoner for eight months before he escaped and made
his way through the jungle and Filipino lines to Manila.
By May the Filipinos had more modern artillery and one of their shells hit the
improvised cell that held three Spaniards who had attempted to desert earlier in
the siege. One of them, the heretofore heroic Pvt. Alcaide dashed out and joined
the Filipinos. As can be imagined this was a blow to the Spanish as Alcaide had
important intelligence to share.
The end of the siege:
In any event, on the 28th of May , 1899 there was yet another attempt to get
Martin Cerezo to surrender when again, another Spanish officer appeared under
a flag of truce and was turned away. Before leaving he left among other items, a
copy of a Madrid newspaper which the lieutenant dismissed as bogus. However
the paper contained an article in the social column concerning the upcoming
wedding of a fellow officer he knew in Malaga. Since there was no way the
Filipinos could have known many of the facts in the column including the name of
the bride and her parents with whom he was also familiar, Martin Cerezo realized
that the paper he held in his hand was genuine and that indeed Spain had lost
the war. On June 2, 1899 he communicated to the Filipinos that he was now
ready to give up the fortress-church he held for so long and three months later,
on September 1, the thirty-three survivors, including Martin-Cerezo, arrived in
Barcelona where they were received and honored as heroes.
One wonders why Martin Cerezo held out so long and in spite of the many
attempts to end the matter peacefully. The answer he gave in his published
memoir, “El Sitio de Baler” was:
“It would be somewhat difficult for me to explain, principally , I believe through
mistrust and obstinacy. Then also on account of a certain kind of auto-suggestion
that we aught not for any reason surrender because of national enthusiasm,
without doubt influenced by the attractive illusion of glory and on account of the
suffering and treasury of sacrifice and heroism and that by surrender, we would
be putting an unworthy end to it all.”
Afterward:
Captain Las Morenas was posthumously promoted to Major and awarded the
Lauerate Cross of San Fernando, Spain’s highest military medal. His widow
received a pension of 5,000 pesetas. Lt. Saturnino Martin-Cerezo was promoted
to Major with an annual pension of 1,000 pesetas, annually. He also was
decorated with the Royal Cross as well as the Military Order of San Fernando
and went on to become a major general. He died in 1948. Lt. Zayas received a
posthumous promotion. The enlisted men received the Silver Cross of Military
Merit and each of them received a monthly pension of 60 pesetas
Of the fifty-seven men who entered the church of Baler on June 27, 1898, thirtyfive survived the siege that lasted for 337 days. Nineteen men died, fifteen from
diseases. Only two men died from wounds, the only battle casualties. There were
five deserters from the garrison: Filipino natives Corporals Alfonso Sus Fojas and
Tomas Paladio Paredes; and the Spaniards Felipe Herrero Lopez, Jaime
Caldentey Nadal, and Jose Alcaide Bayona. Two men – Antonio Menache
Sanchez and Vicente Gonzalez Toca – were imprisoned at the baptistery of the
church for helping in the desertion of Alcaide, and executed on orders of Martin
Cerezo on June 1, 1899, the day before the surrender.
The feat of the Spanish so inspired the American General Fredrick Funston that
he had Martin-Cerezo's memoir translated and gave copies to all his officers. It
was published as Under the Red and Gold: Being Notes and Recollections of the
Siege of Baler.
The Spanish survivors of the Siege of Baler