Suppressing the revolution

Top.  Execution of La Liga Filipina members

Execution of captured Katipuneros

Above.  The first Katipuna casualties of the 1896 revolution. 

Above.  The arrival of Spanish reinforcements in 1896, a big event during that time based on the amount of coverage it got from the local press.

Above.  Spanish soldiers out on the field

Above.  A Spanish soldier in the Philippines and a Filipino auxillary in Spanish service.

Both soldiers seem to be equipped with the The Spanish 7x57 mm Mauser, Model 1893, sometimes incorrectly referred to as Remingtons.                                                   

                      

A number of Filipino auxillaries were members of the Katipunan, which led to several defections to the Katipunan side.  Gen. Santiago Alvarez in his memoirs recount that in the early hours of August 30, 1896, after several successful skirmishes against the civil guards, Andres Bonifacio received several defectors in Cubao together with their rifles prior to attacking the Spanish polvorin in Sta. Mesa. In some cases, during firefights, some of the Filipino auxilliaries aimed high or low, so as not to hit the Katipuneros.  One can also note that during Rizal's execution, there is a second line of Spanish soldiers, behind the auxilliaries to finish the job just in case.

Spanish response to the discovery of the Katipunan was swift and brutal.  

Spanish troops in the Territorial Division of the Philippines in May 1898, when the war between the U.S. and Spain erupted, were commanded by General Fermin Jaudenes y Alvarez, and consisted of seven regiments of native infantry, 15 expeditionary battalions organized in Spain and sent to the islands to assist in the suppression of the insurrection; one native cavalry regiment; one expeditionary cavalry squadron; one regiment of fortress artillery; one regiment of mountain artillery; a regiment of native engineers; one company of Marine Infantry; a single ordnance detachment; three tercia, or regiments, of native Civil Guard; one detachment of native Carabineros, or custom guards; a native train, or transport, unit; a sanitary detachment, plus at least 12 companies of militia and guerrillas.

Spanish colonial troops had worn a lightweight uniform of linen, or lienzo, since the 1770s. This became their multi-purpose uniform in Cuba when the full dress uniform was abolished on June 3, 1876, subsequent to the Royal Decree of June 11, 1874. This law appears to have been extended to the garrison on Puerto Rico via the Royal Order of October 8, 1880. On November 11, 1892, the same style of campaign uniform as described in the Decrees of 1876 and 1880 were extended to the troops in the Philippines.

Below is the Spanish Orbat as of October 1897.

Spanish Order of Battle (1897) 
source:  http://www.spanamwar.com/spoobphil.htm

Native Regiment # 68 (Legaspi). 2 Battalions.

     (Headquartered in Jolo; in the field in Luzon and Mindanao, with  detachments in Carolina and  Paragua Islands)

Native Regiment # 69 (Iberia). 2 Battalions.

     (Headquartered in  Zamboanga; in the field in Luzon)

Native Regiment # 70 (Magallanes). 1 Battalion.

     (Headquartered in  Manila; in the field in Luzon)

Native Regiment t#71 (Mindanao). 2 Battalions.

     (Headquartered in  Iligan; at Manila, and in the field in Mindanao)

Native Regiment #72 (Visayas). 1 Battalion.

     (Headquartered in  Manila; and in the field in Mindanao)

Native Regiment #73 (Jolo). 2 Battalions.

     (Headquartered in  Manila; in the field in Luzon and Mindanao)

Native Regiment t#74 ((Manila). 2 Battalions.

     (Headquartered in Manila; in the field in Luzon and Mindanao)

   Probable Total, Native Regiments:  372 Spanish, 11,368 native¹

Expeditionary Battalions (Battalones cazadores expedicionarios) 

 #1 thru #15, from Spain,  (461 officers, 20,149 men)⁵ consisting of:

1st Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

2nd Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

3rd Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

4th Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

5th Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

6th Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

7th Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

8th Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

9th Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

10th Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

11th Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

12th Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

13th Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

14th Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

15th Expeditionary Rifle Battalion (Military District of Luzon)

1st Regiment of Marine Infantry  (45 officers, 1,743 men)

Cavalry (Caballeria de Filipinas) Regiment #31  (31 officers, 161 Spanish troopers, 453 native troopers)

Cavalry Squadron (Lanceros Expedicionario, No.1)  (11 officers, 162 Spanish troopers)

Regiment de la Plaza (fortress artillery) (40 officers, 1,500 men)

6th Regiment of Artillery (mountain artillery) (21 officers, 696  men)

Battalion of Engineers  (31 Spanish officers, 1,266 natives)

One Battalion Carabineros (volunteer riflemen, listed in some  sources as Customs Guards)(14 Spanish officers, 415  natives)

Guardia Civil Regiments (three regiments)(155 Spanish officers, 3,530 natives)⁶

Guardia Civil Regiment #20

Guardia Civil Regiment #21

Guardia Civil Regiment #22

One Transport Brigade (Unknown; probably 15 Spanish officers and innumerable  native drivers)

One Sanitary Detachment  (4 officers, 345 Spaniards)

One Ordnance Detachment (Maestranza)  (4  officers, 72 Spaniards)

Probable Total, Spanish Forces:  25,660 Spanish, 5,664 natives²

Revolutionary Leaders and Generals

Early Filipino revolutionary leaders underwent their baptism of fire during the early stages of the revolution.  Forced to act after the discovery of the Katipunan resulting from the ever tightening police surveillance since January 1896.  The discovery led to the decimation by arrest and exile of Bonifacio's own Katipunan chapter, Ang Katagalugan, and its sister chapter the Maghiganti in the Diario de Manila printing plant, by late July 1896.  High casualty rates and defeats were exacted upon these early leaders and their forces as they fought well armed, well organized and disciplined Spanish forces.  Various accounts tell us about the organization (or lack of it) of Filipinos during the the first skirmishes.

"The exposure of key chapters of the Katipunan forced the outbreak of the Revolution in August. His Tondo chapters gone, Bonifacio headed a motley band of Katipuneros in his base in Balara. His troop was to link up in Sta. Mesa at 11 P.M. of Saturday, August 29th, with the column of Ramon Bernardo of Pandacan for a joint assault on the Intramuros at midnight. Bernardo waited in vain in Sta. Mesa. Bonifacio did not keep track of the hour, and marched from San Juan back to Balara. Bernardo's troop was cut to pieces early Sunday morning by a composite enemy force of Guardia Civil Veterana, artillery troops, infantry, cavalry, and carabineros.  The noise of battle reached Balara, and Bonifacio rushed to succor Bernardo; in San Juan his column met the same fate as Bernardo's at the hands of the wheeling enemy force." [Onofre Corpuz]

The Katipunan members were organized around Katipunan leaders whose members came from the general population who largely are bereft of any military background (except for members of the colonial units).  Lacking weaponry, training, logistical support, the individual soldier was expected to proceed to battle unsupported, drawing their strength from on numbers and surprise to win.  As an organization the Katipunan had unwieldy communications,  largely ineffective command structure and loose control over organized groups.  It truly was a ragtag army whose only strength was their aspiration to free the Philippines from Spanish control.  

Under the above mentioned circumstances, it is a truly admirable feat that the early and later leaders of the Katipunan manage to win some battles and bring the first phase of the revolution to a stalemate. 

                                                                     Andres Bonifacio

Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (November 30, 1863 – May 10, 1897) was a former member of the La Liga Filipina. He was a founder and leader of the Kataastaasan Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK or Katipunan for short) which advocated Philippine independence by armed struggle. He was known as the "Supremo".

In 1892 he joined La Liga Filipina (The Philippine League), an organization which called for political reforms in the Spanish government of the Philippines. Bonifacio was a Freemason and a member of the Gran Oriente Español (Spanish Grand Lodge). However, La Liga Filipina disbanded after one meeting as Rizal was arrested and deported to the town of Dapitan in Mindanao. Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini and others revived La Liga Filipina in Rizal’s absence. Bonifacio was active at organizing local chapters in Manila.La Liga Filipina contributed moral and financial support to Filipino reformists in Spain.

On July 7, 1892, the day after Rizal’s deportation was announced, Bonifacio and others founded the Katipunan, or in full, Kataastaasan(g) Kagalanggalang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (“Highest and Most Respected Society of the Sons of the Country”).The secret society sought independence from Spain through armed revolt.It was influenced by Freemasonry through its rituals and organization, and several members aside from Bonifacio were also Freemasons.

From the beginning, Bonifacio was one of the chief Katipunan officers, though he did not become its Supremo (supreme leader) or Presidente Supremo(Supreme President)until 1895. Bonifacio was the third head of the Katipunan after Deodato Arellano and Roman Basa. Prior to this, he served as the society’s comptroller and then its fiscal. The society had its own laws, bureaucratic structure and elective leadership. For each province it involved, the Katipunan Supreme Council coordinated provincial councils in charge of public administration and military affairs and local councils in charge of affairs on the district or barrio level. Bonifacio was a member and eventually head of theKatipunan Supreme Council.

After the early battles in Manila which resulted in defeats but had the effect of tying up Spanish Forces in Manila, Bonfacio, on Gen. Mariano Alvarez's invitation (Magdiwang chief) went to Cavite. The Filipino forces in Cavite under both the Magdiwang and Magdalo factions had early successes and gained control. Events did not turn out in favor of the Supremo as he was subsequently executed on charges of treason after the Tejeros Convention. According to some accounts, this was the culmination of a long running feud between Emilio Aguinaldo and Andres Bonifacio.

General Paciano Rizal, brother of patriot Jose Rizal.

Gen. Lucerio Geronimo (courtesy of Macky Hosalla)

                                                                      Gen. Artemio Ricarte "Vibora"

• 

         General Santiago Alvarez              Emilio Aguinaldo

                                      General Mariano Alvarez              Dr. Pio Valenzuela

The first four brigadier generals of the revolution:

• Aguedo del Rosario
• Vicente Fernandez
• Ramon Bernardo
• Gregorio Coronel

Jose Rizal

A copy or Rizal's business card in Hongkong

JOSE RIZAL

Jose Rizal was the foremost Philippine patriot and, to quote the Spanish court who tried him, was the "spirit of the revolution".  Shown below are not your everyday Rizal pictures.

 

Rizal sketches

The then considered subversive writings and documents (below)

Original handrwritten text of the Mi Ultimo Adios

The original grave of Rizal at the Paco cemetery.  Rizal's burial location was kept secret by the Spanish authorities but was found and marked with RPJ - reverse of Rizal's initials