What happened during the Battle of Manila on February 4–5, 1899?

The Battle of Manila, which took place on February 4–5, 1899, was the first and largest engagement of the Philippine-American War. It arose from escalating tensions between U.S. occupying forces and Filipino revolutionaries who sought independence after the Spanish-American War.

The conflict began on the evening of February 4, when two U.S. sentries at the San Juan del Monte bridge fired upon a group of Filipinos crossing the bridge. An exchange of fire immediately ensued, and Filipino rebels managed to capture two U.S. artillery pieces.

At daybreak on February 5, U.S. General Arthur MacArthur ordered an attack on the Filipino trenches. U.S. troops successfully captured a ridge north of the city and a village containing rebel supplies to the south. Despite the efforts of the Filipino independence fighters, the city's population did not rise in their support. Filipino units continued to skirmish on the outskirts of Manila for several days before being driven out. The battle resulted in approximately 50–60 U.S. deaths and up to 2,000 Filipino casualties.1