General Draper's Expedition.
The affairs of the colony--now directed by custom and precedence
into the narrow channel of official routine--flowed placidly along in
undisturbed monotony. But in 1762 another enemy appeared before the
walls of Manila; an enemy more powerful than any that had heretofore
threatened the peace of that tropical capital. War had been declared
by Spain against England, and the enterprising inhabitants of that
little isle were not slow in following their traditional policy of
striking the first blow. Rodney and Monckton were sent to Havana. This
they took without great difficulty, and soon a British squadron,
composed of thirteen ships, under the command of Admiral Cornish,
was despatched to Manila.
It was the evening of the 22nd of September when the English fleet
arrived in the bay, and the following morning Admiral Cornish sent an
officer to the Governor, demanding the surrender of the citadel. At
this peremptory proceeding the haughty Spaniard was highly incensed,
and his refusal was couched in terms no less indignant than defiant.
Words having signally failed to bring the Spanish to terms, a
demonstration of force was decided upon, and Brigadier-General Draper
was sent on shore with a large body of troops. The garrison, however,
treated this display with counter demonstrations, and Draper's threats
with lofty disdain. Draper therefore resolved to parley no longer,
and the bombardment began the next day.
The British forces consisted of 1600 European troops, nearly 3000
seamen, and about 800 Sepoys--about 5000 fighting men. The forces
in Manila, on the other hand, were only 603 Spaniards and 77 small
guns. In the meantime, the ardor of the British had been inflamed by
the capture of a Spanish galleon containing $2,500,000 in specie.
The Archbishop, Manuel Antonio Rojo, who acted also as Governor,--the
seat of that functionary being vacant at the time,--seeing the
hopelessness of the conflict, and desiring to avert unavailing
bloodshed, counseled surrender. But the soldiers in the garrison,
under their fiery leader Simon de Anda, were utterly intractable,
and prepared vigorously for the defense. After a few unsuccessful
sorties, the Spanish batteries, on the 24th September, began a
rapid but harmless cannonade. Again a company sallied forth from
the garrison to attack the invaders, but this also was repulsed,
with considerable loss to the Spanish. The English now renewed the
bombardment, and terrific havoc was made among the ranks of the
enemy. Some two thousand natives, in three columns, advanced toward
the three improvised redoubts held by the British, and were driven
back with great loss and confusion. Panic-stricken, the natives fled
back to their villages, and on the 5th of October the besieging forces
entered the walled city. The bombardment, meanwhile, continued. Nor
did it cease until the forts were demolished and most of the Spanish
artillerymen killed. It is estimated that 20,000 cannon-balls and
5000 shells were thrown into the city.
The military men among the Spanish now counseled surrender. The
civilians, contrariwise, were eager to continue the defense. But as
most of the fortifications were destroyed, and since "confusion worse
confounded" already reigned in the city, many fled to the surrounding
villages.
The opposing civilians having barricaded and otherwise obstructed the
streets, the British advanced into the heart of the city, clearing
the way before them with a raking fire of musketry.
General Draper now sent Colonel Monson to the Archbishop, demanding
instant and absolute surrender. The Archbishop appeared and offered
himself as a prisoner, also presenting terms of capitulation. These
provided for the free exercise of religion, the security of private
property, unrestricted commerce between the Spaniards and the natives,
and the English support of the Supreme Court in its attempts to
preserve order.
The British Demand an Indemnity.
General Draper readily granted these terms, but demanded an indemnity
of $4,000,000. To this the Spanish agreed, and these terms were then
signed by both parties to the compact.
When the Union Jack was first unfurled from Fort Santiago, it is said
that the British burst forth into a chorus of ringing cheers.
But their joy was not unmixed with sensations of sorrow; for,
it is reported, over 1500 men, and many gallant officers, were
lost in the assault. The city was then given over to the mercy
of the victorious troops, and a riotous scene of pillage ensued;
many excesses were committed, the Sepoys, in particular, committing
many atrocities. General Draper forthwith gave the command that these
outrages should cease; and guards were at once placed at the doors of
the convents and the nunneries to prevent outrages on the women. A
few thieving Chinamen, who had taken advantage of the confusion to
add to their own profit, were hanged; and the General, it is said,
with his own hand cut down a soldier that he caught stealing after
his inhibition had been proclaimed.
The English now demanded the payment of the stipulated indemnity,
but the enforced contributions from the wealthy inhabitants, with
the silver from the churches--all that the Spaniards professed to be
able to collect--amounted to only a little more than half a million
dollars,--but one-eighth of the stipulated sum. Threat and force
were alike unavailing to produce the other monies promised, although
the friars, it is believed, had secreted immense sums, determined at
all hazards to preserve their accumulated store from the rapacity of
their Protestant enemy.
By the terms of the capitulation the entire Archipelago had been
surrendered to the British; but Simon de Anda, who commanded the
Spanish forces during the siege, had now established himself in
Bulacan as Provisional Governor, in opposition to the authority
of the Archbishop who had bitterly denounced the surrender. The
clergy, however, were the more influential part of the Colonial
Government, and General Draper accordingly treated with them alone,
obtaining their consent to a cession of all the islands to the King
of England. Draper himself then returned to England, leaving behind
a Provisional Military Government.
Admiral Cornish now demanded the payment of the million dollars that
the British had finally decided to accept as full indemnity.
The Spaniard, however, continued to plead poverty, and the money was
not forthcoming. Several thousands of dollars were eventually unearthed
in the convent where the friars had hidden it. The British, though
convinced of the deception that these holy brethren had practised
to save these dollars,--wrung from the hearts of the poor,--were,
however, unable to lay their hands upon the treasure.
Simon de Anda, the self-constituted Governor, now became unusually
active in the provinces, and several expeditions were sent out to
quell the various insurrections that he had been stirring up. One of
these, numbering 600 men, under the leadership of Captain Eslay, in the
province of Bulacan, assaulted and took a fortified convent. They were
also victorious in some engagements with a body of natives, several
thousand strong, under the command of Lieutenant Bustos, a Spanish
officer. As several Austin friars had been found among the slain, the
British rightly believed that their order had been conspiring against
them. Many, therefore, were arrested. Eleven were sent back to Europe.
Naturally suspicious of all the friars, the English now entered the
Augustine convent and found that these priests had been no less
deceitful than their brethren in the other orders. Six thousand,
five hundred dollars in coin were found hidden in the garden, and
large quantities of wrought silver elsewhere. The convent itself was
then searched and all the valuables found therein taken.
About this time the Spaniards professed to have discovered a conspiracy
among the Chinese in the province of Pampanga, the object being,
they said, to murder Anda and his Spanish followers. The Chinese had
raised extensive fortifications, saying that these preparations were
all made as a defense against an expected attack from the British.
The Spaniards, however, suspecting sympathy with their enemies,
attacked the Celestials and a general massacre of the Chinese
followed. Many thousands, too, were killed that had taken no part in
the war.
Admiral Cornish, disgusted and infuriated with their obvious deception
and palpable dilly-dallying, again demanded the payment of the
indemnity. But he was forced to content himself with a bill on the
Madrid Treasury.
Anda now appointed Bustos Alcalde of Bulacan: he hoped great things
of his seditious and unscrupulous lieutenant; he knew that he would
resort to every means to harass the enemy: he therefore, accordingly,
ordered him to recruit and train troops.
For Anda still cherished the hope of confining the British, perhaps,
even, of driving them from the colony. So, with practiced subtlety
and with masked deviltry, he set about accomplishing his grim purpose.
Intrigues Against the British.
The British were now kept busy suppressing the numerous intrigues
against their power that sprang up among the Spanish residents
everywhere. Many sorties also were made to dislodge the persistent and
irrepressible Anda and his lieutenant Bustos, now encamped at Malinta,
a village a few miles from Manila. Most of those assaults, however,
proved indecisive and ineffectual. The priests proved troublesome,
and were the cause of much bloodshed, teaching the natives that the
British were infidels.
The Augustine friars were especially hostile, many laying aside the
cowl for the helmet. At Masilo, indeed, the British were defeated
by an Austin friar, who, with a small band of natives, attacked them
from ambush.
The Austin friars, however, had some cause for grievance. For,
according to a recent historian, they had lost nearly a quarter of
a million dollars, fifteen of their convents were destroyed, several
valuable estates despoiled, ten of the members killed in the battle,
and nineteen were taken prisoners and sent as exiles to India and
Europe.
On the 23d of July, 1763, an English vessel brought news of an
armistice between the conflicting Powers. And in the latter part
of August the British Commander received notice of the articles of
peace, by which Manila was to be evacuated (Peace of Paris, 10th of
Feb., 1763).
It was several months, however, before peace was finally established
in the island, fierce quarrels having arisen among the rival factions
of the Spaniards as to who should be Governor and receive the city
officially from the British. The Archbishop having died, Anda, who
was in actual command of the troops, was fully recognized by the
British as Governor. Don Francisco de La Torre arriving at this time
from Spain with a commission as Governor-General, Anda resigned the
Government to him on the 17th of March, 1764. Several serious quarrels
now took place, due to jealousy among the English officers; but Anda,
on behalf of the new Governor, formally received the city from the
British, who embarked for India, after having met all claims that
could be justly established against them.