Battle of Makahambus Hill
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
The Battle of Makahambus Hill was one of the victories won by the Filipinos over the Americans during the Philippine-American War. It was fought on June 4, 1900 in Cagayan de Misamis (now Cagayan de Oro City). The Filipinos were under the command of Colonel Apolinar Velez[1] of the Maguindanao Battalion. Most of them were volunteers apart from some Filipino army men who joined.[2]
Background
Col. Pablo Tecson's Bulacan guerrillas, which included his brothers Alipio and Simon, had constructed a number of fortresses in the mountains.[3]:271 On 25 May, they ambushed Capt. Charles D. Roberts' 6 man patrol, killing 3, and taking the rest prisoner, including Capt. Roberts.[3]:271 However, in a humanitarian act, Tecson released the two wounded prisoners, but kept Capt. Roberts captive.[3]:271 The Americans organized a campaign in an attempt to secure Roberts' release.
Battle
The fort at Makahambus was located on a high and steep hill. The Americans seeing how formidable the fort was tried to negotiate a Filipino surrender. The answer was a volley of cannon and rifle fire that drove the Americans back down the hill. Many were killed not by rifle fire, but by booby-trapped pits bristling with sharpened bamboo spears under a camouflage of foliage. The Americans launched repeated counterattacks, only to be driven back by rifle fire from the defenders.
On 4 June, Company E of the 35th was ambushed, followed by Maj. Albert Laws' battalion encountering the fortified hill.[3]:271 Lt. Grover Flint tried to flank the hill but was also ambushed, wounding him and two others.[3]:271 A relief force encountered another concealed trench line, and the Americans realized the fort was impossible to flank, being protected on both sides by gorges.[3]:271 The battalion was pinned down until the Filipinos withdrew.[3]:271
Aftermath
The American campaign was able to destroy some supply dumps in the search for Roberts, but failed to recapture him.[3]:271
American losses totaled as many as 20 dead and wounded. There was also one American prisoner of war. The Filipinos, however, suffered only 1 killed and 3 wounded, making this battle a one-sided victory for the Filipinos during the war.
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.msc.edu.ph/centennial/hero/armm/page15.html
- ↑ http://heritage.elizaga.net/history/page2.html
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Linn, B.M., 2000, The Philippine War, 1899-1902, Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, ISBN 0700612254
