02 December, 1899

TODAY IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

The Battle of Tirad Pass between 60 Filipino soldiers under General Gregorio del Pilar and more than 300 American soldiers under General Peyton C. March took place.

General Del Pilar, was ordered to block the Yankees’ advance into Tirad Pass, a mountain gap in the Cordillera Mountains of Northern Luzon. However, unknown to Del Pilar and his men, a Filipino was leading a group of American soldiers to their rear. As he heard a volley of fire coming from the back, Del Pilar saw many of his soldiers fall one by one.

Standing alone, he took out his diary from his breast pocket and wrote the following words: ”What I am doing now is for my beloved land.”

After returning his diary to his pocket, he mounted his horse once more with saber in hand, but a single shot claimed the life of the young, brave general.

(Ref: Philippine News Agency; Photo from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tirad_Pass)