Generel Goyo: The Gregorio

Del Pilar Story

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Born November 14, 1875 in Bulacan,
Philippines. Gregorio del Pilar Sempio
was one of the youngest generals in
the Philippine revolutionary Forces. He
was a general in the Philippine
Revolution and Philippine-American war
and was nick named “Boy General” due
to his youthful age and known as a
ladies man. Gregorio was the youngest
general to die during the wars.

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Gregorio is the son of Fernando Hilario del Pilar and
Felipa Sempio of Bulacan and nephew to Marcelo H.
del Pilar a propagandist and Torbio H. del Pilar who
exiled from Guam due to 1872 Cavite Mutiny
involvement.

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"Goyo", as he was casually known,
studied at the Ateneo Municipal de
Manila, where he received his
Bachelor’s degree in 1896, at the
age of 20.

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When the Philippine
Revolution against Spanish
rule broke out in August under
the leadership of Andres
Bonifacio, del Pilar joined the
insurgency. He distinguished
himself as a field commander
while fighting Spanish garrisons in
Bulacan.

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For his daring attacks in various encounters, he was steadily
promoted in the military. Aguinaldo took notice of the
young man. Del Pilar joined Emilio Aguinaldo as a “Boy
General”. He was one of the signers of the Pact of Biak-na-
Bato and he later joined Aguinaldo in exile in Hongkong. He
became Aguinaldo's protege and confidential man.

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During the Spanish-American War,
Aguinaldo returned to the
Philippines and established the
government of the First Philippine
Republic. He appointed del Pilar
section leader of the revolutionary
forces in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija

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On June 1, del Pilar landed in Bulacan with rifles
purchased in Hong Kong, quickly laying siege on the
Spanish forces in the province. When the Spaniards
surrendered to del Pilar, he brought his men
to Caloocan and Manila to support the other
troops battling the Spaniards there.

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He continued his battles in Manila, Caloocan and
Bulacan. He was sent to represent the military and
the President in the two peace missions offering a
ceasefire to the Americans after the fall of Malolos.
He was made the Military Governor of Pangasinan and
the right hand man of Gen. Aguinaldo.

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The Philippine-American War

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When the Philippine-American
War broke-out on February
1899, del Pilar led his troops
to a short victory over
Major Franklin Bell in the
first phase of the Battle of
Quingua on April 23, 1899,
in which his forces repelled a
cavalry charge and killed the
highly respected Colonel John
M. Stotsenburg, after
whom Clark Air Base was
originally named Fort
Stotsenburg.

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On November 22 he was ordered to defend and
protect the Tirad Pass as a delaying action and to
cover the retreat of President Aguinaldo. On morning
of December 2, 1899, del Pilar led 60 Filipino soldiers
of Aguinaldo's rear guard in the Battle of Tirad
Pass against the "Texas Regiment", the 33rd Infantry
Regiment of the United States led by Peyton C.
March.

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The five-hour standoff
resulted in Del Pilar's death
due to a shot to the neck
(at the height or end of the
fighting, depending on
eyewitness accounts). With
the aide of a spy, Jose
Galut, He revealed a secret
approach to the Americans.
This caused the defeat of the
troops of Gregorio del Pilar.

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Del Pilar's body lay unburied for days, exposed
to the elements. While retracing the trail, an
American officer, Lt. Dennis P. Quinlan, gave
the body a traditional U.S. military burial.
Upon del Pilar's tombstone, Quinlan inscribed,
"An Officer and a Gentleman".In 1930, del
Pilar's body was exhumed and was identified by
the gold tooth and braces he had installed while
in exile in Hong Kong

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