VIEWPOIN T S O N T H E

BATTL E O F M A NIL A 1 8 9 9
AN, D . & ESC O & F RA NCO
GROUP 4: CENA & DE GUZM
•B. THE INCIDENT, WHICH LED TO THE FILIPINO-AMERICAN
WAR, ACTUALLY BROKE OUT FROM THE INTERSECTION OF
SOCIEGO AND SILENCIO STREETS. THE INITIAL BOUT
EVENTUALLY REACHED SAN JUAN BRIDGE.
 

TESTIMONY A TESTIMONY B
.
The first shot of Filipino-
SIMILARITIES American War was fired
by Pvt. William Grayson
 
    The first shot of the Philippine-
In testimony A, stated that American War was not fired on
this bridge but on Sociego Street
the first shot was by Pvt. in Santa Mesa district, Manila.
William Grayson, an The Philippines' National
Englishman who killed Historical Institute (NHI)
DIFFERENCES Anastacio Felix and they recognized this fact through
Board Resolution 7 Series of
believe that this
2003. On Feb. 4, 2004 the marker
happened at San Juan on the bridge was removed and
Bridge. transferred to a site at the
  corner of Sociego and Silencio
streets.
 SAN JUAN BRIDGE: CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF
THAT PREVAILED FOR OVER A CENTURY, THE FIRST
SHOT OF THE PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR WAS NOT
FIRED ON THIS BRIDGE BUT ON SOCIEGO STREET IN
SANTA MESA DISTRICT, MANILA. THE PHILIPPINES'
NATIONAL HISTORICAL INSTITUTE (NHI)
RECOGNIZED THIS FACT THROUGH BOARD
RESOLUTION 7 SERIES OF 2003. ON FEB. 4, 2004 THE
MARKER ON THE BRIDGE WAS REMOVED AND
TRANSFERRED TO A SITE AT THE CORNER OF
SOCIEGO AND SILENCIO STREETS.
FILIPINO OUTPOST AT THE SAN JUAN BRIDGE
 COMPANY D, 1ST NEBRASKA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY REGIMENT. PHOTO
WAS TAKEN IN MARCH 1899.

FEB. 2, 1899: COL. LUCIANO SAN MIGUEL, PHILIPPINE ARMY, CONFERRING WITH
COL. JOHN M. STOTSENBURG, COMMANDER OF THE 1ST NEBRASKANS, AT SAN JUAN
DEL MONTE-SANTA MESA. BOTH MEN DIED IN COMBAT: STOTSENBURG FELL AT
QUINGUA, BULACAN PROVINCE ON APRIL 23, 1899, WHILE SAN MIGUEL WAS KILLED
ON MARCH 27, 1903, AT CORRAL-NA-BATO, MARIKINA, RIZAL PROVINCE.
PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT OFFICIALLY CLOSED THE WAR ON JULY 4, 1902
BUT SAN MIGUEL HELD OUT UNTIL HIS DEATH.
 PVT. WILLIAM W. GRAYSON 

ON SATURDAY NIGHT, FEB. 4, 1899, PRIVATES WILLIAM

W. GRAYSON AND ORVILLE H. MILLER OF COMPANY D, 1ST
NEBRASKA VOLUNTEERS, WHILE DOING SENTRY DUTY,
ENCOUNTERED 3 FILIPINO SOLDIERS ON SOCIEGO STREET
IN SANTA MESA, MANILA, BETWEEN BLOCKHOUSE 7
(MANILA CITY BOUNDARY) AND BARRIO SANTOL
(SAMPALOC DISTRICT).
 PVT. WILLIAM W. GRAYSON
• PVT. WILLIAM W. GRAYSON (1876-1941): THE ENGLISHMAN WHO FIRED THE SHOT THAT
IGNITED THE PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR; HE WAS BORN IN ENGLAND TO PARENTS
WILLIAM AND SARAH GRAYSON. THE FAMILY IMMIGRATED TO NEBRASKA WHERE YOUNG
GRAYSON WORKED AS A HOSTLER. HE ENLISTED IN THE 1ST NEBRASKA ON MAY 10, 1898.
THE REGIMENT RETURNED TO THE US FROM THE PHILIPPINES ON AUG. 1, 1899, MUSTERED
OUT, AND GRAYSON SETTLED IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. HE MARRIED CLARA
FRANCESCA PETERS ON OCT. 10, 1899, BECAME A US CITIZEN IN DECEMBER 1900, AND
HAD ONE CHILD, MARGUERITE, BORN IN 1909. HE WORKED AS A HOUSE PAINTER OR AN
UNDERTAKER; ILL HEALTH FORCED HIS RETIREMENT IN 1920. HE DIED IN THE SAN
FRANCISCO VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HOSPITAL ON MARCH 20, 1941.
PVT. WILLIAM W. GRAYSON, STANDING ON
THE SPOT WHERE HE FIRED THE SHOT THAT
STARTED THE PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR.
CORNER OF SOCIEGO AND SILENCIO STREETS, SANTA
MESA DISTRICT, MANILA. THE NATIONAL HISTORICAL
INSTITUTE PLACED TWO PLAQUES (IN ENGLISH AND IN
FILIPINO) MARKING THIS SPOT AS THE SCENE OF THE
FIRST SHOT THAT SPARKED THE PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN
WAR. THE PLAQUE IN ENGLISH STATES: "HERE AT 9:00 IN
THE EVENING OF FEBRUARY 4TH, 1899, PRIVATE
WILLIAM GRAYSON OF THE FIRST NEBRASKA
VOLUNTEERS FIRED THE SHOT THAT STARTED THE
FILIPINO-AMERICAN WAR.
PVT. WILLIAM W. GRAYSON, STANDING ON THE SPOT
WHERE HE FIRED THE SHOT THAT STARTED THE
PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR.
GRAYSON SAID: "ABOUT EIGHT O'CLOCK, MILLER AND I WERE
CAUTIOUSLY PACING OUR DISTRICT. WE CAME TO A FENCE
AND WERE TRYING TO SEE WHAT THE FILIPINOS WERE UP TO.
SUDDENLY, NEAR AT HAND, ON OUR LEFT, THERE WAS A LOW
BUT UNMISTAKABLE FILIPINO OUTPOST SIGNAL WHISTLE. IT
WAS IMMEDIATELY ANSWERED BY A SIMILAR WHISTLE
ABOUT TWENTY-FIVE YARDS TO THE RIGHT. THEN A RED
LANTERN FLASHED A SIGNAL FROM BLOCKHOUSE NUMBER 7.
WE HAD NEVER SEEN SUCH A SIGN USED BEFORE.
 “IN A MOMENT, SOMETHING ROSE UP SLOWLY IN FRONT OF US. IT
WAS A FILIPINO. I YELLED 'HALT!' AND MADE IT PRETTY LOUD, FOR I
WAS ACCUSTOMED TO CHALLENGING THE OFFICER OF THE GUARD IN
APPROVED MILITARY STYLE. I CHALLENGED HIM WITH ANOTHER
LOUD 'HALT!' THEN HE SHOUTED 'HALTO!' TO ME. WELL, I THOUGHT
THE BEST THING TO DO WAS TO SHOOT HIM. HE DROPPED. IF I DIDN'T
KILL HIM, I GUESS HE DIED OF FRIGHT.
"TWO FILIPINOS SPRANG OUT OF THE GATEWAY ABOUT 15 FEET
FROM US. I CALLED 'HALT!' AND MILLER FIRED AND DROPPED ONE. I
SAW THAT ANOTHER WAS LEFT. WELL, I THINK I GOT MY SECOND
FILIPINO THAT TIME...."  [LEFT, FRONT-PAGE REPORT IN THE  FREEDOM,
FEB. 16, 1899, PUBLISHED IN MANILA BY THE US ARMY].
PVT. WILLIAM W. GRAYSON: PHOTO WAS TAKEN NEAR
BLOCKHOUSE NO. 7 ON THE SPOT WHERE HE FIRED THE
FIRST SHOT.
THE NAME OF THE FIRST FILIPINO FATALITY OF THE WAR
WAS CORPORAL ANASTACIO FELIX OF THE 4TH COMPANY,
MORONG BATTALION UNDER CAPTAIN SERAPIO NARVAEZ.
THE BATTALION COMMANDER WAS COL. LUCIANO SAN
MIGUEL.
AS THEY RAN BACK TO THEIR POST, GRAYSON SHOUTED,
"LINE UP FELLOWS, THE NIGGERS ARE IN HERE ALL
THROUGH THESE YARDS."
 PVT. WILLIAM W. GRAYSON IN
FIRING POSITION ON THE SPOT
WHERE HE FIRED THE FIRST SHOT
OF THE FIL-AM WAR.
 FILIPINO TROOPS AT SAN JUAN DEL MONTE
EXCHANGED FIRE WITH THE AMERICAN LINE AT
STA. MESA. THE COMPANIES OF THE MORONG
BATTALION UNDER CAPTAIN NARVAEZ AND
CAPTAIN VICENTE RAMOS CHARGED THE
AMERICAN POSITIONS AND PUSHED BACK
GRAYSON’S UNIT AND EVEN CAPTURED AN
AMERICAN ARTILLERY PIECE. "BY 10 O'CLOCK
AT NIGHT," SAID AMERICAN HISTORIAN JAMES
LEROY "THE AMERICAN TROOPS WERE
ENGAGED FOR TWO MILES FROM PASIG RIVER
NORTH AND WEST."
Pvt. William W. Grayson, 1899.
THE END.