On This Day - June 4, 1900, the Battle of Makahambus Hill (now in Cagayan de Oro City)

On June 4, 1900, the Battle of Makahambus Hill (now in Cagayan de Oro City) saw a rare Filipino victory achieved against the United States during the Filipino-American War. 

 

 

 

Led by Colonel Apolinar Velez (pictured, bottom left) and Lieutenant Cruz Taal (bottom right), the Filipino soldiers were able to inflict 20 American casualties, while suffering only four on the Filipino side. This would be one of the few instances during the war when American casualties exceeded that of the Filipinos.

Seizing the element of surprise, the Filipino lines remained quiet in the duration the Americans under Captain Thomas Miller's company (from the US 40th Regiment) climbed. But as soon as the first American reached close enough to their gate to greet "Good morning", the Filipino cannon and their rifles went blazing. Added to the enemy difficulty were the traps conveniently set where the Filipinos expected the American advance. 

Thrice the Americans attempted to take the Filipino lines, and thrice they were repulsed by the entrenched Filipinos. Eventually, when the Americans saw it was nearly impossible to flank or maneuver, they sounded their retreat.