Battle of San Mateo (1899)

Battle of San Mateo
Part of the Philippine–American War
Death of Major-General Henry Ware Lawton during the battle
Date December 19, 1899 Location San Mateo, Manila (now Rizal), Philippines Result Inconclusive Death of General Henry Ware Lawton Americans' 29th Battalion successfully cross the river at 11 am Filipino forces retreat from San Mateo
Belligerents
Philippine Republic	United States
Commanders and leaders
Pio del Pilar Licerio Gerónimo	Henry Ware Lawton † James R. Lockett
Strength
1,000	Unknown
Casualties and losses
40 killed 125 wounded[1]	11 killed 13 wounded

The Battle of San Mateo was a battle during the Philippine–American War between the United States and the Philippines. It was fought on December 19, 1899, near San Mateo in what was then Manila province (now a part of Rizal) between the forces of General Henry Ware Lawton, and General Licerio Gerónimo's Morong Command and a detachment of Tiradores de la Muerte.^[2] Lawton was killed in the battle, making him the highest-ranking American commander to die in the Philippine conflict.^[3]

On December 18, Lawton and his men were en route to San Mateo along the Marikina River in a punitive expedition against Brig. Gen. Pio del Pilar's 1,000 force, which threatened the Marikina waterworks and the Manila Wagon Road to the north.^[4]: 160 Lawton's force included Col. James R. Lockett's squadron of the 11th Volunteer Cavalry and Lt. Col. H.H. Sargent's 29th Battalion.^[4]: 160 A monsoon flooded the river and muddied the trail.^{[4]: 160 [5]}

On December 19, the 11th captured Montalban, while Sargent's squadron made for San Mateo, approaching the Filipinos in rain and mist.^[4]: 161 The Filipinos forced Lawton's troops to scramble for cover in the rice fields.^[4]: 161

Lawton walked up and down the line in a white rain coat and pith helmet,^[6] rallying his men even after his aide was struck.^[4]: 161 Lawton died from a bullet to the chest from a Filipino sniper by the name of Bonifacio Mariano.^{[1][4]: 161}

Despite Lawton's death and heavy enemy fire, American troops faced additional challenges from the monsoon conditions, which made the nearby river nearly impassable. Two of Sargent's men located a ford and swam across the swollen river under fire and found a canoe, enabling them to ferry their comrades across.^[4]: 161

As Filipino rifle fire subsided, the Americans used the canoe to move north. Nearly six hours after encountering resistance, the entire American contingent crossed the river. The Filipino forces, weary and having inflicted minimal casualties, eventually retreated. The galvanized American forces then drove them from San Mateo.^[7]

The death of General Lawton proved to be a terrible blow to his soldiers' morale and the U.S. public.^{[4]: 161 [8]} Lawton's body was taken to Manila's Paco Park.^[9]

Before his death, Lawton had written about the Filipinos in a formal correspondence, "Taking into account the disadvantages they have to fight against in terms of arms, equipment and military discipline, without artillery, short of ammunition, powder inferior, shells reloaded until they are defective, they are the bravest men I have ever seen ..."^[1]