Battle of Paete

General Lawton campaigning in the Philippines, 1899

Date	April 12, 1899
Location	Paete, Laguna
Result	United States victory

Belligerents

United States

First Philippine Republic

Commanders and leaders

Henry W. Lawton

Strength

Land:
~220 infantry
Sea:
1 gunboat

~50 infantry

Casualties and losses

5 killed,
2 wounded

~15 killed or wounded

The Battle of Paete (Pronounced Pie-tê) was a small battle fought between American forces, commanded by General Henry W. Lawton, and Philippine nationalists on April 12, 1899, during the Philippine-American War.

Upon capturing Santa Cruz and Pagsanjan, the American forces in Laguna launched another expedition to capture the town of Paete.

The United States Army assembled a force of about 220 men to capture the town, and began the march at 2:45 that afternoon. After about a one-hour march, the commander of the 1st North Dakota Volunteers, Major Fraine, ordered five men as scouts 100 yards ahead to locate the enemy positions. They soon spotted enemy breast works 150 yards in front of them, manned by 50 or so Filipino fighters. Major Fraine then halted the command and sent a small squad consisting of one corporal and four privates to flank the Filipino positions.

Some Filipino troops were hidden in thick foliage flanking the road, and they opened fire at close range on the small force, quickly dispatching them. Three of the squad members, including Corporal Isador Driscoll, were killed outright and another fell mortally wounded. Only one man was left after the volley, Private Thomas Sletteland, but he managed to drive back the nearest group of Filipinos, who repeatedly tried seize the rifles of his fallen comrades. He was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his role in this battle.

Lawton then deployed the majority of his men to attack and try and turn the flank of the enemy, which they were unable to do. The Americans attacking the front Filipino entrenchments were also unable to move them from their position. The American artillery battery then fired a few shrapnel rounds into the enemy positions, as the gunboat Laguna de Bay pelted the position with Gatling fire, which succeeded in dislodging the Filipinos.

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Wikipedia