Battle of Manila (1762) - The Battle

The Battle

After much delay owing to stormy weather and the defective condition of Admiral Cornish's ships, the expedition entered Manila Bay on 24 September, and anchored off Fort Cavite. The following day, Draper landed his troops unopposed through heavy surf, about 2.5 km south of the walls of the city. A substantial number of Royal Marines and sailors were then detached from the fleet. The garrison of Manila consisted of the Royal Regiment (20 companies of 100 men each). These companies were far from being at full strength. Mortality, desertion and various detachments had reduced this regiment to some 565 soldiers. There were only 80 artillerymen, including some Filipinos. A day later, Draper seized a detached fort which had been abandoned by the Spaniards within 200 metres of the glacis, and began to construct a battery, while the ships sailed up to draw the fire of the town upon themselves.

On 30 September, a British storeship arrived with entrenching tools, but was driven ashore by a gale. Fortunately, she had run aground so that she screened the rear of Draper's camp from the Spanish cannon. Her stores were landed with greater speed and safety than would have been possible had she remained afloat for the gale continued for several days and forbade the passage of boats through the surf.

Weather conditions improved by 4 October, and the battery and the ships opened fire and in four hours had silenced the guns of Manila. By the next day, the British cannonade had made a practicable breach in the city's fortifications and the following night, the Spaniards made a sally upon the British position with 1,000 Filipinos but were driven back with heavy loss. At dawn, Draper's regiment and a party of sailors attacked the breach and took the fortifications with little difficulty. To prevent further slaughter, acting Governor-General Archbishop Manuel Rojo del Rio y Vieyra surrendered the citadel and the port of Cavite as soon as the city fell, promising four million Mexican silver dollars for ransom of the town, lives, and of the property therein.

Thus, Manila fell within ten days of the arrival of the British and on 10 October, Manila was placed under the authority of civilian Governor-General Dawsonne Drake.