Battle of Tres de Abril

Battle of Tres de Abril
Revolt of Cebu

Part of the Philippine Revolution

Historical marker at Tres de Abril Street, Cebu City

Date	3–8 April 1898
Location	Cebu, Cebu, Visayan Islands, Spanish East Indies (now Philippines)
Result	Spanish victory

Belligerents

Katipunan

Spanish Empire

Commanders and leaders

Leon Kilat †
Arcadio Maxilom
Florencio Gonzales
Fernando Llamas Fernández
Jose Ignacio Paua (Lâu Hing-puah)
Bonifacio Aranas

Fernando Primo de Rivera

Strength

5,000 katipuneros

500 cazadores
1 gunboat
1 cruiser

Casualties and losses

unknown

Philippine Revolution

Luzon
Pugad Lawin Pasong Tamo 1st Manila San Juan del Monte Noveleta San Francisco de Malabon Kawit Nueva Ecija Imus Talisay Nasugbu Balayan Lian Batangas Binakayan and Dalahican Calero Bridge Sambat Morong Bulacan Pampanga Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur San Rafael Motin de Manila Bataan Bacoor Pateros Tarlac Kakarong de Sili Zapote Silang Naik Perez Dasmariñas Montalban Mount Purog Aliaga Paombong Biak-na-Bato Camalig Alapan Calamba Santa Cruz Bolinao Baguio Tayabas Lipa Baler Dagupan Vigan 2nd Manila Masbate Revolt of Ambos Camarines
Visayas
Aklan Capiz Cebu Balisong Batan Lincud Iloilo Negros Antique Oton Pilar Sara Jaro Visayas Expedition
Mindanao
Calaganan Zamboanga Misamis Davao

The Battle of Tres de Abril (Filipino: Labanan ng ikatatlo ng Abril, Cebuano: Sangka sa Ikatulo sa Abril, Spanish: Batalla del Tres de Abril) occurred in 3 April 1898, during the Philippine Revolution. It was fought in the city of Cebu, a month after the Revolt of Cebu began.

Battle

At 5 AM on 4 April, the rebels drove the Governor, General Montero, and his Spanish volunteers into Fort San Pedro and took control of Cebu City.^[1]^: 402 When the gunboat Maria Cristina opened fire, the rebels retreated to the Chinese quarter of Lutao.^[1]^: 402 On 7 April, 500 men of the 73rd Native Regiment and Spanish cazadores arrived under the command of General Tejeiro, and with the cruiser Don Juan de Austria, forcing the rebels to retreat to San Nicolas.^[1]^: 403 The Spanish continued their pursuit of the rebels on 8 April into the mountain region.^[1]^: 404

Aftermath

Leon Kilat was killed by his aide-de-camp, Apolinario Alcuitas, on April 8, 1898. The rebels then withdrew out of the city few weeks after he died. However, some of his generals, like General Maxilom, managed to capture some towns in the province such as Toledo and Balamban.

There is a commemorative monument for Leon Kilat on Kilat Street in Cebu City for the 3-day capture of Cebu City.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Foreman, J., 1906, The Philippine Islands, A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons

Sources

Foreman, John (1906). The Philippine Islands. A political, geographical, ethnographical, social and commercial history of the Philippine Archipelago and its political dependencies, embracing the whole period of Spanish rule (3rd ed.). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.