At 6.15 P.M. he telegraphed as follows:—­

“I inform you that the chiefs of our troops have reported to me that our flag at Singalong church (visita) was removed by the Americans and they hoisted theirs instead, not allowing us to approach thereto.  General Pio del Pilar is at present at the barrio of Concepcion.  Americans prohibited him to move on any farther.  How can he enter Manila?” [154]

No attention was paid to General Anderson’s request that the Insurgent troops should not enter Manila without permission.  They crowded forward with and after the American forces.  Coming out on Bagumbayan drive, they found American and Spanish troops confronting each other but not firing, the former on the drive, the latter on the neighbouring city wall.  A flag of truce was waving from the south bastion, nevertheless the Insurgents fired on the Spanish forces, provoking a return fire which killed and wounded American soldiers.  Of this incident General Greene has said:—­

“At this point the California regiment a short time before had met some insurgents who had fired at the Spaniards on the walls, and the latter, in returning the fire, had caused a loss in the California regiment of 1 killed and 2 wounded.” [155]

Some of these matters must have come to the attention of General Anderson, for he sent Aguinaldo a telegram, received by the latter at 6.35 P.M., as follows:—­

“Dated Ermita Headquarters 2nd Division 13 to Gen. Aguinaldo.  Commanding Filipino Forces.—­Manila, taken.  Serious trouble threatened between our forces.  Try and prevent it.  Your troops should not force themselves in the city until we have received the full surrender then we will negotiate with you.

“Anderson, commanding.” [156]

It appears that the Insurgent troops took the suburb of Santa Ana, and captured Spanish and Filipino officers and men. [157]

In view of the known facts, how absurd becomes the following contention of Aguinaldo, advanced in his “Resena Veridica:—­

“Our own forces could see the American forces land on the beach of the Luneta and of the Paseo de Santa Lucia.  The Spanish soldiers, who were on the walls of the city, drew the attention of every one because they did not fire on the former, a mystery which was explained at nightfall of that day, by the news of the capitulation of the place by General Senor Jaudenes [158] to the American General, Mr. Merritt, a capitulation which the American Generals claimed for themselves, an infraction of what had been agreed upon with Admiral Dewey, in regard to the formation of plans for the attack and taking of Manila by the two armies, American and Filipino, together and in combination.