During the naval action a battery of 10-inch guns at Manila opened an ineffectual fire on our fleet as it was moving into action north of Oavite.  The admiral did not return’ the fire out of mercy for the people of Manila, as any shots passing over the shore batteries would have landed in a populous portion of the city.

On Monday, May 2, the Kaleigh and Baltimore were sent to demand the surrender of the forts at the mouth of the bay.  These forts were taken without resistance.  The troops had fled and only the commandant remained to surrender himself.

In regard to the cutting of the cable, Admiral Dewey regarded the action as necessary.  He sent word to the governor by the British consul that if he was permitted to send his dispatches to the United States government the cable would not be cut.  The governor refused to promise and Admiral Dewey decided to stop all communication between Manila and Madrid.

On Monday, when the cable was cut, the commander established a marine guard at Cavite to protect the hospitals and the Spanish wounded.  Surgeons and the hospital corps of the American fleet were detailed to care for the wounded Spaniards, and they cared for them as tenderly as if they were brothers in arms instead of enemies.  On Wednesday, May 4, several hundred of the wounded Spaniards were conveyed under the Red Cross flag to Manila and were cared for in the hospitals there.

The Spaniards in Manila no longer feared the Americans, but they were in dread of capture by the insurgents.  The rebels were over-running Cavite and pillaging houses.  The country back of Manila was full of burning buildings and wrecked plantations.  The reckless insurgents were applying the torch right and left.

Admiral MONTEJO’S private papers.

The most interesting capture made by the Americans was a bundle of private papers belonging to Admiral Montejo.  One of these communications, bearing his signature, showed that it was his intention to have a general review and inspection of the fleet at 7 o’clock on Sunday morning.  This proves that he was not expecting the American fleet so soon.

Other papers showed that it had been his intention at one time to intrust the defense of Manila to the land batteries and take the fleet to Subig bay, north of Manila, believing that he could there take up a strong position and have an advantage over an attacking fleet.

According to the reports from Manila the admiral first went ashore at Cavite and had his wounds dressed.  He succeeded in evading the insurgents, who wished to capture him, and arrived in Manila twelve hours after the fight.

There are some very interesting figures as to the amount of firing done by our ships during the battle.  The Olympia fired 1,764 shells, aggregating twenty-five tons in weight.  The Baltimore did even heavier firing, being called upon to reduce the forts after the first engagement, and sent no less than thirty-five tons of metal into the Spanish ships and the land batteries.  The remainder of the fleet shot a total of eighty tons of metal, making a grand total of 140 tons.