Battle of Tirad Pass
Tirad Pass, Gregorio del Pilar, Ilocos Sur, Philippines
What happened
About 60 Filipino soldiers under 24-year-old General Gregorio del Pilar fought over 500 US troops under Major Peyton March. In the Philippine-American War, President Emilio Aguinaldo was retreating into the mountains of northern Luzon. Del Pilar's small rearguard held the narrow mountain pass to give him time to escape. After hours of fighting, US troops climbed around the Filipino position and overran it, and del Pilar fell.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Aguinaldo escaped, and the stand is remembered in the Philippines as the 'Philippine Thermopylae'. Del Pilar, the 'Boy General', became a national hero.
What came next
Aguinaldo continued the war from the mountains until he was captured on 23 March 1901. In 1955 the town where the battle took place was renamed Gregorio del Pilar.
Did you know?
The Philippine Military Academy's home, Fort Del Pilar, and a Philippine Navy ship are named after the young general.
Timeline
- 14 November 1875Gregorio del Pilar is born.
- 2 December 1899The Battle of Tirad Pass.
- 23 March 1901Aguinaldo is captured.
- 1955The town is renamed Gregorio del Pilar.