Volume 49 — LETTERS FROM GENERAL DRAPER TO EARL OF EGREMONT

Manila Nov^r. 1^st. 1762

My Lord

In obedience to his majesty’s Commands, I have delivered up Manila & the port of Cavite to the Gentlemen appointed to receive them in behalf of the Company with all the Cannon ammunition and Warlike stores found therein, according to the inclosed Lists, the Kings Goodness has granted them one of the richest Cities & Islands in the World, in Fertility & every other blessing of nature not inferiour to any belonging to the British Crown, if the turn of affairs in Europe can perpetuate Possession it may prove a source of Commerce & wealth not to be equalled in any other port of the Globe; the season of the year & the Condition of the squadron will not permit M^r. Cornish to take Possession of the subordinate Islands that have been ceded to his Majesty, till the ships are repaired the admirals zeal for his Majesty’s service & his great & essential service to us, during the whole course of the Expedition & fatiguing operations of the siege are beyond all praise all the other officers of His squadron Exerted themselves to the utmost upon [e]very occasion, the Captains Collins Pitchford and George Ourry who commanded the corps of five hundred seamen, whom the admiral was so obligeing to support me with behaved with the greatest spirit & good Conduct, & were of singular use to us their men and the marines behaved with their usual activity Life and Intrepedity.

In my letters from Madrass & their Duplicates I took the Liberty to inform your Lordship how much I depended upon the great abilities of Colo. Monson for the success of the Interprize; the Reduction of the place has been so much owing to his Consumate skill & Bravery that it would be doing him the highest Injustice not to name him in a particular manner I blush to give him orders & most humbly beg leave through your Lordship to recommend him to his Majesty & shall esteem my own poor services most abundantly rewarded by any mark of the Royal favour to him and the following Gentlemen. L^t. Colo. Scott, Major Barker, who Commanded the artillery, Captain Stevenson chief Engineer (with majors Cotsford & Barnard) Captain Fletcher major of Brigade my nephew Captⁿ. moore Captain Pemble aides de camp they have all acted in their several departments with such great merit as much facilitated my good fortune the two Corps of his Majesty’s & the Company’s artillery & their other Troop’s behaved Exceeding well. In the last place I beg leave to represent the services of my own Regiment which under the good conduct of their former & Present field officers, the Majors Fell and Drake, has the Peculiar merit of having first stop’d the Progress of the French in India, turned and decided the fate of the War there, and Carry’d the Glory of his majesty’s arms to the utmost verge of Asia, seventy three officers & above eight hundred men have fallen the victims of their own vallour & the cause of the Publick, since the Regiment left England, besides the numbers who have been wounded the widows & orphans Occasioned by this severe service are very numerous, Your Lordship^s goodness encourages me to mention them as objects of Compassion

I am My Lord with the greatest respect

Your &c^a

signed Will^m. Draper Brig^r. Gen^l. & Comm^r. in chief.

Captⁿ. Fletcher has ten stands of Colours to lay at his majesty’s Feet.

[The following letter, dated one day later than the above, appears to be a second and more careful draft of substantially the same letter.]

Whitehall, April 16. 1763. On Thursday night, Lt-Col. Scott arrived with the following letter to the Earl of Egremont, from Brig-Gen. Draper, who also arrived himself about the same time.

Manila, Nov. 2, 1762.

My Lord,

I do myself the honour of sending Lt-Col Scott, late adjutant-general, to inform your Lordship of the success of his Majesty’s arms in the conquest of Manila, the surrender of the port of Cavite, and the cession of the Philippine islands.

On the 6th of October we took the capital by storm, after twelve days operation, which are detailed in my journal. Our loss upon this occasion would have been trifling, but for the death of Maj. More, a valiant good officer; and it is with particular satisfaction I can assure your Lordship, that the firm bravery and perseverance of the troops could only be equalled by their humanity after victory. Out of respect and deference to Adm. Cornish, we waited till he came on shore; and, being desirous to save so fine a city from destruction, we jointly dictated the annexed conditions to the Governor-General (the Archbishop), and the chief magistrates; who most readily embraced them.

I have appointed Maj. Fell of the 79th regiment to be commandant of the garrison; which must consist of all the troops brought from Madrass, as the great extent of the place, its very numerous inhabitants, and unsettled country, with the importance of the Cavite, demand at least this force for an effectual security.

The season of the year, and condition of the squadron, oblige us to defer the taking possession of the subordinate places ceded to the crown, until the ships have had a sufficient repair; and I have the pleasure to acquaint your Lordship, that the large quantity of naval stores taken in the royal magazines at Cavite, supply most excellent materials for this purpose, in which the Admiral is indefatigable; whose zeal for his Majesty’s service, great cordiality, and constant attention to us during the whole course of the expedition, and fatiguing progress of the siege, are beyond all praise. The other officers of the fleet exerted themselves to the utmost upon every occasion. As a small acknowledgment of our many obligations to Mr Kempenfeldt, the Admiral’s Captain, I begged his acceptance of the government of the citadel and port of Cavite, till it was given up to the company. His prudent and excellent regulations there, were of the greatest utility to the public service.

The Captains Collins, Pitchford, and George Ourry, who commanded the battalion of seamen, behaved with great spirit and conduct; and Capt. Jocelyn, who was intrusted with the care of the disimbarkations, gave us all the assistance that could be wished or expected from a diligent good officer. The marine officers and corps were of great service, and the seamen astonished us with most extraordinary proofs of activity and valour, particularly those who assisted at our batteries.

William Draper, Brig-General, and Commander in Chief.

Proposals made to their Excellencies his Britannic Majesty’s Commanders in Chief by Sea and Land, by his Excellency the Archbishop, Captain-General of the Phillippine Islands, the Royal Audience, the City, and Commerce of Manila.

Art. I. That their effects and possessions shall be secured to them, under the protection of his Britannic Majesty, with the same liberty they have heretofore enjoyed.—Granted.

II. That the Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman religion, be preserved and maintained in its free exercise and functions, by its pastors and faithful ministers.—Granted.

III. That the families which are retired into the country may have free liberty to return unmolested.—Granted.

IV. That the same indemnification and liberty may extend to persons of both sexes, inhabitants of this city, without any prejudice or molestation to their interior commerce.—They may carry on all sorts of commerce as British subjects.

V. Having great confidence in the manners and politeness of their Excellencies the Britannic Generals, hope they will use their best endeavours in preserving peace and quietness in the city and suburbs, chastising all people who shall dare to oppose their superior orders.—Granted.

VI. That the inhabitants of this city may enjoy the same liberty of commerce as they have had heretofore, and that they may have proper passports granted them for that end.—Answered by the 4th article.

VII. That the same liberty may be granted to the natives of the country for bringing in all manner of provisions, according to their usual method, without the least opposition or extortion, paying for them in the same manner as hath been heretofore practised.—Granted; but any person coming in with any fire-arms, or offensive weapons, will be put to death.

VIII. That the ecclesiastical government may be tolerated, and have free liberty to instruct the faithful, especially the native inhabitants.—They must not attempt to convert any of our Royal Master’s Protestant subjects to the Popish faith.

IX. That the use and exercise of the economical government of the city may remain in its same freedom and liberty.—Granted.

X. That the authority, as well political as civil, may still remain in the hands of the Royal Audience, to the end that, by their means, a stop may be put to all disorders, and the insolent and guilty be chastised.—To be subject to the superior controul of our government.

XI. That the said ministers and royal officers, their persons and goods, be in full security, be maintained in their honours, with a stipend sufficient for their support, his Catholic Majesty being answerable for the same; upon those conditions the above-mentioned ministers will be under the protection of his Britannic Majesty, in the same manner as the rest of the inhabitants. His Catholic Majesty must pay for their support.

XII. That the inhabitants may have free liberty to reside within, or out of the city, as shall be most convenient for them.—Still to be subject to the revocation of our government, if they find it necessary.

S. Cornish W. Draper

Man. Ant. Arzp. de Manila, Gov. y Cap. Gen. de las Philipinas.

Francisco Henriquez de Villacourta

Manuel Galban y Ventura

Francisco Leandro de Viana

Conditions on which the city of Manila shall be preserved from Plunder, and the Inhabitants preserved in their Religion, Goods, Liberties and Properties, under the Government and Protection of his Britannic Majesty.

Art. I. The Spanish officers of every rank shall be esteemed as prisoners of war, upon their parole of honour, but shall have the liberty of wearing their swords. The rest of the troops, of every degree and quality, must be disarmed, and disposed of as we shall think proper. They shall be treated with humanity.

II. All the military stores, and magazines, of every kind, must be surrendered, faithfully, to our Commissaries, and nothing secreted or damaged.

III. His Excellency the Governor must send immediate orders to the fort of Cavite, and the other forts under his command, and dependent upon Manila, to surrender to his Britannic Majesty.

IV. The propositions contained in the paper delivered on the part of his Excellency the Governor, and his council, will be listened to, and confirmed to them, upon their payment of four millions of dollars, the half to be paid immediately, the other half to be paid in a time to be agreed upon, and hostages and security given for that purpose.

Done in the city of Manila, Oct. 6, 1762.

S. Cornish W. Draper

Manuel Ant. Arzp. de Manila, Gov. y Cap. Gen. de las Philippinas.

Francisco Henriquez de Villacourta

Manuel Galban y Ventura

All the islands subordinate to Luconia, and Manila its capital, and which are at present under the domination of his Catholic Majesty, must be ceded to his Britannic Majesty, who must be acknowledged sovereign till the fate of these islands is decided by a peace between the two Kings. Their religion, goods, liberties, properties, and commerce, shall be preserved to the inhabitants of those islands who are subjects of Spain, in as ample a manner as they are confirmed to the inhabitants of Manila, and the island of Luconia. All the governors and military shall be allowed the honours of war; but give their parole, as the officers have done at Manila and Cavite, not to serve or take up arms against his Britannic Majesty.

Dated at Manila, Oct. 30, 1762.

S. Cornish W. Draper

Man. Ant. Arzp. de Manila, Gov. y Cap. Gen. de las Philippinas.

Francisco Henriquez de Villacourta

Manuel Galban y Ventura

[We add here also, as being its proper place, the following “Proposals,” taken from Draper’s Plain Narrative, pp. 27–30, which we find nowhere else.]

Proposals of their Excellencies his Britannic Majesty’s Commanders in Chief, which are agreed to by the Most Illustrious Governor of these Islands, as likewise the Royal Audience, the City and Commerce with the Clergy, both secular and regular.

Art. I. That the Governor would give immediate Orders for delivering up the Port of Cavita, with its Fortifications, which has been executed by an Order to the Castiliana of the said Port, which was shewn to their Excellencies, and sent to the Serjeant Major of the said Port.

In this Manner the said Proposals are agreed to on the Part of his Excellency the Governor and his Council, and confirmed by their Excellencies the Britannic Commanders in Chief, according to the fourth Proposition of their Excellencies, bearing Date the 6th Day of October, 1762.

Signed by the Archbishop and the Ovidores of the City of Manila.

Counterpart signed by

Rear Admiral Cornish and Brigadier General Draper