Editing Corregidor (section)

===Spanish–American War===
Corregidor Island was included in the Philippines' defense plan prepared in 1885 by General Cerero, but no action was taken to implement it. When the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]]'s attack was thought to be imminent, a [[Gonzalez Hontoria de 12 cm mod 1883|12&nbsp;cm gun of the "Hontoria System"]], which came from the [[Spanish Navy]]'s [[cruiser]] ''[[Spanish cruiser Don Antonio de Ulloa|Antonio de Ulloa]]'', and two shorter [[QF 4.7-inch Gun Mk I–IV|12 cm guns]] of the same [[caliber]] from the Spanish [[gunboat]] ''General Lezo'', were installed on the rocky island of El Fraile. On [[Caballo Island]], south of Corregidor, the [[Spanish army]] installed three [[BL 6 inch gun Mk II – VI|15&nbsp;cm naval guns]] from the Spanish navy cruiser ''[[Spanish cruiser Velasco|Velasco]]'', which was undergoing repairs.<ref>[http://www.northamericanforts.com/West/pi.html Philippine forts at American Forts Network]</ref>

At midnight on the night of April 30 to May 1, 1898, U.S. Navy Commodore [[George Dewey]] led his naval squadron, with his flag hoisted on board the [[protected cruiser]] {{USS|Olympia|C-6|6}}, eastward along the southern coast of Corregidor Island, beyond the reach of Spanish batteries and with no navigational lights on, preparing to fight the [[Battle of Manila Bay]].

At a distance about one mile off El Fraile, Dewey's fleet changed course to the northeast, steaming towards Manila. When they were discovered, the Spaniards fired from El Fraile's artillery. An American response followed immediately, first by {{USS|McCulloch|1897|6}} and then by {{USS|Boston|1884|6}}, {{USS|Raleigh|C-8|6}} and {{USS|Concord|PG-3|6}}. Since the flotilla's speed was ten knots, they were soon far away from the Spanish batteries. Dewey sailed for Cavite where he destroyed the naval forces of [[Patricio Montojo y Pasarón|Admiral Montojo]].

Once the Cavite shipyard was subdued by means of a stipulated pact, two American ships went ashore at Corregidor Island on May 3 forcing the Spaniards on the island to surrender. Colonel Garces, chief of the coast batteries at the entrance of Manila Bay, and the island's governor, First Class Naval Lieutenant Augusto Miranda, were urged to come to terms with the Americans, and so they did. Therefore, Miranda remained on the island with only 100 soldiers under the Spanish flag; Garces and officers under his command, as well as 292 men with their weapons and ammunition, were transferred to Mariveles port. From there they moved through the provinces of Bataan and Pampanga until they reached Manila on May 5. There they joined the Spanish navy battalion which was already quartered in Sampaloc.

On May 4, the American ships opened fire against the 100 men who, according to the pact, had been left on Corregidor and demanded the garrison forces be reduced to 25 men. The Spanish governor consulted Manila authorities, and they ordered the evacuation of the island. The troops were sent to [[Naic]], [[Cavite]] on boats while the island's governor was transferred to the American cruiser [[USS Baltimore (C-3)|USS ''Baltimore'']] and became a prisoner with his family. The Americans offered to free him but the governor rejected this. Shortly afterwards, he was disembarked in [[Balanga, Bataan]]. In this way the Spanish presence on Corregidor Island, which had lasted 328 years, came to an end.

A cannon that had guarded the residence of the Spanish colonial governor on Corregidor, the [[Dewey Cannon]], was taken as a prize of war to the United States.  It was later awarded to the rural town of [[Three Oaks, Michigan]], where it was remounted as a historical display.<ref name="Miller">{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Randy |date=June 18, 1999 |title=Three Oaks' Dewey Cannon notes a blast from the past |work=[[The Herald-Palladium]] |location=[[St. Joseph, Michigan]] |url=http://www.heraldpalladium.com/three-oaks-dewey-cannon-notes-a-blast-from-the-past/article_17875677-a662-5dd5-846c-147e470166be.html |access-date=November 28, 2017}}</ref>