THE PRINCE OF PHIL. REVOLUTION 2 Col. Vicente Enriquez was with Gen. del Pilar up to Cervantes and Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo begged del Pilar to stay behind in Cervantes, Tirad Pass had competent officers to defend it. According to Enriquez, del Pilar insisted on leaving. Aguinaldo’s attention, however, was called to what seemed an ominous sign; his horse which del Pilar was riding was whirling and twisting and would go no farther. Nevertheless, del Pilar was so adamant that he still went to the defense. Early in the morning of December 2, 1899, he heard firing from Concepcion. His aide, Vicente Enriquez, after making a reconnaissance, informed Gregorio that according to the latter’s brother the Filipino soldiers had resisted heroically the advance of American cavalry. Then, Enriquez inspected the top of the hill where 12 soldiers were posted. He was told that their position was impregnable and that their soldiers could hold out indefinitely. Del Pilar had sixty soldiers against a thousand of Major March which number was later reinforced. They reached the hill and built trenches there. Gregorio went from trench to trench exhorting his men to fight bravely. They later proceeded to the hill to the left, where Enriquez had been few moments ago. Del Pilar was straining his eyes to the cogon leaves which were moving irregularly, as he was suspecting there were American soldiers hiding there. He ordered cease-fire and surveyed the enemy position when a gunshot hit him. Del Pilar covered his face with his two hands, falling on his back. He died instantaneously. These are statements of Filipino eye-witnesses so now, let us consider the other witnesses--the Americans. There are some differences in the way Del Pilar was killed and a few more. Here’s a witness account of John McCutcheon: “General del Pilar was the last to fall. He had been shot in the shoulders. A Filipino soldier was subduing his horse, and at the moment that he was preparing to mount it, he received a shot from a Krag-Jergensen at the nape of his neck, the bullet passing through his mouth. Our men captured a Filipino soldier while he was taking the papers which the General carried in his pockets, and a moment later we also captured his horse.”