Battle of Calumpit

In Calumpit, the Filipinos under the command of General Antonio Luna occupied
a better position. The Americans had to cross bridgeless rivers and deep creeks to
reach the Filipino defenders. The General Mascardo not defied Luna’s order to support
the Filipino troopswith his own men. General Luna had to appeal to General Aguinaldo
who ordered Mascardo to obey Luna’s order, but by that time it was already late. The
Filipino defences without the support of Mascardo’s troops had been breached by the
Americans.

Enraged by this reaction of Mascardo, General Luna with his menand artillery left
Calumpit, leaving General Gregorio Del Pilar with only his men to defend it. When
General Luna returned with his men that same night, the situation had become
dangerous. To avoid annihilation and defeat, Luna ordered a retreat to Sto. Tomas,
Pampanga.

Thereafter, General MacArthur encountered less resistance from Filipino troops,

and quickly captured Apalit, Sto. Tomas, and San Fernando.

The insubordination of General Luna in practically abandoning Calumpit by

leaving only a small defense, enabled the Americans to crack the Filipino’s defences.
These errors in judgement later [roved to be very costly to the Filipino cause.