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For the municipality in the Philippines, see Gregorio del Pilar, Ilocos Sur.

Gregorio del Pilar (November 14, 1875—December 2, 1899) was the youngest and the most picturesque general in the Philippine Revolutionary Forces during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War.

He was born on November 14, 1875 to Fernando H. del Pilar and Felipa Sempio of San Jose, Bulacan. He was the nephew of the great propagandist Marcelo H. del Pilar and Toribio del Pilar, who was exiled to Guam for his involvement in the 1872 Cavite Mutiny.

"Goyong", as he was fondly known, enrolled at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila where he finished his Bachelor’s degree in 1896, at the age of 20. When the revolution broke out in August under the leadership of Andres Bonifacio, Del Pilar decided to become a soldier of the revolution. Under his command, the Filipinos mounted daring attacks on Spanish garrisons in Bulacan where Del Pilar distinguished himself as a battlefield commander.

He then joined General Emilio Aguinaldo in Hong Kong after the Truce at Biak-na-Bato. Upon resuming control of the Philippine revolution, Gen. Aguinaldo appointed Del Pilar to lead the revolutionary forces in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija. On June 1, Del Pilar landed in Bulacan with rifles purchased in Hong Kong, quickly laying siege on the Spanish forces in the province.

When the Spaniards surrendered to Del Pilar, the "boy general" brought his troops to Caloocan and Manila to support the other troops battling the Spaniards there. When the Philippine-American War broke-out on February 1899, he led his troops to a short victory over Major Franklin Bell in the Battle of Quingua on April 23, 1899, in which his forces repelled a cavalry charge, and killed the highly decorated Colonel John M. Stotsenburg (Clark Air Base was originally named Fort Stotsenburg).

Contents 1 Battle of Tirad Pass 2 Trivia 3 Further reading 4 External Links

The 24 year-old "boy general" led a 60-man Filipino rearguard in the Battle of Tirad Pass against the "Texas Regiment", the 33rd Infantry Regiment of the United States Volunteers. The awesome story has been told and retold with epic grandeur, how Del Pilar stood with his valiant soldiers on the steep and solitary mountain Pass of Tirad, steadfast to repel the invader, or fight and die like honorable men. In a moving eulogy the Filipino soldiers’ "stand against overwhelming odds has been fittingly compared by American contemporary writers to that of Leonidas and his Spartans at Thermopylae, and that of the embattled Afridis at Dargai Ridge. Even now, we are thrilled with the account of their courage. But the death of Del Pilar is something more than a soldier’s death. It was the sublime protest of a patriot against the decree of adverse fate. He had yearned for death when he saw that all was lost for the Republic. He had wished for it when long before the battle of Tirad, he proposed to meet the pursuing enemy after the disaster at Caloocan. He felt its obsession when at midnight on the bank of the river at Aringay he woke up his soldiers and pointedly asked them this question: ‘Brothers, which do you prefer, to die fighting or to flee like cowards?’

"…From morning till noon he repelled charge after charge, he tenaciously held on with his handful of men through the heat and agony of battle, till he himself fell dead among his slain soldiers. And well chosen and most fitting was the place where he offered the sacrifice of his life. It was on the mountain summit, overlooking the plains and the shores of his country, a massive and tremendous altar, built as it were for Titans, caressed by the rolling clouds of morning, lighted by the stars of dusk."

Admittedly, it was one of the darkest hours in Philippine history. President Aguinaldo was retreating to the mountains with only a few faithful followers about him. The young general could not bear to see the misfortune of his country. A man of iron who could not yield to the foe like Andrés Bonifacio and Antonio Luna, Del Pilar could accept no compromise.

The six hour battle standoff resulted in the death of Gregorio del Pilar by a shot to the neck. Moments after his death, del Pilars body was looted of his possessions by US forces. Items taken; his pistol, sword, diary and personal papers, boots and silver spurs, shoulder straps, coat and pants, a lady's handkerchief with the name "Dolores Jose", diamond rings, gold watch, and a gold locket containing a woman's hair.

The diary belonging to del Pilar had a poignant final entry, written on the night of 1 December, read:

''"The General has given me the pick of all the men that can be spared and ordered me to defend the Pass. I realize what a terrible task has been given me. And yet I feel that this is the most glorious moment of my life. What I do is done for my beloved country. No sacrifice can be too great."''

In the Philippines, del Pilar's brilliant and heroic rear-guard action is referred to as the "Filipino Thermopylae."

Del Pilars body rested exposed for days without a burial. While re-tracking the trail, an American officer, Lt. Dennis P. Quinlan, ordered his men to give honor to the fallen but valorous foe. General del Pilar was finally given a traditional U.S. military burial. Upon his tombstone, Lt. Quinlan inscribed, "an Officer and a Gentleman".

• He was given a medal of honor for his bravery in Tirad Pass.^{[citation needed]}

• Fort Del Pilar, home of the Philippine Military Academy, situated in Baguio, is named after him.

• In 1930, his body was exhumed, and he was identified by the gold tooth and braces that were installed while exiled in Hong Kong.

• In 1955, the Municipality of Concepcion in Ilocos Sur was renamed in honor of Gregorio del Pilar.

• Zaide, Gregorio F. (1984). Philippine History and Government. National Bookstore Printing Press.