It lay at the mercy of Dewey's guns, and it would have been possible for the Admiral to take it at any time, but he could not at first have garrisoned it with United States forces, and never thought of attempting to use Insurgent forces for this purpose. Did Dewey really want or need Aguinaldo's help? Let us consider his testimony on the subject:-- "_Senator Carmack_. You did want a man there who could organize and rouse the people? "_Admiral Dewey_. I didn't want anybody. I would like to say now that Aguinaldo and his people were forced on me by Consul Pratt and Consul Wildman; I didn't do anything-- "_Senator Carmack_. Did they have any power to force him upon you? "_Admiral Dewey_. Yes; they had in a way. They had not the official power, but one will yield after a while to constant pressure. I did not expect anything of them; I did not think they would do anything. I would not have taken them; I did not want them; I did not believe in them; because, when I left Hongkong, I was led to suppose that the country was in a state of insurrection, and that at my first gun, as Mr. Williams put it, there would be a general uprising, and I thought these half dozen or dozen refugees at Hongkong would play a very small part in it." [99] The picture of the poor admiral, busy getting his fleet ready for battle, pestered by officious consuls on the one hand and by irresponsible Filipinos on the other, is pathetic; but it had its humorous features, which were not lost on the Admiral himself. I quote the following:-- "_Senator Patterson_. Was there any communication between you and Pratt in which the matter of a written pledge or agreement with Aguinaldo was discussed with reference to the Philippine Islands? "_Admiral Dewey_. No. "_Senator Patterson_. What became of the correspondence, Admiral, if you know? "_Admiral Dewey_. It is all in the Navy Department. When I turned over my command my official correspondence was all sent to the Navy Department. "_Senator Patterson_. You retained all of your letters from any United States officials? "_Admiral Dewey_. No; they went to the Department. "_Senator Patterson_. I mean you did not destroy them. "_Admiral Dewey_. No; I did not destroy them. "_Senator Patterson_. And you turned them over to the Navy Department? "_Admiral Dewey_. Yes; our regulations require that. I may say that for my own information I kept copies of certain telegrams and cablegrams. I don't think I kept copies of Mr. Pratt's letters, as I did not consider them of much value. He seemed to be a sort of busybody there and interfering in other people's business and I don't think his letters impressed me. "_Senator Patterson_. He was the consul-general? "_Admiral Dewey_. Yes; but he had nothing to do with the attack on Manila, you know.