In this battle, General Edilberto Evangelista (a Filipino civil engineer, trench builder and member of the Katipunan) was killed.

Governor-General Camilo de Polavieja now fully aware that the mainweight of the revolution was in Cavite, decided to launch a two-pronged assault to defeat the revolutionaries led by Aguinaldo.

He ordered General José de Lachambre to march with his much bigger force against Silang to take on the Katipuneros from the rear, while he himself would engage the Filipinos head on - known as the "Cavite Offensive".

Hiding his army of 10,000 regulars and irregulars in the bushes of the Zapote River's southern bank, armed only with spears, bolo knives and improvised firearms, Aguinaldo ordered soldiers to plant dynamite along the bridge and place pointed bamboo sticks in the river beds below the bridge.

The rebels then emerged from the bushes and fought hand-to-hand, repelling consecutive waves of enemy troops charging across the river.