also on account of a certain kind of auto-suggestion that we ought not for any reason surrender because of national enthusiasm, without doubt influenced by the attractive illusion of glory and on account of the suffering and treasury of sacrifice and heroism and that by surrender, we would be putting an unworthy end to it all." The two Franciscan priests, Félix Minaya and Juan López, plus the Yorktown seaman George Arthur Venville, were kept as prisoners by Novicio, until the priests were rescued by American forces on 3 June 1900, having re-garrisoned Baler earlier that year. Venville however was led to his death at the hands of Bugkalots, before the American arrival. Furthermore, Novicio was put on trial for ordering the Yorktown sailor Ora B. McDonald buried alive after the ambush. Found guilty, Novicio faced a life sentence of hard labor in Bilibid Prison. Las Morenas was posthumously promoted to "comandante" (major) and awarded the Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand, Spain's highest military medal. His widow received a pension of 5,000 pesetas. Martín Cerezo was promoted to major with an annual pension of 1,000 pesetas. He also was decorated with the Royal Cross of the Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand, and went on to become a brigadier general. He died in 1945. Lieutenant Zayas received a posthumous promotion. The enlisted men received the Cross of Military Merit, and each received a monthly pension of 60 pesetas. Of the 50 men who entered the church, around thirty survived the 11-month siege. Fourteen men died from disease. Only two men died from wounds. There were four deserters from the garrison. Two men were imprisoned for helping in the desertion of another (Alcaide), and executed on orders of Martín Cerezo on the day before their surrender. The feat of the Spanish so inspired the United States Army General Frederick Funston that he had Martín Cerezo's memoir translated and gave copies to all his officers. It was published as Under the Red and Gold. The survivors were known as "the last ones of the Philippines". A century after their return, the modern-day Spanish government paid homage to them. The siege is considered by some as the end of the Spanish Empire. In popular culture The siege of Baler is portrayed in the 1945 Spanish film Last Stand in the Philippines, the 2008 Filipino film Baler, and the 2016 Spanish film 1898, Our Last Men