UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



755 



days' supply on the " Brooklyn," gave orders to re- 

 turn to Key West without ascertaining definitely 

 that the Spanish fleet was in the bay. Meeting the 

 " Harvard " on May 27, he received a dispatch say- 

 ing that the Department, having information indi- 

 cating that the Spanish squadron was still at San- 

 tiago, looked to him to ascertain whether this was 

 the fact, and to see that the enemy, if in that har- 

 bor, did not leave without a decisive action. Ad- 

 miral Schley, replying that he could not obey these 

 orders, being forced to proceed for coal to Key 

 West, continued on his westward course until the 

 sea became calmer, enabling the ships to take on 

 coal from the colliers on May 28 ; then he turned 

 and before night had retraced the 48 miles and ar- 

 rived 12 miles off Santiago. In the morning, draw- 

 ing nearer shore, the officers of the fleet sighted a 

 vessel that they made out to be the "Cristobal 



a tour of 72 miles on shore, passing round the 

 harbor and positively identifying the ships of Cer- 

 vera's command. Admiral Sampson, joining the 

 blockading fleet on June 1, decided to stop the 

 entrance to the harbor and intrusted this work to 

 Assistant Naval Constructor Richmond I'. Ilobson 

 Many officers and seamen by hundreds from all the 

 vessels offered themselves for the forlorn hope 

 Lieut. Hobson, who suggested the details of the 

 plan, selected for the crew Daniel Montague George 

 Charette, J. C. Murphy. John P. Phillips. Oscar 

 Deignan, and John Kelly, while another seaman 

 slipped on board and took part in the expedition 

 without permission. With these seven men from the 

 fleet Hobson, before daylight on June 3, entered 

 the mouth of the harbor on the loaded coaling 

 steamer "Merrimac," which was practically dis- 

 abled by defects in her machinery, passing for 



MORRO CASTLE, SANTIAGO. (PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN THE DAY OUR FLAQ WAS HOISTED.) 



Colon " lying near the entrance, later two vessels of 

 the " Vizcaya " class, and in the afternoon one of 

 the torpedo boats. 



The American squadron, on May 31, formed in 

 battle line outside, the smaller vessels scouting close 

 inshore, and engaged the shore batteries and the 

 ships lying near the entrance of the harbor, which 

 returned the fire with 4 shots to 1, firing about 300 

 shells altogether, none of which hit the American 

 ships. The earthworks were plowed repeatedly by 

 American shells, and the flagship " Colon " was 

 twice hit by the guns of the " Massachusetts." This 

 reconnoissance was made with the heavy guns of 

 the " Massachusetts," " Iowa," and " New Orleans " 

 for the purpose of developing the fortifications as 

 well as the presence of the Spanish ships, of which 

 Commodore Schley was satisfied from the shells 

 that were fired at random from the bay inside. 

 However, it did not afford proof that Cervera's 

 whole fleet was bottled up, and this fact remained 

 in doubt until Lieut. Victor Blue, on June 11, made 



twenty minutes through a shower of shot and shell 

 from the Morro and other batteries and from the 

 Spanish vessels, and at the designated point, where 

 the channel was narrowest, fired the torpedoes fixed 

 in the hull of the " Merrimac." while he and his 

 companions made off in a small boat. They were 

 picked up by a boat from the Spanish flagship, 

 being unable in the daylight to run the gain !<! of 

 the batteries and reach the launch on which Cadet 

 Joseph W. Powell waited until he had to scud from 

 under the guns of the batteries after day broke. 

 The sunken collier failed to close the channel en- 

 tirely because a shot had taken away her rudder, 

 and this had made it impossible for Hobson to 

 swing the vessel round athwart the channel before 

 sinking her. Admiral Cervera was so struck with 

 the bravery of Lieut. Ilobson and his men that he 

 sent Capt. Oviedo under a flag of truce to inform 

 Admiral Sampson that they were all alive and well 

 cared for, although two were wounded by the shells 

 that burst around them. The main force of the 



