CONGRESS. (PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



181 



lest the Oregon and Marietta, then nearing home 

 after their long voyage from San Francisco of 

 over 15,000 miles, might be surprised by Admiral 

 Cervera's fleet, but their fortunate arrival dis- 

 pelled these apprehensions and lent much needed 

 re-enforcement. Not until Admiral Cervera took 

 refuge in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba, about 

 May 19, was it practicable to plan a systematic 

 naval and military attack upon the Antillean 

 possessions of Spain. 



Several demonstrations occurred on the coasts 

 of Cuba and Puerto Rico in preparation for the 

 larger event. On May 13 the North Atlantic 

 squadron shelled San Juan de Puerto Rico. On 

 May 30 Commodore Schley's squadron bombarded 

 the forts guarding the mouth of Santiago harbor. 

 Neither attack had any material result. It was 

 evident that well-ordered land operations were 

 indispensable to achieve a decisive advantage. 



The next act in the war thrilled not alone the 

 hearts of our countrymen but the world by its 

 exceptional heroism. On the night of June 3 

 Lieut. Hobson, aided by seven devoted volun- 

 teers, blocked the narrow outlet from Santiago 

 harbor by sinking the collier Merrimac in the 

 channel, under a fierce fire from the shore bat- 

 teries, escaping with their lives as by a miracle, 

 but falling into the hands of the Spaniards. It 

 is a most gratifying incident of the war that the 

 bravery of this little band of heroes was cor- 

 dially appreciated by the Spanish admiral, who 

 sent a flag of truce to notify Admiral Sampson 

 of their safety and to compliment them on their 

 daring act. They were subsequently exchanged 

 July 7. 



By June 7 the cutting of the last Cuban cable 

 isolated the island. Thereafter the invasion was 

 vigorously prosecuted. On June 10, under a 

 heavy protecting fire, a landing of 600 marines 

 from the Oregon, Marblehead, and Yankee was 

 effected in Guantanamo Bay, where it had been 

 determined to establish a naval station. 



This important and essential port was taken 

 from the enemy after severe fighting by the ma- 

 rines, who were the first organized force of the 

 United States to land in Cuba. 



The position so won was held despite desperate 

 attempts to dislodge our forces. By June 16 ad- 

 ditional forces were landed and strongly in- 

 trenched. On June 22 the advance of the invad- 

 ing army under Major-Gen. Shatter landed at 

 Daiquiri, about 15 miles east of Santiago. This 

 was accomplished under great difficulties, but 

 with marvelous dispatch. On June 23 the move- 

 ment against Santiago was begun. On the 24th 

 the first serious engagement took place, in which 

 the First and Tenth Cavalry and the First United 

 States Volunteer Cavalry, Gen. Young's brigade 

 of Gen. Wheeler's division, participated, losing 

 heavily. By nightfall, however, ground within 5 

 miles of Santiago was won. The advantage was 

 steadily increased. On July 1 a severe battle took 

 place, our forces gaining the outworks of San- 

 tiago; on the 2d El Caney and San Juan were 

 taken after a desperate charge, and the invest- 

 ment of the city was completed. The navy co- 

 operated by shelling the town and the coast forts. 



On the day following this brilliant achievement 

 of our land forces, the 3d of July, occurred the 

 decisive naval combat of the war. The Spanish 

 fleet, attempting to leave the harbor, was met 

 by the American squadron under command of 

 Commodore Sampson. In less than three hours 

 all the Spanish ships were destroyed, the two 

 torpedo boats being sunk, and the Maria Teresa, 

 Almirante Oquendo, Vizcaya, and Cristobal Colon 

 driven ashore. The Spanish admiral and over 



1,300 men were taken prisoners, while the enemy's 

 loss of life was deplorably large, some 000 per- 

 ishing. On our side but one man was killed, on 

 the Brooklyn, and one man seriously wounded. 

 Although our ships were repeatedly struck, not 

 one was seriously injured. Where all so con- 

 spicuously distinguished themselves, from the 

 commanders to the gunners arid the unnamed 

 heroes in the boiler rooms, each and all con- 

 tributing toward the achievement of this astound- 

 ing victory, for which neither ancient nor modern 

 history affords a parallel in the completeness of 

 the event and the marvelous disproportion of 

 casualties, it would be invidious to single out any 

 for especial honor. Deserved promotion has re- 

 warded the more conspicous actors the nation's 

 profoundest gratitude is due to all of these brave 

 men who by their skill and devotion in a few 

 short hours crushed the sea power of Spain and 

 wrought a triumph whose decisiveness and far- 

 reaching consequences can scarcely be measured. 

 Nor can we be unmindful of the achievements of 

 our builders, mechanics, and artisans for their 

 skill in the construction of our war ships. 



With the catastrophe of Santiago Spain's effort 

 upon the ocean virtually ceased. A spasmodic 

 effort toward the end of June to send her Medi- 

 terranean fleet, under Admiral Camara, to relieve 

 Manila was abandoned, the expedition being re- 

 called after it had passed through the Suez Canal. 



The capitulation of Santiago followed. The 

 city was closely besieged by land, while the en- 

 trance of our ships into the harbor cut off all 

 relief on that side. After a truce to allow of 

 the removal of noncombatants protracted nego- 

 tiations continued from July 3 until July 15, 

 when, under menace of immediate assault, the 

 preliminaries of surrender were agreed upon. On 

 the 17th Gen. Shafter occupied the city. The 

 capitulation embraced the entire eastern end of 

 Cuba. The number of Spanish soldiers surrender- 

 ing was 22,000, all of whom were subsequently 

 conveyed to Spain at the charge of the United 

 States. The story of this successful campaign is 

 told in the report of the Secretary of War, which 

 will be laid before you. The individual valor of 

 officers and soldiers was never more strikingly 

 shown than in the several engagements leading 

 to the surrender of Santiago, while the prompt 

 movements and successive victories won instant 

 and universal applause. To those who gained this 

 complete triumph, which established the ascend- 

 ency of the United States upon land as the fight 

 off Santiago had fixed our supremacy on the 

 seas, the earnest and lasting gratitude of the 

 nation is unsparingly due. Nor should we alone 

 remember the gallantry of the living; the dead 

 claim our tears, and our losses by battle and dis- 

 ease must cloud any exultation at the result and 

 teach us to weigh the awful cost of war, how- 

 ever rightful the cause or signal the victory. 



With the fall of Santiago the occupation of 

 Puerto Rico became the next strategic necessity. 

 Gen. Miles had previously been assigned to or- 

 ganize an expedition for that purpose. Fortu- 

 nately he was already at Santiago, where he had 

 arrived on the llth of July with re-enforcements 

 for Gen. Shafter's army. 



With these troops, consisting of 3,415 infantry 

 and artillery, two companies of engineers, and 

 one company of the Signal Corps, Gen. Miles left 

 Guantanamo on July 21, having nine transports 

 convoyed by the fleet under Capt. Higginson, with 

 the Massachusetts (flagship), Dixie, Gloucester, 

 Columbia, and Yale, the two latter carrying 

 troops. The expedition landed at Guanica July 

 25, which port was entered with little opposition. 



