es Gordon Bennett, "were
instructions more effectively carried out. Within seven hours after
arriving on the scene of action nothing remained to be done." It was on
the 27th that Dewey sailed from Mirs Bay, China, and on the night of the
30th he lay before the entrance of the harbor of Manila, seven hundred
miles away. Under the cover of darkness, with all lights extinguished on
his ships, he daringly steamed into this unknown harbor, which he
believed to be strewn with mines, and at daybreak engaged the Spanish
fleet. Commodore Dewey knew it meant everything for him and his fleet to
win or lose this battle. He was in the enemy's country, 7,000 miles from
home. The issue of this battle must mean victory, Spanish dungeons, or
the bottom of the ocean. "_Keep cool and obey orders_" was the signal he
gave to his fleet, and then came the order to fire. The Americans had
seven ships, the _Olympia_, _Baltimore_, _Raleigh_, _Petrel_, _Concord_,
_Boston_, and the dispatch-boat _McCullough_. The Spaniards had eleven,
the _Reina Christina_, _Castilla_, _Don Antonio de Ulloa_, _Isla de
Luzon_, _Isla de Cuba_, _General Lezo_, _Marquis de Duero_, _Cano_,
_Velasco_, _Isla de Mindanao_, and a transport.

From the beginning Commodore Dewey fought on the offensive, and, after
the manner of Nelson and Farragut, concentrated his fire upon the
strongest ships one after another with terrible execution. The Spanish
ships were inferior to his, but there were more of them, and they were
under the protection of the land batteries. The fire of the Americans
was especially noted for its terrific rapidity and the wonderful
accuracy of its aim. The battle lasted for about five hours, and
resulted in the destruction of all the Spanish ships and the silencing
of the land batteries. The Spanish loss in killed and wounded was
estimated to be fully one thousand men, while on the American side not a
ship was even seriously damaged and not a single man was killed
outright, and only six were wounded. More than a month after the battle,
Captain Charles B. Gridley, Commander of the _Olympia_, died, though his
death was the result of an accident received in the discharge of his
duty during the battle, and not from a wound. On May 2d Commodore Dewey
cut the cable connecting Manila with Hong Kong, and destroyed the
fortifications at the entrance of Manila Bay, and took possession of the
naval station at Cavite. This was to prevent communication between the
Phili