CHAPTER X.

SANTIAGO DE CUBA.

The campaign of Santiago, during which the Spanish fleet under Admiral
Cervera was entirely destroyed, and which ended with the capture of the
city, can best be told as a continuous story. The record of other events
will be found elsewhere in regular order.

Even though a repetition, it should be set down that the North Atlantic
fleet, Rear-Admiral W. T. Sampson commanding, with Commodores J. C. Watson
and W. S. Schley of the first and second squadrons respectively, which
blockaded the port of Santiago, consisted of the battle-ships
_Massachusetts_, _Iowa_, _Texas_, _Indiana_, _Oregon_; armoured cruisers
_New York_, Admiral Sampson's flag-ship, _Brooklyn_, Commodore Schley's
flag-ship; protected cruisers _New Orleans_, _Newark_, Commodore Watson's
flag-ship; converted yachts _Vixen_, _Gloucester_.(33)

Inside the harbour, caught like rats in a trap of their own making, lay
the Spanish fleet under command of Admiral Pasquale Cervera, consisting of
the armoured cruisers _Cristobal Colon_, _Vizcaya_, _Almirante Oquendo_,
_Maria Teresa_, Admiral Cervera's flag-ship; torpedo-boat destroyers
_Furor_ and _Pluton_.

The Americans were on the alert, lest by some inadvertence their prey
should escape, and it may well be supposed that the Spaniards, knowing
full well they were not in sufficient strength to give battle, awaited a
favourable opportunity to slip through the blockading squadron.

_June 2._ The first detachment of troops, including heavy and light
artillery and the engineer corps, embarked for Santiago on the second of
June. Four days later this force was landed at Aguadores, a few miles east
of Santiago, under the cover of Admiral Sampson's guns.

_June 6._ The American fleet began the bombardment of the batteries
guarding the entrance to the harbour at six o'clock in the morning, having
steamed in to within three thousand yards of the shore, the _Brooklyn_ in
advance of the first column, with the _Marblehead_, the _Texas_, and the
_Massachusetts_ in line. The second column was led by the _New York_, with
the _New Orleans_, _Yankee_, _Iowa_, and _Oregon_ in the order named. On
the left flank were the _Vixen_ and the _Suwanee_, and on the right the
_Dolphin_ and the _Porter_ kept watchful eyes upon the riflemen ashore.
The first column took station opposite the Estrella and Catalina
batteries,(34) while the second was stationed off