age in its favor. Some five miles to the right of the line
of advance was the Spanish left, in a blockhouse at El Caney. On the
night before July 1, the American army moved on a concerted plan against
the whole Spanish line.

Lawton, with a right wing, moved against El Caney, with the idea of
demolishing it and crumpling up the Spanish left. The main column
followed the trail, crossed the San Juan River, and stormed the hills
beyond. The fight lasted all day on July 1, leaving the American forces
to sleep in the Spanish trenches, and to re-face them the next day.
There was more fighting on July 2 and 3, after which Santiago was
besieged by land, as it had been by sea since June 1.

Cervera watched the invading army with growing desperation. He knew the
inefficiency of his fleet, that it had left Spain unprepared because
public opinion demanded immediate action, that its guns were lacking and
its morale low, that if it stayed at anchor in the harbor it would be
taken by the army, and that if it went to sea it would be annihilated
by Sampson. His only chance was to rush out, scatter in flight, and
trust to luck. On Sunday, July 3, he led his ships out of the harbor in
single file, turned west against the Brooklyn, which guarded the
American left, and endeavored to escape.

Sampson had already issued orders for battle in case Cervera should come
out. He had himself started with his flagship, the New York, for a
conference with Shafter, and was some seven miles east of the entrance
to the harbor when the fleet appeared and the battle began. He turned at
once to the long chase that pursued the Spanish vessels along the Cuban
shore. The Brooklyn, at which Cervera had headed, instead of closing,
circled to the right, and nearly rammed her neighbor, the Texas, before
she regained her place at the head of the pursuit. Schley was the
ranking officer in the battle, but no one needed or heeded the orders
that he signaled to the other ships. Before sundown the Spanish fleet
was completely destroyed.

The land and naval battles at Santiago brought the Spanish War to an
end. For several weeks the army kept up the investment, with health and
morale steadily deteriorating. On July 17 the Spanish army at Santiago
was surrendered. On July 27 an invasion of Porto Rico under General
Miles took place, and on August 12 the preliminaries of peace were
signed on behalf of Spain by the French Minister at Washington. Manila
fell the next day,