ch better supplies
than the troops in Cuba, and they had not such hard work. The people
in Porto Rico welcomed our soldiers. The Spanish soldiers made a few
efforts to fight, but one place after another was taken by our troops,
without any great trouble.

Ponce, near the southern coast of Porto Rico, is a city of importance,
as I have told you. It was named for Ponce de Leon, the famous voyager
of the sixteenth century, who wandered around in search of a fountain
of youth. When our troops approached Ponce, the city and the port
were given up to them gladly, as the Spanish soldiers had gone away.

Our troops now began moving on by different roads to San Juan, on the
northern coast, the capital and chief city. It was known that the
Spaniards were making great preparations to defend this city. As our
Army pushed on, from day to day, there were some skirmishes with the
enemy. On August 12th there seemed likely to be very serious fighting
at different places near San Juan, but messengers arrived suddenly,
saying: "The War is ended; Spain and the United States are arranging
terms of Peace." Spain had lost Cuba and Porto Rico forever.

That afternoon, at four o'clock, the first paper of the Peace was
signed at the White House, in Washington, though the full Treaty was
not made until four months later. Spain agreed to give Porto Rico to
the United States, Cuba to be independent, but our country to govern
the island until the Cubans were able to manage their own affairs. The
officers and soldiers chosen by the United States to stay in Cuba and
Porto Rico to restore order and help the islands to recover from the
effects of war, soon made many improvements.

As the navy began the war with Spain, it was proper that the navy
should finish it. The greater events at Santiago obscured the last
naval battle of the war, but it was a grand triumph for the navy. You
will remember that the Wilmington was in the fight at Cardenas where
brave Ensign Bagley was killed. After the destruction of Admiral
Cervera's fleet, Commander Todd, of the Wilmington, was in command of
a little fleet and at Manzanillo, off to the westward of Santiago, he
destroyed nine Spanish vessels. This engagement gave him the title of
"the Dewey of Manzanillo," and his report of that spirited affair was
as modest as that of his namesake.

[Illustration: Commander Chapman Todd.]

As our troops came pack to the United States, from time to time, they
were received wi