appearance, his last
vessel was reduced to junk. Cervera was captured with 76 officers and
1,600 men. 350 Spaniards were killed, 160 wounded. The American losses
were inconsiderable. The ships' injuries also were hardly more than
trifling.

So closed the third of July, so opened the glorious Fourth! To Shafter
and his men the navy's victory was worth a reenforcement of 100,000.
Bands played, tired soldiers danced, shouted, and hugged each other.
Correspondingly depressed were the Spaniards. They endeavored, as Hobson
had, to choke the harbor throat with the Reina Mercedes; but she, like
the Merrimac, had her steering apparatus shot away and sank lengthwise
of the channel. Still, it was not deemed wise to attempt forcing a way
in, nor did this prove necessary. Toral saw reenforcements extending the
American right to surround him, and out at sea over fifty transports
loaded with fresh soldiers. Spanish honor had been signalized not only
by the devoted heroism of Cervera's men but by the gallantry of his own.
The Americans offered to convey his command back to Spain free of
charge. He therefore sought from Madrid, and after some days obtained,
authority to surrender. He surrendered July 16th. Besides the Santiago
garrison, Toral's entire command in eastern Cuba, about 24,000 men,
became our prisoners of war.

[Illustration: Ship on its side on the beach.]
From a Photograph by F. C. Hemment. Copyright, 1898, by W. R. Hearst.
The Spanish Cruiser Christobal Colon.

[Illustration: Warship.]
Copyright, 1898. by C C. Langill. N. Y.
The U. S. S. Brooklyn.

The Santiago surrender left the United States free to execute what
proved the last important expedition of the war, that of General Miles
to Porto Rico. It was a complete success. Miles proclaiming the
beneficent purposes of our Government, numbers of volunteers in the
Spanish army deserted, the regulars were swept back by four simultaneous
movements, and our conquest was as good as complete when the peace
protocol put an end to all hostilities.

[Illustration: Portrait.]
General Nelson A. Miles

Meantime an independent campaign was under way in the far Orient. At
once after war was declared Commodore George Dewey, commanding the
United States naval forces in Asiatic waters, was ordered to capture or
sink the Spanish Philippine fleet. Obliged at once to leave the neutral
port of Hong-Kong, and on April 27th to quit Mirs Bay as well, he
steamed for Manila.