m 
 
TWO GREAT BOOKS IN ONE VOLUME, 
 
 \ Comprehensive, Accurate and Thrilling History of the Spanish 
 
 Kingdom and its latest and fairest Colony; the long 
 
 Struggle of Cuba for Freedom and Independence; 
 
 the Intervention of the United States 
 
 and the Fierce War with Spain 
 
 that followed. 
 
 A Record of Oppression and Patriotism, of Cruelty and of Valor, 
 
 and above all of the triumph of the 
 
 Stars and Stripes. 
 
 PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED 
 
 WRITTEN AND EDITED 
 BY 
 
 Henry Houghton Beck, 
 
 Author of *« Famous Battles," 
 "The Greco =Turkish War," etc., etc. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 Globe Bible Publishing Co.- 
 
 Philade' 
 
F"fl8S 
 
 Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year i898, 
 
 By D. B. SHEPP, 
 
 In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
 ijy .L^CixtUltf© 
 
 JUL 20 1929- cp 
 
 American University °l > 
 
 HP 
 
 ^N 
 
 wes« or 
 ALFRED M. SLOCUM CO. 
 PHILADA. j 
 
(f» 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 HE HISTORY of the world is largely a 
 history of wars. Whether or not it is 
 true that civilization gets forward upon a 
 powder-cart, it is undeniable that the powder-cart 
 keeps well up with the procession. The present 
 work is a record of two wars, closely associated 
 together, and both making especially direct appeal 
 to the sympathies of the American people. 
 
 It was in a war that our own freedom and in- 
 dependence were won. We cannot, then, regard 
 with indifference the much longer and not less 
 heroic struggles of Cuba for the same great bless- 
 ings. They have been conducted almost within 
 sight of our own shores, and have materially 
 affected our own interests. They cannot be 
 forgotten while liberty is loved or valor appre- 
 ciated. Neither can the story of them, told as it 
 is in this volume, in hot blood, directly from the 
 field of suffering and strife and triumph, be other 
 than fascinating to the student or to the patriot. 
 
 It had been the lot of this country to wage 
 three great wars before the present. The first 
 was for independence. The second was for sov- 
 
 (3) 
 
 f) VI ;t 
 
4 PREFACE. 
 
 ereign rights in equality with all other nations. 
 The third was for the preservation of the Union. 
 All three were gloriously successful, both in the 
 triumph of our arms and in the establishment of 
 the principles for which they were waged. 
 
 , The latest of our wars was for a different 
 purpose. It was a missionary war. It was the 
 act of a great nation that, having won for itself 
 the blessings of freedom and popular government 
 and made itself secure, was generous enough and 
 brave enough to take up the gage of battle in be- 
 half of another people struggling to be free. The 
 record of our wars for self-interest is known to 
 all. Here is the story of our championship of 
 the interests of others. It forms a new and novel 
 chapter in our nation's annals and one not less 
 glorious than any earlier one. 
 
 This record, made largely by those who saw 
 the events narrated and were themselves a large 
 part of them, is likewise to be commended to the 
 reader, whether for study or for entertainment or 
 for the exaltation of patriotic sentiment. It is 
 instructive and inspiring, and fills a worthy place 
 in the literature of "Freedom's battle, oft begun." 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 BOOK I. 
 Cuba's Fight for Freedom. 
 
 Map of Cuba and the World. Frontispiece. 
 
 i. Panorama of Havana 19 
 
 2. Mono Castle, Havana 20 
 
 3. Boat Landing, Havana 37 
 
 4. Palace of the Captain-General, Havana 38 
 
 5. The Cathedral, Havana 55 
 
 6. Columbus Memorial Chapel, Havana ...... 56 
 
 7. The Indian Statue on the Prado, Havana .... 73 
 
 8. Obispo Street, Havana 74 
 
 9. Royal Lottery Ticket Seller, Havana 91 
 
 10. Bull Fight, Havana 92 
 
 11. Avenue of Royal Palms, Havana 109 
 
 12. Cuban Family at Home no 
 
 13. Sugar Plantation, Cuba 127 
 
 14. The "Virginius" Outrage — Shooting of the Four 
 
 Prominent Cuban Patriots 128 
 
 15. The Butchery of the Crew of the "Virginius" — 
 
 Scene at the Slaughter-house the Moment before 
 the Execution. Captain Frey bidding his 
 Companions Farewell 145 
 
 16. The "Virginius" Butchery — Spanish Horsemen 
 
 Trampling the Dead and the Dying Victims 
 into the Slaughter-house Trench at Santiago de 
 
 Cuba . . 146 
 
 (5) 
 
 ^ f ~ 
 
6 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 17. After the Shooting of the Crew of the " Virginius " 
 
 Negroes of the Chain-gang Tumbling the Dead 
 
 Bodies of the Victims into Mule-carts .... 163 
 
 18. Ex-Captain General D. Valeriano Weyler .... 164 
 
 19. Papal Benediction of the Spanish Troops leaving 
 
 Vittoria for Cuba 181 
 
 20. Spanish Troops leaving Barcelona, Spain 182 
 
 21. Captain-General Blanco 199 
 
 22. Battalion of Spanish Troops before the Governor- 
 
 General's Palace, Havana 200 
 
 23. Maximo Gomez, the Chief of the Insurrection . . 217 
 
 24. General Calixto Garcia 218 
 
 25. Cuban Staff Officers 235 
 
 26. Cubans Attacking a Spanish Regiment 236 
 
 27. Cubans Burning a Deserted Village 253 
 
 28. An Insurgent Attack near Vueltas 254 
 
 29. Cubans Fighting from the Tree-tops 271 
 
 30. Spaniards Surrounded by Cubans 272 
 
 31. Battleship "Maine" 289 
 
 32. Destruction of the Battleship " Maine " 290 
 
 BOOK II. 
 
 The War with Spain. 
 
 33. Wreck of the Battleship "Maine" 307 
 
 34. William McKinley, President of the United States . 308 
 
 35. Queen Regent and Alphonso XIII 325 
 
 36. Opening the Spanish Cortez 326 
 
 37. Puerto de Sol, Madrid, Spain 343 
 
 38. General Fitzhugh Lee 344 
 
 39. Betore the Blockade of Havana, Cuba 361 
 
 40. Prominent Officers of the United States Army and 
 
 Navy 3 6z 
 
 / 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 7 
 
 41. Rear Admiral Sampson • • 379 
 
 42. Rear Admiral Dewey 380 
 
 43. Commodore Schley 397 
 
 44. Captain Sigsbee 398 
 
 45. Cruiser "New York" 415 
 
 46. Battleship "Indiana" 416 
 
 47. Battleship "Massachusetts" 433 
 
 48. Battleship "Oregon" 434 
 
 49. Battleship "Iowa" 451 
 
 50. Watching the Searchlights at Havana during the 
 
 Blockade 452 
 
 5 1 . Firing Six Pounders 469 
 
 52. Action on a Battleship 470 
 
 53. Action on a Monitor 487 
 
 54. Land Battery — Revolving Gun 488 
 
 55. Spanish Troops in San Juan, Porto Rico 505 
 
 56. Climbing the Mast to Man the Turret Guns .... 506 
 
 57. Map of Manila Bay and Forts 523 
 
 58. Panorama of Manila Harbor 524 
 
 59. Battle of Manila 541 
 
 60. United States Troops going to the Front 542 
 
 61. United States Troops in Camp 547 
 
 62. United States Troops Storming San Juan Hill, Cuba, 548 
 
 63. Bird's-eye View of Santiago City, Harbor and 
 
 Fortifications 557 
 
 64. Naval Battle off Santiago de Cuba 558 
 
BOOK I. 
 Cuba's Fight For Freedom, 
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Columbus in Cuba — The Second Visit — A Chiefs Ex- 
 hortation — Settlement and Slaughter — Las Casas 
 and His Work — Extinction of the Natives — De Soto 
 — The British Conquest — Progress and Prosperity. . 21 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 1 General View of the Island — The Lay of the Land — 
 The Climate — Mineral Resources — Animal Life — 
 Vegetable Life — Cuban Scenery 35 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Industries of Cuba — A Coffee Plantation — Preparing 
 Coffee for Market — Havana Cigars — A Cigar Fac- 
 tory — Sugar Plantations and Mills — How Sugar is 
 Made — Cathedral and Custom House — The Danse 
 du Ventre in Cuba— The Bull Ring— The Tomb 
 of Columbus — Among the Pawn Shops — A Hard 
 Bargain — Matanzas — A Wonderful Cave 48 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 How the Island is Governed — The Captain-General — 
 Freedom of the Press — Local Governments — Elec- 
 toral Trickery — "No Cubans Need Apply" — The 
 Spanish Senate — Discrimination Against Cubans — 
 Carpet-Baggers to the Fore — In the Local Offices — 
 
 (9) 
 
IO CONTENTS. 
 
 Squeezing the Orange — The Awful Burden of Debt 
 — Treatment of Native Industry — Bad Commercial 
 Laws — Cuba Ruined for the Sake of Spain — Salaried 
 Carpet Baggers — Industries Driven to Bankruptcy — 
 No Public Instruction — Early Discontent — Lopez 
 
 and His Raids — The Killing of Pinto 81 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Outbreak of the Ten Years' War in 1868— The Declara- 
 tion of Independence — The Spanish Reply — War in 
 Earnest — Proclamation of Freedom — Regular Gov- 
 ernment Formed — Valmaseda's Bloody Orders — 
 American Sympathy Expressed — A Special Message. 117 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Savage Methods of Spanish Soldiers — Spanish Testimony 
 — Meagre News in Havana — A Reign of Cruelty — 
 Character of the War — Safety of Havana — The 
 Spanish Mistake — Strength of the Patriots — Effects 
 of the War upon the Island — Ruined Towns — Little 
 Fighting — Much Destruction — Tactics of the Two 
 Armies — The Spaniards Half-Hearted — Slaughter in 
 the Five Towns — Outrages upon Women — Atrocities 
 of Camp Followers 132 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Arrogant Conduct of the Spanish toward Americans and 
 English — The "Virginius" Outrage — Shooting 
 Four Cuban Patriots — American Citizens Murdered 
 in Cold Blood — Wild Demonstrations of Joy — 
 Surrender of the "Virginius" — The Formal Trans- 
 fer — How an English Captain Prevented a Massacre. 166 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Close of the Ten-Years' War — General Campos' Own 
 Story — Communication with the Insurgents — Rebel 
 Dissensions — Suspending Warfare — Progress toward 
 
CONTENTS. 1 1 
 
 Peace — Coming to the Point — Campos' Motives — 
 Interview with Garcia — An Anxious Moment — At 
 Zanjon — The Terms Accepted — The End at Last — 
 A Review of the Situation — What the War Meant — 
 How the End was Reached — Campos' Appeal for 
 Justice — The Cost of the War 185 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Beginning of the Revolution of 1895 — Where the Plot 
 Hatched — Famous Men who Organized the Rebel- 
 lion — Arrival of the Leaders in Cuba — How Gomez 
 Reached Cuba — Callejas' Attempts to Secure Peace 
 by Heroic Measures — The First Skirmishes — Ironical 
 Gratitude — Spread of the Rebellion 213 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 The Patriots too much for Campos — Attitude of Other 
 Countries — The Insurgents Organize — Who the 
 Leaders Were — Battle of Sao del Indio — Battle of 
 Peralejo — A Spanish Force Wiped Out 228 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The News in Cuba — The New Commander — Weyler's 
 Arrival — First Words to Cuba — No Neutrality — 
 Non-Combatants Menaced — Call for Surrender — To 
 End the War in Thirty Days — The Telegraph Lines 
 — Weyler's Proclamations — Must Praise Spain — 
 Passports and Credentials — Stores to be Seized — 
 Fate of Prisoners — More Troops for Weyler — The 
 Massacre of Guatao — Prisoners Killed — Very Near 
 Havana — The Towns Deserted — Weyler Calls a 
 Halt — Powers of Life and Death — More Proclama- 
 tions — For Extermination — Fifteen Days' Grace — 
 Threats — Offer of Amnesty — To Report on the 
 Suspects — Appeal for Recognition — A Long Debate 
 — Action by Congress 240 
 
12 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Latest Operations — The "Competitor" Case — Weyler 
 Forced to take the Field — Death of Osgood, the 
 American — Weyler goes out again^Attitude of the 
 Washington Government — The Death of Maceo — 
 Spain's Implacable Foe — Maceo' s Great Raid — The 
 Hero's Last Campaign — The Final Tragedy — The 
 Demand for Recognition 273 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 The Murder o. Canovas — Sagasta in; Weyler out — 
 Marshal Blanco — McKinley's Words — No Americans 
 in Arrest Now — Offers of Autonomy — Objections to 
 the Scheme — Ruiz and Aranguren — The De Lome 
 Incident — Destruction of the Maine — A Survivor's 
 Story — Effects of the Disaster . . . 291 
 
 BOOK II, 
 
 The War with Spain 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Beginning of our War with Spain — Appealing to the 
 Powers — General Lee Leaves Cuba — No European 
 Meddling — A Bogus Armistice — The President's 
 Message — Grounds for Intervention — The Time for 
 Action Come — Action of Congress — Spanish De- 
 fiance — General Woodford Leaves Madrid — War 
 and Blockade — The Challenge Accepted — European 
 Views — Causes of the War — A Striking Contrast — 
 Spain Reaping what She Sowed — Spain's Low 
 Estate — Important Step in American Politics. . . . 309 
 
 A 
 
CONTENTS. 1 3 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 The Story of Spain — Roman Days in Spain — Pelayo — 
 Rise of Spanish Power — The Modern Tiberius — The 
 Decline of Spain — Ferdinand's Bad Reign — The 
 Carlist Revolt — The Latest Chapter — Porto Rico 
 — Character of the Island — The Capital — An Ancient 
 Walled City — The Philippines — Spanish Settlement 
 in 1565 — Invaded by Other Nations — Greatly Op- 
 pressed and Taxed — Some Natives Unsubdued — 
 Natives Mild and Amiable — Trade of the Islands — 
 Foreign Commerce Begins 334 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Resources of the Two Combatants Compared — Armies 
 and Navies — The Spanish Navy — United States 
 Ships — North Atlantic Squadron — Flying Squadron 
 — Pacific Station — Asiatic Station — Unassigned — 
 Special Service — Monitors — Training Ships — Auxil- 
 iary Fleet — The Spanish Soldier — The Cigarette 
 his Solace — Bullied, Ill-treated and Robbed — The 
 Army in Cuba — Spanish Pronunciation — West 
 Indian Geographical Names — Cuban Proper Names 
 — Spanish Geographical Names — Spanish Proper 
 Names — Names of Spanish Ships 360 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Blockading Havana — The First Prize — Taking the Pedro 
 — Shots from Morro Castle — In Havana — More 
 Prizes — A False Alarm — Adventures of a Press 
 Boat — A Smart Capture — Work of a Monitor — A 
 Privileged French Steamer 392 
 
14 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 The War in the Far East — The Opposing Fleets — Panic 
 at Manila — Entering Manila Bay — The Battle of 
 Manila — The Spaniards Brave but Beaten — A Halt 
 for Breaktast — Finishing the Job — An Unrivalled 
 Performance — Telling the News — The President 
 Thanks Dewey — Dewey's Record — Taking Posses- 
 sion of the Philippines 411 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 With the Blockading Fleet — Shelling Matanzas — Other 
 Ships Join in — Getting Closer to the Mark — " Cease 
 Firing ' ' — Aboard Ship — Scenes on the New York 
 — The Men at the Guns — Sick Men wanted to be 
 in it — Blanco's Mule Story — Cavalry Against Navy 
 — The Admiral Teaches another Lesson — The Car- 
 denas Tragedy — Helpless Under Fire — The Fatal 
 Shot — Damage to the Enemy — Ensign Worth Bag- 
 ley — The Gussie's Failure — Bombarding San Juan — 
 The Battle of Santiago de Cuba — Spaniards on the 
 Run — Line Cut off Mole St. Nicolas 431 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 The Voyage of the Oregon — No Thought of War — Fine 
 Work at Sea — In the Straits of Magellan — Good-by 
 to the Slow Vessels — End of the Great Voyage — A 
 Remarkable Speed Record — Her Size and Her 
 Armament — The Oregon's Commander 459 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 The Spanish Cape Verd Fleet — Seeking the Spaniards — 
 News at Last — Santiago de Cuba — The First Attack 
 — A Peep into the Harbor — Firing Big Guns — 
 Results of the Shooting— "Sealing the Cork"— The 
 Search for the Survivors — Waiting for Hobson's 
 Return — What Hobson Did 474 
 
CONTENTS. 15 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 The Seventh Regiment — Two Big Camps — The Second 
 Call — General Shafter — For the Philippines — Pre- 
 paring to Invade Cuba — The Trip to Cuba — Opera- 
 tions at Guantanamo — Raiding a Spanish Camp — 
 Spaniards Rush for the Bushes — The Dolphin 
 Throws Shells 490 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 Battle of La Quasina — Captain Capron's Heroic Death 
 — The General Advance — Skill and Valor of Cubans 
 — Work of the Fleet — Spain's Banner Falls — Cer- 
 vera's Startling Move — Cervera's Ship Opens the 
 Fight — The Texas in the Thick of it. — The Oregon 
 and Iowa to the Front — End of the Destroyers — 
 "Don't Cheer; the Poor Devils are Dying" — 
 Greatest Chase of Modern Times — Down Came the 
 Colon's Flag — It was Schley's Victory — Not Likely 
 that the Colon can be Saved — Admiral Cervera 
 Wounded — Surrender of Santiago — Discussing Terms 
 — Great Rejoicings 503 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 Taking Possession of Santiago — Occupied without For- 
 mality — Governing the Captured City — To Enjoy 
 American Freedom — Private Property Rights Re- 
 spected — The Capture of Nipe — Guantanamo Sur- 
 renders — On to Porto Rico — Spaniards Taken by 
 Surprise — Gloucester Shells the Town — Cavalrymen 
 Driven to Hills — Americans Welcomed — More 
 Prize Taking — Thought Prize was Recaptured — 
 Surprised Spanish Sailors — On to Havana — In the 
 Philippines — Tested Quality of Troops — Negotia- 
 tions for Peace — The Terms Offered — Spain Con- 
 
1 6 CONTENTS. 
 
 siders the Terms — Coming to the White House — 
 The Protocol's Appearance — Judge Day and M. 
 Cambon Sign — Text of the Protocol 531 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 After the Protocol— Land and Naval Battle of Manila- 
 Advance of the Troops — End of the Bombardment — 
 Fighting in the Streets — Asking for Terms — Surren- 
 der of the City — More German Meddling — Peace 
 Commissions— Orders for Manila — The Warships on 
 Review 560 
 
BOOK I. 
 Cuba's Fight For Freedom 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 COLUMBUS IN CUBA — THE SECOND VISIT A CHIEF S 
 
 EXHORTATION— SETTLEMENT AND SLAUGHTER 
 
 LAS CALAS AND HIS WORK EXTINCTION OF THE 
 
 NATIVES DE SOTO THE BRITISH CONQUEST 
 
 PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY. 
 
 <f* 
 
 HE HISTORY of Cuba begins with the 
 discovery of the western world by 
 Christopher Columbus. It was on Sep- 
 tember 25, 1492, that Martin Alonzo Pinzon, 
 standing on the high quarter deck of the Admi- 
 ral's ship, shouted "Land! land! Senor, I claim 
 the reward!" It was on October 12 that land 
 was actully reached. And it was on October 28 
 that Cuba was discovered. Columbus, as we 
 know, was in quest of the fabled Cipango, the 
 golden land of the East Indies, where Kublai 
 Khan reigned. What he actually first reached 
 was one of the Bahamas, called by the natives 
 Guanahani. Columbus called it San Salvador, 
 and the British have since named it Cat Island. 
 
 Columbus soon discovered the land he had 
 reached to be a small island, and accordingly 
 set sail for the main land, which he reckoned 
 2 (21) 
 
22 CUBA. 
 
 to be somewhere near. He passed many beauti- 
 ful islands, visiting three of them, and was enrap- 
 tured with their loveliness. "1 know not," he 
 wrote in his diary, "where first to go. Neither 
 are my eyes ever weary of gazing upon the beau- 
 tiful verdure. The song of the birds is so sweet 
 that it seems as if one would never desire to 
 depart hence. There are flocks of parrots that 
 obscure the sun, and other birds of many kinds, 
 large and small. There are majestic trees of a 
 thousand species, each having its particular fruit, 
 and all of marvelous flavor." 
 
 These, however, were mere islands. Nor 
 did he find on them the gold and gems and 
 spices of which he was in quest. But the natives 
 told him of a great land lying to the south, which 
 they called Cuba. It was, they said, rich in gold 
 and pearls and other precious things, and Colum- 
 bus felt sure it was the country of the Great 
 Khan, of which Marco Polo had written. So he 
 pressed on toward it, and on October 28th came 
 to its shores. On that day he wrote in his diary: 
 "This is the most beautiful land ever beheld by 
 human eyes." 
 
 Columbus in Cuba. 
 
 As he approached the island he believed it 
 was the main land. He noted with admiration 
 its lofty mountains, its deep, clear rivers, its fine 
 harbors, and the attractive appearance of all the 
 
CUBA. 23 
 
 country. Then he cast anchor in the bay of a 
 river just west of Nuevitas del Principe, and went 
 ashore, taking formal possession of the land in 
 the name of Spain. He spent many days in 
 exploring the coast, landing here and there and 
 visiting the native villages. The inhabitants 
 were a race of Indians of gentle demeanor. 
 They lived in a state of happy tranquillity among 
 themselves, and possessed a religion devoid 
 of rites and ceremonies, but inculcating a belief 
 in the existence of a great and beneficent Deity 
 •and in the immortality of the soul. 
 
 Columbus went along the coast toward the 
 northwest, until he reached a great headland 
 which he called the Cape of Palms. Beyond 
 this he was told there was a river up which it was 
 only four days' journey to " Cubanacan." By 
 this the natives meant merely the interior of the 
 island. But Columbus thought they meant the 
 land of Kublai Khan, and was thus convinced 
 that he was at last on the main land of Asia, near 
 the rich realms of Cathay. He accordingly sent 
 an embassy into the interior, to visit the Prince 
 who ruled over those regions. The embassadors 
 returned to the ship, however, after going inland 
 twelve leagues, and reported that they had found 
 no city and no prince and nothing but Indian 
 villages. Neither did they find any gold. But 
 they observed that the natives practiced a curious 
 
24 CUBA. 
 
 habit, of rolling up the dried leaves of a certain 
 herb, setting fire to one end of the roll, putting 
 the other end in their mouths, and alternately 
 inhaling and puffing out the smoke. Such a roll 
 they called a tobacco. The Spaniards were 
 astonished at this strange practice, but soon 
 found it pleasant and themselves adopted it, 
 calling the plant from which the rolls were made 
 by the name which the Indians gave to the roll 
 itself. 
 
 The explorer was disappointed in not finding 
 the Court of Kublai Khan, and now turned to the 
 east and south, and after some days sailing he 
 reached the end of the island, now known as 
 Cape Maysi. Supposing it to be the extreme 
 end of the Asian continent, he called it Alpha and 
 Omega, the Beginning and the End, and then set 
 sail for Hayti. 
 
 The Second Visit. 
 
 Columbus's second voyage was directed to 
 the further exploration of Cuba, which he still 
 believed to be the Asian continent. He reached 
 Cape Maysi on April 29, 1494, and proceeded 
 along the southern coast. Here and there he 
 put in at harbors, and inquired of the natives for 
 the land of gold. They all directed him to the 
 southwest, telling him another great land lay 
 there, rich in gold and gems. Doubtless they 
 meant the South American continent. So, on 
 
CUBA. 25 
 
 May 3, Columbus turned thither, but discovered 
 nothing but the Island of Jamaica, and on May 18 
 he returned to Cuba. He arrived at a great cape, 
 to which he gave the name of Cabo de la Cruz or 
 Cape of the Cross, by which it is still known. 
 Then he ran into a beautiful archipelago and 
 called it the Queen's Garden. Every day re- 
 vealed new beauties of land and sea. The delighted 
 voyager believed that he had surely reached 
 "Summer Isles of Eden, lying in dark purple 
 spheres of sea." 
 
 League after league he sailed along the coast 
 toward the west, more and more convinced that 
 he had found the land of the Great Khan. He 
 proposed to keep on and circumnavigate the 
 globe, returning by way of Africa. But his ships 
 were out of repair and his crews weary, so at last 
 he had reluctantly to turn back. Before he did 
 so he had every one of his officers and men sign 
 a declaration of their belief that Cuba was the 
 western extremity of the continent of Asia. This 
 was done while the ships lay in the Bay of Cortes, 
 or Bay of Phillipina. If only some one had taken 
 the trouble at that time to climb to the mast-head, 
 he might have seen the open sea to the northward 
 of the island and thus have discovered that Cuba 
 was nothing but an island. Or had Columbus 
 kept on for two or three days more, he would 
 have reached the western end of the island and 
 
26 CUBA. 
 
 thus have learned what it really was. Instead, 
 he returned to Spain still cherishing his delusion. 
 
 A Chiefs Exhortation. 
 
 His last landing was made in Cuba on July 7. 
 At the mouth of a fine river he set up a cross 
 and had the service of the Mass performed. 
 Among the Indians who looked on at this cere- 
 mony in mute amazement was one venerable chief 
 who at the end of the ceremony said to Colum- 
 bus : "I am told that you have come to this 
 country with a mighty force and have subdued 
 many lands, spreading great fear among the 
 people. But do not therefore be vainglorious. 
 Remember that, according to our belief, the souls 
 of men have two journeys to perform after they 
 have departed from the body. One is to a place 
 that is dismal, foul, and covered with darkness, 
 prepared for those who have been unjust and 
 cruel to their fellow-men. The other is to a place 
 full of delight and beauty, for those who have 
 promoted peace on earth. Therefore if you are 
 mortal and expect to die, see to it that you hurt 
 no man wrongfully nor do harm to those who 
 have done no harm to you." 
 
 A third short visit was made by Columbus 
 to the southern shores of Cuba at the end of May, 
 1 503, and that concluded his adventures in that 
 island. In 151 1 his son, Diego Columbus, for the 
 purpose of colonizing the island, fitted out an 
 
CUBA. 27 
 
 expedition, consisting of more than three hun- 
 dred men, under Diego Velasquez, who had 
 accompanied his father on his second voyage. 
 Their first settlement was Baracoa, and in 15 14 
 they founded Santiago and Trinidad. In July, 
 1 5 15, was planted a town called San Cristoval de 
 la Havana, which was in 15 19 named Batabano, 
 and its original title transferred to the present 
 capital of the island. The island itself, by the 
 way, was first named by Columbus Juana, in 
 honor of Prince John, son of Ferdinand and Isa- 
 bella. After Ferdinand's death it was re-named 
 Fernandina. Next it was designated Santiago, 
 for the patron saint of Spain. Still later it was 
 called Ave Maria, in honor of the Holy Virgin. 
 Finally it was called Cuba, that being the name 
 by which it was known among the natives at the 
 time of its discovery. 
 
 Settlement and Slaughter. 
 
 As we have said the conquest of the island 
 was seriously undertaken in 15.11. The expedi- 
 tion was organized in San Domingo, under the 
 command of Diego Velasquez and numbered 
 more than three hundred men. Among them was 
 Hernando Cortez, the future conqueror of Mexico. 
 There also was the celebrated Bartolome Las 
 Casas, known as the Apostle to the Indies. 
 
 The harsh and brutal treatment imposed by 
 the Spaniards upon the Indians in San Domingo 
 
28 CUBA. 
 
 had caused many of the latter to cross over to 
 Cuba, where they expected to live in security and 
 peace. Among these was the famous chief, 
 Hatuey, whose name stands upon the pages of 
 history as a monument of courage and patriotism 
 in the face of Spanish ferocity and cruelty. As 
 soon as he learned that the Spaniards had landed 
 in Cuba, Hatuey collected his warriors and pro- 
 ceeded to oppose the invaders. But the struggle 
 was a useless one and hopeless from the outset. 
 The weapons of the Indians consisted of arrows 
 pointed with fishbones and of clubs, the ends of 
 which were hardened by fire, while the Spaniards, 
 besides protecting their bodies with heavy cloth- 
 ing which the weak points of the Indian arrows 
 could scarcely penetrate, were provided with ex- 
 cellent swords, powerful cross-bows, some fire- 
 arms and a few horses. After several encounters 
 Hatuey fell into the hands of the Spaniards and 
 was condemned by Velasquez to be burned at 
 the stake. When he was already tied to the 
 stake, and the fagots were about to be lighted, 
 the chief was approached by a priest who began 
 to pray that his soul might be taken to heaven. 
 Hearing this, Hatuey asked to which of the two 
 places the Spaniards would go when they died. 
 He was told that they would all certainly go to 
 heaven. "Then," he exclaimed, resolutely, "let 
 me go to hell !" 
 
CUBA. 29 
 
 I<as Casas and His Work. 
 
 Las Casas, whom we have already mentioned, 
 was the son of one of the companions of Colum- 
 bus on his first voyage of discovery to the new 
 world. In 1498 he accompanied his father in an 
 expedition under Columbus to the West Indies, 
 and in 1502 he went to Hayti, where he was 
 admitted to priestly orders, being the first person 
 to receive such consecration in the new world. 
 In 151 1, the conquest of Cuba having been re- 
 solved on, he went to that island to take part in 
 the work of "population and pacification." He 
 witnessed and vainly tried to check the terrible 
 massacres of Indians which Velasquez soon per- 
 petrated. A year or two later there was assigned 
 to him a large village in the neighborhood of 
 Xagua, inhabited by many Indians, as his share 
 of the new colony. Here, like the rest of his 
 countrymen, he sought to make the most of his 
 opportunity of growing rich, though he continued 
 occasionally to preach and celebrate Mass. Soon, 
 however, having become deeply convinced of the 
 injustice and other moral evils of the system of 
 rule adopted by the Spaniards, he began to 
 preach against it, at the same time giving up his 
 own slaves. Then he went to Spain to speak in 
 behalf of the oppressed natives, and the result 
 of his representations was that in 15 16 Cardinal 
 Jimenez sent over a commission for the reform 
 
30 CUBA. 
 
 of abuses — Las Casas himself, with a salary and 
 the title of " Protector of the Indians," being ap- 
 pointed a member of it. He soon found, how- 
 ever, that the other members of the commission 
 were altogether indifferent to the cause which he 
 had so much at heart and he accordingly returned 
 to Spain where he developed his scheme for the 
 complete liberation of the Indians. This scheme 
 not only included facilities for emigration from 
 Spain, but was intended to give to each Spanish 
 resident in the colonies the right of importing 
 twelve negro slaves. The emigration movement 
 proved a failure, and Las Casas lived long enough 
 to express his sorrow and shame for having been 
 so slow to perceive that the African negroes were 
 as much entitled to the rights of man as were the 
 American Indians. 
 
 Extinction of the Hatives. 
 Velasquez was thus the founder of Indian slav- 
 ery, and Las Casas of negro slavery, in America. 
 The Indians who were not distributed among the 
 Spaniards as slaves were compelled to pay a 
 tribute in gold dust, and as gold never abounded 
 in Cuba this was a difficult thing to do. Although 
 the Indians were physically well developed, they 
 were not accustomed to continuous and hard 
 labor. The tasks imposed upon them by their 
 ruthless Spanish masters caused so great a mor- 
 tality that in about half a century the whole native 
 
CUBA. 31 
 
 population of the island had disappeared. Some 
 of the estimates placed the number of inhabitants 
 of the country originally at 800,000. Others 
 place it at no more than 400,000. But even tak- 
 ing the latter figure as correct, what a frightful 
 destruction of human life there was in a few 
 years ! 
 
 The discovery and conquest of Mexico and 
 Peru, with their immense wealth, caused the 
 Spanish to look upon Cuba with indifference, and 
 for nearly 300 years it was almost forgotten. 
 Nothing but the geographical position of Havana 
 saved the island from utter neglect and oblivion 
 in Spain. It was a convenient stopping-place for 
 ships plying between Spain and the American 
 continent, but so little was known in Spain about 
 Cuba that not infrequently, even as late as the 
 latter part of the last century, official dispatches 
 were addressed to the Island of Havana. Even 
 after the country was yielding to the Spanish 
 treasury millions of dollars of revenue every 
 year, the Spaniards remained so ignorant about 
 Cuban matters that in the laws enacted for Cuba 
 at Madrid in 1856 a reward was offered for the 
 killing of "foxes, ferrets, wolves and other wild 
 beasts of prey." Of such animals not a trace had 
 ever been discovered in the island. The only 
 wolves and other wild beasts of prey known to 
 the Cubans have been the Spanish office-holders. 
 
32 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 De Soto. 
 
 Havana was frequently attacked by the ships 
 of powers hostile to Spain. In 1538 it was 
 almost entirely destroyed by a French privateer. 
 To prevent a similar disaster in future the Castillo 
 de la Fuerza, a fortress which still exists, was 
 built by Fernando de Soto, who was then Gover- 
 nor of Cuba. This was the same de Soto who 
 afterward became famous for his explorations in 
 the southern and western regions of the United 
 States and for the discovery of the Mississippi 
 River. When he went on his last expedition to 
 North America, on which he lost his life, he left 
 his wife and family behind him at Havana, where 
 his wife died of a broken heart three days after 
 receiving news of his death. 
 
 The British Conquest. 
 
 Despite this fortress, in 1554, the French 
 again attacked and partly destroyed Havana. The 
 early settlers of Cuba devoted themselves chiefly 
 to the rearing of cattle, but about 1580 the 
 cultivation of tobacco and the sugar cane was 
 commenced, and this led to a vast development 
 of the system of negro slavery. Previous to 
 1600 two more forts were built for the defence of 
 Havana. These were the Punta and the Morro 
 Castle, which are still in existence. For a century 
 and a half after this date the island was kept in a 
 state of almost perpetual fear of invasion from the 
 
CUBA. 33 
 
 French, English, Dutch, and other raiders. It 
 also suffered much from the pirates and freeboot- 
 ers who infested those seas. About 1665 the 
 building of strong walls around the city was 
 commenced. In 1 762 Havana was captured after 
 a desperate struggle by an English fleet and army 
 under Lord Albemarle. The fleet consisted of 
 more than two hundred vessels of all classes 
 manned by more than fourteen thousand men, 
 while the Spanish army of defense numbered 
 more than twenty-seven thousand. The assault 
 began on June 6th. On July 30th Morro Castle 
 was surrendered, and on August 14th the city 
 itself capitulated. The spoil divided among the 
 conquerors amounted to more than $3,600,000. 
 By a treaty concluded at Paris in the following 
 year Cuba was restored to the Spaniards and 
 thereafter its progress was rapid. Indeed, that 
 was the beginning of the island's real importance 
 and prosperity. 
 
 Progress and Prosperity. 
 Another Las Casas arrived in 1 790 as Cap- 
 tain-General of the island and his administration 
 was a brilliant time in the history of Cuba. He 
 promoted with indefatigable perseverance a great 
 and useful series of public works. He also intro- 
 duced the culture of indigo, which became an 
 important industry. He extended the commer- 
 cial importance of the island by removing as far 
 
34 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 as possible the trammels imposed upon it by the 
 old system of monopoly, and also made noble 
 efforts for the emancipation of the slaves. It was 
 owing to his wise administration that the island 
 remained peaceful during the time of the revolu- 
 tion in Hayti, although the latter was closely 
 watched by the negroes in Cuba and a con- 
 spiracy for revolt was actually formed among 
 them by French agents. Many of the French 
 who were driven out of Hayti by the negro revo- 
 lutionists came to Cuba in 1795 and settled there. 
 The news that Napoleon had deposed the 
 royal family of Spain reached Cuba in July, 1808. 
 It caused great excitement and aroused much 
 patriotic enthusiasm. All the officers of the 
 island at once took oath to preserve Cuba for the 
 deposed sovereign and declared war against 
 Napoleon. It was partly from this fact, and 
 partly from the fact that it remained loyal to Spain 
 when, a dozen years later, all the South American 
 colonies revolted, that Cuba received the name of 
 "The Ever Faithful Isle." 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 GENERAL VIEW OF THE ISLAND THE LAY OF THE 
 
 LAND THE CLIMATE MINERAL RESOURCES 
 
 ANIMAL LIFE VEGETABLE LIFE CUBAN SCE- 
 NERY. 
 
 UBA EXTENDS from Cape Maysi, on 
 the east, to Cape St. Antonio, on the 
 west, in a curved line of 790 miles. It 
 lies between 19 and 23 north latitude, and 74 
 and 85 west longitude. It is 117 miles wide in 
 the broadest part ; from Cape Maternillos point 
 on the north, to the western point of Mota 
 Cove, on the south twenty-one miles east of 
 Cape Cruz — the Cape of the Cross. 
 
 The narrowest part of the Island is twenty- 
 two miles, from the mouth of Bahia del Mariel, 
 on the north of Cove of Mavana on the south. 
 From Havana to^Batabano, it is twenty-eight 
 miles ; near the centre of the Island, the breadth 
 north and south is about seventy-five miles. 
 The periphery of the Island, following a line the 
 less tortuous and cutting the bays, parts and 
 coasts at their mouths, is 1,719 miles, of which 
 
 (35) 
 
36 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 816 are on the north and 903 on the south. Its 
 area is about 55,000 square miles ; and taking 
 into the estimate the adjacent islands, or keys 
 which belong to it, it is 64,000 square miles. The 
 form of the Island is exceedingly irregular, ap- 
 proaching that of a long, narrow crescent, the 
 convex portion of which looks toward the Arctic 
 pole. Her situation in regard to that pole is 
 nearly from east by south to west by north- 
 west. It is the most westerly of the West India 
 Islands, and the western part is placed advantage- 
 ously in the mouth of the Mexican gulf, leaving 
 two spacious entrances ; the one of the north- 
 west, 124 miles wide, between Point Hicacos, the 
 most northerly of the Island, and Point Tancha, 
 or Cape Sable, the most southerly of East 
 Florida. The other entrance into the Gulf to 
 the southwest, is 97 miles in its narrowest part, 
 between Cape St. Antonio, of Cuba, and Cape 
 Catoche, the most salient extremity of the Penin- 
 sula of Yucatan ; from Cape Mola, or St. Nicho- 
 las, in the Island of St. Domingo, the eastern 
 extremity of Cuba, or Maysi Point, is separated 
 by a channel forty-two miles wide. From Maysi 
 to Great Enagua, the nearest of the Lucayas, or 
 Bahama Islands, the distance to the northeast is 
 forty-five miles. From Point Lucrecia, in Cuba, 
 the most easterly point of the great bank of 
 Bahama, in the old Bahama Channel, called St. 
 

 
 
 
 Jr 
 
 ' ■;„; »" 
 
 10 
 
 
 : i 
 
 i 
 
 fcff 
 
 Bill 7 ^Aita 
 
 His. >. 
 
 :j ! j 
 
 
 
 pH^Mk^ft * 
 
 ;" 
 
 -V__ 
 
 
CUBA. 39 
 
 Domingo's key, thirty-four miles. From Punto 
 del Ingles, on the South of Cuba, to the nearest 
 point of the northern coast of Jamaica, the dis- 
 tance is seventy five miles. 
 
 Cuba contains the following ports on the 
 North, viz. : Guardiana, Bahia Honda, Cabana, 
 Mariel, Havana, Matanzas, Cardenas, Sagua la 
 Grande, San Juan de los Remedios, Guanaja, 
 Nuevitas, Nuevas Grandes, Manati Puerto del 
 Padre, Puerto del Mangle, Jibara, Jururu, Bariai, 
 Vita, Naranjo, Salma Banes, Nipe, Leviza Cabo- 
 nico, Tanamo, Cebollas, Zaquaneque, Zaragua, 
 Taco, Cuyaguaneque Navas, Maravi, Baracoa and 
 Manta — thirty-seven in all. On the South, Bati- 
 queri, Puerto Escondido, Guantanamo, Santiago 
 de Cuba, Mota, Manzanillo, Santa Cruz, Ver- 
 tientes, Masio, Casilda, Jagua, Ensenada de Cor- 
 tez and Ensenada de Cochinos — thirteen in all. 
 The Lay of the Land. 
 
 Low as the coast lands are, the island is 
 plentifully supplied with hills and mountains. 
 The highest part of the island is in the southeast 
 portion, the loftiest peaks here reaching a height 
 of more than 7,600 feet. From these mountains 
 a ridge of somewhat less general elevation follows 
 closely to the central line of the island westward, 
 rising to a height of 2,530 feet at the extreme 
 west. A considerable group of hills also rises 
 immediately behind the harbor of Trinidad, near 
 3 
 
4Q 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 the centre of the southern coast. The summits 
 of the mountains are mostly rocky and naked, 
 though occasionally smooth and covered with soil 
 and vegetation. The internal structures of the 
 mountains consist of chalk, limestone, sandstone, 
 and gypsum. There are also numerous masses 
 of serpentine and syenitic rocks. In some places 
 petroleum is found in considerable quantities 
 among the serpentine, and abundant springs of 
 the same oil are also found in the eastern part of 
 the island. 
 
 The rivers of Cuba are necessarily short, and 
 their course is generally toward the north or 
 south. The largest is the Cauto, which is about 
 150 miles long, and navigable for sixty miles. 
 Several others are navigable for from five to fifteen 
 miles each. At the northeast of Guantanamo is 
 the hill of Moa, in which is a huge cavern, and in 
 that cavern the river Moa descends in a superb 
 cascade more than 300 feet high. 
 The Climate. 
 
 Cuba lies near the northern edge of the 
 tropical zone and its climate is therefore largely 
 torrid. On the high ground of the interior, how- 
 ever, it is fairly temperate. As in other tropical 
 and semi-tropical countries, the year is divided 
 into two seasons, known as the wet and the dry, 
 the former being the hotter of the two. The wet 
 season extends from May to October, although 
 
CUBA. 41 
 
 rain falls in every month of the year. Spring 
 begins in May, and thenceforward thunder storms 
 are of almost daily occurrence until fall. Almost 
 every day is exceedingly warm except on the 
 mountain-tops. From November to April is the 
 dry season, when the temperature is somewhat 
 more moderate. The average rainfall at Havana 
 in the wet season is about 27 8-10 inches and in 
 the dry season 12 7-10 inches, making a total of 
 40 5-10 inches for the year. At Havana in July 
 and August the average temperature is 82 Fah- 
 renheit, varying between a maximum of 88° and 
 a minimum of 76 . In December and January 
 the maximum is 78 and the minimum 58 , the 
 average being 72 . The average temperature at 
 Havana the year round is yy°. In the interior of 
 the Island, at elevations more than 300 feet above 
 the sea, the mercury occasionally falls to the 
 freezing point in winter. Light frosts are not 
 uncommon and thin ice is sometimes formed. 
 Snow, however, is never known to fall in the 
 Island The prevailing wind is from the east, but 
 from November to February the north wind occa- 
 sionally blows for not more than two days at a 
 time, especially in the western part of the island. 
 As a rule the hottest hours in the day are from 
 ten o'clock to noon. In the afternoon a refresh- 
 ing breeze almost always sets in from the sea. 
 From August to October is the hurricane season. 
 
42 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 These storms are sometimes extremely severe 
 and destructive, though not so much so as in other 
 West Indian Islands. Sometimes five or six years 
 pass without a single hurricane. Earthquake 
 shocks are occasionally felt, but are seldom so 
 severe as to be destructive. 
 
 No serious diseases are known to be in- 
 digenous to the island. Yellow fever, which 
 rages every year on all the coast lands, was im- 
 ported many years ago by vessels engaged in 
 the slave trade. It is probable that its contin- 
 uance and annual recurrence has been due to the 
 indescribably foul condition of the harbors, espec- 
 ially that of Havana. This plague causes great 
 loss of life every year, especially among visitors 
 and naturalized residents of the island. It attacks 
 comparatively few of the natives and its ravages 
 are exclusively confined to the lowlands along 
 the coast. 
 
 Mineral Resources. 
 
 The mineral resources of the island have not 
 yet been developed nor even explored to any 
 considerable extent. Gold and silver have, un- 
 doubtedly, been found on the island in various 
 places, but never in quantities sufficient to pay 
 for the working of mines. The early settlers 
 sent gold to Spain from the island, but they 
 obtained it from the aborigines who had accu- 
 mulated it for centuries and had probably im- 
 
CUBA. 43 
 
 ported it from other islands and from Mexico and 
 the South American continent. Traces of orold- 
 bearing sand are found in several of the rivers, 
 and attempts have been made at two or three 
 places to secure the metal in paying quantities, 
 but without success. Early in the present cen- 
 tury silver and copper were discovered in the 
 Province of Villa Clara, and some of the first ores 
 found yielded no less than seven ounces of pure 
 silver to the quintal, a quintal being 107^ 
 pounds. The mines have never been properly 
 worked, however, and thus have been regarded 
 as unprofitable. Near Santiago, in the eastern 
 part of the island, are some copper mines of 
 great extent and richness. A considerable town 
 has grown up about them and a railroad has 
 been built to carry their product to the sea. 
 More than fifty tons of very rich ore have been 
 taken out daily, the best of it being shipped direct 
 to Europe for reduction. The poorer part of it 
 is retained and smelted on the island. These 
 mines were worked with considerable success 
 during the seventeenth century, but during the 
 eighteenth century were entirely neglected. 
 
 Coal is found in almost inexhaustible quanti- 
 ties. It is of a highly bituminous character, giv- 
 ing out much heat, and leaving very little ashes 
 or cinders. In some places it degenerates into 
 semi-liquid form, resembling asphaltum, and in 
 
44 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 some places naphtha or petroleum. There are ex- 
 cellent quarries of slate near Havana, the product 
 of which is used for floors and pavements. In 
 many parts of the island of Cuba, and more par- 
 ticularly in the Isle of Pines, marble and jasper, 
 of various colors and fine quality, are found. Iron 
 is believed to exist in considerable quantities, es- 
 pecially among the highest mountain peaks, but 
 because of the difficulty of access, the scarcity of 
 fuel, the want of capital, and perhaps, above all, 
 lack of enterprise and energy, no considerable 
 mining operations have ever been undertaken. 
 Animal I*ife. 
 
 The aboriginal animal life of Cuba varied but 
 little from that of other islands. Savage wild 
 beasts were unknown. The only quadruped pe- 
 culiar to the island is the hutia. This is an 
 animal somewhat resembling a rat in form, and 
 from twelve to eighteen inches in length, exclusive 
 of the tail. It is pure black in color, lives among 
 trees, and feeds on leaves and fruit. Its flesh is 
 sometimes used as an article of diet. A few deer 
 have been found in various parts of the island, 
 but they are supposed to have been introduced 
 from Florida. Plenty of wild dogs and cats are 
 found in the woods, but they are merely the de- 
 generate descendants of tame creatures. 
 
 The chief domestic animals are the ox, the 
 horse, and the pig, and these form a large pro- 
 
CUBA. 45 
 
 portion of the wealth of the island. Sheep, goats 
 and mules are less numerous. The manatee is 
 found along the coasts, but no attempt has ever 
 been made to domesticate it. Domestic fowls in- 
 clude geese, turkeys, peacocks and pigeons. The 
 wild birds are notable for the beauty of their 
 plumage, and more than 200 different species are 
 found on the island. There are very few birds of 
 prey. The principal ones are the vulture and the 
 turkey buzzard, and these are protected from 
 destruction by law, on account of their services 
 as scavengers. The waters in and about the 
 island are plentifully supplied with fish. Oysters 
 and other shell fish also abound, but are of infe- 
 rior quality. Numerous turtles are found on the 
 coast and reefs, some of them attaining enormous 
 size. They and their eggs form an important 
 article of diet. Crocodiles and enormous lizards 
 are common. Land-crabs are frequently seen in 
 large numbers. These cross the island from north 
 to south every spring, at the beginning of the 
 rainy season. There are comparatively few snakes. 
 The largest is the maja, which attains a length of 
 twelve or fourteen feet, but is quite harmless. 
 The most venomous snake is the juba, which 
 grows to a length of about six feet. 
 
 Among the insect life of Cuba the most no- 
 table creature is the firefly. These flies are very 
 large and luminous and exist in enormous num- 
 
46 CUBA. 
 
 bers. They are much used among the poorer 
 people instead of lamps or candles. A dozen or 
 more of them confined in a bottle or even an 
 empty gourd pierced with holes will serve to illu- 
 minate a room fairly well. Bees are exceedingly 
 abundant throughout the island. The poisonous 
 insects are the jigger, one species of ant, the 
 mosquito, the sandfly, the scorpion, and spiders. 
 Vegetable I«ife. 
 
 A considerable portion of the area of Cuba 
 is covered with forests, some of them being so 
 dense as to be almost impenetrable. It was 
 estimated a few years ago that of nearly 20,000,- 
 000 acres of land still remaining wild and uncul- 
 tivated, about 13,000,000 were covered with 
 uncleared forest. Among the valuable woods 
 are mahogany, ebony, cedar and grandilla. 
 These are valuable for manufactures, cabinet 
 work and ship-building, and form a considerable 
 article of export. The most valuable tree on the 
 island, however, is the palm, which abounds 
 everywhere. 
 
 The fruits and vegetables of Cuba are such 
 as are found elsewhere in the tropics. Most 
 esteemed of all are the banana and plantain, the 
 pineapple, the orange and the cocoa. The sweet- 
 and-bitter cassava, the sweet potato, or yam, and 
 other farinaceous roots are common, and Indian 
 corn and rice are extensively cultivated. 
 
CUBA. 47 
 
 Cuban Scenery. 
 
 Travelers coming to Cuba for the first time 
 usually see what they have expected to see, and 
 fall temporarily into ecstasies over tropical scen- 
 ery and semi-saracenic architectural effects. It is 
 imagination fired by overheated books of travel 
 that lends to the view greater enchantment than 
 distance in a foreign land. When the eye becomes 
 accustomed to the contrasts with familiar scenes 
 offered in town and country, disenchantment 
 quickly follows. Then the truth is discerned that 
 the woods, foliage, plants, flowers, landscape ef- 
 fects and suburban drives are incomparably more 
 beautiful in the temperate zone than in the tropics. 
 Raptures over Cuban scenery are transitory va- 
 garies in Havana. The harbor, with a long line 
 of high-bastioned fortifications flanking the low 
 peninsula upon which the city stands, is an impos- 
 ing pageant, especially under a moonlit sky ; but 
 the country about the city is flat and unimpressive. 
 A railway ride across the island from Batabano, 
 or westward to Matanzas, discloses vistas of 
 undulating levels and moors under poor cultiva- 
 tion, relieved only by sentinel palms of the royal 
 guard, or by encampments of palmettos, or by 
 straggling cabins with palm-leaf roofs. The plazas 
 have an ill-nourished and stunted look. The 
 Bishop's Garden in Tulipan was once a lovely re- 
 treat, but it is now neglected ground. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE INDUSTRIES OF CUBA A COFFEE PLANTATION 
 
 PREPARING COFFEE FOR MARKET HAVANA 
 
 CIGARS A CIGAR FACTORY SUGAR PLANTA- 
 TIONS AND MILLS HOW SUGAR IS MADE 
 
 CATHEDRAL AND CUSTOM HOUSE THE DANSE 
 
 DU VENTRE IN CUBA THE BULL RING THE 
 
 TOMB OF COLUMBUS AMONG THE PAWN-SHOPS 
 
 A HARD BARGAIN MATANZAS A WONDER- 
 FUL CAVE. 
 
 dp 
 
 HE PRINCIPAL agricultural products 
 of Cuba are sugar, coffee and tobacco. 
 In former years indigo was extensively 
 cultivated, but that industry has greatly declined. 
 The sugar industry has also been injured by the 
 development of beet sugar production in various 
 other countries. Still, the sugar plantations and 
 mills, which include both refineries and distilleries 
 for the production of rum, are the most important 
 industrial establishments of the island. The bulk 
 of the sugar is shipped to the United States. 
 Next in importance is the coffee industry, which 
 was established in 1748, the seeds having been 
 brought from San Domingo. Tobacco is indig- 
 enous to Cuba, and is famous over the world for 
 its fine quality. Hundreds of millions of cigars 
 are exported every year, beside many million 
 pounds of leaf tobacco. 
 
 (48) 
 
CUBA. 49 
 
 The other industries of Cuba comprise 
 cattle farms, cotton plantations, fruit and vege- 
 table farms, chocolate plantations, and bee farms, 
 devoted to the production of honey and wax. 
 Generally speaking, it may be said that these 
 industries have been conducted in a rather slip- 
 shod manner. The best establishments are now 
 those conducted by Americans, largely with 
 Chinese labor. At the same time, contact with 
 American progress has considerably improved 
 the character and disposition of the natives, and 
 under a proper government the industrial condi- 
 tion of the island would be vastly improved, and 
 would contain a considerable measure of that 
 prosperity for which nature evidently designed 
 it. The saying that " if you tickle the earth with 
 a hoe it laughs with a harvest" is to no country 
 more applicable than to Cuba. 
 
 Four centuries have been nearly rounded out 
 since the discoveries of Columbus, yet Cuba to-day 
 is, with the single exception of Brazil, the least- 
 developed country in the New World. Out of a 
 total area of 43,000 square miles barely more 
 than one-tenth is under cultivation. At the west- 
 ern end of the island there is a population exceed- 
 ing 1,000,000, but the remaining districts, of which 
 Puerto Principe and Santiago are the capitals, are 
 practically unsettled, having between them less 
 than 500,000 whites, negroes and Chinese. Only 
 
50 CUBA. 
 
 within five years has iron-mining begun in earnest. 
 The forest areas are unexplored. There are vast 
 tracts of unreclaimed lands available for future in- 
 dustry. There are broad savannas, now aban- 
 doned to tropical thickets, where sugar, tobacco 
 and corn could be cultivated. If there are now 
 1 500 sugar plantations, large and small, on the 
 island, there could be 15,000. If there are 15,000 
 tobacco-planters of every degree, the number 
 might be multiplied. If coffee-farming has de- 
 clined and is now restricted mainly to the moun- 
 tain slopes of Guantanamo, it could be restored 
 to its old-time efficiency and prosperity. A trans- 
 formation of administration and economic condi- 
 tions are needed in order that there may be a new 
 and reinvigorated Cuba. Spanish rule has been 
 like the wild Indian fig of the island that winds 
 about the monarch trees of the forest and para- 
 lyzes and kills them with its serpentine embrace. 
 The destroying fig must first be uprooted before 
 the tree can have soil, light, air and moisture 
 needed for its normal growth. 
 
 A Coffee Plantation. 
 Any person desiring to make a coffee estate 
 chooses for his plaza, or plantation, high and 
 steep ground, if possible facing east and west ; 
 altitude above sea-level from 1,000 to 3,000 feet. 
 Experience has proven that ground lower than 
 1,000 feet is too apt in the dry season to parch 
 
CUBA. 5 I 
 
 and give the plant insufficient moisture, whereas 
 on the mountain side in the altitude mentioned 
 the dews are always heavier, and the morning 
 fogs settle longer and give the soil time to absorb 
 the moisture it needs to sustain the plant during 
 the hot hours of the day. For these reasons, and 
 also to avoid the direct rays of the noonday sun, 
 steep hillsides are chosen, facing east and west, 
 as said above, if possible. As a general thing the 
 planter, never having studied the chemical proper- 
 ties of coffee-producing land, looks for ground 
 where lance-wood, redwood and olive-wood grow 
 as a never failing proof that the land is adapted 
 for the cultivation of coffee. The land must be 
 virgin soil. On this the planter puts his laborers 
 to the work of clearing. The larger trees are 
 burned out and the smaller trees and brush 
 chopped down with ax and machete. The cost 
 of clearing the land is about $500, Spanish, per 
 caballeria (thirty-three and one-third acres). 
 
 The land is lined out, the lines running from 
 the top to the bottom of the hill, four feet apart. 
 In these lines five or six coffee berries, three and 
 one-half feet from each other and two inches from 
 the surface, are planted. In other words, one cabel- 
 leria contains, where the whole space can be util- 
 ized, 100,000 plants. The coffee is planted during 
 the rainy season — in March or September. In 
 thirty-five or forty days the seeds begin to sprout. 
 
52 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 These sprouts are allowed to grow for six months, 
 after which the healthiest alone are left, the others 
 being pulled out. The remaining sprout is left 
 growing for eighteen or twenty months. In the 
 meanwhile the planter, desiring that his land shall 
 yield something, plants corn, plantains, and all 
 kinds of vegetables ; also, at intervals between 
 the rows, cacao, which, however, does not yield a 
 full crop until the coffee plant is exhausted, say, 
 in ten or twelve years. As soon as the coffee 
 plant reaches a height of four feet it is stunted 
 and trimmed, all young sprouts thereon being 
 killed off in order to force all the strength into 
 the fruit. For the first two years the plant pro- 
 duces nothing ; the third year it yields a half crop ; 
 on the fourth year a full crop, which runs from 
 10,000 to 60,000 pounds of coffee, ready for the 
 market, according to the condition of the soil, per 
 cabelleria of thirty-three and one-third acres. 
 This production continues for ten or more years, 
 and the planter can gather his crop of cacao, 
 planted as above. 
 
 The coffee plant blooms in January to April, 
 then the berry forms and is ripe for picking from 
 August to December. The negro is paid for 
 picking and delivering the berry at the "seca- 
 dero" (a large platform made of stone, covered 
 and smoothed with cement) fifty cents per bag. 
 It is calculated that one hundred pounds of 
 
CUBA. 53 
 
 berries yield fifteen pounds of marketable coffee, 
 Each bag of berries delivered at the "secadero" 
 must contain 200 to 300 pounds, and a good 
 workman can pick three bags per day. 
 
 Preparing: Coffee for Market. 
 
 The berry is then spread on the "secadero" 
 and exposed to the sun to dry. How long this 
 takes depends wholly on the weather — under 
 ordinary circumstances, say seventy-two hours. 
 The berries while drying are repeatedly raked or 
 turned over to quicken the process. During this 
 process great watchfulness is required, as the 
 slightest rain would ruin the berry. To prevent 
 this covers are always ready for the "secadero." 
 These are cone-shaped, and when the berries are 
 raked into heaps these covers completely protect 
 them from rain and dew. 
 
 When the berries are completely dried they 
 are put into the "molina de pilar," which is a 
 circular trough, usually cemented, in which a 
 heavy wheel made of hard wood, the rim plated 
 with metal, revolves. This wheel crushes the 
 berry and leaves the bean. Ox or mule power is 
 employed. The bean is then put into the blower 
 to remove all particles of the outside shell. 
 When the coffee is clean it is again put into the 
 "molina de pilar" to receive a polish. If the 
 color is too light a little charcoal is put into the 
 trough with the coffee. 
 
54 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 The coffee, after this process, is ready to be 
 put into bags and conveyed to market, which is 
 done on mule-back. 
 
 Another process, not so much in use now, 
 owing to the fact that the coffee is exported, is 
 washing. The berry, as it comes from the playa, 
 is put into a crusher to press out the bean. The 
 bean falling into a stone basin is left therein over 
 night to rid it of the gum adhering to it. The 
 next morning the basin is filled with water and 
 the bean washed. This process is repeated two 
 or three times, when the coffee is spread out on 
 the "secadero" to dry. 
 
 The coffee is conveyed to market on mule- 
 back, in bags of about 102 pounds each, a mule 
 carrying two bags and traveling ten leagues per 
 day. The cost of carrying to market in this man- 
 ner runs from 75 cents to $1 per load. 
 Havana Cigars. 
 
 There is a popular theory that since the 
 choicest cigars come from Cuba, Havana is the 
 best place in the world to buy them. American 
 visitors when they come here expect to revel in the 
 luxury of smoking the most delicate brands and 
 of paying very little for them. Cigars are cheap, 
 but not so good, in Havana. " I have sampled 
 all brands in various stores," says an American 
 traveler, "and have not found anything better 
 than an ordinary Key West cigar that is sold in 
 
1 
 
 o 
 
 s 
 
 to 
 S 
 
cuba. 57 
 
 New York. Exception must be made in favor of 
 a handful which I received at a cigar factory as a 
 present. These were very good. The cigars 
 sold over the counter even in the best restaurants 
 are not worth buying. The visitor who wants a 
 fine brand cannot do better than to visit one of 
 the best factories and make his purchases there, 
 throwing himself upon the mercy of the pro- 
 prietors and paying well for them. 
 
 "The truth is that the world smokes too 
 much to enjoy any longer the luxury of the pure 
 Havana of other days. The district where the 
 choicest leaf is produced in the Vuelta de Abajo 
 is of limited area. It is surrounded by belts in 
 which leaf of excellent color, but lacking in 
 delicacy of aroma, is produced. It is soil rather 
 than climate that regulates the quality of tobacco, 
 and while the plant grows readily throughout 
 Western Cuba, and in certain districts near 
 Matanzas, Cienfuegos and Santiago, it is only 
 from a comparatively small area that the best leaf 
 can be obtained, and then only when the plants 
 are trimmed after budding. The demand for 
 well-known brands is very great, and it has to 'be 
 met in some way. I was told in Santiago and 
 Cienfuegos that much of the tobacco raised there 
 was sent to Havana and made up as cigars pass- 
 ing under the best names. The depreciation in 
 the quality of Cuban cigars imported into the 
 4 
 
58 CUBA. 
 
 New York market during recent years is un- 
 doubtedly to be accounted for by the artificial 
 widening of the Vuelta de Abajo preserves so as 
 to include various "hot" tobaccos, similar in 
 color, but inferior in aroma. Heavy fertilizing, 
 moreover, while increasing the productiveness of 
 the land, injures the quality of the leaf. 
 A Cigfar Factory. 
 " No visitor ouaht to neglect to visit at least 
 one of the many large cigar factories of the city. I 
 saw at the Corona works a force of 800 men, women 
 and children employed in the various processes of 
 grouping wrappers according to color, making 
 cigars by hand, putting paper labels on them, 
 sorting cigars and manufacturing cigarettes. This 
 force is increased to 2000 in busy times. This fac- 
 tory produces many millions of cigars in the course 
 of a year, and about 2,000,000 cigarettes every 
 forty-eight hours. The expense of cigarette- 
 making is greatly reduced by ingenious machinery 
 for filling and packing the paper-holders with to- 
 bacco, closing them at both ends and finally emp- 
 tying the trays in which the shells were placed 
 before the delicate mechanism was brought to 
 bear upon them. This machinery enables six 
 men to do the work of 300, and turns out 600,000 
 cigarettes a day. Apparently there is some ap- 
 prehension felt lest this intricate mechanism may 
 be reproduced in detail in the United States, for 
 
CUBA. 59 
 
 the inventor, whose rights are controlled by the 
 Corona, will not allow any visitor with a camera 
 to enter the room. Wonderful as the improvement 
 in machinery for tobacco-working has been, it has 
 not emancipated children from this unhealthy and 
 laborious employment. 
 
 "In one of the departments I saw groups of 
 sallow-faced children under ten years making 
 cheroots and leaf-cigarettes. One was a little 
 thing, with a pale, wizened face, bending over the 
 table, with strained eyes, and working nervously 
 with her tiny fingers as rapidly as the two strong 
 women between whom she was sitting. Rarely 
 have I seen a more pathetic figure than this child, 
 so preoccupied with her work that she could not 
 spend time to look at the visitors pausing before 
 her with pitying eyes. I asked her age. She was 
 barely six years old, and could make 3000 of these 
 cheroots a day — almost as many as her mother. 
 American visitors will do well to avoid that corner 
 of the Corona. Cigars may never have the same 
 flavor for them again if they see a child of six 
 bending and straining over a work-table in order 
 to make them for the pleasure of the grand cabal- 
 leros of the gay world." 
 
 Sugar Plantations and Mills. 
 
 Matanzas is one of the largest sugar-pro- 
 ducing centres in Cuba. Last year it exported 
 about 160,000 tons to the United States and 60,000 
 
60 CUBA. 
 
 tons of molasses. More molasses is made here 
 than in Cienfuegos, but there is never anything 
 wasted by the Cuban planters anywhere by any 
 process of the manufacture of sugar. The cen- 
 trifugating machines separate the syrup into 
 sugar and molasses, each of the first grade. This 
 molasses is then worked over a second time with 
 more syrup, and the centrifugators divide the 
 combination into sugar and molasses, each of the 
 second grade. This second grade of molasses 
 is carried through a distillery and converted into 
 rum of various grades. In these hard times 
 sugar-planters cannot afford to lose anything at 
 all sweetish that comes from the cane. They sell 
 their sugar, molasses and prime rum in New 
 York, and their worst rum is worked off in the 
 Mexican trade. The refuse cane makes the 
 engines go. 
 
 The processes and machinery employed here 
 closely resemble those found elsewhere. There 
 is one plantation, owned by the Count de Ybanex, 
 which is operated differently. The cane instead 
 of being ground by milling machinery is cut up 
 into small sections and the sugar is worked out 
 of it by water, by a process of diffusion similar to 
 that employed in the manufacture of beet sugar. 
 This method has been tested with satisfactory 
 results during the last year at this plantation, 
 and has been adopted tentatively at one other 
 
CUBA. 6 1 
 
 Cuban factory. More labor is required and coal 
 is necessary, but it is asserted that the increased 
 expense is more than made up by the larger per- 
 centage of sugar obtained from the cane. One 
 of the most prominent planters here has furnished 
 me with a table showing the percentage obtained 
 by seven processes of diffusion by water, the 
 aggregate result being the extraction of over 992 
 parts of the thousand. The proportion is twelve 
 to ten in favor of the diffusion against the or- 
 dinary milling process. About 143 tons a day 
 are produced by diffusion on the plantation to 
 which I have referred, and this is done with 
 machinery which has not been perfected. 
 
 It would be a singular result if the diffusion 
 process by which the cultivation of European 
 beet sugar has been largely developed and en- 
 abled to crowd out cane sugar were adopted 
 generally in Cuba as a means of cheapening and 
 enlarging the product. One manufacturer, who 
 has made sugar by the grinding method for many 
 years, believes that this will happen. He admits 
 that the change of method will involve the aban- 
 donment of an extensive plant and the substitu- 
 tion of much new machinery ; but he contends 
 that a revolution in the current processes of making 
 cane sugar is impending. The Spanish Govern- 
 ment now blocks the way by imposing a duty of 
 one to two dollars a ton on coal. The diffusion 
 
62 CUBA. 
 
 process involves the necessity of using coal, and 
 the duty materially increases the cost of pro- 
 duction. This is an apt illustration of the burdens 
 imposed upon Cuba by a tariff system which does 
 not protect any of its industrial and productive 
 
 interests. 
 
 How Sugar is MaOe. 
 
 Soledad has the reputation of being the best 
 managed sugar plantation in Cuba. It produced 
 last year 12,000,000 pounds of sugar, and this 
 year it will probably send to market 14,000,000 
 pounds. Other plantations largely exceed it in 
 cultivated area and mechanical resources, Con- 
 stancia having a product of 40,000,000 pounds, 
 but Soledad is conducted on scientific principles 
 and with American thoroughness, system, and or- 
 ganization, so that there is the greatest saving in 
 the cost of production and the largest margin for 
 profit on the investment. All the improved ma- 
 chinery is here ; every time-saving and labor- 
 dispensing device is employed, and the maximum 
 amount of sugar is obtained from the cane at the 
 lowest possible cost. Soledad is largely owned 
 by Americans. 
 
 Soledad lies near a picturesque little river 
 flowing into the bay of Cienfuegos. It is reached 
 from the town after a delightful sail on a steam 
 yacht across the bay and up the river, and a short 
 railway ride from the wharf to the sugar works 
 
CUBA. 63 
 
 and plantation house. When the train draws up 
 before the door the manager is at hand with genial 
 smile and graceful hospitality to welcome his 
 guests, and to conduct them personally over the 
 works. With his explanations the intricate pro- 
 cesses of converting cane into sugar are speedily 
 revealed. Then follows a plantation breakfast 
 served in the airy dining-room of his house with 
 lavish hospitality and refinement of courtesy. 
 The dining-room adjoins the parlor or reception 
 room, which is furnished in characteristic Cuban 
 style with cane settees and rocking-chairs — a 
 spacious, high-studded room on the second floor, 
 with windows overlooking the sugar works, and 
 a lovely plantation garden. The floors are bare, 
 carpets never being used on the island, but no 
 Yankee housewife with a mania for sweeping, 
 dusting, and polishing can have a more scrupu- 
 lously neat parlor than what the manager face- 
 tiously describes as the bachelor's hall of Soledad. ■ 
 An afternoon passed in a planter's house is some- 
 thing to be treasured in memory as one of the de- 
 lightful experiences of a lifetime. 
 
 The first sugar plantation in Cuba was 
 established about a hundred years after the dis- 
 covery of the island. For three centuries the 
 chief industry of the island has been the cultiva- 
 tion of cane and its conversion into sugar. For 
 a long period the processes of manufacture were 
 
64 CUBA. 
 
 crude, inexpensive and wasteful, oxen being 
 employed in grinding cane, and the machinery 
 being of the roughest and simplest design. It is 
 no longer either practicable or profitable to raise 
 cane, and make sugar on a small scale. Steam 
 has taken the place of the ox and mule, not only 
 in the grinding mills, but to a large extent in the 
 fields. At Soledad the cane is carried to the 
 works by long trains running on narrow-gauge 
 railways through the estate. It is unloaded from 
 the cars by negroes and thrown upon a broad 
 carrier traveling up a long incline to the rollers 
 of the first mill. As many as fifteen men are 
 employed in handling this moving mass of cane. 
 When it reaches the first mill it is ground by 
 rollers weighing fifteen tons and set close to- 
 gether. The cane is broken up and about sixty 
 per cent, of the liquor which it contains is drawn 
 off underneath the mill. Under the old process 
 there was only one grinding and much of the 
 liquor was wasted. Now the cane is ground 
 twice and an additional fifteen per cent, of 
 the juice is obtained. Streams of liquor from 
 the vats of the two mills unite and pass through 
 a strainer, one workman being employed in rak- 
 ing off floating refuse and preventing obstruc- 
 tions. The liquor is then ready to be pumped 
 into the boiling works. 
 
 The refuse of the cane after the two grind- 
 
CUBA. 65 
 
 ings is the only fuel used in the works. It is 
 carried by moving conductors to the furnaces and 
 dumped automatically, being dried by the intense 
 heat and consumed as rapidly as it is fed. Wood 
 was used as fuel when the steam engine was 
 introduced in sugar works, and subsequently 
 bagasse, or refuse cane, was put with it. Boilers 
 have been invented to facilitate the employment 
 of bagasse as fuel. Those used here are the 
 Porcupine boilers of the Stillwater pattern. 
 Ordinarily, when the furnaces are fed with 
 bagasse, a force of eighty laborers is constantly 
 occupied in transferring it from the mills to the 
 boiler-house. At Soledad two men do the work 
 of eighty ; or, to speak more accurately, the 
 automatic action of the mechanical conductors 
 dispenses with the labor of seventy-eight men. 
 Indeed, a close approach is made here to the 
 solution of the old problem of perpetual motion. 
 The cane, when fed to the conductors, serves to 
 keep all the complex machinery of the works in 
 operation; the broken and crushed fragments of 
 bagasse are carried to the furnaces and furnish 
 the power by which not only the grinding, but 
 also the pumping and boiling are done ; all that 
 is not juice, but sheer waste, goes into the pro- 
 duction of force by which the mills are kept 
 grinding and the liquor clarified, boiled and crys- 
 tallized into sugar. 
 
66 CUBA. 
 
 Cathedral and Custom House. 
 
 Some 300 years ago, when Spain held 
 dominion over the greater part of the New 
 World, and the city of Havana was rising up as a 
 central station and key to these possessions, a 
 magnificent cathedral was erected, fronting the 
 sea, inside of the beautiful bay which now forms 
 the harbor, and just about the centre of the front 
 of the walled city. This cathedral was said to be 
 the finest in the New World, and was held in great 
 veneration. When Havana was captured by the 
 British in 1762, a considerable force was landed 
 to garrison the place, a part of which was cavalry 
 with little regard for the sacredness of the edifice, 
 the conquerors used the cathedral as a stable for 
 their horses. A year later the city was restored 
 to Spain by the treaty of peace signed at Paris, 
 and the cathedral was restored to its rightful 
 owners. In consideration of the use to which it 
 had been put by the British, it was declared to 
 be defiled and desecrated and entrance to 
 it was strictly forbidden. For a period of 100 
 years the stately building was condemned to 
 be closely shut up in darkness. When that 
 period had elapsed, the building was reopened 
 but never again was used as a place of wor- 
 ship. It was converted into a custom house 
 and devoted to the secular purposes of the Gov- 
 ernment. 
 
CUBA. 6 J 
 
 The Danae du Ventre in Cuba. 
 
 "I attended," says a recent visitor, "a dra- 
 matic performance at the Alhambra one night. 
 Three zarzuelas, or short one-act plays, are pre- 
 sented, and after each one a baile, or dance resem- 
 bling the Cancan, is performed (in this instance) 
 by three women and three men. The dancers 
 are very graceful, and although the tempo of the 
 music is disconcerting to my ear, they manage to 
 keep perfect time, which is perhaps the most re- 
 markable feature of it. 
 
 "But the dance of the evening is given by a 
 slender and rather pretty Spanish girl, very 
 modestly costumed and accompanied by soft, 
 voluptuous music. She is assisted by a nimble 
 male dancer, who circles about her with simple, 
 yet graceful steps, advancing wildly toward her 
 at intervals as if about to embrace her ; she 
 escapes him, however, and he himself seems to 
 think better of it on reflection, retiring discreetly 
 to the back of the stage where he gesticulates 
 madly to some mysterious personage in the flies, 
 appearing to give up the whole business as a bad 
 job. The dance of la senorita has so far been 
 similar to that given by Carmencita, but now her 
 movements become nothing more than a series 
 of wriggles and contortions of the abdomen and 
 hips — it is, in fact, the danse du ventre exactly as 
 seen in the Midway Plaisance, only more suggest- 
 
6S CUBA. 
 
 ive and indecent than the Chicago article and 
 infinitely more graceful. 
 
 "Amid a final discordant crash on the part of 
 the orchestra and howls of delight from the 
 audience, the curtain descends, when the Ameri- 
 can visitor betakes himself to the cafe to escape 
 the inevitable encore and to enjoy his cigarette 
 and lemonade in peace." 
 
 The Bull Ring. 
 
 The most famous popular amusement in 
 Havana is, however, bull-fighting, especially on 
 Sundays. 
 
 As early as 2 o'clock the people begin to 
 gather at the ring, although the sport will not be- 
 gin until 4. In the meantime a vast quantity of 
 lemonade, water sweetened with panales, cheap 
 wine and cognac, is disposed of by the hot and 
 thirsty crowd. In the palcos (boxes) many senoras 
 are to be seen with fan and mantilla, attended by 
 dandies smoking cigarettes or big black cigars. 
 
 Everybody is talking, the band plays gay 
 music and occasionally you hear the bulls bellow- 
 ing in their pens outside the ring. 
 
 The latter is about eighty feet in diameter 
 and surrounded by a board fence some four feet 
 high, over which the fighters vault when hard 
 pressed by the bull. At 4 o'clock exactly the 
 president enters his palco, signals with his hand- 
 kerchief for the slaughter to begin, and from the 
 
CUBA. 69 
 
 opposite side the bull-fighters enter the enclosure, 
 marching in pairs across to the president, whom 
 they salute before taking their several positions 
 about the arena. 
 
 The trumpet sounds and as the bull bounds 
 into the ring, a rosette of colored paper fastened 
 to a sharp piece of metal is driven into his shoulder. 
 This is unpleasant for the bull, and, snorting with 
 anger, he charges on an offensive partisan, called 
 a capeador, who gently waves a red cloak before 
 him. Just as the animal reaches him, he steps 
 nimbly aside, escaping by a hair's-breadth. 
 
 For ten or fifteen minutes the bull is teased 
 in this manner by the gentlemen with gaudy cloaks, 
 when at another signal from the president the 
 trumpet sounds again and a banderillero enters 
 armed with banderillas — short sticks ornamented 
 with colored paper, having wicked-looking barbs 
 or darts in the ends. 
 
 The banderillero, taking one of these pleasant 
 toys in either hand, approaches his enemy, raising 
 himself on tiptoe and waving his arms up and 
 down. The eyes of the bull have a dangerous 
 gleam, as he faces the fighter, pawing the ground 
 and bellowing with rage. Suddenly he lowers his 
 head and rushes straight at the banderillero, who 
 calmly awaits the onset, until the bull is within 
 three feet of him, when, like lightning, he hurls 
 the darts into the animal's neck and escapes with 
 
JO CUBA. 
 
 nothing- worse than a tumble. Sometimes these 
 banderillas have bombs affixed to them, which 
 explode under the bull's skin, causing him to 
 feel very ill, and amusing the audience beyond 
 expression. This act, when cleverly executed, 
 calls forth rapturous applause and showers of 
 silver coin and cigars, while some throw their 
 hats into the ring - — wearing old ones there for 
 the purpose. 
 
 El Toro, who up to this time has been fight- 
 ing with great courage, is streaming with blood 
 and begins to lose confidence in his " rushes." 
 The people, too, are impatient and clamor for the 
 deathstroke, and at a final signal from the presi- 
 dential box the matador, carrying a red flag and a 
 long, slender sword, makes a salute and takes his 
 position. The business of the other fighters now 
 is to tease and madden the bull while endeavoring 
 to direct his attention to the matador. The latter 
 waves his red banner, advances, retreats, while 
 the audience yells and the band plays. The poor 
 victim is fairly blind with rage by this time, and 
 steadying himself for a moment for a last mighty 
 effort, makes a dash toward the matador, who, 
 with a deft and vigorous stroke, pierces the heart 
 of the bull and the butchery is finished. 
 
 A brutal sport, you say ? Well, it may be 
 so ; yet, as a Cuban friend puts it, how much 
 more refined and elevating is it to see two per- 
 
CUBA. 7 1 
 
 fectly developed human animals beat each other's 
 heads to a jelly with two-ounce gloves ? 
 The Tomb of Columbus. 
 
 One of the first conventional duties which 
 an American visitor feels called upon to perform 
 is to pay his tribute to the discoverer of America 
 by visiting the Cathedral and reading the Spanish 
 doggerel inscription near an altar with porphyry 
 pillars. If he be uncertain whether it was the 
 great Christopher who was really buried there, 
 and not Brother Diego, who was disinterred in 
 Santo Domingo and brought over by mistake, he 
 needs to hasten back to the hotel and not to 
 make a short detour in order to glance at the 
 wretched little Columbus Chapel erected where 
 the discoverer is reputed to have attended the 
 first Mass ever celebrated in Havana — one of the 
 most bare-faced fictions ever repeated by priest 
 or layman. Before going more than three, blocks 
 he will be in the centre of one of the most inter- 
 esting trading-places of Havana. In Compostela 
 and adjoining streets he will be among the pawn- 
 shops, where the best bargains in the West 
 Indies are to be made. These shops are stocked 
 with old furniture, plate, china, jewelry, clocks, 
 watches, firearms, fans, laces, medals and orna- 
 ments, with everything of value on which bank- 
 rupt or spendthrift planters, soldiers and gamblers 
 have been able to borrow money. Three months 
 
72 CUBA. 
 
 only are allowed for the redemption of the 
 goods. Long ago the time expired and now 
 everything is at the disposal of the Yankee pur- 
 chasers eager to obtain curios or anything that is 
 very old and at the same time very cheap. 
 Among; the Pawn-Shops. 
 There is no more unerring sign of the ex- 
 haustion of Cuban resources than the revelations 
 of these pawn-shops, which monopolize the trade 
 of foreign visitors. In these shops are to be 
 found heirlooms that were handed down from 
 one generation to another ; medals of honor for 
 bravery in the field; engagement rings, neck- 
 laces, diamonds, antique lace that has been worn 
 by heiresses, and costly fans behind which have 
 shone the dark eyes of the belles of Havana ; 
 furniture of the colonial period, of which the New 
 England stock was long ago exhausted by the 
 demands of curiosity-hunters, and silver and 
 china of antiquated patterns, which would be 
 marked up to the highest figures in fashionable 
 New York stores. The pressure of hard times 
 caused by the losses of the patriotic war and by 
 the stupendous folly and supreme selfishness of 
 Spanish economic law have brought all this wealth 
 of bric-a-brac into the cheapest of cheap markets. 
 The pawnbroker names his price, and it is a low 
 one ; but if he be offered one-half or one-third as 
 much, he will drive a bargain rather than see an 
 
O 
 
 o 
 
cuba. 75 
 
 American customer with gold in hand leave the 
 
 shop. 
 
 A Hard Bargain. 
 
 It may be well to warn American travelers 
 against venturing into this quarter until the sights 
 of the town have been "done," the drives taken, 
 and the excursions made ; for otherwise they may 
 leave Havana without seeing anything except the 
 railway station, their hotel, and the pawn-shops. 
 A New Yorker and his charming wife got into 
 the pawn-shops soon after their arrival, and they 
 remained tTiere almost continuously until the 
 Tampa steamer was ready to sail. The husband 
 started out early each morning for Compostela 
 Street ; in the afternoon his wife accompanied him 
 to temper his ardor, and in the evening he 
 returned alone to clinch the bargains. Sunday 
 brought with it some scruples of conscience, and the 
 wife succeeded in carrying him off to high Mass at 
 the Cathedral ; but after the noon-breakfast he was 
 overpowered by the fatal fascination and crept 
 back to the pawn-shops for more bargains, re- 
 turning with a guilty conscience, but laden with 
 booty. 
 
 On the following day the interpreter was fairly 
 compelled to drive him out of the pawn-shops in 
 order to get him on board the steamer before the 
 sailing hour. Retribution for Sabbath-breaking 
 met him on deck in the person of the medical 
 5 
 
y6 CUBA. 
 
 officer employed by the United States authorities 
 to protect the health of Florida. 
 
 This stern official refused to allow a tall 
 colonial clock, which had been bought at a pawn- 
 shop, boxed and carried like a coffin to the ship 
 to be received as private baggage. He remarked 
 sententiously that it was an old clock, and might 
 have germs of yellow fever concealed under its 
 antique dial-plate. A long parley proved ineffect- 
 ual, and the suspected clock was sent ashore to 
 the medical officer's house to be quarantined. 
 Two days afterwards it was sent to Florida by the 
 next steamer. What precautions had been taken 
 to disinfect the clock, and to render its shipment 
 safe is not known ; but there was a fee of two 
 dollars paid for the quarantine. Private baggage 
 containing fabrics which might more reasonably 
 be supposed to be disease carriers was not over- 
 hauled ; but Florida was protected with inflexible 
 purpose against the risks of contagion through an 
 old clock. 
 
 Matanzas. 
 
 The decadence of a once prosperous and 
 beautiful city is a melancholy spectacle. Matan- 
 zas in its best days was a luxurious centre of 
 wealth and fashion, as well of profitable industry 
 and commerce. Surrounded with sugar, coffee 
 and tobacco plantations, it ranked after Havana as 
 the busiest hive in flowering Cuba. All the indus- 
 
CUBA. 
 
 77 
 
 tries of the island were carried on with success 
 on the verdant hillsides and undulating plains 
 encircling its spacious and picturesque harbor. 
 The Yumuri Valley was dotted with country 
 seats, where rich planters entertained their 
 guests with prodigal hospitality. Their massive 
 town houses were miniature palaces built with 
 showy colonnades and stone verandas, and fur- 
 nished with lavish expense. On the coast were 
 their summer cottages, where their families could 
 enjoy the refreshing northern sea-breeze in 
 seasons of inclement heat. The San Carlos 
 Paseo was blocked with carriages in the after- 
 noon, and the evenings were filled with gayety 
 and sumptuous entertainment. All is now 
 changed. Emancipation and the insurrection 
 impoverished the rich planters. Many of the 
 finest estates passed into the hands of Spanish 
 immigrants and adventurers, who have been con- 
 demned to maintain an exhausting- and ruinous 
 struggle against a system grounded upon viola- 
 tions of economic law. Planters who have 
 escaped confiscation and conformed to the con- 
 ditions of free labor have witnessed the gradual 
 shrinkage of the profits of their industries and the 
 collapse of their fortunes. Costly residences which 
 were once valued at $150000 are now offered, 
 without purchasers, at $25,000. Depreciation of 
 values is even greater here than in Havana. 
 
78 CUBA. 
 
 Country seats which were conspicuous for ele- 
 gance and social festivity are now bare, silent 
 and fallen to decay. The seaside villas are 
 shabby and tenantless. The famous San Carlos 
 drive is a neglected and unfrequented road. 
 Matanzas is a centre of unremunerative, labor- 
 ious and unsatisfactory commerce, a city haunted 
 with memories of its former prosperity. 
 
 All is changed save the beauty of the land- 
 scape setting of the city and the unrivalled 
 splendor of the marine views from hillside and 
 headland. No grander prospect can be had in 
 Cuba than that which opens from the Chapel of 
 Monserrate back of the town. The Yumuri 
 flows through a gorge four miles in length, which 
 is walled off to the right and left by abrupt and 
 picturesque hillsides. There is a wide-reaching 
 vista beyond with plantations of sugar, coffee and 
 tobacco, groves of palmettos, pineapples, cocoa- 
 nuts and orange trees, thickets of almond trees 
 and limes, fields of corn and patches of potatoes, 
 and here and there a stately royal palm. From 
 one of the highest coigns of vantage near the 
 city may be seen plantations and farms on which 
 every fruit and product known in Cuba is under 
 cultivation ; and the landscape is fringed with 
 dense woods, wherein ebony, mahogany, cedar 
 and even rosewood, flourish. From Monserrate 
 it is a short drive to the Plaza de Armas, with its 
 
cuba. 79 
 
 fine display of tropical flowers, to the Govern- 
 ment buildings and club houses and the water 
 front ; but it is on a moonlit evening that the bay 
 roads offer superior scenic attractions. The vivid 
 sunlight lays bare mercilessly the faded glories of 
 the town and the ravages of commercial ruin. 
 By moonlight, one needs to be told of the 
 neglected condition of these once famous drives 
 and promenades ; and the pathos of faded gran- 
 deur and exhausted fortunes makes only a transi- 
 tory impression upon a sympathetic mind. San 
 Severino Castle and the ruined fortifications are 
 enveloped with silvery radiance. The San Juan 
 River, with its dingy lines of crumbling ware- 
 houses, is softened and transfigured. The broad 
 bay, with its sparkling shipping lights and the 
 ocean beyond, foaming upon a coral ledge, are 
 silhouettes to be seen and never forgotten. 
 A Wonderful Cave. 
 The visitor has also at Matanzas a natural 
 phenomenon which cannot be rivalled in Cuba. 
 This is the subterranean passage through a for- 
 mation of carbonate of lime, known as the caves 
 of Bellamar. The road follows the shore of the 
 bay and then over the rocky hillside for a distance 
 of five miles. The old-fashioned volante, a vehicle 
 which has been displaced in Havana by the 
 Victoria, is here required. It has two great 
 wheels, on which rest the thills, with seats for 
 
80 CUBA. 
 
 three above them suspended by straps. The 
 pony between the thills is accompanied and 
 partly preceded by another, which the driver rides 
 like a postilion. It is a hard, jolting drive to the 
 caves, and a laborious descent by steps, bridges, 
 and cavernous passages underground. Guides 
 are in advance with long bees-wax tapers, which 
 light up here and there recesses and corners of 
 the high-vaulted chambers. The ceiling is hung 
 with crystals, and the sides are buttressed with 
 stalactites and stalagmites of bewildering beauty 
 and lustre. The passage underground is many 
 hundred feet in length and offers a succession of 
 spectral lace-work combinations of crystal archi- 
 tecture in amber, pink, and gray. The largest of 
 the chambers is fancifully named the Gothic 
 Temple, and is provided with a jeweled altar, 
 near which hangs the Virgin's cloak, embroidered 
 with resplendent lace, and heavy with glistening 
 pendants. The garrulous guides see all these 
 wonders if the visitors do not, and photographs 
 are available at the entrance, if doubts are 
 to be removed. The tapers furnish streaks 
 of light that are utterly inadequate to illumine 
 these wonderful caves. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 HOW THE ISLAND IS GOVERNED — THE CAPTAIN- 
 GENERAL FREEDOM OF THE PRESS LOCAL 
 
 GOVERNMENTS ELECTORAL TRICKERY "NO 
 
 CUBANS NEED APPLY" THE SPANISH SENATE 
 
 DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CUBANS CARPET-BAG- 
 GERS TO THE FORE IN THE LOCAL OFFICES 
 
 SQUEEZING THE ORANGE THE AWFUL BURDEN 
 
 OF DEBT TREATMENT OF NATIVE INDUSTRY 
 
 BAD COMMERCIAL LAWS CUBA RUINED FOR THE 
 
 SAKE OF SPAIN SALARIED CARPET-BAGGERS 
 
 INDUSTRIES DRIVEN TO BANKRUPTY NO PUBLIC 
 
 INSTRUCTION EARLY DISCONTENT LOPEZ AND 
 
 HIS RAIDS THE KILLING OF PINTO. 
 
 iORRUPT and incapable administration 
 has always been a Spanish character- 
 istic. Cuba has been reduced to its 
 present extremities largely through the rapacity 
 of the governing class in former years. If there 
 has been a marked improvement during recent 
 years so that the Captain-General now expects to 
 return to Spain only with what he has saved from 
 his salary, and the burden of direct taxation has 
 been decreased rather than increased, it is be- 
 cause the industrial resources of the island have 
 
 (8t) 
 
82 CUBA. 
 
 been exhausted through old-time methods of 
 plundering the population and systematic viola- 
 tion of the economic laws of exchange. The 
 orange has been pressed dry ; even Spanish ad- 
 ministration does not attempt to squeeze the 
 seeds remaining on the spongy pulp. For this 
 reason sugar planters and tobacco farmers are 
 now frank in admitting that the direct taxes on 
 their land and industries are not unduly high. 
 It is the burden of indirect taxation by which the 
 cost of living and of production is heavily in- 
 creased and the exchangeable value of sugar and 
 tobacco correspondingly reduced that is over- 
 whelming this wonderfully fertile island with ruin. 
 The country is poor and impoverished ; the 
 palaces of the nobles are deserted ; there has 
 been an extraordinary shrinkage of real estate 
 valuations ; the treasury is exhausted with ex- 
 travagant payments for an inefficient and corupt 
 civil service and the interest on the war debt, 
 which is held in Spain ; and the municipalities are 
 without means for ordinary public improvements 
 and enforcing sanitary regulations. Havana is 
 capable of becoming what Humboldt found it in 
 his day — one of the most brilliant and imposing 
 capitals of the world. The old city was well 
 built of enduring stone, which only grows harder 
 with the lapse of time. The Cathedral, churches 
 and public buildings were fashioned at a time 
 
CUBA. 83 
 
 when severe and simple architecture without 
 meretricious ornamentation was in vogue in 
 Spain. Even the great prison, which is the most 
 prominent object from the harbor, is not without 
 good lines. The newer portions of the town are 
 well laid out with broad shaded avenues, fre- 
 quent squares and breathing places, a spacious 
 alameda and a fine botanical garden adjoining 
 the Captain-General's country seat. Even in its 
 ruined estate, where public grounds are neglected, 
 street pavements in great need of repair, and 
 the whole town fairly perishing for lack of fresh 
 paint, poor, faded Havana has an air of distinction 
 and even grandeur. 
 
 With good administration the city could be 
 transformed in a decade. A canal constructed so 
 as to let the tides into the back bay would flush 
 out a harbor that is now a cesspool and restore 
 the healthfulness of the town. Moderate expen- 
 ditures could restore the crumbling plaster of the 
 public buildings, replace the broken lines of 
 shade trees in the avenues, and restore the bright- 
 ness and glory of the Cuban capital. Havana 
 now awaits, like a queen in tattered, patched and 
 soiled robes, the turn of the wheel which shall re- 
 invest her with the dignity of her prosperous days 
 of power and wealth. So long as Spanish ad- 
 ministration and a ruinous economic policy con- 
 tinue in force, it is a lottery with blanks. 
 
84 CUBA. 
 
 The Captain-General. 
 
 The chief of the Cuban Government is a 
 Captain-General, the representative of the Crown, 
 appointed by the home Government and account- 
 able only to that body. By a royal edict issued June 
 9th, 1878, his prerogatives are defined as follows: 
 He is the commander of the army and navy, as 
 well as the highest authority in Cuba, and is em- 
 powered to overrule any decision at a meeting of 
 the superior authorities, including the courts of 
 judicature under his presidency, and also to with- 
 hold the execution of any order, resolution or law 
 issued by the home Government whenever he 
 deems it advisable to do so. Practically, he has 
 the powers of life and death in his hands and is 
 as absolute as a Czar. 
 
 As a rule, this office is highly coveted by 
 Spaniards, and, generally speaking, after a short 
 rule, which rarely exceeds a term of three or four 
 years, the majority of its incumbents return home 
 to enjoy the fruits of the harvest, as the emolu- 
 ments are considerable. The Captain-General 
 has a salary of $50,000 a year, a winter palace 
 and a country-seat, horses, carriages, attendants, 
 a retinue of servants, and almost everything, pro- 
 vided for him at the expense of the Government. 
 It is a military office, usually filled by distin- 
 guished generals, who have won their laurels in 
 the Spanish army. 
 
CUBA. 85 
 
 Next in rank to the Captain-General is the 
 General of Marine or Admiral of the Port, who 
 occupies a handsome palace, also provided by 
 the Government, and who has carriages, horses 
 and attendants from the same source. Then 
 follows the Segundo Cabo, who is Captain- 
 General pro tern, during the absence of that 
 functionary from the capital. The Civil-Governor 
 has charge of the civil administration of Havana. 
 The generals of artillery, cavalry, engineers, 
 infantry and gendarmes are also provided with 
 quarters suitable to their ranks. 
 
 The Commandant of the Navy Yard is next in 
 rank to the Admiral of the Port, and he has a 
 handsome residence at his post. From twelve to 
 twenty men-of-war are stationed in the waters of 
 Cuba, and the standing army on the island usually 
 numbers 22,866 officers and men. Besides these 
 military rulers there are the Governor of the 
 Morro, of La Cabana, El Principe and other 
 strongholds. 
 
 The chief of police of Havana is an officer of 
 the regular army, and the divisions and subdivi- 
 sions under his control consist of commissaries, 
 aladores, constables and sergeants, who are civil- 
 ians ; the police force of Havana numbers j6j 
 menj. taken from the ranks of the regular army, 
 soldiers of orden publico (public order) and guar- 
 dia civiles (gendarmes}. 
 
86 CUBA. 
 
 Freedom of the Press. 
 
 At the close of the rebellion, or so-called 
 Cuban insurrection in 1878, freedom of the preus 
 was established, as well as freedom of speech, 
 but in 1 88 1 this freedom was modified by an 
 edict requiring every editor or manager of a 
 newspaper to send, duly signed, two copies to 
 Government headquarters and submit two others 
 to the District-Attorney as soon as printed, who 
 shall determine whether they contain any objec- 
 tionable matter. By the press law the royal 
 family and the form of government under the 
 Spanish Constitution are tabooed subjects. Ed- 
 itors are often fined and the publications of their 
 journals is suspended for going beyond the cir- 
 cumscribed limits. 
 
 By a royal edict issued June 9, 1878, Cuba is 
 entitled to elect to the Spanish Cortes one repre- 
 sentative for every 40,000 white and colored 
 inhabitants. By another decree, issued shortly 
 after, the island was divided into six provinces. 
 Still another, issued June 21, 1878, provided 
 municipal laws, supplemented with requisite elec- 
 tion laws. In each province the administration 
 of affairs is committed to an Assembly, elected 
 by the people, and a Governor sent out from 
 Spain, the incumbent being an officer of the 
 Spanish army. The province is entitled to three 
 representatives for every one of its judicial dis- 
 
CUBA. 87 
 
 tricts, except that no province shall elect more than 
 twenty or less than twelve representatives. As 
 soon as the provincial representatives are elected 
 they meet and nominate by ballot three candidates 
 from among themselves, one of whom is chosen 
 president by the Captain-General, who may, in 
 accordance to the same law, discard their candi- 
 date and choose another to preside over it. The 
 Provincial Governor selects five Assemblymen as 
 members of the Provincial Committee and submits 
 their names to the Captain -General for ratification. 
 This committee serves as arbiter or counsellor 
 when called on in reference to any municipal 
 election, and performs various duties during the 
 recess. The vice-president of this committee is 
 appointed from among the members by the 
 Captain-General, at the suggestion of the Pro- 
 vincial Governor, who, when it suits him, may 
 preside over any sitting, with the right to vote. 
 
 Local Governments. 
 
 Provincial representatives are elected for 
 four years, but one-half are replaced every two 
 years by new ones. Their biennial election 
 occurs during the first fortnight of September. 
 The assemblies meet at the capital ol their pro- 
 vinces on the first working day of the fifth and 
 tenth months of the fiscal year. If during that 
 period anything should happen to render discus- 
 sions or debates dangerous, the Provincial Gov- 
 
88 CUBA. 
 
 ernor is obliged to prorogue the Assembly and 
 advise the Captain-General of that fact imme- 
 diately. He is likewise authorized to suspend 
 any Provincial Assembly in a body when the 
 preservation of public order may so require. 
 
 According to the municipal law, the smallest 
 number of inhabitants entitled to self-government 
 is 500, who may elect five Aldermen, at every 
 meeting of whom the Provincial Governor is 
 entitled to preside. The board levies municipal 
 taxes. 
 
 Cuba possesses two judicial divisions, those 
 of Puerto Principe, with jurisdiction over the 
 adjoining province of Santiago de Cuba, and of 
 Havana, with jurisdiction over the remainder. 
 First comes the high court, called Tribunal Su- 
 premo ; then provincial courts, "Audiencias 
 Territoriales"; country magistrates, "Tribunales 
 de Partido"; court of first instance, "Juggado de 
 Instruccion"; municipal courts, Tribunales Muni- 
 cipales, and justices of the peace, "Jueces de 
 Paz." By a decree issued in January, 1891, the 
 civil and criminal courts are incorporated into 
 one, and this measure has been highly displeas- 
 ing to Cubans. 
 
 Electoral Trickery. 
 
 In order to render the native Cuban power- 
 less in his own country, Spain, legislating for 
 Cuba without restriction, as it does, and only to 
 
CUBA. 89 
 
 give him an electoral law so artfully framed as to 
 accomplish two objects : First, to reduce the num- 
 ber of voters ; second, to give always a majority 
 to the Spaniards, that is, to the European colo- 
 nists, notwithstanding that the latter represent 
 only nine and three-tenths per cent, of the total 
 population of Cuba. To this effect it made the 
 electoral right dependent on the payment of a 
 very high poll tax, which proved the more burden- 
 some as the war had ruined the larger number of 
 Cuban proprietors. In this way it succeeded in 
 restricting the right of suffrage to only 53,000 in- 
 habitants in an island which has a population of 
 1,600,000 ; that is to say, to the derisive propor- 
 tion of three per cent, of the total number of in- 
 habitants. 
 
 In order to give a decided preponderance 
 to the Spanish-European element, the electoral 
 law has ignored the practice generally observed 
 in those countries where the right to vote depends 
 on the payment of a poll tax, and has afforded all 
 the facilities to acquire the electoral privilege to 
 industry, commerce, and public officials, to the 
 detriment of the territorial property (the owner- 
 ship of real estate). To accomplish this, while 
 the rate of the territorial tax is reduced to two 
 per cent., an indispensable measure, in view of 
 the ruinous condition of the land-owners, the ex- 
 orbitant contribution of $25 is required from those 
 
90 CUBA. 
 
 who would be electors as freeholders. The law 
 has, moreover, thrown the doors wide open for the 
 perpetration of fraud by providing that the simple 
 declaration of the head of a commercial house is 
 sufficient to consider all its employees as partners, 
 having, therefore, the right to vote. This has 
 given us firms with thirty or more partners. By 
 this simple scheme almost all the Spaniards re- 
 siding in Cuba are turned into electors, despite 
 the explicit provisions of the law. Thus it comes 
 to pass that the municipal district of Guines, with 
 a population of 1 3,000 inhabitants, only 500 of 
 which are Spaniards and Canary Islanders, shows 
 on its electoral list the names of thirty-two native 
 Cubans and of four hundred Spaniards — only 
 0.25 per cent, of the Cuban to 80 per cent, of 
 the Spanish population. 
 
 No Cubans Need Apply. 
 
 But, as if this were not enough, a so-called 
 Permanent Commission of Provincial Deputations 
 decides every controversy that may arise as to 
 who is to be included in or excluded from the 
 list of electors, and the members of this Commis- 
 sion are appointed by the Governor-General. 
 It is unnecessary to say that its majority has 
 always been devoted to the government. In 
 case any elector considers himself wronged by 
 the decision of the Permanent Commission, he 
 can appeal to the "Audiencia" (higher court) of 
 

 
CUBA. 93 
 
 the district; but the "Audiencias" are almost en- 
 tirely made up of European magistrates ; they 
 are subject to the authority of the Governor- 
 General, being mere political tools in his hands. 
 As a conclusive instance of the manner in which 
 those tribunals do justice to the claims of Cuban 
 electors, it will be sufficient to cite a case which 
 occurred in Santa Clara in 1892, where 1,000 
 fully qualified liberal electors were excluded at 
 one time, for the simple omission to state their 
 names at the end of the act presented by the 
 elector who headed the claim. In more than one 
 case has the same "Audiencia" applied two dif- 
 ferent criteria to identical cases. The "Au- 
 diencia" of Havana, in 1887, ignoring the explicit 
 provisions of the law, excused the employees 
 from the condition of residence, a condition that 
 the same tribunal exacted before. The same 
 "Audiencia" in 1885 declared that the contribu- 
 tions to the State and to the Municipality were 
 accumulative, and in 1887 decided the opposite. 
 This inconsistency had for its object to sponge 
 from the lists hundreds of Cuban electors. In 
 this way the Spanish Government and tribunals 
 have endeavored to teach respect for the law and 
 for the practice of wholesome electoral customs 
 to the Cuban colonists ! 
 
 It will be easily understood now why on 
 some occasions the Cuban representation in the 
 
 6 
 
94 CUBA. 
 
 Spanish Parliament has been made up of only 
 three deputies, and in the most favorable epochs 
 the numbei of Cuban representatives has not 
 exceeded six. Three deputies in a body of 430 
 members ! The genuine representation of Cuba 
 has not reached sometimes 0.96 per cent, of the 
 total number of members of the Spanish Con- 
 gress. The great majority of the Cuban depu- 
 tation has always consisted of Spanish Peninsu- 
 lars. Tn this manner, the ministers of "Ultramar" 
 (ministers of the Colonies), whenever they have 
 thought necessary to give an honest or decent 
 appearance to their legislative acts by an alleged 
 majority of Cuban votes, could always command 
 the latter, that is, the Peninsulars. 
 
 Tbe Spanish Senate. 
 As regards the representation in the Senate, 
 the operation has been more simple still. The 
 qualifications required to be a Senator have proved 
 to be an almost absolute prohibition to the Cubans. 
 In fact, to take a seat in the higher house, it is 
 necessary to have been president of that body or of 
 Congress, or a minister of the crown, or a bishop, 
 or a grandee of Spain, a lieutenant-general, a vice- 
 admiral, ambassador, minister plenipotentiary, 
 counsellor of State, judge or attorney-general of 
 the Supreme Court, of the Court of Accounts, 
 etc. No Cuban has ever filled any of the above 
 positions, and scarcely two or three are grandees. 
 
CUBA. 95 
 
 The only natives of Cuba who can be Senators 
 are those who have been deputies in three differ- 
 ent Congresses, or who are professors and have 
 held for four years a university chair, provided 
 that they have an income of $1500 ; or those who 
 have a title of nobility, or have deputies, provin- 
 cial deputies, or mayors in towns of over 20,000 
 inhabitants, if they have in addition an income of 
 $4000, or pay a direct contribution of $800 to the 
 treasury. This will increase to one or two dozen 
 the number of Cubans qualified to be Senators. 
 
 In this manner has legislative work, as far as 
 Cuba is concerned, turned out to be a farce. The 
 various governments have legislated for the 
 island as they pleased. The representatives of 
 the peninsular provinces did not even take the 
 trouble of attending the sessions of the Cortes 
 when Cuban affairs were to be dealt with ; and 
 there was an instance when the estimates (budget) 
 for the Great Antilles were discussed in the pres- 
 ence of less than thirty deputies, and a single one 
 of the ministers, the minister of "Ultramar," 
 (session of April 3, 1880). 
 
 Discrimination Against Cubans. 
 
 Through the contrivance of the law, as well 
 as through the irregularities committed and con- 
 sented in its application, have the Cubans been 
 deprived also of representation in the local cor- 
 porations to which they were entitled, and in 
 
96 CUBA. 
 
 many cases they have been entirely excluded from 
 them. When, despite the legalized obstacles and 
 the partiality of those in power, they have 
 obtained some temporary majority, the Govern- 
 ment has always endeavored and succeeded in 
 making their triumph null and void. Only once 
 did the home-rule party obtain a majority in the 
 Provincial deputation of Havana,, and then the 
 Governor-General appointed from among the 
 Spaniards a majority of the members of the Per- 
 manent Commission. Until that time this 
 Commission has been of the same political com- 
 plexion as the majority of the Deputation. By 
 such proceedings have the Cubans been gradually 
 expelled, even from the municipal bodies. Suffice 
 it to say that the law provides that the derramas 
 (assessments) be excluded from the computation 
 of the tributary quotas, notwithstanding that they 
 constitute the heaviest burden upon the municipal 
 taxpayer. And the majorities, consisting of 
 Spaniards, take good care to make this burden 
 fall with heavier weight upon the Cuban pro- 
 prietor. Thus the latter has to bear a heavier 
 taxation with less representation. 
 
 This is the reason why the scandalous case 
 has occurred lately of not a single Cuban having 
 a seat in the "Ayuntamiento " (Board of Alder- 
 men) of Havana. In 1891 the Spaniards pre- 
 dominated in thirty-one out of thirty-six "Ayunta- 
 
CUBA. 97 
 
 mientos " in the province of Havana. In that of 
 Guines, with a population of 12,500 Cuban inhab- 
 itants, not a single one of the latter was found 
 among its councillors. In the same epoch there 
 were only three Cubans deputies in the Provincial 
 Deputation of Havana ; two in that of Matanzas, 
 and three in that of Santa Clara. And these are 
 the most populous regions in the island of Cuba. 
 Carpet-Baggers to the Fore. 
 
 As, on the other hand, the government of 
 the Metropolis appoints the officials of the colony, 
 all the lucrative, influential and representative of- 
 ficers are secured to the Spaniards from Europe. 
 The Governor-General, the regional and the pro- 
 vincial governors, the "intendentes," comptrollers, 
 auditors, treasurers, chiefs of communications, 
 chiefs of the custom-houses, chiefs of administra- 
 tion, presidents and vice-presidents of the Spanish 
 bank, secretaries of the government, presiding 
 judges of the "Audiencia," presidents of tribu- 
 nal, magistrates, attorneys-general, archbishops, 
 bishops, canons, pastors of rich parishes, all, with 
 very rare exceptions, are Spaniards from Spain. 
 The Cubans are found only as minor clerks in the 
 government offices, doing all the work and re- 
 ceiving- the smallest salaries. 
 
 From 1878 to this date there have been 
 twenty governors in the province of Matanzas. 
 Eighteen were Spaniards and two Cubans. But 
 
9 8 CUBA. 
 
 one of these, Brigadier-General Acosta, was an 
 army officer in the service of Spain, who had 
 fought against his countrymen ; and the other 
 Senor Gonzales Munoz, is a bureaucrat. During 
 the same period there has been only one native 
 Cuban acting as governor in the province of 
 Havana, Senor Rodriguez Batisa, who spent all 
 his life in Spain, where he made his administrative 
 career. In the other provinces there has never 
 probably been a single governor born in the 
 country. 
 
 In 1887 there was created a council or board 
 of Ultramar under the Minister of the Colonies. 
 Not a single Cuban has ever been found among 
 its members. On the other hand, such men as 
 Generals Arminan and Pando have held positions 
 in it. 
 
 In the L,ocal Offices. 
 
 The predominance of the government goes 
 further still. It weighs with all its might upon 
 the local corporations. There are deputations in 
 the provinces, and not only are their powers re- 
 stricted and their resources scanty, but the 
 Governor-General appoints their presidents and 
 all the members of trie permanent commissions. 
 There are " Ayuntamientos" elected in accord- 
 ance with the reactionary law of 1877, restricted 
 and curtailed as applied to Cuba by Senor Cano- 
 vas. But the Governor-General appoints the 
 
CUBA. 99 
 
 mayors, who may not belong to the corporation, 
 and the governor of the province appoints the 
 secretaries. The government reserves moreover 
 the right to remove the mayors, of replacing 
 them, and of suspending the councillors and the 
 " Ayuntamientos," partly or in a body. It has 
 frequently made use of this right, for electoral 
 purposes, to the detriment always of the Cubans. 
 As may be seen, the crafty policy of Spain 
 has closed every avenue through which redress 
 might be obtained. (All the powers are centered 
 in the government of Madrid and its delegates 
 in the Colony ; and in order to give her despotism 
 a slight varnish of a representative regime, she 
 has contrived with her laws to secure complaisant 
 majorities in the pseudo-elective bodies. To 
 accomplish this purpose she has relied upon the 
 European immigrants, who have always sup- 
 ported the government of the Metropolis, in 
 exchange for lasting privileges. (The existence 
 of a Spanish party, as that of an English party 
 at one time in Canada, has been the foundation 
 of Spanish rule in Cuba. \Thus, through the 
 instrumentality of the laws and the government 
 a regime of castes has been enthroned there, 
 with its outcome of monopolies, corruption, im- 
 morality and hatred. The political contest there, 
 far from being the fruitful clash of opposite ideas, 
 or the opposition of men representing different 
 
 mi 
 
IOO CUBA. 
 
 tendencies, but all seeking a social improvement, 
 has been only a struggle between hostile factions, 
 the conflict between infuriated foes, which pre- 
 cedes an open war. The Spanish resident has 
 always seen a threat in the most timid protest of 
 the Cuban — an attack upon the privileged posi- 
 tion on which his fortune, his influence and his 
 power are grounded ; and he is always willing to 
 stifle it with insult and persecution. 
 Squeezing: the Orange. 
 
 What use the Spanish Government has made 
 of this power is apparent in the three-fold spolia- 
 tion to which it has submitted the island of Cuba. 
 Spain has not, in fact, a colonial policy. In the dis- 
 tant lands she has subdued by force, Spain has 
 sought nothing- but immediate riches, and these it 
 has wrung by might from the compulsory labor 
 of the natives. For this reason Spain to-day in 
 Cuba is only a parasite. Spain exploits the island 
 of Cuba through its fiscal regime, through its 
 commercial regime and through its bureatic 
 regime. These are the three forms of official 
 spoliation ; but they are not the only forms of 
 spoliation. 
 
 When the war of 1878 came to an end, two- 
 thirds of the island were completely ruined. The 
 other third, the population of which had remained 
 peaceful, was abundantly productive ; but it had 
 to face the great economical change involved in 
 
CUBA. IOI 
 
 the impending abolition of slavery. Slavery had 
 received its death-blow at the hands of the insur- 
 rection, and Cuban insurrectionists succeeded at 
 the close of the war in securing its eventful aboli- 
 tion.) Evidently it would have been a provident 
 policy to lighten the fiscal burdens of a country in 
 such a condition. Spain was only bent on making 
 Cuba pay the cost of the way. The Metropolis 
 overwhelmed the colony with enormous budgets, 
 reaching as high a figure as $46,000,000, and this 
 only to cover the obligations of the State ; or, 
 rather, to fill up the unfathomable gulf left by the 
 wastefulness and plunder of the civil and military 
 administration during the years of war, and to 
 meet the expenses of the military occupation of 
 the country. Here follow a few figures : The 
 budget for the fiscal year of 1878 to 1879 amounted 
 to $46,594,000; that of 1879 to 1880 to an equal 
 sum; that of 1882 to 1883, to $35,860,000 ; that of 
 1883 to 1884, to 34,180,000; that of 1884 to 1885 
 to the same sum ; that of 1885 to 1886, to $34,- 
 169,000. For the remaining years, to the present 
 time, the amount of the budget has been about 
 $26,000,000, this being the figure for 1893 to 
 1894, and to be the same by prorogation for the 
 current fiscal year. 
 
 The gradual reduction that may be noted was 
 not the result of a desire to reduce the over- 
 whelming burdens that weigh upon the country ; 
 
102 CUBA. 
 
 it was imposed by necessity. Cuba was not able 
 by far to meet such a monstrous exaction. It was 
 a continuous and threatening deficit that imposed 
 these reductions. In the first of the above-named 
 years the revenue was $8,000,000 short of the 
 budget or appropriations. In the second year the 
 deficit reached the sum of $20,000,000. In 1883 
 it was nearly $ 1 0,000,000. In the following years, 
 the deficits averaged nearly $4,500,000. At pres- 
 ent the accumulated amount of all these deficits 
 reaches the sum of $100,000,000. 
 
 The Awful Burden of Debt. 
 
 As a consequence of such a reckless and 
 senseless financial course, the debt of Cuba has 
 been increased to a fabulous sum. In 1868 it 
 owed $25,000,000. When the present war broke 
 out the debt, it was calculated, reached the net 
 sum of $190,000,000. On the 31st of July, 1895, 
 the Island of Cuba was reckoned to owe $295,- 
 707,264 in bulk. Considering its population, the 
 debt of Cuba exceeds that of all the other Ameri- 
 can countries, including the United States. The 
 interest on this debt imposes a burden of $9.79 
 on each inhabitant. The French people, the most 
 overburdened in this respect, owe only $6.30 per 
 inhabitant. 
 
 This enormous debt, contracted and saddled 
 upon the country without its knowledge; this 
 heavy load that grinds it and does not permit its 
 
CUBA. IO3 
 
 people to capitalize their income, to foster its 
 improvements, or even to entertain its industries, 
 constitutes one of the most iniquitous forms of 
 spoliation the island has to bear. In it are in- 
 cluded a debt of Spain to the United States ; the 
 expenses incurred by Spain when she occupied 
 San Domingo ; those for the invasion of Mexico 
 in alliance with France and England ; the expen- 
 ditures for her hostilities against Peru ; the money 
 advanced to the Spanish Treasury during its 
 recent Carlist wars ; and all that Spain has spent 
 to uphold its domination in Cuba and to cover 
 the lavish expenditures of its administration since 
 1868. Not a cent of this enormous sum has 
 been spent in Cuba to advance the work of im- 
 provement and civilization. It has not contributed 
 to build a single kilometre of highway or of rail- 
 road, nor to erect a single light-house, or deepen 
 a single port ; it has not built one asylum or 
 opened one public school. Such a heavy burden 
 has been left to the future generations, without a 
 single compensation or benefit. 
 
 Treatment of Native Industry. 
 Let us see now what Spain has done to per- 
 mit at least the development of natural wealth 
 and the industry of a country impoverished by 
 this fiscal regime, the work of cupidity, incompe- 
 tency and immorality. Let us see whether that 
 nation has left at least some vitality to Cuba, in 
 
1 04 CUBA. 
 
 order to continue exploiting it with some profit. 
 This economical organization of Cuba is of the 
 simplest kind. It produces to export, and imports 
 almost everything it consumes. In view of this it 
 is evident that all that Cuba required from the 
 State was that it should not hamper its work with 
 excessive burdens, nor hinder its commercial rela- 
 tions ; so that it could buy cheap where it suited 
 her and sell her products with profit. Spain 
 has done all the contrary. She has treated to- 
 bacco as an enemy. She has loaded sugar with 
 excessive imposts ; she has shackled with excess- 
 ive and abusive excise duties the cattle-raising 
 industry ; and, with her legislative doings and un- 
 doings, she has thrown obstacles in the way of 
 the mining industry. And to cap the climax, she 
 has tightly bound Cuba in the network of a mon- 
 strous tariff and a commercial legislation which 
 subjects the colony, at the end of the nineteenth 
 century, to the ruinous monopoly of the producers 
 and merchants of certain regions of Spain, as in 
 the halcyon days of the colonial compact. 
 
 The district which produces the best tobacco 
 in the world, the famous Vuelta Abajo, lacks 
 every means of transportation afforded by civili- 
 zation, to foster and increase the value of its pro- 
 ducts. No roads, no bridges, or even ports are 
 found there. The State in Cuba collects the 
 taxes, but does not invest them for the benefit of 
 
CUBA. I05 
 
 any industry. On the other hand, those foreign 
 countries, desirous of acquiring the rich tobacco- 
 raising industry, have closed their markets to this 
 privileged product, by imposing upon it excessive 
 import duties while the Spanish government bur- 
 dens its exportation from Cuban ports with a duty 
 of $1.80 on every thousand cigars. Is this not a 
 stroke of actual insanity ? 
 
 Bad Commercial Laws. 
 Everybody is aware of the tremendous crisis 
 through which the sugar industry has been pass- 
 ing for some years, owing to the rapid develop- 
 ment of the production of this article everywhere. 
 Every government has hastened to protect its 
 own by more or less empirical measures. This 
 is not the place to judge them. What is impor- 
 tant is to recall the fact that they have endeavored 
 to place the threatened industry in the best con- 
 dition to withstand the competition. What has 
 Spain done in order, if not to maintain the strong 
 position held before by Cuba, at least to enable the 
 Colony to carry on the competition with its every 
 day more formidable rivals ? Spain pays bounties 
 to the sugar produced within its own territory, 
 and closes its markets to the Cuban sugar, by im- 
 posing upon it an import duty of $6.20 per hun- 
 dred kilograms. It has been calculated that a 
 hundredweight of Cuban sugar is overburdened 
 when reaching the Barcelona market with 1 43 per 
 
106 CUBA. 
 
 cent, of its value. The Spanish government op- 
 presses the Cuba producer with every kind of ex- 
 actions ; taxes the introduction of the machinery 
 that is indispensable for the production of sugar, 
 obstructs its transportation by imposing heavy 
 taxes on the railroads, and winds up the work by 
 exacting another contribution called industrial 
 duty, and still another for loading or shipping, 
 which is equivalent to an export duty. 
 
 Cuba Ruined for the Sake of Spain. 
 
 Still, if Spain was a flourishing industrial 
 country and produced the principal articles re- 
 quired by Cuba for the consumption of its people, 
 or for developing and fostering its industries, the 
 evil, though always great, would be a lesser one. 
 But everybody knows the backwardness of the 
 Spanish industries, and the inability of Spain to 
 supply Cuba with the products she requires for 
 her consumption and industries. The Cubans 
 have to consume or use foreign goods. The 
 Spanish merchants have found, moreover, a new 
 source of fraud in the application of these anti- 
 quated and iniquitous laws ; it consists in nation- 
 alizing foreign products for importation into 
 Cuba. 
 
 As the mainspring of this senseless com- 
 mercial policy is to support the monopoly of 
 Spanish commerce, when Spain has been com- 
 pelled to deviate from it to a certain extent by an 
 
CUBA. I07 
 
 international treaty, it has done so reluctantly and 
 in the anxious expectation of an opportunity to 
 nullify its own promises. This explains the acci- 
 dental history of the Reciprocity Treaty with the 
 United States, which was received with joy by 
 Cuba, obstructed by the Spanish administration 
 and prematurely abolished by the Spanish Govern- 
 ment as soon as it saw an opportunity. 
 
 The injury done to Cuba, and the evil effects 
 produced by this commercial legislation are be- 
 yond calculation ; its effects have been material 
 losses, which have engendered profound discon- 
 tent. The " Circulo de Hacendados y Agricul- 
 tores," the wealthiest corporation of the island, 
 in 1894 passed judgment on these commercial 
 laws in the following severe terms : 
 
 "It would be impossible to explain, should 
 the attempt be made, what is the signification of 
 the present commercial laws, as regards any eco- 
 nomical or political plan or system ; because, 
 economically, they aim at the destruction of public 
 wealth, and politically they are the cause of inex- 
 tinguishable discontent, and contain the germs of 
 grave dissensions!' 
 
 Salaried Carpet-Baggers. 
 
 But Spain has not taken heed of this ; her 
 only care has been to keep the producers and 
 merchants of such rebellious provinces as Cata- 
 lonia contented. 
 
108 CUBA. 
 
 Industries Driven to Bankruptcy. 
 
 Despite the prodigious efforts made by pri- 
 vate individuals to extend the cultivation of the 
 sugar cane and to raise the sugar-making industry 
 to the plane it has reached, both the colonists and 
 the proprietors of the sugar plantations and the 
 sugar mills (centrales) are on the brink of bank- 
 ruptcy and ruin. In selling the output they knew 
 that they would not get sufficient means to cover 
 the cost of keeping and repairing their colonies 
 and sugar mills. There is not a single agricultu- 
 ral bank in Cuba. The "hacendado" (planter, 
 land-owner) had to recur to usurious loans and to 
 pay eighteen and twenty per cent, for the sums 
 which they borrowed. Not long ago there existed 
 in Havana the Spanish Bank, the Bank of Com- 
 merce, the Industrial Bank, the Bank of St. Joseph, 
 the Bank of the Alliance, the Bank of Maritime 
 Insurances and the Savings Bank. Of these there 
 remain to-day only the Spanish Bank, which has 
 been converted into a vast State office, and the 
 Bank of Commerce, which owes its existence to 
 the railways and warehouses it possesses. None 
 of these gives any aid to the sugar industry. 
 
 The cigar-making industry, which was in 
 such flourishing condition a short time ago, has 
 fallen so low that fears are entertained that it 
 may emigrate entirely from Cuba. The weekly 
 " El Tobacco " came to the conclusion that the 
 
Avenue of Royal Palms, Havana 
 
CUBA. 1 1 I 
 
 exportation of cigars from Cuba would cease 
 entirely within six years. From 1889 to 1894 the 
 exportation from the port of Havana had de- 
 creased by 116,200,000 cigars. 
 
 City real estate has fallen to one-half and in 
 some cases to one-third the value it had before 
 1884. A building in Havana which was erected 
 at a cost of $600,000 was sold for $120,000. 
 
 Stocks and bonds tell the same story. 
 Almost all of them are quoted in Havana with 
 heavy discounts. 
 
 At the outbreak of the present war, Spain 
 found that, although the appropriations since 1878 
 amounted to nearly $500,000,000, not a single 
 military road had been built, no fortifications, no 
 hospitals, and there was no material of war. The 
 State has not provided even for its own defence. 
 In view of this fact nobody will be surprised to 
 hear that a country 670 kilometres long, with an 
 area of 118,833 square kilometres, has only 
 246}^ lineal kilometres of high-roads, and these 
 almost exclusively in the Province of Havana. In 
 that of Santiago de Cuba there are 9 kilometres ; 
 in Puerto Principe and Las Villas not a single one. 
 Cuba has 3,506 kilometres of sea-shore and fifty 
 four ports ; only fifteen of those are open to com- 
 merce. In the labyrinth of keys, sand banks and 
 breakers adjacent to our coasts there are only 
 nineteen lighthouses of all classes. Many of our 
 7 
 
I 1 2 CUBA. 
 
 ports, some of the best among them, are filling 
 up. The coasting steamers can hardly pass the 
 bars at the entrance of the ports of Nuevitas, 
 Gibara, Baracoa and Santiago de Cuba. Private 
 parties have sometimes been willing to remedy 
 these evils ; but then the central administration 
 has interfered, and after years of red tape, things 
 have remained worse than before. In the course 
 of twenty-eight years only 139 kilometres of 
 high-roads were built in Cuba ; two first-class 
 light-houses were erected, three second-class, one 
 of the fourth-class, three beacon lights and two 
 port lights ; 246 metres of wharf were built, and 
 a few ports were superficially cleaned and their 
 shoals marked. This was all. On the other 
 hand the department of public works consumes 
 unlimited millions in enormous salaries and in 
 repairs. 
 
 The neglect of public hygiene in Cuba is pro- 
 verbial. The technical commission sent by the 
 United States to Havana to study the yellow 
 fever, declared that the port of the capital of 
 Cuba, owing to its inconceivable filth, is a perma- 
 nent source of infection, against which it is neces- 
 sary to take precautions. There is in Havana, 
 however, a " Junta de Puerto " (board of port- 
 wardens) which collects dues and spends them 
 with the same munificence as the other bureau- 
 cratic centres. 
 
CUBA. 113 
 
 No Public Instruction. 
 
 Does the government favor Cuba more in 
 the matter of education ? It will suffice to state 
 that only $128,000 are assigned to public instruc- 
 tion in the budget. And it may be proved that 
 the University of Havana is a source of pecuniary 
 profit to the State. On the other hand, this in- 
 stitution is without laboratories, instruments and 
 even without water to carry on experiments. All 
 the countries of America, excepting Bolivia, all of 
 them, including Hayti, Jamaica, Trinidad, and 
 Guadalupe, where the colored race predominates, 
 spend a great deal more than the Cuban govern- 
 ment for the education of the people. 
 Early Discontent. 
 
 In the early part of the present century Cuba 
 began to grow restless under the rule of Spain. 
 Simon Bolivar, the liberator of South America, 
 aimed to include Cuba, also, in his work, and 
 make it independent. The project met with 
 little encouragement, however, and Cubans say 
 that its failure was due to the opposition, open or 
 secret, of the United States Government at that 
 time. That Government made it plain to Bolivar 
 that it would not be pleased if he extended his 
 operations north of Panama. 
 
 The fire of insurrection broke out fiercely 
 about twenty years afterward, and from 1848 to 
 
114 CUBA. 
 
 1854 numerous small insurrections occurred. 
 These were mostly organized by the slaves, and 
 were more attempts to obtain freedom for the 
 slaves than to obtain independence for the island. 
 A few of these rebellions showed plans of a 
 widespread conspiracy, however, and these were 
 countenanced, if not assisted, by the Southern 
 States of this country. There was for some 
 time among Southern statesmen, a definite pro- 
 ject looking to the annexation of Cuba to the 
 Union, and its division into four States. These 
 would, of course, have been slave States and thus 
 would have added greatly to the power of the 
 slave party in Congress. Their eight senators 
 and at least sixteen representatives would have 
 given the balance of power to the South for a 
 long time. 
 
 The first serious uprising was that of the 
 ''Black Eagle" bands in 1829, which was really 
 incited by the example of Bolivar and the South- 
 American republics. It was readily suppressed 
 by the Spanish Government with great severity 
 and cruelty. A considerable insurrection of the 
 slaves occurred in 1844 and the province of 
 Matanzas was placed for a time under purely 
 military rule. Under the ordinary method of 
 examination no incriminating evidence was ob- 
 tainable against the prisoners taken. The Court, 
 therefore, went back to the horrible practices of 
 
CUBA. I I 5 
 
 the Inquisition, and tortured the prisoners in a 
 manner worthy of the days of Torquemada. As 
 a result, many wretched prisoners testified falsely 
 and accused innocent persons, in vain hope of 
 thus securing their own release from torment. 
 This hope was soon dispelled. The ruthless 
 judges generally put their witnesses to death after 
 torturing them. In all, nearly two thousand 
 persons were sentenced to death, to banishment, 
 and to imprisonment at hard labor for various 
 terms, against not one of whom was there any 
 real evidence. 
 
 Lopez and His Raids. 
 A formidable attack upon Spanish rule was 
 that led by Narcisso Lopez in 1848. He organ- 
 ized a band of 600 men in the United States, and, 
 evading the neutrality laws, made a landing upon 
 the Cuban coast, where he was joined by a con- 
 siderable number of Cubans, both white and col- 
 ored. He was soon driven out of the island by 
 the Spaniards, but returned a second time, and 
 again a third time in 1851. The last landing 
 proved fatal to him. He was captured by the 
 Spaniards and put to death, with a number of his 
 followers. Another American, Crittenden, who was 
 in league with him, remained on the coast, and, 
 hearing of the capture of Lopez, attempted to 
 escape by taking to the sea in a boat. He* 
 too, was captured, with fifty of his men, and 
 
Il6 CUBA. 
 
 they were all put to death in Havana in a most 
 brutal manner. 
 
 The Killing: of Pinto. 
 
 Thereafter the island was quiet for a few 
 years, but, in 1854, Pinto, a Spaniard of revolu- 
 tionist tendencies, again raised the standard of 
 revolt. He was soon captured and put to death. 
 
 After Pinto came Estrampes and Aguero, 
 who aimed both at freeing the slaves and throw- 
 ing off the Spanish yoke. They were both cap- 
 tured after a brief struggle and put to death. 
 After them, there were no more serious uprisings 
 until the great war in 1868. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 OUTBREAK OF THE TEN YEARS' WAR IN 1 868 
 
 THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE THE 
 
 SPANISH REPLY WAR IN EARNEST PROCLA- 
 MATION OF FREEDOM REGULAR GOVERNMENT 
 
 FORMED VALMASEDa's BLOODY ORDERS 
 
 AMERICAN SYMPATHY EXPRESSED A SPECIAL 
 
 MESSAGE. 
 
 HAT APPEARED to be at last the 
 dawn of deliverance for Cuba came 
 in 1868. On October ioth of that 
 year the illustrious patriot Cespedes raised the 
 five-barred and single-starred flag of Cuba at 
 Yara in the District of Bayamo and, with his 
 associates, made public a declaration of inde- 
 pendence. The advance party in Cuba at once 
 cast in their lot with him, and the insurrection 
 quickly assumed formidable dimensions in the 
 Eastern portion of the island. Cespedes was a 
 native Cuban of distinguished ancestry and high 
 culture. He was a lawyer by profession, but 
 owned a considerable estate. He began his 
 work for Cuba by giving his two hundred slaves 
 their liberty, whereupon to a man they enlisted 
 under the banner of the Cuban Republic and 
 
I I 8 CUBA. 
 
 followed him faithfully through many battler 
 The chief leader of the Cuban armies at that time 
 and during the years that followed was Maximo 
 Gomez, who is now Commander-in-Chief of the 
 Revolutionary army. 
 
 The Declaration of Independence. 
 
 The patriots who thus took up arms for 
 Cuba were proud to call themselves laboring men. 
 They were, in fact, known as the " Junta of the 
 Laborers." The following is the proclamation 
 which they made to the public : 
 
 "The laborers, animated by the love for 
 their native land, aspire to the hope of seeing 
 Cuba happy and prosperous by virtue of its own 
 power, and demand the inviolability of individuals, 
 their homes, their families, and the fruits of their 
 labor, which it will have guaranteed by the liberty 
 of conscience, of speech, of the press, by peace- 
 ful meetings ; in fact, they demand a Government 
 of the country for and by the country, free from 
 an army of parasites and soldiers that only serve 
 to consume it and oppress it. And, as nothing 
 of that kind can be obtained from Spain, they 
 intend to fight it with all available means, and 
 drive and uproot its dominion on the face of Cuba. 
 Respecting above all and before all the dignity 
 of man, the association declares that it will not 
 accept slavery as a forced inheritance of the past ; 
 however, instead of abolishing it as an arm by 
 
CUBA. I 1-9 
 
 which to sink the island into barbarity, as threat- 
 ened by the Government of Spain, they view 
 abolition as a means of improving the moral and 
 material condition of the workingman, and thereby 
 to place property and wealth in a more just and 
 safe position. 
 
 " Sons of their times, baptized in the vivid 
 stream of civilization and therefore above pre- 
 occupation of nationality, the laborers will respect 
 the neutrality of Spaniards, but among Cubans 
 will distinguish only friends and foes, those that 
 are with them or against them. To the former 
 they offer peace, fraternity and concord ; to the 
 latter, hostility and war — war and hostility that 
 will be more implacable to the traitors in Cuba 
 where they first saw the day, who turn their arms 
 against them, or offer any asylum or refuge to 
 their tyrants. We, the laborers, ignore the 
 value of nationality, but at the present moment 
 consider it of secondary moment. Before nation- 
 ality stands liberty, the indisputable condition of 
 existence. We must be a people before becom- 
 ing a nation. When the Cubans constitute a free 
 people they will receive the nationality that be- 
 comes them. Now they have none." 
 
 The Declaration of Independence was made 
 on October ioth. Eight days later the town of 
 Bayamo was captured by the insurgents, and ten 
 days after that the whole district of Holguin rose 
 
120 CUBA. 
 
 in arms. Early in November the insurgents 
 defeated a Spanish force which had been sent 
 against them from Santiago, and soon after this 
 most of the Spanish American Republics of South 
 America recognized the Cubans as belligerents. 
 The Marquis of Santa Lucia, the present Pres- 
 ident of the provisional government, quickly 
 identified himself with the patriot cause and 
 brought it many recruits. In December, General 
 Ouesada landed in Cuba with an expedition from 
 Nassau, bringing a considerable consignment of 
 arms and ammunition. So rapidly did the cause 
 prosper that by April ioth, 1869, it was possible 
 to organize a regular government with an elected 
 House of Assembly. Cespedes was President of 
 the government, and General Quesada was made 
 Commander-in-Chief of the army. 
 
 The Spanish Reply. 
 
 The Spanish Captain-General at Havana real- 
 ized the seriousness of the situation, and strove to 
 stem the tide of patriotic enthusiasm by issuing a 
 proclamation to the people of Cuba, promising all 
 sorts of things if they would only remain loyal to 
 Spain. He said : 
 
 "I will brave every danger, accept every 
 responsibility for your welfare. The Revolution 
 has swept away the Bourbon dynasty, tearing up 
 the roots, a plant so poisonous that it putrefied 
 the air we breathed. To the citizen shall be 
 
CUBA. 12 1 
 
 returned his rights, to man his dignity. You 
 will receive all the reforms which you require. 
 Cubans and Spaniards are all brothers. From 
 this day Cuba will be considered as a province of 
 Spain. Freedom of the press, the right of meet- 
 ing in public, and representation in the national 
 Cortes, the three fundamental principles of true 
 liberty, are granted you. 
 
 " Cubans and Spaniards! Speaking in the 
 name of our mother, Spain, I adjure you to forget 
 the past, hope for the future, and establish union 
 and fraternity." 
 
 This proclamation had no effect whatever 
 upon the Cubans except to excite their contempt 
 and derision for its bombastic hypocrisy, and to 
 make them all the more resolved to set their 
 country free from the Spanish yoke. 
 War in Earnest. 
 
 Seeing that the patriots were resolute, the 
 Captain-General called for troops from Spain and 
 they were quickly sent in large numbers. The 
 freedom of the press throughout the island was 
 summarily abolished and martial law was pro- 
 claimed everywhere. The citizens of Havana 
 were ordered to contribute the sum of $25,000,- 
 000 for the use of the Government. 
 
 By February, 1869, heavy fighting began. 
 The first important victory for the patriots oc- 
 curred at San Cristoval, twenty-two leagues 
 
122 CUBA. 
 
 west from Havana. Another battle took 
 place at Quanajay, eleven leagues from 
 Havana on the north coast. Nothing but the 
 timely arrival of reinforcements from Count Val- 
 maseda prevented the patriots from capturing 
 Santiago. Havana was soon practically in a 
 state of siege. The telegraph was destroyed and 
 the mails stopped at Trinidad. The Spanish 
 troops on February 7th, burned the town of San 
 Miguel. The Insurgents adopted the method of 
 warfare which they are now again pursuing, 
 namely, to keep moving from one point to 
 another, baffling pursuit and tiring out their 
 enemies. To make the progress of the Spanish 
 armies more difficult they also destroyed bridges 
 and railroads in many places. 
 
 Tens of thousands of troops were hurried to 
 the island from Spain and the Commander every- 
 where gave orders that the war should be pur- 
 sued in the most ruthless manner, no quarter 
 being given and no prisoners taken. Yet the 
 Spanish army was able to do no more than to 
 hold its own. They defended the cities and large 
 towns and fortified camps, but the vast bulk of 
 the country had to be surrendered to the Insur- 
 gents. Early in March a considerable battle was 
 fought near Puerto Principe in which the loss of 
 the Insurgents was nearly 1,000 killed and 
 wounded. At this time the entire strength of 
 
CUBA. 123 
 
 the Insurgent forces under Gen. Quesada was 
 not more than 7,000. The Spanish army was 
 three or four times as large. But by clever 
 strategy the Patriots were able not only to main- 
 tain their position, but actually to take the field 
 aggressively against their foes. 
 
 Proclamation of Freedom. 
 
 The patriot government in March, 1869, 
 formally decreed the absolute abolition of slavery. 
 It was arranged that the patriots should be in- 
 demnified for the loss of their slaves, while the 
 freedmen might become soldiers or farmers, 
 according to their pleasure. 
 
 An address was sent on March 1st by Ces- 
 pedes to the President of the United States, 
 explaining the purpose of the insurrection and 
 the causes that led to it and setting forth the 
 reasons why the United States should accord to 
 the Cubans belligerent rights and recognition of 
 their independence. This was an eloquent and 
 impressive document, which strongly appealed to 
 the sympathies of President Grant and of the whole 
 American people. At the same time the magni- 
 tude of the Revolution and the stability of the 
 new Government did not yet appear such as 
 would warrant the recognition asked for. 
 Regular Government Forms. 
 
 About a month later representatives from 
 all parts of Cuba met and formed a national 
 
124 CUBA. 
 
 Congress at Guaimaro, a small town in the 
 central part of the island. Gen. Cespedes re- 
 signed to it his provisional authority as Chief of 
 the Government, but was immediately and unan- 
 imously elected Constitutional President of the 
 Republic. Thereupon he issued the following 
 inaugural address to the people of Cuba : 
 
 " Compatriots : The establishment of a free 
 Government in Cuba, on the basis of Democratic 
 principles, was the most fervent wish of my 
 heart. The effective realization of this wish 
 was, therefore, enough to satisfy my aspirations 
 and amply repay the services which, jointly with 
 you, I may have been able to devote to the cause 
 of Cuban independence. But the will of my 
 compatriots has gone far beyond this, by invest- 
 ing me with the most honored of all duties, the 
 supreme magistracy of the Republic. 
 
 " I am not blind to the great labors required 
 in the exercise of the high functions which you 
 have placed in my charge in these critical 
 moments, notwithstanding the aid that may be 
 derived from the other powers of the State. I 
 am not ignorant of the grave responsibility which 
 I assume in accepting the Presidency of our new- 
 born Republic. I know that my weak powers 
 would be far from being equal to the demand if 
 left to themselves alone. But this will not occur, 
 and that conviction fills me with faith in the future. 
 
CUBA. 125 
 
 "In the act of beginning the struggle with 
 the oppressors, Cuba has assumed the solemn 
 duty to consummate her independence or perish 
 in the attempt ; and in giving herself a Demo- 
 cratic Government she obligates herself to become 
 a Republic. This double obligation, contracted 
 in the presence of free America, before the lib- 
 eral world, and, what is more, before our own 
 conscience, signifies our determination to be 
 heroic and to be virtuous. On your heroism I 
 rely for the consummation of our independence, 
 and on your virtue I count to consolidate the 
 Republic." 
 
 Two days afterward there appeared a pro- 
 clamation issued to the army by Gen. Quesada, 
 the Commander-in-Chief. It urged the Cubans 
 to wage brave and vigorous warfare against their 
 oppressors and reminded them of the ferocious 
 character of the Spanish leaders. He said : 
 
 "I implore you, sons of Cuba, to recollect 
 at all hours the proclamation of Valmaseda. That 
 document will shorten the time necessary for the 
 triumph of our cause. That document is an ad- 
 ditional proof of the character of our enemies. 
 Those beings appear deprived even of those gifts 
 which Nature has conceded to the irrational — the 
 instinct of foresight and of warning. We have to 
 struggle with tyrants, always such — the very same 
 ones of the Inquisition, of the conquest, and of 
 
126 CUBA. 
 
 Spanish domination in America. We have to 
 combat with the assassins of women and children, 
 with the mutilators of the dead, with the idola- 
 ters of gold. If you womd save your honor and 
 that of your families, if you would conquer for- 
 ever your liberty — be soldiers." 
 
 Valmaseda's Bloody Orders. 
 
 The proclamation of Valmaseda, referred to 
 by General Ouesada, was indeed a most infamous 
 document. It was issued by him on April 4th, 
 1869, and reads as follows : 
 
 "Inhabitants of the country ! The reinforce- 
 ments of troops that I have been waiting for 
 have arrived ; with them I shall give protection 
 to the good, and punish promptly those that still 
 remain in rebellion against the government of the 
 metropolis. 
 
 " You know that I have pardoned those who 
 have fought us with arms ; that your wives, 
 mothers, and sisters have found in me the unex- 
 pected protection that you have refused them. 
 You know, also, that many of those we have par- 
 doned have turned against us again. 
 
 " Before such ingratitude, such villany, it is 
 not possible for me to be the man that I have been ; 
 there is no longer a place for a falsified neutrality ; 
 he that is not for me is against me ; and that my 
 soldiers may know how to distinguish, you hear 
 the order they carry : 
 
• '(^'"xi*: 1 . ".■■■,-. 
 
 ,»*;.. •*.; 
 
 'hv 
 
.ifef' 
 
CUBA. I2 q 
 
 " i st. Every man, from the age of fifteen 
 years upward, found away from his habitation 
 (finca), and who does not prove a justified motive 
 therefor, will be shot. 
 
 " 2d. Every habitation unoccupied will be 
 burned by the troops. 
 
 " 3d. Every habitation from which does not 
 float a white flag, as a signal that its occupants 
 desire peace, will be reduced to ashes. 
 
 "Women that are not living at their own 
 homes, or at the houses of their relatives, will 
 collect in the town of Jiguani, or Bayamo, where 
 maintenance will be provided. Those who do 
 not present themselves will be conducted forcibly. 
 
 "The foregoing determinations will com- 
 mence to take effect on the 14th of the present 
 month." 
 
 In what manner this order was executed, we 
 shall presently see. 
 
 American Sympathy Expressed. 
 
 Numerous expeditions of men and cargoes 
 of arms and ammunition were soon conveyed to 
 Cuba from the United States, and many American 
 citizens did admirable work in the patriot army. 
 A number of severe battles were fought during 
 1869, in which the patriots generally were vic- 
 torious. In October there was an epidemic of 
 cholera which, in a few days, carried off thousands 
 of the Spanish troops, while the Cubans, who 
 8 
 
^3° CUBA. 
 
 were not attacked by the disease at all, spent 
 their time in drilling and preparing for further 
 operations. The burning of sugar plantations 
 became general. More than 160 large plantations 
 belonging to Cubans were confiscated by the 
 Spaniards, who hoped to get much money out of 
 the crops. To prevent this, the insurgents raided 
 these plantations and destroyed the cane by fire. 
 
 In November the Cuban Junta in the United 
 States was reorganized at New York, and began 
 doing excellent service for the patriot cause. 
 The sympathy of the American people with the 
 Cubans was very strong and well-nigh universal. 
 It was openly expressed by President Grant in 
 his message to Congress in December. He took, 
 however, the ground that " the contest had at no 
 time assumed the conditions which amount to a 
 war in the sense of international war, or which 
 would show the existence of a political organiza- 
 tion of the Insurgents sufficient to justify a recog- 
 nition of belligerency. 
 
 A Special Message. 
 
 Six months later, in June, 1870, President 
 Grant deemed the matter of such importance as 
 to require discussion in a special message to Con- 
 gress in which he said : "During the six months 
 which have passed the condition of the insurgents 
 has not improved, and the insurrection itself, 
 although not subdued, exhibits no signs of advance, 
 
CUBA. 1 3 g 
 
 but seems to be confined to an irregular system 
 of hostilities, carried on by small and illy-armed 
 bands of men, roaming without concentration 
 through the woods and the sparsely populated 
 regions of the island, attacking from ambush 
 convoys and small bands of troops, burning plan- 
 tations and the estates of those not sympathizing 
 with their cause. 
 
 " But, if the insurrection has not gained 
 ground, it is equally true that Spain has not sup- 
 pressed it. Climate, disease, and the occasional 
 bullet have worked destruction among the sol- 
 diers of Spain ; and, although the Spanish author- 
 ities have possession of every seaport and every 
 town on the island, they have not been able to 
 subdue the hostile feeling which has driven a con- 
 siderable number of the native inhabitants of the 
 island to armed resistance against Spain, and still 
 leads them to endure the dangers and privations 
 of the roaming life of a guerrilla." 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 SAVAGE METHODS OF SPANISH SOLDIERS — SPANISH 
 
 TESTIMONY MEAGRE NEWS IN HAVANA A 
 
 REIGN OF CRUELTY CHARACTER OF THE WAR 
 
 SAFETY OF HAVANA THE SPANISH MISTAKE 
 
 STRENGTH OF THE PATRIOTS EFFECTS OF THE 
 
 WAR UPON THE ISLAND RUINED TOWNS LITTLE 
 
 FIGHTING MUCH DESTRUCTION TACTICS OF 
 
 THE TWO ARMIES THE SPANIARDS HALF- 
 HEARTED SLAUGHTFR IN THE FIVE TOWNS 
 
 OUTRAGES UPON WOMEN ATROCITIES OF CAMP 
 
 FOLLOWERS. 
 
 @P 
 
 HE LETTER and spirit of Valmaseda's 
 proclamation, which we quoted in the 
 preceding chapter, were more than ful- 
 filled. There is in all history no chapter more 
 horrible than that which records the doings of that 
 inhuman monster and his subordinates in Cuba 
 during the Ten Years' War. Neither sex nor age 
 was respected. The honor and lives of the popu- 
 lation were at the mercy of the Spanish soldiery, 
 and that soldiery included thousands of the vilest 
 criminals that could be recruited from the prisons 
 of the Old Country. One brigade of the Spanish 
 army consisted exclusively of negroes of the most 
 brutal character, and became famous, or rather 
 
 03 2 ) 
 
CUBA. I33 
 
 infamous, as the " Black Brigade," this name 
 being given to it not merely on account of the 
 color of the men's faces, but still more because of 
 the horrible nature of their deeds. 
 
 Humanity and common decency forbid any- 
 thing like a detailed account of the crimes com- 
 mitted by Valmaseda and his chief assistant, 
 Weyler, the present leader of the Spanish forces 
 in Cuba. 
 
 Spanish Testimony. 
 
 Let us take the testimony of the Spanish 
 officers themselves, as given in their letters. 
 One of them, Jesus Rivocoba, wrote on Septem- 
 ber 4, 1869 : 
 
 " We captured seventeen, thirteen of whom 
 were shot outright : on dying they shouted, 
 'Hurrah for free Cuba! hurrah for independence!' 
 A mulatto said, 'Hurrah for Cespedes !' On the 
 following day we killed a Cuban officer and 
 another man. Among the thirteen that we shot 
 the first day were found three sons and their 
 father ; the father witnessed the execution of his 
 sons without even changing color, and when his 
 turn came he said he died for the independence 
 of his country. On coming back we brought 
 along with us three carts filled with women and 
 children, the families of those we had shot ; and 
 they asked us to shoot them, because they would 
 rather die than live among Spaniards." 
 
134 CUBA. 
 
 Pedro Fardon, another officer, writes on 
 September 22, 1869: 
 
 " Not a single Cuban will remain in this 
 island, because we shoot all those we find in the 
 fields, on the farms, and in every hovel." 
 
 And again, on the same day, the same 
 officer sends the following to his father : 
 
 " We do not leave a creature alive where we 
 pass, be it man or animal." 
 
 Meagre News in Havana. 
 
 A shrewd and judicious observer of the war 
 in 1873, savs : 
 
 " We are indebted to the Diario de la Marina 
 for reminding us that we are in a state of insur- 
 rection. There is a civil war raging somewhere 
 in Cuba. This is the depth of winter, a fact which, 
 with the weather glass at 83 in the shade, we are 
 rather apt to forget ; it is the only season in the 
 year propitious to military operations. The troops 
 are in full march, and official bulletins reporting 
 th^ir progress are forwarded from headquarters 
 and find their way intc the daily papers. Such a 
 commanding officer with certain battalions has 
 come up with an insurgent band far away in 
 some spot above Guantanamo in the district of 
 Santiago de Cuba, in the southeastern extremity 
 of the island. To attack the rebels and com- 
 pletely to rout them was for the heroic Spanish 
 troops one and the same thing. They killed many 
 
CUBA. I35 
 
 of them, wounded many more and took fourteen 
 horses and one rifle." In another report we hear 
 there were "three rebels killed, seven prisoners, 
 one of these latter wounded ; three muskets were 
 taken, and fifteen small arms ; two able-bodied 
 men surrendered." In another encounter the 
 trophies were " six prisoners and a mule." And 
 again, two prisoners and three fire-arms, with the 
 surrender of forty between women and children 
 personas defamilia. These monotonous and some- 
 what meagre accounts constitute the annals of 
 the war. The bulletins are almost stereotyped, 
 one seemingly a transcript of the other. By the 
 people here they are read with a sneer and a 
 shrug of the shoulders. Not that the reports need 
 be altogether disbelieved, or that more credit 
 should be given to the counter-statements circu- 
 lating in whispers among the disaffected, by 
 which the alleged encounters are celebrated as 
 rebel victories. To hear these, the rebels' horses 
 cannot have been taken in open fight, as the in- 
 surgents have no horses, but from the inoffensive 
 and defenceless peasantry upon whom the troops 
 wreak the vengeance of their defeats. As to the 
 killed and wounded, the prisoners, the women 
 and children who surrendered, they are the ill- 
 fated owners of the horses, who are treated as 
 rebels if they venture to raise any complaint 
 about the loss of their property. It little matters 
 
13^ CUBA. 
 
 to which of the conflicting versions we listen, for 
 in point of "imaginative" powers there is not a 
 doit to choose between Creoles and Peninsulars. 
 The phenomenon is that such skirmishing should 
 go on from day to day for four years without 
 more decisive results, and that, while both parties 
 are at the trouble of inventing, they should task 
 our credulity to no greater lengths. 
 A Reigrn of Cruelty. 
 "All allowance being made for gross exag- 
 geration on both sides, there can be little doubt 
 about the ruthless character of these Cuban 
 hostilities. So long as I only read printed reports 
 I might be loth to believe that "women and 
 children have been murdered after nameless out- 
 rages ; whole families hacked to pieces, prisoners 
 invariably killed after horrible tortures — roasted 
 alive, or their bodies mutilaced with grotesque 
 indecency ;" but a closer approach to the scene 
 of action has made me somewhat less skeptic, 
 and at all events there can be no doubt that there 
 is a vast deal of shooting in cold blood, as is freely 
 admitted, not without much boasting, on either 
 side. And property fares no better than human 
 life in belligerents' hands. I know from the very 
 best authority that in the district of Trinidad de 
 Cuba, one of the oldest settlements in the central 
 department of the island, about two-thirds of the 
 sugar and coffee estates, and of the potreros, or 
 
CUBA. 
 
 137 
 
 grazing farms, were either destroyed or aband- 
 oned, and thrown out of cultivation before the 
 end of 1 87 1. That magnificent valley was turned 
 into a state of desolation from which it is now 
 with difficulty struggling to recover. The same 
 has been the fate of many of these old settlements 
 in the central districts. Of late the movement 
 has taken an easterly direction ; the insurgent 
 bands are more frequently heard of in the neigh- 
 borhood of Puerto Principe, Santiago, and 
 Guantanamo, beyond the Trocha or military 
 cordon, which the Spanish troops have estab- 
 lished at Moron. 
 
 Character of tlie War. 
 "The nature of this war was determined 
 partly by the conditions of the country and partly 
 by the nature of the combatants. The island of 
 Cuba is divided into three main departments, the 
 Western, of which Havana is the capital, and 
 which, so far as we can depend on the results of 
 the census had, in 1872, 1,034,616 inhabitants; 
 the Central, capital Puerto Principe, with only 
 75,725 inhabitants; the Eastern, capital Santiago 
 de Cuba, with 249,096. The Western Depart- 
 ment is the smallest, mostly level, and narrowest 
 from sea to sea; it is in a great measure settled 
 and prosperous, and here are the large sugar fac- 
 tories and the tobacco plantations which constitute 
 the enormous wealth of the island. In the Central 
 
138 CUBA. 
 
 Department, out of the 75,725 inhabitants 30,585 
 live in the capital, Puerto Principe. If we allow 
 only a few thousands for each of the towns of 
 the department — Trinidad, Sagua la Grande, 
 Villa Clara, San Juan de los Remedios, etc. — we 
 must conclude that its rural districts are a mere 
 desert, a large portion of the territory consisting 
 of savannas which are deemed irreclaimable, and 
 of dense forests or mere brushwood which is also 
 looked upon as doomed to unmitigated barrenness. 
 Of whatever was available and broueht into culti- 
 vation, not a little has succumbed to the havoc of 
 the civil war. On the eastern side, which boasted 
 the oldest colonies, Santiago, Baracoa, Bayamo, 
 Guantanamo, etc., the valleys up to a certain 
 height had been made fruitful, and the mountains 
 were covered with flourishing coffee estates, but 
 not a little of the interior was left in a state of 
 nature, and the vast tracts are marked, even in 
 recent maps, as 'waste and uninhabited moun- 
 tains,' or 'uncultivated and unexplored regions.' 
 {Monies desiertos e incultos ; terrenos inhabitados e 
 inadtos.) The Sierra Maestra, or main chain, 
 running along the whole southern coast from Cabo 
 Cruz to Punta de Mayzi, rises to a height of 8000 
 feet, i. e., on a level with the loftiest Apennines. 
 What culture there was in this region is rapidly 
 disappearing. Many of the land-owners, with 
 such wealth as they were able to save from 
 
cuba. 1 39 
 
 the wreck of their estates, have migrated to 
 the United States, to Jamaica or other British 
 possessions ; others have sold their slaves and 
 cattle to the planters of the western or Havana 
 department; and even in those districts from 
 which, out of sheer exhaustion, the scourge of 
 war has been removed, agriculture and industry 
 find it difficult to revive, owing to the want of 
 public confidence, as well as to the utter absence 
 of capital and labor. 
 
 Safety of Havana. 
 "The Western Department has remained 
 untouched throughout the struggle. Havana has 
 little reason to distress itself about Cuban insur- 
 rection. This prosperous, pleasure-loving city 
 can afford to make itself as easy about Cespedes 
 and his rebels as New York ever was as to the 
 skirmishes with the Modoc or other Red Indians 
 on the borders of the remotest territories, or 
 Milan with respect to Pallavicini's attacks on the 
 brigand fastnesses in the Basilicate. Indeed, 
 as I have before hinted, the Havana people have 
 had not only nothing to lose, but simply too much 
 to gain from the calamities by which two-thirds of 
 the island have been laid desolate. Havana is 
 the centre of an extensive net of railways — 
 about iooo miles as I learn from the " Guide" — 
 opening an easy and tolerably safe communication 
 with Matanzas, Cardenas, and Sagua la Grande 
 
1 40 CUBA. 
 
 on the northern coast, with Villa Clara in the 
 centre and with Batabano and Cienfuegos on the 
 southern coast. Havana has also a regular 
 weekly steam-packet intercourse on the north 
 with Matanzas, Cardenas, Sagua, Caibarien, 
 Nuevitas, Jibara, and Baracoa ; and, on the south 
 with Batabano, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Las Tunas, 
 Santa Cruz, Manzanillo, Santiago, and Guantan- 
 amo. But away from the wastes, and beyond 
 the lines of railway, there is a vast debatable 
 ground in which the insurrection can run riot, 
 threatening now one, now another district, shifting 
 its quarters according as it can hope to find means 
 of subsistence, avoiding encounters, and escap- 
 ing pursuit by withdrawing to its recesses of im- 
 pervious forests or inaccessible mountains. 
 
 " The war which the troops attempt to wage 
 against the insurgent bands, owing to the extreme 
 heat and unhealthiness of the climate, is only 
 practicable in the winter months, between No- 
 vember and May. Even in the immediate neigh- 
 borhood of the cities, say half a mile from Ha- 
 vana itself, the roads are abominable — mere 
 tracks with deep ruts and holes, without the least 
 attempt at macadamization ; such highways as 
 hardly any country in Europe, the Spanish Penin- 
 sula alone excepted, can any longer show. The 
 troops at the opening of the campaign are con- 
 veyed either by land or by sea to the localities 
 
CUBA. I4I 
 
 where the railway or the steamer can bring them 
 nearest to the suspected haunts of the insurgents ; 
 and thence, after a few miles, they plunge into 
 the forest, drawn up in two, three or more col- 
 umns, each column cutting its way through the 
 thick of the wood as it advances, until it falls in 
 with the enemy, who, after a few shots from the 
 vantage ground of his ambush, seeks safety in a 
 precipitate retreat to still more tangled thickets 
 and still more arduous mountain fastnesses. In 
 frequent instances the troops, which are but indif- 
 ferently served by spies and which by reason of 
 the nature of the ground and their own paucity 
 of numbers are incapable of deploying, investing 
 or surrounding the enemy, wander for days and 
 weeks without seeing a rebel; and a commissioner 
 of the ' New York Herald ' who, anxious ' to 
 see the fun ' as he said, asked and obtained per- 
 mission to follow one of the columns in an attack 
 on a mountain gorge near Guantanamo, had to 
 come back after a very fatiguing ride which 
 turned out a mere wild-goose chase, the gorge 
 being as silent and solitary as it may have been 
 before it was first trodden by mortal footsteps. 
 The insurrection which first broke out at Yara 
 in the territory of Bayamo, the native place of 
 Cespedes, in the eastern department, spread at 
 first into the central districts and ravaged the 
 territory of the ' Cinco Villas,' threatening each 
 
I4 2 CUBA. 
 
 of them, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, etc., by turns ; 
 but routed at many points, it again shifted its 
 ground to the eastern department, to that region 
 of ' Montes Desiertos e Terrenos Incultos,' where 
 the troops can make no headway against it. Once 
 only, in the whole course of four years, did the 
 insurrection show any disposition to abandon its 
 defensive attitude, and this was when, by a coup 
 de main, it swooped down upon Holquin, an 
 inland town above Jibara. But even then the 
 insurgents only held the town for a few hours, 
 and withdrew without awaiting an encounter with 
 the troops, after plundering the helpless inhabit- 
 ants. From other towns the volunteers have 
 hitherto at all times been sufficiently strong to 
 ward off rebel attacks. 
 
 The Spanish Mistake. 
 "It is the opinion of competent persons that 
 had the Madrid Government been able and 
 willing to send a force of 30,000 or 40,000 men, 
 choosing its best troops, and at once setting them 
 to carve wide military roads through the bush, 
 sweeping the whole rebel region as if by a grand 
 battle on a well-laid and comprehensive plan, the 
 disturbance would long since have been at an 
 end ; for the fighting powers of the insurgents are 
 absolutely below contempt. But the Spanish 
 Government has always sent its forces by mere 
 driblets — at the utmost 4,000 or 5,000 at a time ; 
 
CUBA. H3 
 
 it has sent, not unfrequently, volunteer battalions 
 from the cities, raw and unseasoned recruits — in 
 a recent instance 1,000 Carlist prisoners, mere 
 undisciplined and ill-conditioned bandits — and it 
 has limited its efforts to guerrilla operations ; a 
 wayward and desultory mode of warfare in which 
 its opponents were fully able to meet it with 
 equal weapons. Of late the Government has 
 had recourse to a strategy of Trochas, or military 
 cordons, intended not to suppress the insur- 
 rection, but only to hem it in if possible within 
 certain limits. A line of that description has, as 
 I said, been drawn from Moron all across the 
 country to the southern coast ; thereby acknow- 
 ledging the impotence of the troops to occupy 
 and thoroughly subdue the interior of at least 
 one-half of the island. Upon this footing it is 
 reckoned the war has already led to the destruc- 
 tion of 150,000 human lives; though the men 
 actually slain in battle may perhaps be counted 
 by hundreds, while thousands on the part of 
 the insurgents have fallen victims to execu- 
 tions after capture, and on the part of the 
 soldiers to fever and cholera, the consequence of 
 prolonged hardships, bad and scanty food, un- 
 sheltered quarters, and the insalubrity of the 
 climate. Competent military authorities have 
 no great opinion of the tactics by which the 
 Spanish generals now hope to shut in and en- 
 
144 CUBA. 
 
 compass the rebels by their cordons, so as to 
 isolate and localize the war. The scheme, they 
 think, is a mere delusion ; for on the one hand 
 the whole Spanish fleet would be insufficient to 
 blockade the many little bays and inlets with 
 which the extensive coasts of the island are 
 everywhere indented, protected as they are by 
 their numberless cayos, or coral reefs covered 
 with verdure which form a perfect shoal of islets 
 stretching far out to sea and perplexing naviga- 
 tion by their endless maze of intricate channels ; 
 and, on the other hand, the forests in these 
 regions are not only impenetrable, but, as ex- 
 experience has proved, actually indestructible by 
 fire, and their growth is so rapid that the 
 tracks made in the winter are almost utterly 
 obliterated before the summer is over, while 
 the mountain ridges, rising one behind the 
 other, enable the guerrilla bands to cross from 
 vale to vale and from glen to glen with a be- 
 wildering rapidity which seems to multiply their 
 forces and invest them with the gift of ubiquity. 
 Strength of the Patriots. 
 " There is a bare possibility that the insur- 
 rection may end in the utter extermination of the 
 insurgents by breaking open and laying bare all 
 their forest lairs and mountain haunts, and inter- 
 secting the most savage districts with nets of roads 
 and railroads, such as neither Cuba nor Spain her- 
 
CUBA. 1 47 
 
 self can boast. But an enterprise of that nature 
 would require heroic, gigantic and, above all, sus- 
 tained and unremitting exertions. It could not be 
 achieved by fits and starts — not by a five or six 
 months' campaign, nor by any series of them. As 
 to any possibility of starving, or wearying or dis- 
 heartening the insurgents, that seems out of the 
 question. They appear to be well supplied with 
 arms and money ; they live on the wild fruits of 
 the earth, on the yams, bananas, cocoanuts, and 
 other productions which they, or their families, or 
 the many free negroes enlisted in their ranks, 
 cultivate the small patches of the uninvaded dis- 
 tricts. They have also abundance of game, and 
 they feast especially on a wild rat of a peculiar 
 kind, as large as a cat and as tender as a kid, 
 the flavor of which they prefer to that of any 
 other meat. 
 
 " They rely for recruits, or anything else they 
 may want, on the sympathies of the Creole or na- 
 tive population throughout the island, and in Hav- 
 ana itself; and where the goodwill of their friends 
 fails, the greed and avarice of their enemies come 
 to their aid ; for there are men in Havana and 
 other cities — Spaniards and others — who, where 
 there is anything to be gained, are as little scru- 
 pulous about dealing with the one as with the 
 other belligerent, and who, while supplying the 
 soldiers, would sell their very souls to the insur- 
 
 9 
 
1 48 CUBA. 
 
 gents, if these latter had any occasion for such 
 a commodity, and could afford to pay for it. 
 Nay, more ! I have been assured, though I have 
 great reluctance in believing it, that some of the 
 colonels and other officers in command of the 
 columns of regular troops, manage to prolong 
 hostilities either by ignoring the enemy when 
 they have him in their toils and could compel 
 him to give battle, or by showing great slowness 
 and remissness in the pursuit when they have 
 routed and put him to flight. Their dishonorable 
 conduct seems to be actuated either by a desire 
 to perpetuate a struggle which leads to speedy 
 promotion, or by some other consideration of a 
 baser and more sordid consideration. 
 
 Effects of the War upon the Island. 
 " No country in the world was intended for 
 a finer, richer or happier abode of man than this 
 "Pearl of the Antilles," nor could better have 
 withstood the ravages of a four-years' civil war. 
 Yet the results of that civil war begin to tell, at 
 least on the central and eastern departments of 
 the island where the beauty and fertility are more 
 conspicuous. The port of Manzanillo, said the 
 English Consul to me, was visited yearly before 
 the insurrection by thirty to forty British vessels ; 
 since then their number has dwindled down to 
 eight or ten. And the same tale may be told of 
 every harbor in the island, Havana alone, and 
 
CUBA. 1 49 
 
 perhaps Matanzas and Cardenas excepted. Man- 
 zanillo, like Cienfuegos, is a comparatively new 
 town. Its level territory, for a distance of ten to 
 twelve leagues from the Sierra Maestra, was cut 
 up into sugar estates, many of which have been 
 burned or abandoned, while the others simply exist 
 at the insurgents' discretion. No man can ven- 
 ture half a league out of town at night; no man 
 can travel even by day to Bayamo, a few leagues 
 off, without an escort of at least sixty well-armed 
 men. Yet the little seaport itself is considered 
 safe from a coup de main, as it has been hastily 
 surrounded with petty forts ; it boasts a force of 
 400 volunteers, besides 200 bomberos, or firemen, 
 all staunch in their loyalty ; and it has, besides, 
 regular troops everywhere quartered in the envi- 
 rons. Every place in these districts, however in- 
 significant, is thus virtually an encampment. At 
 Santiago, where is the chief command of the east- 
 ern department, life and property are somewhat 
 safer ; yet the beautiful coffee plantations estab- 
 lished there and at Guantanamo by French fugi- 
 tives from the negro insurrection of Hayti at the 
 close of the last century have in a great measure 
 disappeared ; and what cultivation still survives 
 depends for safety on the immediate protection of 
 the troops — a protection precarious at the best of 
 times, and in return for which the wants of the 
 soldiers have to be supplied and their comforts 
 
i5o 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 attended to ; for it is only by cheerfully submitting 
 to be plundered by friends that the proprietor 
 may hope to escape being pillaged by enemies. 
 And even when no immediate danger arises from 
 the approach of the insurgents, the military au- 
 thorities compel the planter either to maintain a 
 large garrison at his own cost for his defense — the 
 ordinary number is sixty men, volunteers or reg- 
 ulars — or else to remove all his movable prop- 
 erty ; to gut and unroof his house, lest it should 
 afford shelter and become a stronghold to the 
 rebels. 
 
 Ruined Towns. 
 
 "The prosperity of which Havana and the 
 Western Department of the island show such 
 splendid symptoms, contrasts very sadly with the 
 distress and misery which meet the traveler as 
 he proceeds eastward. You see young towns 
 like Cienfuegos, Manzanillo, Sagua and others, 
 which only ten years ago were rising in import- 
 ance and were laying out promenades, building 
 theatres, concert halls, and casinos, and so 
 ministering to the only luxuries of Spanish life, 
 suddenly stunted in their growth and, as it were, 
 death-stricken. The population of Santiago has 
 indeed increased, but merely by becoming the 
 refuge of the land-owners and of the rural popu- 
 lation whom the Civil War has driven from their 
 homes, At this rate, homestead after home- 
 
CUBA. I 5 T 
 
 stead, district after district, and eventually a large 
 portion of the island will be dying off surely and 
 not slowly ; and already the United States, the 
 Spanish Republics of Central America and the 
 British colonies swarm with Cuban fugitives. 
 There is a ' Little Cuba ' in Jamaica. From 
 1,500 to 2,000 exiles have sought a shelter, and 
 many of them have made themselves at home, 
 there. Some have brought capital, with what- 
 ever they were able to scrape together out of the 
 wreck of their fortunes. They have purchased 
 land — one of them an estate worth $7,000, and 
 have become naturalized British subjects, although 
 the law in Jamaica allows aliens to possess real 
 estate. They are now pursuing their former 
 vocations as sugar, tobacco and coffee planters 
 with a success which not only bids fair to retrieve 
 their losses, but which has even the effect of stir- 
 ring the somewhat dormant energies of the 
 British Creoles in Jamaica, and thereby contri- 
 buting to the general improvement of that 
 unfortunate island, of which cheering symptoms 
 have been apparent for the last seven or eight 
 years. It is not without great astonishment that 
 these new Cuban settlers become familiar with 
 some of the peculiarities of English law in their 
 new home. One of them was lately involved in 
 a law-suit about the title deeds of an estate he 
 had purchased, against no less a person than the 
 
152 CUBA. 
 
 Queen of England, as owner of the Crown 
 domains in her good island of Jamaica. The 
 Cuban, with great misgiving, brought his action 
 into Court at the earnest suggestion of his 
 lawyer. The case was tried, and the Cuban — 
 won the suit ! Think of the Government ever 
 allowing itself to be beaten by a private subject, 
 and he an alien, in Spain or in her colonies! 
 Uttle Fighting: , Much Destruction. 
 " It is painful to think what a mere ' ha'p'orth ' 
 of fipfhtine goes to all this ' intolerable deal ' of 
 ravage and destruction. I traveled from Santiago 
 to San Luis, a distance of thirty-two kilometres, 
 by rail. The line is cut through a deep gorge of 
 the Sierra Maestra, and is flanked all along by 
 little wooden towers, mere huts guarded by de- 
 tachments of regular Spanish troops, each little 
 garrison from five to fifty men strong. All along 
 the railway line, and beyond it, all the way to 
 Puerto Principe, the headquarters of the Central 
 Department, and to Havana, there are telegraph 
 wires which run across the island throughout the 
 whole insurgent district. These wires are also 
 under the protection of detached military posts ; 
 and so utterly incapable or powerless are the 
 insurgent chiefs, Cespedes, Agramonte, the broth- 
 ers Garcia, Modesto Diaz, Maximo Gomez, and 
 the rest, that any interruption, either to railway 
 trains or telegraphic messages, is an extremely 
 
CUBA. 153 
 
 rare occurrence. The insurgents, if we are to 
 believe the military authorities here, do not muster 
 more than 3,000 effective combatants. But by the 
 estimate of impartial men their number is estimated 
 at 8,000, most of them well armed. Can it be con- 
 ceived that so strong a force, divided into almost 
 ubiquitous bands, and favored by high mountains 
 and dense forests, should find it so difficult either 
 to stop the railway traffic or to prevent telegraphic 
 intercourse ? A few mounted men with half the 
 spirit of the Prussian Uhlans, or a picked band with 
 some of the dash and determination of Garibaldi's 
 ' thousand,' would long ago have burned half the 
 towers of the Spanish soldiers and overpowered 
 their feeble garrisons ; they would have beaten up 
 the quarters of the volunteers of the town by 
 a coup de main ; at all events they would have dis- 
 tinguished themselves by exploits more heroic than 
 the mere attack on some lonely plantation and the 
 plunder of its contents. To fight, however, even 
 with the odds on their side, to take the initiative 
 against the troops, or even to await their attacks, 
 seems not, at least for the present, to enter into 
 the plans of the insurgents. On the other hand 
 the troops, whenever they come to any knowledge 
 of the position of the insurgents, have to plunge 
 in single file into the thick of pathless forests ; 
 they grope up blindly till warned by a few random 
 shots of the presence of the insurgents, and they 
 
154 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 fire wildly into the bush without aim, till the 
 silence of the enemy's fire assures them that the 
 rebels have decamped, when they take possession 
 of the abandoned field, sing out 'Victory,' and 
 bring back a mule or a couple of naked negro 
 children as spoils and trophies. 
 
 Tactics of the Two Armies. 
 "The real truth is that both parties are, from 
 different reasons, interested in avoiding encoun- 
 ters and prolonging the strife. The Cubans are 
 confident that time is fighting their battles. They 
 think, not without reason, that they must in the 
 long run tire out, dishearten and demoralize the 
 troops at present arrayed against them ; and they 
 rely on the incessant and incurable disorders of 
 Spain for a gradual diminution and final cessation 
 of yearly reinforcements. Already this year, they 
 say, not more than 2000 men, and of these many 
 worthless adventurers, have been landed at Nue- 
 vitas. The republic has hardly troops enough to 
 confront the Carlists in Navarre and the Alphon- 
 sists in Catalonia ; hardly troops enough to hold 
 its own in Madrid, even supposing that those 
 troops are bent on supporting it. For months, or 
 perhaps years, anarchical Spain can hardly be- 
 stow a serious thought upon Cuba ; and the com- 
 manding officers here, seeing themselves aban- 
 doned to their own scanty resources, are only 
 anxious to give up the game and resign their 
 
CUBA. 155 
 
 office. General Morales, who was in command of 
 the Eastern Department while I was in Santiago, 
 left that city for Havana and Spain early in 
 March, and Cevallor, who was Captain-General 
 and Governor of the whole island, followed a few 
 weeks later. Even those who are not eagerly 
 soliciting their recall have neither the means nor 
 the mind for extensive operations, and limit their 
 efforts to that objectless desultory warfare which 
 has hitherto led, and which can lead to no other 
 result than to perpetuate the struggle. Owing 
 either to false view of economy in the payment 
 of spies or to the disaffection of the people, the 
 Spanish officers are absolutely in the dark as to 
 the movements of their adversaries ; while the 
 insurgents, sure of the sympathy of the Creoles 
 in town and country, keep up a regular inter- 
 course with every part of the island. They have 
 secret committees at work for them here at San- 
 tiago, at Manzanillo, at Puerto Principe, and 
 everywhere else ; and through them communi- 
 cate with Key West, in Florida, with Jamaica and 
 with any point from which arms, ammunition, 
 provisions and fresh auxiliaries may be sent to 
 them. I have alluded to the beauty of the coast 
 of Cuba and of the inlets with which it is indented ; 
 but all along both north and south there are laby- 
 rinths of what are here called cayos, coral reefs 
 and banks covered with bright verdure, still and 
 
I56 CUBA. 
 
 solitary, through which smugglers of every de- 
 scription can thread their way with perfect impu- 
 nity, dodging the coastguards from islet to islet, 
 and choosing their own time and spot to land their 
 cargo. The Spanish cruisers might as well hope 
 to scoop out the Gulf of Mexico with a teaspoon 
 as to put any check upon the Cuban contraband 
 of war. 
 
 The Spaniards Half-Hearted. 
 
 " But in reality both the land and sea forces 
 of Spain are only half-hearted in the work ; the 
 soldiers especially are so ill paid, so ill-fed and 
 exposed to such sufferings from the climate that 
 desertions to the enemy are becoming of frequent 
 occurrence, even among the non-commissioned 
 officers, some of whom are to be heard of now 
 among the most skillful and adventurous insur- 
 gent leaders. For their own part, the Spanish 
 commanding officers, anxious to fill vacancies in 
 the ranks, enlist adventurers of every description, 
 and even the despised Chinese coolies are 
 occasionally to be seen clad in Spanish uniforms ; 
 but in the ranks immediately below the supreme 
 commanders there are men, as I have said, to 
 whom the war insures comparatively easy work 
 with exceptionally speedy promotion ; these find 
 their advantage in the indefinite prolongation of 
 hostilities and have means to prolong them at 
 their own discretion. Military men, like other 
 
CUBA. 157 
 
 officials, have been for centuries, and still are, 
 sent to this unfortunate colony only to make 
 money ; and as they hate both the land and the 
 people, and are over-anxious to accomplish their 
 rDbject and be off, they go to work with a bold- 
 ness and recklessness that know no limits, 
 and which have thoroughly vitiated every rank of 
 the rulers, as well as every class of the subjects. 
 "Robamos todos " — we are all thieves — is the 
 
 motto. 
 
 Slaughter in the "Five Towns." 
 
 "In the region of the Five Towns the Span- 
 iards went to work upon the principle that 'pre- 
 vention is better than cure.' They took the 
 disaffection for granted and determined that it 
 should never ripen into open rebellion. Not only 
 did they shoot all the insurgents whom they 
 caught with arms in their hands, but they slew 
 without mercy many of the unarmed fugitives 
 whom terror of their approach had driven into 
 the woods, and they doomed to the same fate 
 others who had remained quietly at home, but 
 who were suspected of sympathy with the rebel 
 cause. One of the first men who fell into their 
 hands was my Creole host ; the gentleman, who 
 as I said, had incurred their displeasure by pre- 
 suming to employ none but free laborers in his 
 plantations ; the Volunteers of the petty towns in 
 the neighborhood invaded and ravaged his es- 
 
158 CUBA. 
 
 tate and denounced him to the soldiers, who 
 arrested him, shot two of his foremen and several 
 inoffensive countrymen before his eyes in cold 
 blood and without even the pretence of a trial, 
 kept him in a condemned cell for three days, 
 threatening him with the same fate, the officer in 
 command meeting all his protests and remon- 
 strances with the cool remark, ' All I know is 
 that if I shoot you I shall be promoted a step.' 
 The prisoner slipped through his hands, never- 
 theless, and upon clearing himself of all imputa- 
 tions before the Captain-General at Havana, 
 he was reassured as to his personal safety ; but 
 the General at the same time advised him, ' as a 
 friend,' to say nothing about damages for his 
 destroyed property, as, ' under the circumstances, 
 he ought to be only too thankful to have escaped 
 with his life.' 
 
 "It could not, of course, be expected that 
 the insurgents on their own side should abstain 
 from fearful reprisals. The practice with them 
 when a prisoner, and especially an officer, falls 
 into their hands, is to tie his feet up to a tree, and 
 to pile up fuel under the dangling head ; thus 
 burning their enemy alive with a slow fire. 
 Indeed, it would not be easy to ascertain on 
 which side the atrocities first began, or are carried 
 to greater lengths. The rule is that all prisoners 
 be shot without discrimination. Nay, the con- 
 
cuba. 1 59 
 
 querors even grudge their powder and shot, and 
 the victims are usually despatched with machetes, 
 a kind of long chopping-knife or cutlass peculiar 
 to a cane-growing country, and to be almost in- 
 variably seen at the side of every combatant as 
 well as in every laborer's hand. Some of the 
 soldiers and Volunteers have acquired such skill 
 in the use of this weapon that they cut off a man's 
 head with all the mastery of a professional exe- 
 cutioner. These men march in the rear of their 
 detachments ; and upon any suspected person 
 being apprehended, the officer in command, after 
 a brief examination, orders the prisoner ' to the 
 rear,' where he is immediately hacked to pieces 
 by the inexorable Macheteros. As a rule also the 
 bodies of the slain are left unburied on the spot 
 where they fall. The turkey-buzzards swarming 
 everywhere in the island, and whose life is pro- 
 tected by law on account of their usefulness as 
 public scavengers, fatten on the rotting human 
 carcasses ; and it is not without a shudder that 
 one sees these foul birds hovering everywhere in 
 the air, and poising themselves on their wings 
 above the forests where the remnants of their 
 hideous feasts in every stage of decomposition 
 still attract them. 
 
 Outrages Upon Women. 
 Women fare as badly in the hands of the com- 
 batants as men ; unless their personal attractions 
 
l6o CUBA. 
 
 recommend them to a temporary reprieve and 
 put off their execution till they have endured all 
 conceivable outrages. Houses where scores of 
 young women were hiding have been entered by 
 a licentious soldiery with officers at their head, by 
 whom every woman was first violated, then killed. 
 The Havana and Madrid authorities have before 
 them evidence of some of the most shocking cases 
 of this description in which the crime was both 
 proved and punished; but how many more might 
 be mentioned, in which it was impossible to bring 
 the offenders to justice ! There have been fre- 
 quent instances of wives whose husbands were 
 either killed before their very eyes or driven to 
 the bush in sheer despair, and who presently 
 made friends with the officer who had widowed 
 them, consenting to live with them on any terms. 
 Of this fact I was equally assured by my Creole 
 host and by the Spanish officer who sat with us 
 at the same hospitable board ; with this difference, 
 however, that the latter quoted it as evidence of 
 the innate baseness and depravity of the Creole 
 women, while the former contended that these 
 women, in consenting to live with their captors, 
 did so from a vindictive design to deal with them 
 after the manner of Delilahs — a design which was 
 often carried into execution, the women acting as 
 spies on the movements of their new lovers and 
 leading them into insurgent ambushes. People 
 
CUBA. l6l 
 
 living in the ' Five Towns ' grow very eloquent 
 when they relate the exploits of a handsome girl 
 whom they call 'The Maid of Las Tunas.' This 
 fair adventuress used to ride in arms, Amazon- 
 like, as a scout to the insurgents, with all the zeal 
 and intrepidity of Garibaldi's young Countess at 
 Varese. She fell three times into the hands of 
 the Spaniards, to whom she had become well 
 known. Twice did her charms redeem her from 
 the hands of the officers, but in the third instance 
 she came into the power of a less susceptible 
 warrior, who delivered her over to the brutality of 
 his soldiers, after which he doomed her to the fate 
 of Joan of Arc. 
 
 Atrocities of Camp Followers. 
 " As happens in all wars, and especially civil 
 wars, the combatants on either side are not al- 
 ways answerable for the worst deeds perpetrated 
 in their name. The disturbed districts are over- 
 run by camp followers, Bandoleros, and marauders 
 of the worst description, who, hoisting now one 
 flag, now the other, really make war on their own 
 account, and whose hand is against every man, 
 These, when caught, are with great impartiality 
 immediately shot by both parties ; but no readi- 
 ness or activity of summary justice seems greatly 
 to effect their number or to check their audacity. 
 It is mainly on account of them that a ride from one 
 to the other of the five towns, and especially from 
 
1 62 CUBA. 
 
 Villa Clara to Trinidad or San Juan de los Reme- 
 dios, cannot be safely undertaken without an escort. 
 To what extent war and its consequences have 
 ravaged these districts may be inferred from the 
 fact already mentioned, that the population of the 
 Central Department, embracing a whole third of 
 the island, is, according to the official statistics, 
 reduced to 75,000 souls, whites and blacks in- 
 cluded. Besides massacres, proscriptions and 
 banishments, mere administrative stupidity con- 
 tributed to turn the country into a desert. By a 
 decree of Cabellero de Rodas, in July, 1869, the 
 whole population of the rural districts was concen- 
 trated — that is, huddled together — in the little town 
 of St. Espiritu, with a view to having it under 
 strict guard and control, where, owing to want of 
 proper accommodation and wholesome food, and 
 indeed of air to breathe, they were soon invaded 
 by cholera, small pox and other deseases, to 
 which, in some cases, one to ten, and in other 
 cases, one to three, rapidly succumbed, the rav- 
 age soon extending to the soldiers and volunteers 
 set to watch over them. I have known families 
 belonging to St. Espiritu who were on that occa- 
 sion driven from the town by that awful mortality, 
 and whom nothing in the world would now induce 
 to go back to their homes, unable as they are to 
 overcome the bare recollection of the sufferings 
 they have witnessed. While the population thus 
 
&■ 
 
 General D. Valerian o Weyler, 
 Ex-Captain-General and Spanish Commander-in-Chief in Cuba. 
 
CUBA. 
 
 165 
 
 perished, the troops achieved a thorough devas- 
 tation of the country, burning the crops, slaugh- 
 tering the cattle, gutting the houses, hoping thus, 
 as their commander said in his order of the day, 
 'to starve out the rebellion.' 
 
 " By such means a great portion of the 
 Central Department has been brought into sub- 
 jection, and ' order ' reigns there. It is not 
 impossible that the application of the same 
 remedy may effect the cure of rebellion in the 
 Eastern districts ; though it must be observed 
 that the region of the Five Towns, from Matanzas 
 to Cienfuegos and Villa Clara, and all along the 
 southern coast, is almost a dead level, where a 
 few sugar plantations are scattered like vast 
 islands on a surface still encumbered with unfilled 
 savannas and scrubby forests, or, as the natives 
 call them Montes. But beyond Trinidad and 
 throughout the territory of Puerto Principe and 
 Santiago are real Montanas — hilly ridges covered 
 with thick woods, where the insurgents may 
 offer an obstinate resistance, and where, in the 
 opinion of most men, the Civil War may be 
 perpetuated. But even in the districts where 
 every spark of the insurrection has been trodden 
 down, that hatred which prompted it is far from 
 subsiding; it smoulders, on the contrary, more 
 sullenly than ever, and it finds vent in passionate 
 outbursts and in strong appeals to the stranger. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 ARROGANT CONDUCT OF THE SPANISH TOWARD 
 
 AMERICANS AND ENGLISH THE " VIRGINIUS " 
 
 OUTRAGE SHOOTING FOUR CUBAN PATRIOTS 
 
 AMERICAN CITIZENS MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD 
 
 WILD DEMONSTRATIONS OF JOY SURRENDER 
 
 OF THE " VIRGINIUS " THE FORMAL TRANSFER 
 
 HOW AN ENGLISH CAPTAIN PREVENTED ONE 
 
 MASSACRE. 
 
 ©Y 
 
 LL THROUGH the Ten Years' War the 
 Spanish authorities acted in a particu- 
 larly arrogant manner toward Ameri- 
 cans and Englishmen, and indeed toward all 
 foreigners who were suspected of sympathy with 
 the insurgents. Ships were stopped by Spanish 
 cruisers and searched in the most arbitrary 
 fashion. If anything in the nature of arms or 
 ammunition were found aboard it was confiscated, 
 and the captain of the ship was lucky if he was 
 not hanged at his own yard-arm. 
 
 The " Virjf inius " Outrage. 
 
 These outrages culminated in the famous 
 
 "Virginius" affair, which came very near to 
 
 causing war between the United States and 
 
 Spain. The " Virginius" was a small side-wheel 
 
 (166) 
 
CUBA. 167 
 
 steamer, flying the American flag, commanded 
 by Capt. Frey, of New Orleans, an American 
 citizen and a veteran of our civil war, and 
 manned in part by American and British sailors. 
 The " Virginius " slipped in and out of Cuban har- 
 bors with wonderful success, carrying arms and 
 re-enforcements to the patriot army. 
 
 At last, on October 31, 1873, she was cap- 
 tured with all on board by the Spanish gunboat 
 "Tornado." She had 170 passengers and crew, 
 who with the vessel and cargo were taken to 
 Santiago de Cuba. The "Tornado," which had 
 been searching for the "Virginius" since her 
 attempted landing on the south coast of Cuba, 
 came in sight of her at 2.30 p. m. on the 31st, 
 and immediately gave chase. The filibuster put 
 on all steam and made for Jamaica, hoping to 
 find refuge in British waters. In her flight she 
 threw overboard several horses, and used a 
 portion of her cargo for fuel. But the "Tornado " 
 caught up with her at 10 p. m. near the Jamaica 
 coast, and she surrendered with all on board, not 
 one of whom escaped. 
 
 Shooting: Four Cuban Patriots. 
 
 Among the prisoners were Bernabe Varona, 
 alias Bembetta, Pedro Cespedes, Jesus del Sol, 
 and Gen. Ryan. The tribunal at Santiago de 
 Cuba, before which the prisoners were taken, 
 condemned these four to death. Although 
 
1 68 CUBA. 
 
 instructions were sent from the Government at 
 Madrid to await orders from the Home Govern- 
 ment before inflicting penalties on the passengers 
 or men of the " Virginius," the order was probably 
 received too late to be respected. The four 
 prisoners were shot at the place made famous by 
 previous executions and in the usual manner, 
 kneeling close to the slaughter-house wall. All 
 marched to the spot with firmness. Bembetta 
 and Ryan showed marked courage, although the 
 former was slightly affected toward the last. The 
 two others quite broke down before they were 
 bandaged, but Ryan kept up to the last, never 
 flinched a moment, and died without fear or regret. 
 Bembetta and Ryan were killed at the first dis- 
 charge. They were in irons when they were 
 marched against the low, square structure of 
 adobe. Fifteen feet above them the red tile roof 
 projected. At their feet there was a ditch to 
 catch raindrops. They were made to kneel, 
 facing the wall. The wall above them was pitted 
 deep with the bullets that flew over their heads. 
 As they fell into the ditch the cavalry rode over 
 the warm bodies, and military wagons crunched 
 and slipped on the bodies. Negroes cut off the 
 heads and carried them on spikes .through the 
 city, and the mutilated bodies were dumped into 
 a pit of quicklime, and the entire affair was soon 
 forgotten by its perpetrators. 
 
CUBA. 169 
 
 American Citizens Murdered in Cold Blood. 
 
 On November 7, the captain of the "Vir- 
 ginius" and thirty-six of the crew were put to 
 death in the same fashion, and on the next day 
 twelve more of the Cuban volunteers on the 
 vessel were shot. Franchi Alfaro, who was 
 among the latter number, offered the Spanish 
 authorities $1,000,000 if they would spare his 
 life. Captain Frey and thirty-six of his men 
 were taken ashore on the morning of the 7th, 
 and taken to the prison, to remain there until 
 their execution, which was ordered for that after- 
 noon. Capt. Frey, a noble-looking old man, 
 fully a head taller than the rest of the crew, when 
 he met his men on the wharf, previous to the 
 march to the prison, saluted them all. The salute 
 was returned with affection. At 4.45 p. m. they 
 were publicly shot, despite the protest of all the 
 competent foreign authorities. The marines were 
 seven minutes killing the wretched prisoners. It 
 seemed as though they would never finish. At 
 last the sailors marched off, and the troops filed 
 past the long row of corpses. Then the dead 
 carts were hurried up and loaded indiscriminately 
 with the mangled remains. The American Con- 
 sul did all that could have been done to prevent 
 the massacre. Indeed it was threatened that his 
 exequatur would be withdrawn for his exertions 
 in behalf of the prisoners. In an interview with 
 
170 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 Gen. Burriel, that officer yelled at him and other- 
 wise treated him disrespectfully. The British 
 Consul also made an ineffectual protest against 
 the execution. Sixteen of the victims were 
 British subjects. 
 
 Of the crew who were not killed by the Span- 
 iards at Santiago de Cuba, four were condemned 
 to the chain-gang for life, three to eight years' 
 imprisonment, eight to four years' imprisonment, 
 and three were set at liberty. 
 
 Wild Demonstrations of Joy. 
 
 On Wednesday, Nov. 5, the tidings of the 
 execution of Gen. Varona, Pedro Cespedes, Jesus 
 del Sol and Gen. Ryan reached Havana, and the 
 inhabitants immediately relinquished all business 
 pursuits and gave themselves up to the wildest 
 demonstrations of joy. Bonfires were kindled, 
 public and private buildings were illuminated, the 
 larger streets were festooned with Chinese lan- 
 terns and even the less important localities were 
 not exempt from the manifestations of joy. 
 Later in the evening the whole population 
 seemed to pour out into the streets and the 
 volunteers paraded through the city. Torchlight 
 processions were numerous, and bands of music 
 inspired new enthusiasm in the breasts of the 
 impulsive Spaniards. The project of raising 
 subscriptions and presenting some testimonial to 
 the officers of the "Tornado," to whom the cap- 
 
CUBA. I *j i 
 
 ture of the "Virginius" was due, met with gen- 
 eral approval, and these officers were regarded 
 with universal gratitude. On the following 
 morning (Thursday, Nov. 6) the general hilarity 
 was renewed, and toward evening another grand 
 demonstration took place. The palace of the 
 Governor was brilliantly illuminated, the public 
 buildings and private residences were extensively 
 decorated, and flags and banners waved above 
 the volunteers, who paraded the streets in full 
 force. The Captain-General and General of the 
 Marine were the recipients of unusual honors, 
 and the serenades which they received were par- 
 ticipated in by hundreds. The city was again 
 given over to general rejoicing, and grand ban- 
 quets were held in many sections of the city. At 
 that time the enthusiasm was at its height. The 
 outburst of joy occasioned by the reception of 
 the strange tidings was naturally followed by a 
 reaction, and in the few succeeding days the city 
 gradually regained its former composure. The 
 Cuban revolutionists in the city could of course 
 only look on in terror at the demonstrations 
 above described. Many concealed themselves as 
 well as they could, and none dared to express 
 their opinions in public. 
 
 The North American continent thrilled with 
 indignation in view of this outrage. The press 
 voiced the demand of the people for apology. 
 
172 CUBA. 
 
 indemnity, revenge, and the recognition of the 
 Cubans, unorganized as they were, as belligerents. 
 The government seemed to share the popular 
 feeling to a considerable degree. War between 
 Spain and the United States seemed to be immi- 
 nent and unavoidable. 
 
 Our poor little navy, consisting of wooden 
 vessels of antiquated models and of iron-clads 
 dusty from disuse, was patched up as quickly as 
 possible arid ordered to rendezvous at Key West, 
 whence it might descend upon Cuba in a night. 
 
 But a half bluff is worse than no bluff at all. 
 It was soon apparent that the government at 
 Washington did not mean business any further 
 than requiring the surrender of the " Virginius," 
 and of the surviving members of her crew, and 
 an indemnity, trivial in amount, for the blood of 
 those American citizens whose nationality could 
 be proved beyond peradventure. The State 
 Department did not share the belligerent disposi- 
 tion of the Navy Department. Secretary Fish 
 was able, patriotic and incorruptible, but some- 
 how or other the legal representatives of the 
 Spanish Government managed to block the way, 
 and Spanish diplomacy, then as now, was plausi- 
 ble and resourceful. 
 
 Whatever the cause, the naval display at Key 
 West was feeble and ineffective. Our flagship, 
 at least, like the British flagship, should have 
 
CUBA. 173 
 
 gone to Havana. As a matter of fact, Admiral 
 Scott had to make an excuse and get express 
 authority to send over a dispatch boat, and was 
 dependent upon the newspaper correspondents, or 
 one of them, for news of what was going on in 
 his immediate front. 
 
 Weeks of diplomatic negotiation and naval 
 bluster ensued, and at last the Spanish Govern- 
 ment agreed to surrender the " Virginius" to the 
 United States authorities, and to salute the 
 American flag. How ungraciously this was done 
 has been well told by Major Handy, the well 
 known correspondent. 
 
 Surrender ofttae " Virginius." 
 
 ''The race between the correspondents for 
 news was very hot, Every man as the repre- 
 sentative of his newspaper was on his mettle and 
 enterprise was at a premium. McGahan had the 
 advantage of being ward-room guest on a man- 
 of-war. Fox was paymaster's yeoman on the 
 ' Pinta,' the fastest boat in the navy. When we 
 learned that the ' Virginius ' was to be surren- 
 dered we all realized that that event would end 
 the campaign. The point then was to be in at the 
 death and to obtain the best if not the exclusive 
 story of the ceremony and attendant circum- 
 stances. The lips of the government officials 
 were sealed as to the time and place appointed. 
 In fact the programme was arranged at Washing- 
 
1 74 CUBA. 
 
 ton by the Secretary of State and the Spanish 
 Minister and communicated confidentially to 
 Admiral Scott. However, I managed to get at 
 the secret, and, thus armed, 'stowed away' on 
 the ' Despatch,' which was the vessel appointed to 
 receive the surrender. Capt. Rogers commanded 
 the ' Despatch,' but the receiving officer was Capt. 
 Whiting. The fleet captain and the other officers 
 of the detail were Lieut. Adolph Marix, Master 
 George A. Calhoun and Assistant Engineer 
 N. H. Lambdin. With them were thirty-nine 
 sailor men from the ' Pawnee,' who were to man 
 the surrendered vessel as a prize crew. All of 
 these people except Capt. Whiting were ignorant 
 of their instructions, not even knowing their des- 
 tination, and the pilot taken aboard before leaving 
 Key West had sealed orders. 
 
 "We left Key West on Sunday night at 10 
 o'clock. We were in the open sea before I ven- 
 tured to make my appearance on deck, present 
 myself to the officers, declare myself a stowaway, 
 . and verify my information as to their mission. 
 The next morning at 10 o'clock the blue hills of 
 the Cuban coast rose above the horizon and the 
 bow of the 'Despatch' was directed toward 
 Bahia Honda, the obscure little port selected for 
 the function. It was about noon when we passed 
 an old fort called Murillo, commanding the en- 
 trance to the harbor. Speed was then slackened, 
 
CUBA. I75 
 
 and the vessel crept cautiously along the narrow, 
 but clearly marked channel which leads to the 
 smooth water where the ' Virginius ' was sup- 
 posed to be lying. 
 
 " As soon as the ' Despatch ' was sighted 
 from shore, the Spanish flag, bearing the crown, 
 notwithstanding the republic abolishing that 
 monarchical emblem, was flung to the breeze. 
 We discovered a black side-wheel steamship lying 
 about a mile beyond the fort. It was the ' Vir- 
 ginius.' No other craft, except two or three 
 coasting steamers, or fishing smacks, was then 
 visible, and it was not until we were about to 
 come to anchor that we discerned a Spanish sloop- 
 of-war lying close under the shore, about two and 
 a haK miles away. 
 
 "Very soon a boat from the Spanish man-of- 
 war came alongside of the ' Virginius,' and 
 immediately the Stars and Stripes were raised by 
 Spanish hands, and again floated over the vessel 
 which carried Ryan and his unfortunate comrades 
 to their death At the same moment we saw by 
 the aid of field-glasses, another boat let down 
 from the Spanish vessel. It proved to be the 
 captain's gig, and brought to the ' Despatch' 
 a naval officer in full uniform, who proved to be 
 Senor de la Camera, of the Spanish sloop-of-war 
 ' Favorita.' He stepped briskly forward, and 
 was met at the gangway by Capt. Rogers and 
 
I76 CUBA. 
 
 Capt. Whiting. After an exchange of courteous 
 salutations, Commander de la Camera remarked 
 that he had received a copy of the protocol pro- 
 viding for the surrender of the ' Virginius,' and 
 that the surrender might now be considered to 
 have taken place. Captain Whiting replied that 
 under his instructions the following day was 
 named for the surrender, and that he could not 
 receive it until that time. Meanwhile he would 
 thank the Spanish officer to continue in posses- 
 sion. Nine o'clock on Tuesday morning was then 
 agreed upon as the hour, and after informing the 
 American officer that there was coal enough on 
 board of the ' Virginius ' to last six days, salutes 
 were exchanged and the Spanish officer retired. 
 
 "The next morning, half an hour ahead of 
 time, the gig of the 'Favorita' came over to the 
 ' Virginius.' It contained oarsmen and a single 
 officer. As the latter stepped on deck a petty 
 officer and a half dozen men, who had stood 
 watch on the ' Virginius ' during the night, went 
 over the side and remained in a dingy awaiting 
 orders. At 9 precisely by the bells the American 
 flag again flew to the flagstaff of the ' Virginius,' 
 and at the same moment a boat containing Capt. 
 Whiting and Lieut. Marix put away from the 
 'Despatch.' As they ascended the accommoda- 
 tion ladder of the ' Virginius ' the single man on 
 deck, who proved to be Senor de la Camera, 
 
CUBA. 177 
 
 advanced and made a courteous salute. The. offi- 
 cers then read their respective instructions, and 
 Capt. de la Camera remarked that in obedience 
 to the requirements of the government and in 
 execution of the provisions of the protocol, he 
 had the honor to turn over the steamer ' Virgin- 
 ius ' to the American authorities. Capt. Whiting 
 accepted, and learning that a receipt was required, 
 gave one in due form. A word or two more 
 were spoken and the Spaniard stepped over the 
 side, signalled to his oarsmen, and in ten minut@« 
 was again upon the deck of his own vessel. Be- 
 side the surrendering and receipting officers, I 
 was the only witness of the ceremony. 
 The Formal Transfer. 
 "While the Spanish officer was courtesy 
 itself, we were all impressed with the fact that 
 the ceremony was lacking in dignity and that the 
 Spaniards had purposely made that lack as con- 
 spicuous as they dared. It appeared that the 
 ' Virginius ' was towed to Havana by the first- 
 class man-of-war ' Isabella la Catholica,' the 
 commander of which retired immediately and 
 left the surrender to be made by the commander 
 of the ' Favorita,' which had been in the vicinity of 
 Bahia Honda for several months engaged in sur- 
 veying duty. The surrender should have taken 
 place either at Santiago de Cuba or at Havana, 
 and a Spanish officer of like rank with Cap- 
 
I j8 CUBA. 
 
 tain Whiting should have discharged the duty. 
 A quick survey by our officers showed the 
 ' Virginius ' to be in a most filthy condition. She 
 was stripped of almost everything moveable save 
 a few vermin, which haunted the mattresses and 
 cushions in cabin and staterooms, and half a dozen 
 casks of water. The decks were caked with dirt, 
 and nuisances recently committed, combined with 
 mold and decomposition, caused a foul stench in 
 the forecastle and below the hatches. In the 
 cabin, however, the odor of carbolic acid ^ave 
 evidence that an attempt had been made to make 
 that part of the vessel habitable for the temporary 
 custodians of the ship. Our officers were reluc- 
 tant to put the men into the dirty forecastle and 
 stowed them away into hardly more agreeable 
 quarters afforded by the staterooms of Ryan and 
 his butchered companions. Some attempt seemed 
 to have been made, as shown by the engineering 
 survey, to repair the machinery, but a few hours' 
 work put the engines in workable order. The 
 ship was leaking considerably and the pumps had 
 to be kept going constantly to keep the water 
 down. After a few hours of hard work we pfot 
 under way, but had only gone 200 yards when 
 the engine suddenly refused to do duty, and it 
 became necessary for the ' Despatch' to take us in 
 tow. As we passed the fort at the entrance to 
 the harbor the Spanish flag was rather defiantly 
 
CUBA. 179 
 
 displayed by that antiquated apology for a forti- 
 fication, and there was no salute for the American 
 flag, either from the fort or the surrendering 
 sloop of war. 
 
 "We had a hard time that night — those of 
 us who were aboard the 'Virginius.' It seemed 
 hardly possible that we could keep afloat until 
 morning. During the night the navy tug 'Fortune,' 
 from Key West, met us and remained with the 
 convoy. At noon the next day, when we were 
 about thirty miles south-southeast of Dry Tor- 
 tugas, the vessels separated, the 'Virginius' and 
 'Despatch' going to Tortugas and the 'Fortune' 
 returning, with me as a solitary passenger, to Key 
 West, whence I had the honor of reporting the 
 news to the Admiral and of sending an exclusive 
 report of the surrender. 
 
 "It was the general opinion among the naval 
 officers that the ' Sania ' had endeavored to be- 
 little the whole proceeding by smuggling the 
 ' Virginius ' out of Havana, by selecting an ob- 
 scure harbor not a port of entry as the place of 
 surrender and by turning the duty of surrender 
 over to a surveying sloop, while the 'Tornado,' 
 which made the capture, lay in the harbor of Ha- 
 vana and the 'Isabella la Catholica,' which had 
 been selected as convoy, steamed back to Havana 
 under cover of the night. The American officers 
 and American residents in Cuba and Key West 
 
l8o CUBA, 
 
 agreed that our government ought to have re- 
 quired that the ' Virginius ' should be surrend- 
 ered with all the released prisoners on board 
 either at Santiago de Cuba, where the 'Tornado' 
 brought in her ill-gotten prey and where the in- 
 human butcheries were committed, or in Havana 
 where she was afterward taken in triumph and 
 greeted with the cheers of the excited Spaniards 
 over the humiliation of the Americans. 
 
 " An attempt was made to take the 'Virgin- 
 ius ' to some northern port, but the old hulk was 
 not equal to the journey. On the way no pump- 
 ing or caulking could stop her leaks, and she 
 foundered in mid-ocean. The government had 
 been puzzled to know what disposition to make 
 of her, and there was great relief in official circles 
 to know that she was out of the way. 
 
 "The surrender of the surviving prisoners 
 of the massacre took place in course of time at 
 Santiago, owing more to British insistence than 
 to our feeble representations. As to the fifty- 
 three who were killed, Spain never gave us any 
 real satisfaction. For a long time the Madrid 
 government unblushingly denied that there had 
 been any killing, and when forced to acknowledge 
 the fact they put us off with preposterous excuses. 
 ' Butcher Burriel,' by whose orders the outrage 
 was perpetrated, was considered at Madrid to 
 have been justified by circumstances. It was 
 
Spanish Troops leaving Barcelona, Spain, 
 
CUBA. ^3 
 
 pretended that orders to suspend the execution 
 of Ryan and his associates were ' unfortunately' 
 received too late, owing to interruption of tele- 
 graph lines by the insurgents to whose broad and 
 bleeding shoulders an attempt was thus made to 
 shift the responsibility. There was a nominal 
 repudiation of Burriel's act and a promise was 
 made to inflict punishment upon ' those who have 
 offended ;' but no punishment was inflicted upon 
 anybody. The Spanish Government, with 
 characteristic double dealing resorted to pro- 
 crastination, prevarication and trickery, and thus 
 gained time until new issues effaced in the 
 American mind the memory of old wrongs 
 unavenged. Instead of being degraded Burriel 
 was promoted. Never to this day has there been 
 any adequate atonement by Spain." 
 
 How an English Captain Prevented 
 One Massacre. 
 
 There is no doubt that all the rest of the 
 " Virginius'" prisoners would have been butch- 
 ered, had it not been for the prompt and decisive 
 conduct of a British naval officer. This was Sir 
 Lambton Lorraine, commander of the man-of- 
 war " Niobe." As soon as he heard of the cap- 
 ture of the " Virginius " he hastened with his ship 
 to Santiago. He found that fifty-three men had 
 already been put to death, and that the rest were 
 in danger of a like fate. Immediately he had an 
 ii 
 
1 84 CUBA. 
 
 interview with the Spanish commander and told 
 him the butchery must stop. 
 
 "But, Senor," protested the Spaniard, "what 
 affair is it of yours ? There are no countrymen 
 of yours among them. They are all dogs of 
 Americans." 
 
 That was a lie. There were Englishmen 
 among them, though Sir Lambton Lorraine did 
 not know it. But that made no difference to the 
 gallant British captain. 
 
 " I don't know whether there are any English- 
 men among them or not," he said, "and I don't 
 care. I forbid you to put another one of them 
 to death." 
 
 "But, Senor," returned the Spaniard, "permit 
 me to observe that I take my orders from the 
 Captain-General, and not from you." 
 
 "Very good," replied the Britisher; "permit 
 me also to observe, and to beg you to observe, 
 that the 'Niobe' is lying in this harbor, with her 
 guns double-shotted, and I am her commander. 
 And, so help me God ! if you so much as harm 
 a hair on the head of one of those prisoners, I 
 will lay your town in ruins ! " 
 
 That was his ultimatum, and he went back to 
 his ship. The Spaniard looked at the " Niobe," 
 and saw the big black muzzles of her guns 
 trained squarely upon the city, and — there were 
 no more prisoners massacred in Santiago. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 close of the ten-years' war general campos' 
 
 own story communication with the in- 
 surgents rebel dissensions suspending 
 
 warfare progress toward peace coming 
 
 to the point campos* motives interview 
 
 with garcia an anxious moment at zan- 
 
 jon the terms accepted the end at 
 
 last a review of the situation what 
 
 the war meant how the end was reached 
 
 campos' appeal for justice — the cost of 
 
 THE WAR. 
 
 (f' 
 
 EN years of fighting practically exhausted 
 the Cubans. When General Martinez 
 de Campos^a humane and merciful 
 man and a man of integrity and honor, came to 
 them with offers of peace, amnesty and reform, 
 they attentively listened to and finally decided to 
 accept his terms\ A treaty was signed, by which 
 certain liberties were granted by Spain to the 
 Cubans, reforms in their administration prom- 
 ised, and the freedom recognized of all the slaves 
 who had fought in the Cuban army. This treaty 
 was concluded by General Campos himself after 
 considerable negotiations, and was undoubtedly 
 effected because of the faith the Cubans had 
 
 08 S ) 
 
1 86 CUBA. 
 
 in that officer and their belief that his prom- 
 ises would be fulfilled. General Campos' own 
 account of the manner in which the negotiations 
 were conducted and brought to a successful ter- 
 mination may be found in the official report which 
 he made to the King of Spain, from which the 
 following passages are taken : 
 
 General Campos' Own Story. 
 
 "Finding myself on the 18th of December 
 in the Sierra Maestra of Cuba, inspecting the 
 encampments there, which have been so fatal to 
 the fourth brigade of that division, on account of 
 its hygienic conditions, I received a telegram from 
 General D. Manuel Cassola, in which he informed 
 me that the prisoner D. Esteban Duque de 
 Estrada, some time ago liberated, had manifested 
 to him the desire of some important leaders, and 
 some members of the congress, to enter into 
 negotiations with a view to peace. 
 
 "Although at some distance from Cuba, I 
 embarked that very night for Santa Cruz in order 
 to speak with Estrada, to communicate with Cas- 
 sola, to decide on the spot and for myself what 
 would be proper. 
 
 " I have reported the doings of Mr. Pope in 
 the month of May, the distrust with which he 
 inspired me, and my persuasion that he was an 
 unprincipled adventurer. In spite of this I per- 
 mitted him to go to the enemy's camp, because I 
 
CUBA. 
 
 I8 7 
 
 was confident that with all his untrustworthiness, 
 he would serve to open for us a way to relations 
 which, if leading to nothing immediately, would 
 bear fruit later. I was not mistaken in my reckon- 
 ing ; those unofficial relations procured us the 
 surrender of Don Estiban de Varona, with the 
 permission, as he told me, of the then president, 
 D. Tomas Estrada and the capture of the latter s 
 kinsman, Duque de Estrada. 
 
 Communicating; -with the Insurgents. 
 
 "The moment Varona reached Manzanillo he 
 put himself in communication with the leaders of 
 those bands discouraged by fatigue, and at times 
 by hunger, without resources, and who, desiring 
 peace, did not dare to surrender, not only through 
 fear of the treatment they might receive from us, 
 but through distrust of each other. A few inter- 
 views and an armistice, which in a narrow neutral 
 ground permitted our soldiers to mix with the in- 
 surgents, and the discovery by the latter in our 
 troops not only the generous character of the 
 Spanish army, but also how well the country peo- 
 ple were treated in the towns, at last broke their 
 resolution, and the desire of peace made itself so 
 manifest that the leaders agreed to send a com- 
 mittee to their government to try for it. 
 
 "This committee obtained some guarantees 
 from the president, but the irreconcilables were 
 too strong for the government, and the committee 
 
1 88 CUBA. 
 
 were subjected to the law which imposed the 
 penalty of death on all who should treat with us 
 except on the basis of independence. 
 
 ' 'In spite of the assurances which Varona 
 gave me, I cherished no hope of result with 
 Camuguey, that I believed that it was not yet 
 time, that his presumption was not sufficiently 
 humbled, but that I was confident that the greater 
 part of the guerrilla parties of Manzanillo, and 
 perhaps of Bayamo, would disband. 
 Rebel Dissensions. 
 
 "In spite of the obstacles which arose in the 
 business, the result answered my expectations, 
 though I will not conceal that the government of 
 the insurgents, by its treatment of the committee, 
 contributed not a little to deepen the dissensions 
 that existed among them. But that act of brute 
 violence met with a prompt chastisement in the 
 capture of the president of the executive council, 
 and the death of the speaker of the congress, 
 which delayed more than forty days a meeting for 
 the choice of a new one, and the very active pur- 
 suit to which they were exposed, in spite of the 
 rains which lasted longer than usual. The idea 
 of peace introduced into their camp, which 
 they had the baseness to attribute to me, 
 though they asserted that I proposed it through 
 weakness, began to take root among the masses, 
 and the impulse from below upward reached the 
 
CUBA. 
 
 189 
 
 head, a natural result of assertions disproved by 
 our pursuit. 
 
 " This was the state of things when, on the 
 2 1 st of December, I talked with Duque de 
 Estrada, and not trusting in the method, although 
 I had no private or official letter to authorize my 
 conduct, and even feared that another assassina- 
 tion would make the negotiations abortive, I 
 ordered operations to be suspended between the 
 sea, the river Sevilla, and the roads from Santa 
 Cruz to Hato Petrero, and from that point to 
 Brazo ; that is a seventh part of the Center. 
 This was a serious measure. I was conscious of 
 the objections to it; nothing positive authorized 
 me to give assurances that this neutrality would 
 be respected. I knew that it would give an 
 opportunity for attacks (on me) by many ; but if 
 I wished to arrive at an understanding it was 
 necessary to run the risk ; and I believe that, 
 holding such a position and command as mine, it 
 behooves not to consider the personal annoyances 
 which may result from failure, but the benefit 
 which may redound to our country from success. 
 The loss would be all my own ; all the advantage 
 my country's. 
 
 Suspending- "Warfare. 
 
 " Concert and meeting and consequently 
 agreement were impossible if our troops contin- 
 ued operations. I fixed no period, but limited 
 
190 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 myself to declaring that the termination (of the 
 armistice) should be announced three days be- 
 forehand. I reserved to myself the right of 
 lengthening or shortening it, because to keep 
 fixing periods and then extending them is, in my 
 opinion, discreditable and a kind of higgling un- 
 worthy of soldiers. 
 
 " I will not deny that I then expected that at 
 the end of a few days they would tell me that 
 they wished to treat on inadmissible terms. I 
 labored at that time under two mistakes : I be- 
 lieved their number smaller and their presump- 
 tion greater than it was. I had studied the pro 
 and the con, as is commonly said. I was not 
 neutralizing more than a small part of the war 
 (three-hundredths), and it was accordingly prose- 
 cuted with the greatest activity when the matter 
 began to improve, and the soldiers to come out 
 of the hospitals. In the neutralized territory the 
 contract of the insurgents with our soldiers was 
 most advantageous for us, because the meeting 
 of the weak with the strong, of the hungry with 
 him who has resources, of the naked with the 
 clothed, of him who has no place of shelter, with 
 him who has camps and sutlers' shops, cannot 
 but weaken the resolution of the former. The 
 courteous treatment which had been ordered was 
 sure to underline the officers ; the news of the 
 suspension of hostilities where the congress was, 
 
CUBA. 
 
 191 
 
 and the negotiations with it, must have a decided 
 influence in other departments. 
 
 F rogress toward Peace. 
 
 "What was lost, in case these conferences 
 were broken off? On the part of the country 
 nothing, and this is proved by the great number 
 of surrenders which took place at this time. 
 Much was gained for the future by dividing them ; 
 the three tendencies of the hostile camp, peace, 
 autonomy and independence, defined themselves; 
 for in moments of danger the most opposite wishes 
 unite, and if a respite is given, they reappear 
 again in greater strength. 
 
 " So it happened here. In Sancti Spiritus 
 some begged that the decision of the congress 
 might be waited for, and I granted them a place 
 of meeting, where I furnished them with supplies, 
 and in that encampment cheers were given for 
 peace and for Spain, and they embraced our 
 officers. In Bayamo whole bands surrendered 
 together ; in Holguin and in Tunas they avoided 
 any fighting ; and in Cuba, Maceo made super- 
 human efforts to raise their spirits, summoning all 
 to the last soldier, and attacking with an energy 
 and success worthy of a better cause ; but even 
 in the midst of this desperate effort he did not 
 wish to shut the door of the future, and, what he 
 had not done for ten years, after a bloody advan- 
 tage in which he kept possession of the field, he 
 
192 CUBA. 
 
 buries the dead, praises their valor, and sends 
 back to us a few wounded, and prisoners who 
 escaped the fury of the combat. 
 
 "The desire to treat having been excited, 
 and having told Estrada my own opinion concern- 
 ing the island, and what I believed that of the 
 government to be, judging by the private corres- 
 pondence which was going on between me and the 
 Minister of Ultramar, I went to Havana to in- 
 form General Jovellar, to put myself in accord 
 with him, and to hear his valuable counsels. That 
 officer was, as he had been since the war began, 
 in full agreement with me, and explained to me 
 the embarrassed state of the treasury, the arrears 
 of pay continually increasing, and the difficulties 
 we should find ourselves in if the war was not 
 ended before June. I made a tour of inspection 
 through Las Villas and Sancti Spiritus, to see for 
 myself the execution of my orders, and was satis- 
 fied that nothing more could be asked of the 
 army. Pancho Jimenez had attempted an effective 
 stroke, but as he had not the means, the destruc- 
 tion of part of his band, and the dispersion of 
 the rest were the consequence. 
 
 Coming: to the Point. 
 
 " I returned to Principe to bring matters to a 
 head, and because I thought there had been time 
 to come to an understanding and to pass from a 
 purely confidential character to a semi-official one, 
 
CUBA. I93 
 
 and having had an interview at Chorrillo with 
 Messrs. Lauces and Roa, commissioned from the 
 so-called commander-in-chief of the Centre, Goyo 
 Benitez, to General Cassola, who by my orders 
 had announced to him the renewal of hostilities 
 on the 20th, I was able to satisfy myself of the 
 well-nigh general desire to come to a definite 
 result, and of the impossibility of it by reason of 
 the dispersion of the bands, and above all because 
 it was not yet known whether Vincente Garcia 
 would accept the presidency, nor what his aspira- 
 tions and projects were. Believing in their good 
 faith, I appointed the ioth of February as the 
 day before which terms must be proposed, and 
 permitted a commissioner to start for Sancti 
 Spiritus and another in search of Vincente Gar- 
 cia, but I reduced the neutralized territory to 
 about eight leagues square on the banks of the 
 Sevilla, setting a cordon of posts and sentinels all 
 around it. 
 
 "Infixing on the ioth of February, I was 
 thinking of the meeting of the Cortes on the 
 15th, and wished to give definite news to the 
 government of His Majesty, so that they could 
 in the royal message parry the attacks of the op- 
 position, and if they did not approve of my con- 
 duct they could remove me from command, since 
 I had neither consulted them nor given an account 
 of the steps I had taken. 
 
1 94 CUBA. 
 
 Campos' Motives. 
 
 " The reasons I had for acting thus are 
 three: Not to solicit from the government an au- 
 thorization which could not be understandingly 
 given at so great a distance ; second, to assume 
 all responsibility myself, leaving them in entire 
 freedom ; and third, not to give rise in Spain to 
 hopes that might prove illusions. 
 
 " Some time before the first steps had been 
 taken toward a conference between Vincente 
 Garcia and General Prendergast, but since the 
 former had been chosen president of the execu- 
 tive council, he thought that he could not be pres- 
 ent at it, and sent his commissioners to Banchuelo 
 (Tunas), to which place the General came. There, 
 after lone debates, I beino- in direct communica- 
 tion by telegraph, I answered all questions, and 
 fixed as a limit the terms which I reported the 
 same day, 30th of January, neutralizing the road 
 between Tunas and the camp of the congress, so 
 that messages and reports might pass, because we 
 had unfortunately severely wounded their com- 
 missioner, who bore my safe conduct, which pre- 
 vented the order for meeting from reaching 
 Vicente Garcia in time. 
 
 Interview with Garcia. 
 
 <( On the 5 th he asked for an interview with 
 me, which could not take place on the 6th at San 
 Fernando owing to a mistake ; and on the 7th he 
 
CUBA. I95 
 
 came to see me, with seven other leaders and 
 some of his officers, at Chorrilla. He presented 
 himself in a very proper way, and I received him 
 kindly, Generals Prendergast and Cassola being 
 present at the conversation, which lasted- seven 
 hours. Those who took part in it manifested 
 their desire for peace ; they agreed that though 
 they might prolong the war it would be the ruin 
 of the country (Cuba) ; that in their present con- 
 dition they could not conquer ; that the happiness 
 of Cuba was possible under the government of 
 Spain ; that the terms were not ample enough ; 
 and, above all, that the oath they had taken not 
 to treat except on the basis of independence 
 rendered all agreement null ; that there was no 
 provision in their constitution for such a case, and 
 it was necessary to appeal to the people. All 
 our arguments were unable to convince them. 
 
 " Vincente Garcia told me that, in order to 
 facilitate a prompt pacification, he had that day 
 come and taken the oath of office. The result was 
 that I answered them that I did not make the 
 terms more liberal because they had already 
 received the sanction of the government ; that I 
 could not extend the period without receiving at 
 least a moral guarantee that, in case those of the 
 East and of Villas did not agree, the majority of 
 Camaguey would accept ; and we parted with the 
 greatest courtesy. 
 
I96 CUBA. 
 
 An Anxious Moment. 
 
 "I cannot express the anxiety in which I 
 was left. My presumption was that they were to 
 be trusted ; that the reserve they had shown was 
 due to the character of the natives of this country, 
 and to their want of confidence in Spain, which 
 cannot easily be effaced ; at the same time recog- 
 nizing as one cause the oath they had taken, and 
 the desire not to be accused of treachery by their 
 companions, who still stood to their arms. 
 
 " But these were nothing more than my pre- 
 sumptions ; nothing more than my knowledge of 
 the unfortunate state in which they were. There 
 was the conviction that hatred of Spain was 
 rapidly disappearing ; there was the certainty that 
 the favorable movement came from below up- 
 wards with a terrible pressure ; but after all there 
 was nothing but conviction and faith in myself; 
 there was not a proof nor a material fact to con- 
 firm these ; and when I entered on this line of 
 thought doubt took possession of my mind. 
 
 " The question was most serious. Should 
 they persist in their choice of a new government 
 by popular election, and I in not conceding a 
 longer delay, then the pacification would be post- 
 poned, the war continued with the fury of 
 despair, and I become an accomplice in the 
 failure of-peace. If, in virtue of my convictions, 
 I conceded what they asked, a change of ideas 
 
CUBA. 
 
 197 
 
 might take place in the mass (of insurgents), and 
 I should have lost a month and a half of opera- 
 tions in the best season of the year, equivalent to 
 more than three months in the rainy season, to 
 3,000 soldiers killed, to $6,000,000 more spent, 
 and to another effort on the part of Spain. 
 At jganjon. 
 " On the morning of the 9th I removed to 
 Zanjon, the point nearest the enemy's camp, and 
 at twelve next day Messrs. Rosa and Lauces 
 presented themselves with a letter from Vincente 
 Garcia accrediting them in their mission. These 
 eentlemen stated to me that the executive and 
 congress having met, had informed themselves of 
 the result of the interview we had held on the 
 7th, and after a long discussion had agreed on 
 the impolicy of continuing the war, and on the im- 
 possibility of treating in which they found them- 
 selves, because they were not empowered to do 
 so, and it would be illegal ; that they were bound 
 to give an account of the whole to the people ; 
 but that, considering the pressure of circum- 
 stances, they would resign and appeal to the 
 people and troops gathered there ; that this took 
 place, and that a committee of seven persons (five 
 of them irreconcilables) was chosen by popular 
 election in order that negotiations might go on. 
 The committee discussed and modified my terms, 
 and submitted the result to the people, who 
 
I98 CUBA. 
 
 accepted it unanimously under condition that the 
 States of the East and Center should be heard. 
 The people being asked if they were for peace, 
 answered almost unanimously in the affirmative. 
 Asked afterward if the war should be continued 
 in case Orienteor Villars would not accept peace, 
 three-quarters were in favor of peace even then, 
 and the other fourth for war. 
 
 " In view of this I went on to discuss the 
 questions, and, there being no difficulty except 
 about the first, I consulted General Jovellar by 
 telegraph, in the presence of the commissioners, 
 and had the satisfaction of letting them see the 
 identity of opinion of the two authorities. There 
 remained the question of time to be allowed, 
 which I proposed to leave to the government of 
 his Majesty, and they returned to their camp to 
 submit the modifications.. 
 
 The Terms Accepted. 
 
 " While they were absent I reflected ma- 
 turely, and resolved on my part to concede a 
 delay until the end of the month. The consider- 
 ations which moved me to this were my not wish- 
 ing to compromise General Jovellar, because if, 
 contrary to all appearances, there were a change, 
 he would remain disposable to relieve me in com- 
 mand if the government disapproved of my con- 
 duct, or the opposition and public opinion pro- 
 nounced against me in case of failure. I am not 
 
Captain-General Blanco, 
 
Battalion of Spanish Troops before the Governor- 
 General's Palace, Havana. 
 
CUBA. 20 I 
 
 considering- as such the continuance in the field 
 of Maceo, as I was then inclined to do, having 
 heard of the capture of the convoy of Florida, 
 with 12,000 percussion caps, a case of medicines, 
 and some loads of tinned meat, with a loss to us 
 of one officer and twenty-eight soldiers killed and 
 five wounded, and of the defeat of a column of 
 200 men of the regiments of Madrid and Asturias 
 in Juan Mulato, with the loss, as was then be- 
 lieved, of 100 men, though I know now it was 
 not above fifty, and of the commander, Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Cabezas. 
 
 " The commissioners returned in the after- 
 noon of the 10th with definite terms, which I ac- 
 cepted, and a copy of which I enclose, and I at 
 once granted the delay, and then to facilitate 
 matters, without their asking it, I ordered the 
 generals in command to suspend offensive hostili- 
 ties in the whole territory of the war. 
 
 "The insurgents desire peace so sincerely 
 that the commissioners elected for each state are 
 the most influential and intelligent persons in it : 
 For Cuba, Major-General Maximo Gomez, Brig- 
 adier-General Rafael Rodriquez, Major Enrique 
 Callazo ; for Bayamo, Major Augustin Castel 
 lanos, Ensign Jose Badraque ; for Las Villas, the 
 deputies Spoturno and Marcos Garcia, Colonel 
 Enrique Mola and Don Ramon Perez Trujillo; 
 for Tunas and Holguin, Vincente Garcia. 
 
202 CUBA. 
 
 "These elections are guarantees of good 
 faith. Concerning Sancti Spiritus and Villas, with 
 the exception of the thirty men of Cecilio Gon- 
 zalez, I harbor no doubt, only an outlaw or two 
 and the runaway negroes will be left in the field, 
 isolated, without flag and without arms; in 
 Principe, possibly, a gathering or so of what are 
 called planteados, who obey no one, and whom 
 the very insurgents have almost exterminated. 
 The End at Last. 
 
 "In Bayamo the leaders who remain have 
 given assurances that they will consult with the 
 commissioners and are calling in their scattered 
 followers. In Tunas and Holguin, Vincente Garcia 
 has every kind of influence. In Cuba, Maceo 
 respects only Maximo Gomez, and all affirm that 
 he will obey the dispositions of his government. 
 I am not confident but he will be left reduced to 
 the last extremity without the bands of Edwardo 
 Marinol, Limbano Sanchez, Martinez Freire, and 
 Leite Vidal, and only a part of the people of his 
 brother Antonio Maceo, Guellermon, and Crom- 
 bet will follow him. In any event parties of 
 banditti will remain in those mountains. 
 
 "This is, in conclusion, a loose narrative of 
 what has happened and of my present impressions 
 and hopes. It only remains to set before you a 
 sketch of the motives of my policy, and the reasons 
 on which I have based my conduct in these sixteen 
 
CUBA. 203 
 
 months. T have not always been right, but I have 
 tried to correct my mistakes the moment I became 
 aware of them. 
 
 A Review of tlie Situation. 
 
 "Since the year 1869, when I landed on this 
 island with the first reinforcements, I was preoc- 
 cupied with the idea that the insurrection here, 
 though acknowledging as its cause the hatred of 
 Spain, yet that this hatred was due to the causes 
 that have separated our colonies from the mother 
 country, augmented in the present case by the 
 promises made to the Antilles at different times 
 (1812-37 and '45), promises which not only have 
 not been fulfilled, but, as I understand, have not 
 been permitted to be so by the Cortes when at 
 different times their execution had been begun. 
 
 "While the island had no great development, 
 its aspirations were confined by love of nation- 
 ality and respect for authority; but when one day 
 after another passed without hopes being satisfied, 
 but, on the contrary, the greater freedom per- 
 mitted now and then by a governor were more 
 than cancelled by his successor; when they were 
 convinced that the colony went on in the same 
 way; when bad officials and a worse administration 
 of justice more and more aggravated difficulties; 
 when the provincial governorships, continually 
 growing worse, fell at last into the hands of men 
 without training or education, petty tyrants who 
 
204 CUBA. 
 
 could practice their thefts and sometimes their 
 oppressions, because of the distance at which they 
 resided from the supreme authority, public opinion, 
 until then restrained, began vehemently to desire 
 those liberties which, if they bring much good, 
 contain also some evil, and especially when applied 
 to countries that have so peculiar a life of their 
 own, and are without preparation for them. A 
 people sometimes vehemently desires what is not 
 best for it — the unknown — and when everything 
 is denied, aspires to everything. So it happened 
 here. I do not blame the captains-general nor 
 the government of that epoch. They thought 
 they were acting for the best ; but they were sep- 
 arated from the people, and had about them only 
 partisans of the status quo, and very few of 
 progress, and even these, persons of heated imag- 
 ination, but cautious, did not make manifest their 
 ideas, and even applauded acts which were carry- 
 ing the ship on the reef, like those inhabitants of 
 England who kindled bonfires to attract ships. 
 What the War Meant. 
 "The ioth of October, 1868, came to open 
 men's eyes ; the eruption of the volcano in which 
 so many passions, so many hatreds, just and un- 
 just, had been heaped up, was terrible, and almost 
 at the outset the independence of Cuba was pro- 
 claimed. The concessions which General Ler- 
 sandi then made were of no avail ; the triumph 
 
CUBA. 205 
 
 of Bayamo was not deadened by the heroic resis- 
 tance of the garrisons of Tunas and Holguin ; 
 the army was very small, and they believed vic- 
 tory easy. Many Spaniards believed that auton- 
 omy should be granted ; and who knows what 
 might have followed if those masses had been 
 well led, and had not quarreled with the natives 
 of the Peninsula? 
 
 "The certainty of triumph blinded them. 
 In its turn public sentiment and patriotism were 
 awakened in us, and the country was divided into 
 two irreconcilable bands, extreme from the first, 
 confiding the triumph of their cause to extermi- 
 nation and the torch ; and although in these nine 
 years there have been attempts at more humane 
 systems, they have been of short duration. Pub- 
 lic opinion was too strong for governments of 
 whatever politics. Hardly was a governor-gen- 
 eral appointed when they weakened his authority 
 by allowing the press to speak of his dismissal ; 
 and these officers, not feeling themselves sustained 
 by the government, tried to find some support in 
 a public opinion continually more and more over- 
 excited, and there were times when the war was 
 on the point of being victoriously ended, when a 
 change of commander came to undo all that had 
 been gained to make the insurgents understand 
 that their constancy would save them ; and a seri- 
 ous succession of feats of arms raised their spirits, 
 
206 CUBA. 
 
 and by the advantage of ground and their familiar- 
 ity with it, they defeated large columns with hardly 
 a battalion of men. Hunger in the villages swelled 
 the ranks of the enemy. They almost put us on 
 the defensive, and as we had to guard an im- 
 mense property, the mission of the army became 
 very difficult. 
 
 "The instability of governments in Spain, 
 the cantonal war first, and the civil war afterward, 
 encouraged our enemies, who began to doubt in 
 proportion as the throne of Don Alfonso became 
 firm, and when they found themselves shut up in 
 villas and unable to carry out their project of 
 extending the war to Matanzas and Cardenas. 
 But public spirit had decayed, and the invasion of 
 Spiritus and Villas marked a fatal period. It was 
 our fortune that the military man who commanded 
 against them had not, because a foreigner and 
 because of his character, in spite of his courage, 
 the sympathy of his subordinates, and that the 
 battle of Palma Sola subdued his energy. But 
 the war went on languidly for want of forces, 
 public sentiment growing weaker, and the army 
 remembering too well its reverses. The principal 
 of authority was strengthened, and I believe that, 
 with more resources, we should have triumphed 
 in 1875 and 1876. 
 
 "The insignificant affairs of the railway of 
 Spiritus, the attack on Villa Clara, Ciego de Avila, 
 
CUBA. 
 
 207 
 
 and Moron made a great impression on public 
 opinion, which saw in everything, with frightful 
 exaggeration, to be sure, grave and irremediable 
 evils, and the unfortunate carelessness at Victoria 
 de las Tunas came to stamp the position of affairs 
 at the very time when reinforcements and help 
 were expected from the mother country. General 
 Jovellar was the victim of events, and when per- 
 haps he was about to grasp the laurel of his toils 
 the government decided that I should come. 
 
 "These, roughly sketched, are in my concep- 
 tion the facts from 1868 to the end of 1876. 
 How the End was Reached. 
 
 " I have come now by slow stages to the 
 question of the day, and perhaps some will ask 
 how I offered the terms which I reported on the 
 30th of January, and will add that better might 
 have been obtained. 
 
 "At present, I suppose so, but I understand 
 by advantageous terms for the government what 
 contributes to satisfy the desires and aspirations 
 of the people ; I proposed the first condition, be- 
 cause I believe they must fulfill it. I wish that 
 the municipal law, the law of provincial assem- 
 blies, and representation in the Cortes, should be 
 established. For the present we will make use of 
 the laws now in force, and then with the assistance 
 of the deputies, modifications and arrangements 
 can be made to complete them. Technical details 
 
208 CUBA. 
 
 will be considered which are beyond my com- 
 petence. The law of labor is to be settled, the 
 question of labor supply, the necessary changes 
 of property are to be studied, the fearful and un- 
 sustainable problem of slavery is to be studied 
 before foreign nations impose a solution of it upon 
 us, the penal code is to be studied and the pro- 
 vince of the courts defined, the form of contribu- 
 tions and assessment of taxes determined, and 
 some attention paid to schools and public works. 
 All these problems whose solution concerns the 
 people must be solved after hearing their repre- 
 sentatives, not by the reports of Juntas, chosen 
 through favoritism or for political reasons. They 
 cannot be left to the will of the captain-general, 
 the head of a department, or the colonial minis- 
 ter, who generally, however competent, does not 
 know the country. 
 
 Campos' Appeal for Justice. 
 
 "I do not wish to make a momentary peace. 
 I desire that this peace be the beginning of a 
 bond of common interests between Spain and her 
 Cuban provinces, and that this bond be drawn 
 continually closer by the identity of aspirations, 
 and the good faith of both. 
 
 " Let not the Cubans be considered as pa- 
 riahs or minors, but put on an equality with other 
 Spaniards in everything not inconsistent with 
 their present condition. 
 
CUBA. 209 
 
 " It was on the other hand impossible, accord- 
 ing to my judgment and conscience, not to grant 
 the first condition ; not to do it was to postpone 
 indefinitely the fulfilment of a promise made in 
 our present constitution. It was not possible that 
 this island, richer, more populous, and more ad- 
 vanced morally amd materially than her sister, 
 Porto Rico, should remain without the advantages 
 and liberties long ago planted in the latter with 
 good results, and the spirit of the age, and the 
 decision of the country gradually to assimilate the 
 colonies to the Peninsula, made it necessary to 
 grant the promised reforms, which would have 
 been already established and surely more amply 
 if the abnormal state of things had not concen- 
 trated all the attention of government on the 
 extirpation of the evil which was devouring this 
 rich province. 
 
 " I did not make the last constitution ; I had 
 no part in the discussion of it. It is now the 
 law, and as such I respect it, and as such 
 endeavor to apply it. But there was in it 
 something conditional, which I think a danger, 
 a motive of distrust, and I have wished that it 
 might disappear. Nothing assures me that the 
 present ministry will continue in power, and I 
 do not know whether that which replaces it 
 would believe the fit moment to have arrived 
 for fulfilling the precept of the constitution. 
 
2IO CUBA. 
 
 " I desire the peace of Spain, and tnis will 
 not be firm while there is war or disturbance 
 in the richest jewel of her crown. Perhaps the 
 insurgents would have accepted promises less 
 liberal and more vague than those set forth in this 
 condition ; but even had this been done, it would 
 have been but a brief postponement, because 
 those liberties are destined to come for the 
 reasons already given, with the difference that 
 Spain now shows herself generous and magnani- 
 mous, satisfying just aspirations which she might 
 deny, and a little later, probably very soon, would 
 have been obliged to grant them, compelled by 
 the force of ideas and of the age. 
 
 " Moreover, she has promised over and over 
 again to enter on the path of assimilation, and 
 if the promise were more vague, even though 
 the fulfillment of this promise were begun, 
 these people would have the right to doubt 
 our good faith and to show a distrust unfor- 
 tunately warranted by the failings of human 
 nature itself. 
 
 "The not adding another 100,000 to the 
 100,000 families that mourn their sons slain in 
 this pitiless war, and the cry of peace that will re- 
 sound in the hearts of the 80,000 mothers who 
 have sons in Cuba, or liable to conscription, 
 would be a full equivalent for the payment of a 
 debt of justice." 
 
CUBA. 2 1 1 
 
 Tlie Cost of tlie War. 
 
 What the ten years of war cost the island 
 and cost Spain can never be fully reckoned. In 
 a debate on Cuban affairs in the Spanish Cortes 
 in November, 1876, it was officially stated that in 
 eight years Spain had sent to Cuba 145,000 sol- 
 diers under the command of her ablest generals. 
 The war is known to have cost Cuba more than 
 45,000 lives. A considerable proportion of these 
 were lost on the field of battle, but the majority 
 of them were murdered in cold blood in prison. 
 More than 13,000 estates belonging to Cubans 
 were confiscated by the Spanish Government. 
 Of these about 1000 belonged to women, whose 
 only crime was that they sympathized with their 
 struggling countrymen. The cost of the war in 
 money has been estimated at nearly $1,000,- 
 000,000. 
 
 During the entire war a professor of lan- 
 guages in Havana, who was an American of 
 Cuban birth, systematically kept a record of the 
 Cuban losses reported in the authorized publica- 
 tions in Havana. He made it in great detail, 
 giving the place and date of each engagement, the 
 number of men on each side, and the Cuban 
 losses in killed, wounded, prisoners, and horses. 
 At the end of the war his totals were as follows : 
 Cuban losses, 395,856 killed, 726,490 wounded, 
 451,100 prisoners, and a little more than 800,000 
 
2 I 2 CUBA. 
 
 horses killed or captured. Considering that the 
 entire population of the island was only 1,250,000, 
 the ability of the Spanish at lying was certainly 
 extraordinary. According to their figures more 
 Cubans were killed, wounded and captured 
 than there were persons of all classes on the 
 island. 
 
 In curious contrast with this are the Spanish 
 figures of their own losses. According- to official 
 records they lost 81,098 men, of whom only 6488 
 died in battle or from wounds. In other words, 
 according to their own statements, ninety-two per 
 cent, of the Spanish losses were from fever, 
 cholera and other diseases. There never was a 
 time during the whole ten years when less than 
 fourteen per cent, of the whole Spanish army was 
 in hospitals. These Spanish figures, however, 
 are known to be very much too low, though per- 
 haps not as much too low as their statements of 
 Cuban losses are too high. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTION OF 1 895 — WHERE 
 THE PLOT HATCHED FAMOUS MEN WHO ORGAN- 
 IZED THE REBELLION — ARRIVAL OF THE LEADERS 
 
 IN CUBA HOW GOMEZ REACHED CUBA CALLE- 
 
 JAS' ATTEMPTS TO SECURE PEACE BY HEROIC MEAS- 
 URES THE FIRST SKIRMISHES IRONICAL GRAT- 
 ITUDE SPREAD OF THE REBELLION. 
 
 |N FEBRUARY 24th, 1895, the flag of 
 the Cuban Republic was raised in the 
 mountains of the province of Santiago 
 in the eastern end of the island. 
 
 This was the signal for the beginning of the 
 sixth insurrection that has broken out in Cuba in 
 the present century. 
 
 The ten years' civil war in the island from 
 1868 to 1878 was ended by Marshal Martinez 
 Campos promising a number of reforms. These 
 promises were not kept, and naturally widespread 
 discontent ensued. 
 
 During the last few years, three parties 
 played important parts in the politics of the island. 
 First, the Conservatives, or party of the Con- 
 stitutional Union, who professed themselves satis- 
 
 ( 2I 3) 
 
214 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 fied with the existing state of things ; secondly, 
 the Autonomists, or Liberal Reform party, having 
 a Home Rule program ; and thirdly, the Republi- 
 cans, or Separatists. 
 
 Both the Conservatives and Home Rulers had 
 been anxious to maintain the Spanish connection, 
 fearing that Cuban independence would have one 
 of two results, either that the island would be ex- 
 ploited by American adventurers, or that, if left 
 to itself, it would run the risk of becoming another 
 Hayti, coming under the rule of the negroes, half- 
 breeds and mulattoes, who form a large part of 
 Cuba's population. 
 
 So strong was this feeling, that had the 
 Spanish Government kept its promises and had 
 it made some concessions in the direction of home 
 rule, it is highly probable that the revolution of 
 1895 would never have taken place. 
 
 But the local authorities, by imprisoning 
 Autonomist leaders, drove many of the party into 
 more or less active sympathy with insurgent 
 patriots. 
 
 Cuba's earlier revolutions were properly 
 termed insurrections, for in many cases they were 
 without the sympathy of the masses, and hence — 
 hopeless from the start. 1 But, in 1895, the native 
 Cubans allied themselves with the Liberal wino- of 
 the Spanish residents to make common cause 
 against the domination of the Spanish monarchy. 
 
CUBA. 2 1 5 
 
 This union of the Autonomists and Republi- 
 cans was an association of two powerful parties, 
 whose one aim was to free Cuba from the tyranny 
 of a government that had made that unhappy 
 country the fairest of promises and had broken 
 those promises without the slightest regard for 
 truth or honor. 
 
 The united parties desired to make Cuba a 
 Liberal Republic, which should make its own laws 
 and treaties to suit its economic conditions, and 
 to establish a government "of the people, by the 
 people and for the people." 
 
 Where the Plot was Hatched. 
 
 While the Autonomist and Republican forces 
 in Cuba were being drawn together and amalga- 
 mated by the power of a common wrong and a 
 common spirit of patriotism, friends of Cuba 
 Libre, in New York, were planning the initial 
 steps of organized rebellion. 
 
 Meetings were held, funds were raised and 
 plans of campaign formulated in various cities of 
 the United States, but it was in New York that 
 the leaders of the revolution most often met, it 
 was in New York that the Cuban Junta had its 
 headquarters, and the order which led to the 
 raising of the five-barred patriot flag in the 
 mountains of Santiago was sent from New York. 
 
 Cuban leaders in the United States, in 
 league with sympathizers in Mexico and South 
 
2 1 6 CUBA. 
 
 America and with the revolutionists in the island 
 
 itself, had long been preparing for the events 
 
 which resulted in the now celebrated flag-raising. 
 
 Famous Men who Organized the Rebellion. 
 
 The names of Marti and Gomez are indis- 
 solubly connected with the beginning of the 
 revolution. 
 
 Jose Marti, who was made president of the 
 party, was then about forty years old. His life 
 history reads like that of some hero in fiction. 
 
 At the time of the breaking out of the Ten 
 Years' War, although he was then merely a boy 
 of fifteen, he was sent to Spain for conspiring 
 against the government. There he was kept 
 confined in a dungeon until he was at the point 
 of death, and was finally set free only on con- 
 dition that he would remain in Spain for the rest 
 of his life. He studied at Saragossa, and by the 
 time he was twenty-one years old had received 
 the highest degrees the University could bestow. 
 When the Spanish Republic was proclaimed he 
 left the country by the way of France and 
 returned to the United States. The Cuban war 
 was then nearly over. Nevertheless he went to 
 Mexico and there prepared an expedition to aid 
 his countrymen. It was a failure, but he escaped 
 the clutches of the Spaniards and went to Central 
 America as a University professor. 
 
 After the restoration of peace in 1878 he 
 

 
 Maximo Gomez, the Chief of the Insurrection. 
 
General Calixto Garcia. 
 
CUBA. 219 
 
 returned to Cuba and was permitted to remain 
 there for a time. The Spanish authorities pres- 
 ently suspected him, however, of arousing the 
 patriotic spirit of the Cubans, and accordingly- 
 sent him back to Spain. Again he escaped from 
 the country and came to New York, where he 
 attempted to organize, with Calixto Garcia, 
 another revolt in 1879. That attempt was also a 
 failure, but it did not discourage him. Since that 
 time he has worked unceasingly for the cause. He 
 was an author, a poet, and a newspaper man of 
 high attainments. In 1891 he served as the rep- 
 resentative of Uruguay at the International Mone- 
 tary Conference at Washington. He also served 
 as Consul at New York for various South Ameri- 
 can countries, but when Spain complained that he 
 was using his position to promote disaffection in 
 Cuba, he resigned his office and devoted himself 
 more exclusively to the Cuban cause. 
 
 The treasurer of the Revolutionary party was 
 Benjamin Guerra, a cigar manufacturer, who had 
 been a Cuban patriot ever since his childhood. 
 
 The secretary was Gonzales de Quesada, who 
 had lived in New York since he was sixteen years 
 old, and was a graduate of Columbia College. 
 
 Maximo Gomez, of whom we shall hear 
 much more, had been the commander of the 
 eastern wing of the Cuban army in the revolution 
 of 1868. 
 
 x 3 
 
2 20 CUBA. 
 
 Arrival of ttie Leaders in Cuba. 
 
 During the first month of the rebellion of 
 1895, tne success of the movement was by no 
 means assured. In fact, its continuance was due 
 solely to the firmness, resolution and courage of 
 the leaders in the field, notably Bartolome Masso 
 and William Moncada. Although these men saw 
 that the people did not respond to the call to 
 arms as quickly as it had been thought they would, 
 none of them would listen to any propositions 
 favoring the abandonment of revolutionary plans. 
 
 At the beginning of the war Moncada had 
 charge of the forces in the eastern section of the 
 island, including Guantanamo. 
 
 Major-General Julio Sanguilly was in com- 
 mand of the insurgent forces at Matanzas, near 
 Ybarra, about sixty-six miles east of Havana, on 
 the west end of the island. 
 
 Soon after the first dispatches were received 
 from Cuba announcing an uprising in Ybarra. 
 other despatches arrived telling of trouble in 
 Guantanamo. The fact that simultaneous insur- 
 gent action occurred in parts of the island so 
 widely separated as are these two points, proved 
 conclusively tc all thoughtful people that Cuba 
 was on the brink of another revolution. Still 
 there were many who doubted the success of v the 
 movement. 
 
 On March 31st Gen. Antonio Maceo and his 
 
CUBA. - 2 2 1 
 
 brother Jose, with twenty-two others, landed at 
 Duaba, near Baracoa, and as soon as they were 
 able to join others already in arms, and the news 
 of their arrival reached Santiago and other cities, 
 the aspect of things began to change, and men 
 who until then had hesitated to support the move- 
 ment began to join the little army. 
 
 On April 1 1 General Maximo Gomez and 
 Jose Marti with two friends landed at the south- 
 eastern extremity of Cuba, and having joined 
 Maceo, a general plan was arranged whereby 
 General Maceo was to remain in the Province of 
 Santiago, and General Gomez was to proceed to 
 Camaguey as General-in-Chief of the army. 
 
 Before the landing of Generals Maceo and 
 Gomez, the majority of those in arms were ne- 
 groes, but immediately after the proportion of 
 whites began to increase, and although in the 
 Province of Santiago the negro element always 
 preponderated in the rank and file, the great ma- 
 jority of the officers were whites, while in Cama- 
 guey, on the contrary, the army under Gomez, 
 from the beginning, was composed chiefly of 
 white men. 
 
 How Gomez Reached Cuba. 
 
 Captain Ronald Lamont, of the steamship 
 "Indianapolis," from Central American waters, 
 brought the first authentic account of the landing 
 of General Gomez and party on the Cuban coast. 
 
2 2 2 CUBA, 
 
 From authorities at the island of Inagua the 
 Captain learned that Gomez and three other in- 
 surgent leaders reached Cuba from this country 
 by a round-about course, by way of Inagua, 
 Jamaica and Hayti. At Inagua they purchased 
 a fourteen-foot, four-oared keel boat, and, em- 
 barking on the German steamer "Nostrand," slung 
 their boat from the davits. Just at daybreak on 
 April 10, when the steamer was two miles off 
 Cape Maysi, General Gomez and the others of 
 his party dropped their boat into the water and 
 quietly landed on the Cuban coast. Thence they 
 made their way through the bush to the interior, 
 where they reached the main body of insurgents. 
 It was known at Inagrua that General Gomez had 
 with him fully $50,000 in American gold. 
 
 The insurgents knew the time and place of 
 Maximo Gomez's landing, and Perequito Perez, 
 at the head of 600 Cubans, met him soon after 
 disembarkation at Rio Sabana la Mar, about 
 thirty miles east of Guantanamo, on the south 
 coast. The ' 'Conde de Venadito' ' failed to intercept 
 the insurgents on the sea, and 1,000 Spanish 
 troops failed to head them off on the land. 
 
 Particulars about the sinking of a British 
 schooner off the coast of Cuba by the Spanish 
 warship "Conde de Venadito" were also gathered 
 by Captain Lamont from the Inaguan authorities. 
 It appears that twenty-five Cuban insurgent 
 
CUBA. 2 23 
 
 sympathizers, exiled in Central America, took 
 passage on the Atlas steamer "Adirondack" for 
 Long Key, on Fortune Island. At Long Key 
 they succeeded through the American consular 
 agent, Mr. Farrington, in buying a small schooner 
 for $1,500. One of the conditions of the pur- 
 chase was that Mr. Farrington should allow his 
 crew and officers to remain on board, their wages 
 to be the same as those paid by Mr. Farrington. 
 The new owners cleared for Inagua. Instead oi 
 allowing the captain to proceed to Inagua, they 
 compelled him to steer for Cuba, and they landed 
 at a point on the Cuban coast near Baracoa. 
 Then they told the captain to return to Inagua, 
 or wherever he cared to go. 
 
 Calleja's Attempts to Secure Peace by Heroic 
 Measures. 
 
 When the insurrection began, the Governor 
 of the island was General Calleja, a Spaniard, who 
 had been in Cuba since 1873. He is said to have 
 been in favor of conciliation, but was hope- 
 lessly hampered by Spanish officials at Havana. 
 
 It was originally planned to raise the Cuban 
 flag on the twenty-second of February, the anni- 
 versary of Washington's birthday, being deemed 
 a fitting occasion for the actual beginning of the 
 insurrection. Owing to various delays and dis- 
 appointments, however, the raising of the stand- 
 ard was postponed till February twenty-fourth. 
 
2 24 * CUBA. 
 
 As soon as news of the uprising reached 
 Governor-General Calleja, he issued a proclama- 
 tion suspending constitutional guarantees. He 
 also put in effect the " Public Order Law," a law 
 which provides for the immediate punishment of 
 anybody taken in a seditious act. 
 
 At a special cabinet meeting, called to con- 
 sider Cuban affairs, on the evening of February 
 twenty-fifth, in Madrid, Senor Abarzuza, Spain's 
 Minister of Colonies, authorized Calleja to pro- 
 claim martial law in Cuba. 
 
 The forces at Calleja's disposal were six 
 regiments of infantry, three of cavalry, two 
 battalions of garrison artillery, and a mountain 
 battery. These numbered nearly 20,000 men, 
 besides some 14,000 local militia, or over 30,000 
 men in all. But it is only fair to Calleja to add 
 that when he returned to Madrid in May he 
 declared that half the regular forces existed only 
 on paper, and that the militia were not reliable. 
 He was weak in artillery, but that did not so 
 much matter, as the insurgents had none. He 
 had the great advantage of holding all the large 
 coast towns, with the help of forts, some of them 
 dating from early Spanish days, but all of them 
 strong enough to resist an irregular attack. He 
 had also a squadron of five cruisers and six 
 gunboats with which to further protect the coast 
 towns, cut off-supplies coming to the rebels from 
 
CUBA. 22 5 
 
 abroad, and secure the safe transport of his 
 troops to any point on the long coast line that 
 might be chosen as a base of operations. With 
 all these advantages it might have been expected 
 that with even 10,000 regulars he would have 
 been able to deal with an insurrection in one 
 corner of the island. But he failed to crush, or, 
 rather, hunt down the bands in the Santiago 
 province, and early in March he reported to 
 Madrid that he could not hold his own unless 
 both the army and navy were largely reinforced. 
 The First Skirmishes. 
 The first encounter between the Spanish 
 army and the Cuban forces took place in the 
 Province of Santiago, at Los Negros. The 
 Cubans were led by Jesus Rabi, now a Brigadier- 
 General. In this battle the Cubans, although 
 very poorly armed, routed the Spanish forces. 
 The second encounter was at El Guanabano, the 
 Spaniards being commanded by Santocildes and 
 the Cubans by Gen. Masso. The Spaniards were 
 again routed, with the loss of 206 men. The 
 Cuban loss was thirty-five. The next important 
 move made by the Cubans was the simultaneous 
 attacks on the villages El Cristo and El Caney 
 and on a railroad train carrying arms and 
 ammunition. Both villages were captured by the 
 Cubans and the barracks were destroyed. The 
 train was also captured, together with 200 rifles 
 
2 26 CUBA. 
 
 and 40,000 cartridges. These operations were 
 directed by Gen. Maceo. Next came the attack 
 on and capture of the fort of Ramon de las 
 Yaguas, where the Cubans took possession of 
 150 rifles and 30,000 cartridges. Shortly after 
 they attacked and captured the small port of 
 Campechuela, which they held for two or three 
 days. 
 
 On March 27, the Queen Regent of Spain 
 received the resignation of General Calleja. A 
 Cabinet meeting was called to consider the situa- 
 tion ; the Queen Regent presided. Martinez 
 Campos was selected as Calleja's successor and 
 he accepted the commission to go to Cuba at the 
 head of reinforcements. He declared that as 
 soon as he landed on the island he would pro- 
 ceed with operations designed to put down the 
 revolt at once. Subsequent events proved that 
 his intentions were better than his powers of ful- 
 filment. 
 
 Ironical Gratitude. 
 
 On April 15 the former Governor-General 
 of Cuba, General Calleja, received from Madrid 
 an official dispatch in which the Queen Regent 
 and her Government tendered him their thanks 
 for "the activity, zeal and ability with which he 
 had directed military operations." Warm thanks 
 were also extended for the bravery displayed by 
 the army, the navy and the volunteers. 
 
CUBA.. 227 
 
 At the same time, Calleja was ordered to 
 return home on the first steamer sailing from 
 Havana after General Martinez Campos' arrival 
 there. The abruptness of his recall caused much 
 comment. It was understood that the Govern- 
 ment held him to blame for allowing the insur- 
 gents to organize so effectively, but they did not 
 choose to admit publicly that he had weakened 
 their position by his incompetency, hence the 
 dispatch of thanks, which presented so forcible a 
 contradiction to the natural inferences drawn 
 from his hasty recall. 
 
 While these events were taking place in 
 governmental circles, news of fresh insurgent 
 victories were being received daily. 
 
 Spread of the Rebellion. 
 
 On April 14th there was a large uprising in 
 the province of Puerto Principe. Laborers, sugar- 
 field hands and others took up arms for the cause. 
 
 But a month earlier than this two important 
 battles had been fought, one at Bayamo and one 
 at Holguin. Colonel Santacildes was in com- 
 mand of the Spanish forces, and Masso of the 
 Cuban, at the former place ; and at the latter, 
 Garrich was in command of the Spanish, and 
 Mario of the Cuban force. The insurgents were 
 successful, and had not reinforcements arrived, 
 the Spanish leader and his troops would have 
 fallen into their hands. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE PATRIOTS TOO MUCH FOR CAMPOS ATTITUDE 
 
 OF OTHER COUNTRIES THE INSURGENTS ORGAN- 
 IZE WHO THE LEADERS WERE BATTLE OF SAO 
 
 DEL INDIO BATTLE OF PERALEJO A SPANISH 
 
 FORCE WIPED OUT. 
 
 ARLY IN MAY, 1895, the insurgent 
 leaders began to feel greatly elated 
 over the progress of the insurrection. 
 
 More had been accomplished in the one 
 preceding month than in the first five years of the 
 war of 1868. 
 
 The patriots in Puerto Principe had more 
 men, more arms, more horses and better facilities 
 for obtaining subsistence than they had at any 
 time in the ten years' war. 
 
 They had forests in their rear, impenetrable 
 to the Spanish troops, and they had mountain re- 
 treats where 100 men could hold their own 
 against 1,000. Maceo's plan was not to risk 
 open battle, but to fall on the Spaniards from 
 ambush, or exhaust them with forced marches. 
 All the efforts of the Spaniards to deliver a telling 
 blow at the head of the rebellion here were futile, 
 and the number of insurgents in the field had 
 
 (228) 
 
CUBA. 2 29 
 
 doubled in three weeks. When Martinez Campos 
 arrived from Spain there were about 3,000 in- 
 surgents under arms. There were now over 
 6,000, and the latest acquisitions had a larger 
 proportion of white men than was the case 
 at first. 
 
 Attitude of Other Countries. 
 
 In other countries the neutrality laws were 
 being closely followed. 
 
 Great Britain issued imperative orders that 
 the strictest neutrality should be observed. In all 
 West Indian ports the closest watch was kept. 
 Captains of British men-of-war were on the look- 
 out for expeditions. 
 
 The United States Government issued simi- 
 lar orders. Nevertheless expedition after ex- 
 pedition was organized, many of which reached 
 Cuba in safety. In one case, a report came from 
 a trustworthy source that while the Spanish ship 
 "Infanta Isabel " was detained in quarantine, at 
 Tampa, Florida, a filibustering expedition left 
 Key West for Cuba. 
 
 The Insurgents Organize. 
 
 On October 1st, it became generally known 
 that the insurgents had taken a most important 
 step in the foundation of a provisional govern- 
 ment. The independence of the island of Cuba 
 was solemnly declared on September 19th, at 
 Anton, Puerto Principe province. 
 
23O CUBA. 
 
 A revolutionary government was organized 
 and the fundamental laws of the republic of Cuba 
 were formally proclaimed. 
 
 The government was constituted in the fol- 
 lowing manner : 
 
 President, Salvador Cisneros Betancourt, of 
 Puerto Principe ; Vice-President, Bartolome Maso, 
 of Manzanillo ; Secretary of War, Carlos Roloff, 
 of Santa Clara ; Vice-Secretary of War, Mario 
 Menocal, of Matanzas ; Secretary of Foreign 
 Relations, Rafael Portuondo y Tamayo, of Santi- 
 ago de Cuba ; Vice-Secretary of Foreign Rela- 
 tions, Fermin Valdis Dominguez, of Havana ; 
 Secretary of Finance, Severo Pina, of Sancti 
 Spiritus ; Vice-Secretary of Finance, Joaquin 
 Castillo Duany, of Santiago de Cuba ; Secretary 
 of the Interior, Santiago Canizares, of Rem- 
 edios ; Vice-Secretary of the Interior, Carlos 
 Du Bois, of Baracoa ; General-in-Chief, Maximo 
 Gomez ; Lieutenant-General, Antonio Maceo. 
 
 Jose Maceo, Maso, Capote, Serafin Sanchez 
 and Rodrigues were appointed majors-general. 
 Jose Maceo to lead the operations in Baracoa, 
 Guantanamo, Mayari and Santiago de Cuba ; 
 Maso in Manzanillo, Bayamo and Holguin ; San- 
 chez in the Villas, and Rodriguez in Camaguey. 
 
 The headquarters of the new government 
 were established in Puerto Principe province, and 
 a systematic government was to be maintained. 
 
CUBA. 23I 
 
 Who the Leaders Were. 
 
 The Spanish Government had taken great 
 pains to convince the world, and especially the 
 people of this country, that the Cuban revolution- 
 ary forces consisted only of some ignorant ne- 
 groes, a few white people of the lowest class of 
 society, some bandits and a few foreign adven- 
 turers. That such was not the case, that it was 
 not a movement in which only the lower classes 
 of the Cuban people were taking an active part, 
 but an uprising supported by the whole Cuban 
 population, a few facts will show. 
 
 The President was the ex-Marquis of Santa 
 Lucia of Puerto Principe, a member of one of the 
 most distinguished families of the island for social 
 rank, wealth and talents. During the last seventy- 
 five years you will find more than one Cisneros 
 and more than one Betancourt who has attained 
 distinction as lawyer, journalist, civil engineer, 
 botanist and also in other departments of science 
 and art. The ex-Marquis of Santa Lucia, now 
 President of the Republic, formally renounced his 
 title of nobility when he joined the revolution in 
 1868, and lost his estates, which were then con- 
 fiscated by the Spanish Government. An insig- 
 nificant part of them was turned over to him after 
 the peace of 1878. 
 
 Bartolome Maso, the vice-president, a native 
 of Manzanillo, was a tried patriot, who has 
 
232 CUBA. 
 
 rendered valuable services to the cause. A sin- 
 cere republican, he has always been highly 
 respected and esteemed for his liberal ideas and 
 his sterling character. 
 
 Gen. Carlos Roloff, Secretary of War, was 
 born in Poland, but came to Cuba when a mere 
 youth and established himself at Cienfuegos, 
 where he attained quite a distinguished position 
 for his intelligence, industry and integrity. In 
 1869, at the head of quite a number of young 
 men from the most prominent families of the 
 city, he joined the revolution, and until the end 
 of the war in 1878 occupied the first rank, both 
 for his bravery and his military talents. 
 
 The Assistant Secretary of War,' Mario 
 Menocal, belonged to one of the best families of 
 Matanzas, and is a relative of one of the mem- 
 bers of the Corps of Civil Engineers of the 
 United States whose name is so well known in 
 connection with the Nicaragua Canal. 
 
 Rafael Portuondo y Tamayo, Secretary of 
 Foreign Affairs, was a distinguished member of 
 one of the most prominent families of Santiago de 
 Cuba, both for social rank and wealth, no less 
 than for the talents of some of the individuals be- 
 longing to it, who have distinguished themselves 
 in the liberal professions. 
 
 Fermin Valdes Dominguez, Assistant Sec- 
 retary of Foreign Affairs, was a well-known 
 
CUBA. 233 
 
 physician of Havana, who, when the students of 
 the university of that city, his companions, were 
 butchered by the volunteers, was sent to the 
 penal colony of Ceuta, and was set at liberty 
 after the peace. 
 
 Severo Pina, Secretary of the Treasury, was 
 a prominent citizen of Sancti Spiritus. He be- 
 longed to an old and wealthy family. Joaquin 
 Castillo Duany, Assistant Secretary of the Treas- 
 ury, was a gentleman not unknown in this coun- 
 try, having been one of the physicians who took 
 part in the Jeannette Relief Expedition to the 
 North Pole. No names stand higher in Santiago 
 de Cuba for wealth and respectability than those 
 of Duany and Castillo. Santiago Canizares, 
 Secretary of the Interior, was a prominent citizen 
 of Remedios. 
 
 The General-in-Chief, Maximo Gomez, al- 
 though born in Santo Domingo, was as much a 
 Cuban in feelings, ideas, and aspirations as the 
 best of them. As to his military talents we need 
 say nothing, for they are too well known. 
 
 Antonio Maceo, the Lieutenant-General, 
 was a colored man ; a perfect gentleman, and a 
 man of more than common attainments, which he 
 owed to his own efforts. He was in the fullest 
 sense of the term a self-made man of uncommon 
 intellectual powers and of most sterling character. 
 He fought during the ten years' war, and was 
 
234 CUBA. 
 
 successively promoted for his bravery and remark- 
 able military abilities from a common soldier to a 
 Major-General. As a proof of the former he can 
 show in his body twenty-one wounds by bullet and 
 by sword, while in support of the latter he can 
 refer to the many times that he has routed the 
 Spanish troops, even under the command of Gen. 
 Martinez Campos himself, and to the testimony 
 of this latter and of Gen. Mella, who have been 
 compelled to acknowledge the merit of Maceo as 
 a tactician. 
 
 Battle of Sao del Indio. 
 
 Thus about this time came accounts of an 
 important action which had taken place in August 
 at a place known as Sao del Indio, half way 
 between Santiago and Guantanamo. Colonel 
 Canellas, with a force of 850 men, attacked the 
 camp of Jose Maceo, where the latter had been 
 stationed with about 2000 insurgents for the past 
 two months. Approaching the insurgent camp, 
 Colonel Canellas sent forward a reconnoitering 
 party of twenty-four cavalry. The centre was 
 under the charge of the commanding officer — 
 Captain Garrido, with 300 men, being detailed to 
 attack the enemy's position — whilst the command 
 of the rear guard was in the hands of Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Segura. The reconnoitering party came 
 suddenly on the insurgent outposts, and a well 
 directed volley from the rebels killed all the horses 
 
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 4) 
 
 00 
 
 
 03 
 
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 C8 
 
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 Jim;, 
 
CUBA. 237 
 
 but one, and wounded six of the men. The party 
 at once formed up on foot and opened a return 
 fire, the main body of the troops meanwhile mov- 
 ing up with all speed. 
 
 After desultory firing for some time, a light 
 field-gun was brought into action and threw 
 twenty-four shells into the insurgent encampment, 
 creating considerable confusion. Captain Garrido 
 then moved forward and assaulted the positions 
 held by the insurgents to the left and rear of the 
 camp, and after severe resistance forced the 
 rebels to retreat. While this was going on the 
 insurgent cavalry made a detour and charged the 
 Spanish rear-guard, approaching within twenty 
 yards of the troops, but were driven back by the 
 heavy musketry fire. Seeing the enemy dis- 
 lodged from their positions to the left and rear of 
 the camp, Colonel Canellas ordered the centre to 
 fix bayonets and charge up to the camp. This 
 was successfully carried, but an officer and several 
 men were killed by the explosion of a mine before 
 the camp was reached. The insurgents then re- 
 treated, leaving thirty-six men dead on the field, 
 whilst Colonel Canellas reported they carried 
 away not less than eighty wounded. The losses 
 on the Spanish side were severe. They were 
 officially returned as one lieutenant and eleven 
 men killed, and four captains, four lieutenants, 
 and thirty-nine non-commissioned officers and 
 
 14 
 
238 CUBA. 
 
 men wounded. Colonel Canellas was slightly 
 wounded in the left foot, and had his horse killed 
 under him, whilst his chief of staff also lost his 
 horse. The artillery officer, Captain Gonzalez Go- 
 mez, was severely wounded when changing the po* 
 sition of his guns towards the close of the action, 
 and he died from the effects of his wound. Lieu- 
 tenant Ruiz, another of the wounded officers, 
 suffered amputation of the right leg. 
 Battle of Peralejo. 
 
 Another important encounter was that oi 
 Yuraguanas, where the Spaniards were routed, 
 leaving on the field seventy-seven dead and much 
 arms, ammunition and baggage. After some 
 other minor encounters the important battle of 
 Peralejo was fought. The Spaniards were com- 
 manded by General Campos himself and the 
 Cubans by General Maceo. The former were 
 utterly routed, losing over 400 men, among them 
 one of their generals. Martinez Campos himself 
 came very near falling into the hands of the 
 Cubans. Next came the capture of Baire by the 
 Cubans, afterwards the battle of Decanso del 
 Muerto, the Spaniards suffering heavily and aban- 
 doned their arms, ammunition and baggage. 
 
 The accessions during August and Septem- 
 ber to the army under Gomez in Camaguey and 
 to that in Santa Clara, commanded by Roloff, 
 Sanchez and Rodriguez, encouraged General 
 
CUBA. 
 
 239 
 
 Gomez to plan an important movement toward 
 the west. He announced that by Christmas he 
 would be with his army near Matanzas and Ha- 
 vana. At the same time he issued an order to 
 all the planters of Santa Clara, Matanzas and 
 Havana that they must not grind sugar-cane this 
 year. General Martinez Campos replied that the 
 sugar crop would certainly be harvested this year, 
 and that he would see to it, promising that by 
 December there would not be a single rebel left 
 in Santa Clara province. 
 
 A Spanish Force "Wiped Out. 
 A terrible combat took place on December 
 9th, at Minas, in Puerto Principe, between eighty 
 Spanish troops, under Gruesa, and a party of 
 rebels numbering 500 men commanded by Lopez 
 Recio and Rodriguez. The struggle was a 
 sanguinary one, the rebels using machetes with 
 terrible effect. The supenor force of the enemy 
 rendered a victory for the troops impossible. Of 
 the Spanish force twenty-three were killed, eight 
 wounded, eighteen were taken prisoners and 
 fourteen missing. Among the rebels killed were 
 Oscar Primelles, Eugenio Recio and Angel Espi- 
 nosa. Commandante Caballeros was wounded. 
 After the combat Lopez Recio sent the mounted 
 troops to the Senado plantation. On the day fol- 
 lowing the fight the Spanish prisoners were set 
 at liberty by their captors. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE NEWS IN CUBA THE NEW COMMANDER 
 
 WEYLER's ARRIVAL — FIRST WORDS TO CUBA 
 
 NO NEUTRALITY NON-COMBATANTS MENACED 
 
 CALL FOR SURRENDER TO END THE WAR IN 
 
 THIRTY DAYS THE TELEGRAPH LINES WEY- 
 
 LER'S PROCLAMATIONS — MUST PRAISE SPAIN 
 
 PASSPORTS AND CREDENTIALS STORES TO BE 
 
 SEIZED FATE OF PRISONERS MORE TROOPS FOR 
 
 WEYLER THE MASSACRE OF GUATAO PRIS 
 
 ONERS KILLED — VERY NEAR HAVANA THE 
 
 TOWNS DESERTED WEYLER CALLS A HALT 
 
 POWERS OF LIFE AND DEATH — MORE PROCLAM- 
 ATIONS — FOR EXTERMINATION FIFTEEN DAYS' 
 
 GRACE THREATS OFFER OF AMNESTY TO RE- 
 PORT ON THE SUSPECTS APPEAL FOR RECOGNI- 
 TION A LONG DEBATE ACTION OF CONGRESS. 
 
 w 
 
 HE NEWS that the Spanish Government 
 had decided to withdraw General Campos 
 from Cuba was announced in a telegram 
 from Madrid, on January 17th, 1896. It said: 
 
 "Independently of the military action, the Gov- 
 ernment has authorized Marshal Campos to re- 
 sign his command to General Marin and return 
 to Spain, in consequence of the conduct of the 
 political parties of Cuba, contrary to the policy of 
 the Commander-in-Chief, asking a change in the 
 system of conducting the war." 
 
 (240} 
 
CUBA. 
 
 24I 
 
 This news aroused much interest both in 
 this country and in Cuba. At Havana a meeting 
 of generals was immediately held at the palace of 
 the Captain-General, at which Marshal Campos 
 announced that he had telegraphed to the govern- 
 ment at Madrid stating the result of his con- 
 ference with the leaders of the political parties, 
 and signifying his intention to abide loyally by 
 any decision the Cabinet might make in the matter. 
 To this dispatch, he said, he had received a reply 
 advising him, in view of the conditions existing, to 
 turn over the civil and military government of 
 the island to Generals Marin and Pando. This 
 he had done so far as was possible, General 
 Pando being in Santiago de Cuba. General 
 Marin had taken over the government tempo- 
 rarily, and his responsibility would be shared by 
 General Pando shortly. 
 
 The News in Cuba. 
 
 The news that Marshal Campos had 
 practically been relieved of his command caused 
 little excitement in the city. The matter was 
 discussed in the cafes, restaurants and hotel 
 lobbies, where people gather at night, but there 
 were no signs of alarm displayed. There were 
 many Spaniards who believed that General Cam- 
 pos had been altogether too lenient in his treat- 
 ment of the rebels, and they clamored for a more 
 vigorous policy. The men who were to have 
 
242 CUBA. 
 
 temporary charge of the civil and military 
 branches of the Government were known to 
 believe in policy that would give no mercy to 
 those who were in arms against the Kingf, and it 
 was expected that vigorous measures would be 
 taken to suppress the insurrection. 
 
 The New Commander, 
 
 The successor of General Campos chosen by 
 the Spanish Government was General Weyler, 
 who had been known in the Ten Years' War as 
 "Valmaceda's assistant butcher." He had a rep- 
 utation for the utmost cruelty and ferocity, and 
 his appointment was interpreted as meaning that 
 a reign of terror would forthwith be established 
 in Cuba. "Most men," says Mr. Rappleye, a 
 newspaper correspondent who met him in Havana, 
 " resemble their reputations, and if a life famously 
 spent is in the mind of one who visits a character 
 of world-wide repute, he quite naturally discovers 
 peculiarities of facial expression and physique 
 which appear to account for the individuality of 
 the man — fighter, philosopher, criminal, reformer 
 or whatever he may be. All this is true of Gen. 
 Weyler. He is one of those men who create a 
 first impression, the first sight of whom never can 
 be effaced from the mind, by whose presence the 
 most careless observer is impressed instantly, and 
 yet, taken altogether, he is a man in whom the 
 elements of greatness are concealed -under a 
 
CUBA. 
 
 243 
 
 cloak of impenetrable obscurity. Inferior phys- 
 ically, unsoldierly in bearing, exhibiting no trace 
 of refined sensibilities nor pleasure in the gentle 
 associations that others live for, or at least seek as 
 diversions, he is nevertheless the embodiment of 
 mental acuteness, crafty, unscrupulous, fearless 
 and of indomitable perseverance. 
 Weyler's Arrival. 
 
 Weyler arrived at Havana on February 10, 
 1896. The Spanish cruiser Alfonso XIII. arrived 
 off Morro Castle at 9 that morning, and at 10 
 entered the harbor. She was saluted by the 
 Morro guns, and by thunders of artillery from 
 the Cabanas fortress, and the flags of the ships 
 in the harbor dipped a welcome. With the new 
 Captain-General came Gens. Barges, Arolas and 
 the Marquis de Ahumada, who had been des- 
 ignated second in command. When Weyler 
 disembarked about noon, the civil and military 
 officials escorted him to the palace through streets 
 lined with people and the city was decorated with 
 flags, flowers and red blankets. 
 
 Gen. Weyler went on foot to the palace. 
 He took the oath of office, and then he received 
 the leading citizens, some grandees of Spain, 
 heads of commercial bodies, leaders of political 
 parties and the foreign consuls. The Plaza de 
 Armas, near the palace, was packed with men, 
 women and children, who shouted, while bands of 
 
244 CUBA. 
 
 music played. The weather was delightful and 
 the populace delighted — apparently. It is a great 
 day — for Weyler. 
 
 The prospect for the new commander-in-chief 
 of the Spanish army in Cuba fulfilling the destiny 
 which had been manufactured for him in Spain 
 was, however, worse than at any time since the 
 war for independence began. The fiasco of the 
 Captain-General pro tern, in his ten days' expedi- 
 tion undertaken with the avowed object of run- 
 ning down Gomez was complete and abject. 
 Gen. Marin got back to Havana the day before 
 Weyler landed. His little campaign had been a 
 complete failure. It had, indeed, been marked 
 by more disasters than the Spanish army had 
 suffered during an equal number of days since 
 the war be^an. 
 
 First Words to Cuba. 
 
 On landing Weyler made a brief address to 
 the soldiers about him, saying significantly, "You 
 know me, and my record. Well, I propose to live 
 up to my record." The next day he issued a 
 formal address to the Spanish army in Cuba, in 
 which he said the following : 
 
 "The addresses which I made, at the 
 moment of my disembarking, to the volunteers 
 and men of the army and navy, will give you 
 an idea of the spirit and policy animating your 
 Governor-General, and similarly the direction of 
 
CUBA. 
 
 245 
 
 general opinion in Spain favoring the bringing of 
 all necessary means to bear upon the suppression 
 of the insurrection. Knowing these and knowing 
 my character, I would add nothing else to recom- 
 mend the line of conduct which you may follow. 
 
 " But I think it convenient to add some 
 instructions at present, and to state that the in- 
 surrection and the recent march of the principal 
 leaders thereof without its being possible for the 
 Spanish columns to prevent it, indicates indiffer- 
 ence on the part of the inhabitants and also fear 
 and discouragement. I cannot understand their 
 inactivity while their property is being destroyed. 
 Spaniards cannot sympathize with insurgents. 
 It is necessary, at any cost, to oppose this state 
 of things and reanimate the spirit of the inhabi- 
 tants. 
 
 No Neutrality. 
 
 "I have come disposed to help all loyal citizens. 
 I am at the same time disposed to make use of 
 all the rigor of the law against those who in any 
 form help the enemy, speak well of them or dis- 
 credit the prestige of Spain, of its army or vol- 
 unteers. All who are with our side must demon- 
 strate the fact with acts, and leave in their attitude 
 no place for doubt in proving that they are 
 Spaniards. Because the defense of the country 
 demands sacrifices, it is necessary that towns 
 should establish their own defenses. They 
 
246 CUBA. 
 
 should not fail to provide guides for the army, 
 and to give news of the enemy when they are in 
 the vicinity. 
 
 " The case should not be repeated that the 
 enemy be better informed than ourselves. The 
 enemy and the vigor which they employ should 
 serve as an example to show us the line of con- 
 duct which we must follow in all circumstances. 
 Non-Combatants Menaced. 
 
 " You will detain and put at my disposal, or 
 submit to the tribunals, those who, in any way 
 I have described, show help or sympathy for the 
 rebels. I promise myself that you, by fulfilling 
 these instructions, will give valuable help to the 
 good of the Spanish cause." 
 
 Call for Surrender. 
 
 In the proclamation to the inhabitants of 
 Cuba Gen. Weyler said : 
 
 "I take charge with the confidence which 
 never abandons the cause of preserving the 
 island for Spain. I shall be always generous 
 with those who surrender, but will have the de- 
 cision and energy to punish rigorously those who 
 in any way help the enemy. 
 
 "Without having in mind any political mis- 
 sion, I would not oppose the government of his 
 Majesty when in its wisdom, having peace in 
 Cuba, it should think it convenient to give 
 this country reforms with the same spirit of 
 
CUBA. 247 
 
 love in which a mother gives all thino-s to her 
 children. 
 
 " Inhabitants of the island of Cuba, lend 
 me your help. So you will defend your interests, 
 which are the interests of the country." 
 
 To End the War in Thirty Days. 
 
 General Weyler announced, and perhaps ex- 
 pected, that he would end the war in thirty days. 
 On February 15, he told a delegation of sugar- 
 planters who called upon him that by March 15 
 he would have order and peace restored, so that 
 the planters could begin grinding cane in safety. 
 If successful, thirty days' grinding would be pos- 
 sible, and with the improved machinery generally 
 in use all the cane standing could be saved. As 
 the rebels had burned 20 per cent, of the crop, 
 General Weyler's promise was practically that 
 $45,000,000 worth of sugar was to be saved, and 
 that prosperity was to return to Cuba at the end 
 of one more month. 
 
 Gomez and Maceo meantime announced 
 their intention of remaining in the vicinity of 
 Havana all summer. The wet season had no 
 terrors for them. The other provinces outside of 
 Havana were entirely under control, and the new 
 government was established everywhere except 
 in the few cities held by the Spanish. The seat 
 of operations naturally was near Havana, and the 
 insurgent forces were so near the city that one • 
 
248 CUBA. 
 
 morning a detachment of twenty took a position 
 on the main road leading into Havana from the 
 west, only three miles from the city, and held up 
 the milkmen coming in. They were carrying 
 "food and comfort to the Spanish," as the insur- 
 gent leader expressed it as he dumped the cargoes 
 into the ditch. The victims were perhaps for- 
 tunate to escape with their lives, as the penalty 
 for supplying food to a town held by the Spanish 
 was the destruction of the farmer's property, or, 
 if he had had several warnings previously, he was 
 likely to be shot. 
 
 The significance of this occurrence was that 
 it was only three miles from Havana. General 
 Weyler's thirty days' war, therefore would have 
 to begin close to the gates of the city and com- 
 prise the subjugation of the island in that time. 
 The Telegraph Unes. 
 
 Every telegraph line between Havana and 
 the rest of the island was cut off on February 
 14th. A line to Rincon, ten miles out, was the 
 extent of communication with the rest of Cuba. 
 The rebels controlled absolutely the telegraph 
 lines of the whole island, and all efforts of the 
 Spanish to preserve communication with the in- 
 terior were unavailing. 
 
 "Weyler's Proclamations. 
 
 Instead of going out to fight, General Weyler 
 began issuing proclamations. On February 16th 
 
CUBA. 
 
 249 
 
 he published three of them. The first defined 
 the offenders who were made subject to military 
 jurisdiction and trial by court martial as follows : 
 
 First — Those who invent or circulate by any 
 means whatever news or information directly or 
 indirectly favorable to the rebellion will be con- 
 sidered guilty of acts against the security ol the 
 country, as defined by Article 223 of the military 
 code, as they thereby facilitate the operations of 
 the enemy. 
 
 Second — Those who destroy or damage rail- 
 roads, telegraphs or telephones, or interrupt the 
 operations of the same. 
 
 Third — Those who are guilty of arson. 
 
 Fourth — Those who sell, carry or deliver 
 arms or ammunition to the enemy or in any other 
 way facilitate their introduction through the cus- 
 tom houses. Parties failing to cause the seizure 
 of such arms or ammunition will incur criminal 
 responsibility. 
 
 Fifth — Telegraph operators delivering war 
 messages to other persons than the proper 
 officials. 
 
 Must Praise Spain. 
 
 Sixth — Those who by word of mouth, through 
 the medium of the press or in any other manner, 
 shall belittle the prestige of Spain, the army, vol- 
 unteers, firemen, or any other forces operating 
 with the army. 
 
250 
 
 CUBA. 
 
 Seventh — Those who by the same means 
 shall praise the enemy. 
 
 Eighth — Those who shall furnish the enemy 
 with horses or other resources of warfare. 
 
 Ninth — Those who act as spies will be pun- 
 ished to the fullest extent of the law. 
 
 Tenth — Those who shall act as guides to the 
 enemy and fail to surrender themselves immedi- 
 ately, and give proof of their loyalty and report 
 the strength of the force employed by the enemy. 
 
 Eleventh — Those who shall adulterate the 
 food of the army or alter the prices of provisions. 
 
 Twelfth — Those using explosives in violation 
 of the decree of October 17th, 1895. 
 
 Thirteenth — Those who shall use pigeons, 
 rockets or signals to convey news to the enemy. 
 
 Fourteenth — The offenses above mentioned 
 are punishable by the penalty of death or life im- 
 prisonment, the judges to take summary proceed- 
 ings. 
 
 Fifteenth — All orders conflicting with the 
 foregoing are hereby revoked. 
 
 Passports and Credentials. 
 
 The second proclamation was as follows : 
 
 First — All the inhabitants of the country 
 within the jurisdiction of Sancti Spiritus and the 
 provinces of Puerto Principe and Santiago will 
 present themselves at the headquarters of a 
 division, brigade or column of the army, and pro- 
 
CUBA. 251 
 
 vide themselves with a document proving their 
 identity inside of eight days from the publication 
 of this order in their respective townships. 
 
 Second — To go into the country within the 
 radius of the column's operating therein it is now 
 necessary to obtain a pass from the Mayor or 
 military commander. Those failing to comply 
 with this requirement will be detained and sent to 
 Havana, subject to my orders. In case of doubts 
 as to the genuineness of a pass, or if there are 
 reasons to suppose a party to have sympathy with 
 the rebels or giving aid, responsibility for the same 
 will be placed upon the officer issuing the pass. 
 Stores to be Seized. 
 
 Third — All stores in the country districts 
 must be vacated at once by their owners. Chiefs 
 of columns must also decide as to the disposition 
 of such property, which, while being unproductive 
 to the country, may at the same time serve as a 
 habitation or hiding place for the enemy. 
 
 Fourth — All passes issued prior to this date 
 are hereby canceled. 
 
 Fate of Prisoners. 
 
 In the third proclamation Gen. Weyler dele- 
 gated full powers to proceed with military trials 
 to the commanders of the First and Second Army 
 Corps and the commander of the Third Division. 
 
 Prisoners taken in action were to be subiect 
 to summary court martial. 
 
252 CUBA. 
 
 More Troops for Weyler. 
 
 General Weyler soon began to ask for more 
 troops. His first reinforcements arrived on 
 February 26. He at the same time seized one- 
 tenth of all the horses in Havana for the use of 
 his army. 
 
 The insurgents were not at all frightened by 
 his fierce words, however. At the very time when 
 the new Spanish troops were landing, a band of 
 rebels made a raid on the stores on the outskirts 
 of Cardenas. The storekeepers were mostly 
 volunteers, and as such had been furnished arms 
 and ammunition by the Government. The rebels 
 seized the rifles and cartridges and then decamped. 
 They met with no resistance. 
 
 The Massacre of Guatao. 
 
 A dreadful event of the beginning of Wey- 
 ler' s administration was the massacre at Guatao, 
 which occurred on February 2 2d. It followed im- 
 mediately upon the retreat of a small body of 
 rebels, certainly not over forty, who had met a 
 considerable Spanish force at Punta Brara, and 
 had retired after some firing, which both sides 
 admit, had no serious results. The insurgents 
 withdrew along the road to Guatao, only a mile 
 away, but separated before they reached that 
 place and disappeared in the surrounding country. 
 
 The Spaniards, however, following along the 
 road, marched straight into Guatao, and, without 
 
Cubans Burning a Deserted Village. 
 
An Insurgent attack near Vueltas. 
 
CUBA. 
 
 255 
 
 waiting to find any armed men, immediately be- 
 gan firing promiscuously, shooting down unarmed 
 and peaceful citizens in all directions. Then they 
 proceeded to massacre the few inhabitants with- 
 out mercy. A milkman, who was shot at while 
 pursuing his vocation, and fled into his house, was 
 followed and ruthlessly shot down within doors. The 
 town is very small, of only some two-score houses 
 of inferior quality, and was easily run through by 
 the murderous Spaniards. The people started 
 for the woods in terror, knowing that if they met 
 any insurgents they would be well treated, and 
 trusting to conceal themselves ; but men running 
 away were shot in the street. Several men who 
 could not run were killed where they stood. 
 
 The troops entered the houses and shot quiet 
 men who were doing nothing. They raided bed 
 rooms, and a man confined to his bed by erysip- 
 elas was killed as he lay there. In one case a 
 woman came to the door of her house and pleaded 
 with the soldiers for the life of her husband, who 
 lay ill in bed. Their respond was the crash of 
 the butt of a musket in the woman's head. They 
 then broke down a door and shot the husband in 
 bed. 
 
 Prisoners Killed. 
 
 The previous fight had resulted in the capture 
 of five Cubans by the Spaniards. These five were 
 shot dead in the fields. These, with thirteen dead 
 15 
 
256 CUBA. 
 
 found by Red Cross physicians who went to 
 Guatao, make eighteen altogether. There were 
 no wounded, all who did not escape to the woods 
 being made sure of. 
 
 Of three cigar-makers of Havana, named 
 Chaves, who ran down to Guatao that afternoon 
 to see their mother, one was killed and the others 
 made prisoners. Every one of the dead in Guatao 
 is recognized as a peaceful non-combatant. 
 
 It is credibly asserted that when the troops 
 went back to Mariano, whence reinforcements 
 had been sent, bringing their prisoners with them, 
 the soldiers were drunk. Examination of the 
 houses in Guatao proves that the assertion of the 
 authorities that the insurgent troops took refuge 
 in them and fired on the Spaniards is untrue. 
 Very Near Havana. 
 
 These terrible scenes took place within a 
 dozen miles from Havana, and the ignorance which 
 Gen. Weyler professed of the actual facts was 
 manifestly not to be believed. 
 
 Troops brought the bodies of the dead from 
 the houses and fields and placed them on the 
 ground in front of the main store. The prisoners 
 who were captured in houses and fields without 
 arms were pinioned and compelled to walk to 
 Mariano. They were bruised and ill-treated on 
 the way, and required medical attendance upon 
 their arrival. 
 
CUBA. 
 
 2 S7 
 
 Among the dead was the gravedigger, 
 making it necessary to obtain a negro to dig the 
 graves. 
 
 The facts above related are verified by per- 
 sons who went to Punta Brara and Guatao. 
 The Towns Deserted. 
 
 The towns of Guatao and Punta Brara were 
 soon deserted. The residents fled to Havana in 
 fear of their lives. Of 1,710 people in the latter 
 town only fourteen remained. The action of the 
 troops so close to Havana created an intense 
 sensation there. 
 
 The only official notice taken by the govern- 
 ment was a telegram of congratulation sent 
 Marquis De Cervera, Alcalde of Mariano. This 
 was in response to his message to Weyler, in 
 which he said: " They have done to-day what your 
 Excellency so gloriously did at Jaina, Santo 
 Domingo, thirty years ago." 
 
 Weyler Calls a Halt. 
 
 Arrests of civilians under the sweeping pro- 
 visions of General Weyler's proclamations of 
 February 16 had been made at such a rate and 
 in many cases with so little evidence of guilt that 
 General Weyler was soon compelled to issue 
 instructions to his officers to be more careful, as 
 he required more proof than verbal denunciation. 
 He issued on March 8th a circular in which he 
 stated that absolute proof must be furnished by 
 
258 CUBA. 
 
 other than interested persons before accused 
 men would be deported, and warning com- 
 manders that they would be held responsible for 
 false answers. 
 
 Without doubt General Weyler had in view 
 the effect of this order abroad, for the manner in 
 which Cubans who had never borne arms against 
 Spain were dragged from their homes and 
 thrown into prisons with felons, and after a few 
 days' delay placed on board ship for what is 
 probably the vilest penal colony on the face of 
 the earth, had become a shame which cried aloud 
 for redress. General Weyler, on his arrival, set 
 at liberty a number of these civilian prisoners 
 whom General Pando had taken from their daily 
 occupations. The only evidence against these 
 men was a paper purporting to be a list of the 
 people who were aiding and communicating with 
 the enemy. It was made up by a Spaniard. 
 Powers of I^ife and Death. 
 
 Said a correspondent writing from Havana 
 on March 9 : 
 
 " General Weyler has removed the alcaldes 
 of all towns in whom he had not absolute confi- 
 dence, and has appointed the ranking military 
 officers of regular troops of volunteers alcaldes 
 or mayors. These men possess arbitrary powers. 
 Under the proclamation the life or death of any 
 man, woman or child in their zone is in their 
 
CUBA. 259 
 
 hands. A large proportion of these commanders 
 believe Weyler to be a man who will quickly 
 approve any extreme act on their part. They 
 look for no punishment for summary executions 
 of Cubans who sympathize with the insurgents. 
 They expect praise and promotion for shooting 
 prisoners as soon as taken. General Canella was 
 sent back to Spain by Weyler either for having 
 shot down seventeen prisoners, or for having re- 
 ported 'seventeen bodies were found afterward 
 in another part of the field'; but the man who 
 confessed to his friends here, and probably to 
 General Weyler, to having killed seventeen 
 people in cold blood received no more severe 
 punishment than being deprived of his command. 
 " When the horrible story of the butchery of 
 eighteen peaceable citizens in the little hamlet of 
 Guatao was published in the United States, and 
 telegraphed back here, General Weyler announced 
 that he would make a thorough examination and 
 would severely punish those responsible for the 
 outrage if one had been committed. Two weeks 
 have gone by since the affair occurred, and no 
 official has lost his stripes. Guatao was so near 
 Havana that American correspondents succeeded 
 in demonstrating the absolute truth of the story. 
 Dozens of reports of affairs in which unarmed 
 citizens are killed by Spanish troops have been 
 received here, but the authorities have placed 
 
26o CUBA. 
 
 such obstacles in the way of correspondents that 
 it is impossible to visit the localities and establish 
 the facts. In a dozen cases refugees from towns 
 where fights have occurred state that after the 
 rebels were driven away citizens who took no part 
 were shot down, and counted in the official reports 
 as dead insurgents. The government officials deny 
 these stories, and while it is common talk in 
 Havana that certain affairs were butcheries, the 
 correspondents are in most cases obliged to 
 accept the Government version." 
 
 More Proclamations. 
 
 Among the various manifestos published by 
 Weyler on March 8, were the following: 
 
 " I have promulgated an order that the teach- 
 ers of divinity of the Provinces of Matanzas, Santa 
 Clara, Puerto Principe and Santiago de Cuba, who, 
 confessedly, have taken part in the movements of 
 the rebels, shall be pardoned on making their 
 submission, surrendering their arms and placing 
 themselves under the surveillance of the lawful 
 authority, provided they have not committed 
 other crimes since the issuance of my last pro- 
 clamation. 
 
 "The teachers of divinity who, without arms, 
 shall come in under the same circumstances will 
 be immediately transferred to the encampments, 
 forts and towns, where they may be under the 
 immediate vigilance of the troops, and all the 
 
CUBA. 26l 
 
 teachers shall be under the control of the com- 
 mandants in whatever jurisdiction they may be 
 assigned. A record of those so attached to each 
 column, encampment or fort will be kept, and 
 their superiors will make a report every fifteen 
 days concerning the conduct of the teachers, and 
 will determine the time at which they will be per- 
 mitted to reside in whatever place it may be 
 deemed advisable to conduct them, placing them 
 under the supervision of the local authorities, or 
 making any other disposition of them which may 
 be considered proper. In the meantime they will 
 become permanently attached to the military 
 forces, and will give their attention to the dying, 
 and will be entitled to such rations as troops in 
 the field or traveling. 
 
 "These directions will not go into effect in 
 the Provinces of Pinar del Rio and Havana until 
 these provinces have extended to them the pre- 
 vailing law in the case of those who deliver 
 themselves up to the authorities." 
 For Extermination. 
 
 The following proclamation was also issued : 
 " I make known to our harassed troops and 
 to those who attempt to demoralize them as they 
 pursue eastward rebel parties more numerous 
 than those whom they leave in the Provinces of 
 Pinar del Rio and Havana that the time has 
 arrived to pursue with the greatest activity and 
 
262 CUBA. 
 
 rigor the little bands, more of outlaws than in- 
 surgents, who have remained in the said provinces, 
 and to adopt whatever measures are necessary 
 for the proper and immediate carrying out of 
 that intention. I hereby order : 
 
 "(i) — That the troops be divided into col- 
 umns to operate in both provinces and that the 
 guardia civil be re-established on the lines of 
 that now existing in Pinar del Rio and in a part 
 of Puerto Principe, and that in Havana and a 
 part of the Province of Santiago de Cuba they 
 occupy only the places remote from the present 
 pacified or tranquilized districts until they are 
 able to occupy the positions which they held be- 
 fore (in the districts now in revolt). 
 
 "(2) — The commander of each zone, or the 
 corresponding official who may be otherwise 
 characterized in each place, shall be the com- 
 mander of the native army. 
 
 "(3) — Each community seeking to do so, 
 and applying to the general staff of the army, 
 may arm a section of volunteers or guerrillas of 
 thirty men, equipped as infantry soldiers, which 
 force will defend the country and in every case 
 operate under orders of the military authorities 
 of the locality. 
 
 "(4) — Those who are in possession of arms 
 must be placed in a state of complete defense 
 and enabled to avoid a surprise. 
 
CUBA. 
 
 263 
 
 Fifteen Days* Grace. 
 
 "(5) — The military governors of Havana 
 a.nd Pinar del Rio will present reports to the 
 Captain-General. 
 
 "(6) — The authorities of the villages who will 
 show themselves friendly within a term of ten 
 days, and those of the vicinity of the same, and 
 all those within its limits that are engaged in the 
 insurrection, are warned to surrender themselves 
 within the space of fifteen days from the publica- 
 tion of this proclamation, otherwise they will be 
 subject to arrest ; and well-disposed persons will 
 be held to their civil responsibilities, and to effect' 
 this it will be proposed to the Governor-General 
 to nominate a body which will see to carrying 
 this out. 
 
 "(7) — If, in the case of insurgent parties who 
 have sacked, robbed, burned or committed other 
 outrages during the rebellion, any one will give 
 information as to the participation that such per- 
 sons may have had in them, not only those who 
 may have been in the rebel ranks, but also those 
 who have succored them, or who have not 
 remained in their homes, they will be fittingly 
 punished; and, moreover, if any town or other 
 place where robberies have been effected is 
 known to them, they will be required to make 
 identification that proper responsibility may be 
 fixed. 
 
264 CUBA. 
 
 Threats. 
 
 "(8) — Rebels, who may not be responsible 
 for any other crime, who, within the term of 
 fifteen days, present themselves to the nearest 
 military authority in both provinces and who will 
 assist in the apprehension of any one guilty of 
 the foregoing offenses, will not be molested, but 
 will be placed at my disposal. Those who have 
 presented themselves at an earlier time will be 
 pardoned; those who may have committed any 
 other crimes, or who obstructed any public cargo 
 proceeding to its destination will be judged 
 according- to the antecedents, and their case will 
 be withheld for final determination. He who 
 presents himself and surrenders arms, and, in a 
 greater degree, if there be a collective presenta- 
 tion, will have his case determined by me. All 
 who present themselves after the time mentioned 
 in this warning will be placed at my disposal. 
 
 "(9) — All the authorities or civil function- 
 aries, of whatsoever kind, and who do not hold a 
 license for attendance upon the sick, and who 
 are not found at their posts, after the end of 
 eight days, in boch provinces will be named to 
 the Governor-General as ceasing to act for the 
 local authorities. 
 
 "(10) — The planters, manufacturers and 
 other persons who, within the territory of the 
 provinces warned, shall periodically facilitate, or 
 
CUBA. 265 
 
 even for a single time shall give money of any 
 kind soever to the insurgents, save and except 
 in the case of their being obliged to yield to 
 superior force, a circumstance which will have to 
 be examined in a most searching manner, will be 
 regarded as disloyal through helping the rebellion. 
 
 •'(11) — For the repair of roads, railways, 
 telegraphs, etc., the personal co-operation of the 
 inhabitants of the villages will be required, and 
 in the case of the destruction of any kind of prop- 
 erty, the occupants of convenient habitations will 
 be held responsible if they do not immediately 
 inform the nearest authority of such occurrences." 
 Offer of Amnesty. 
 
 He also issued this proclamation, offering 
 amnesty to rebels : 
 
 " I have deemed it proper to direct that per- 
 sons presenting themselves in the provinces of 
 Matanzas, Santa Clara, Puerto Principe, and San- 
 tiago de Cuba, and who confessedly have been 
 with the rebels will be pardoned, provided they 
 surrender themselves with their arms, and have 
 been guilty of no other crimes. In such cases, 
 however, they will remain under the surveillance 
 of the authorities until further orders from me. 
 Should they surrender themselves in considerable 
 bodies that fact will recommend them to greater 
 consideration. Those who present themselves 
 under similar conditions, but without arms, will 
 
266 CUBA. , 
 
 be assigned to detachments in towns or forts or 
 elsewhere, where they may be subjected to the 
 vigilance of troops. A record of all such persons 
 shall be kept by the commander of arms of the 
 jurisdiction to which they belong, and he shall note 
 upon such record the names of those persons as- 
 signed to each column, detachment or fort. 
 To Report on the Suspects. 
 
 "The chiefs of such detachments or forts 
 will then give a fortnightly report of the behavior 
 of such surrendered persons as are under their 
 charge, and acting upon these reports I will 
 determine the localities where they may be per- 
 mitted to reside, or whether they shall be con- 
 ducted elsewhere to be left under the surveillance 
 of the local authorities, or to be disposed of as I 
 may deem proper. While such persons remain 
 with the troops they shall be served with daily 
 rations, which the chief to whom they are detailed 
 will note in his statement. These conditions 
 shall be void in any province as soon as the 
 special edict made applicable to the provinces of 
 Havana and Pinar del Rio governing the sur- 
 render of rebels shall also be, made similarly 
 applicable to it." 
 
 Appeal for Recognition. 
 
 Efforts were made during the winter of 
 1895-6 to induce the United States Government 
 
CUBA. 267 
 
 to recognize the Cubans as belligerents and 
 extend to them belligerent rights. Some sincere 
 friends of Cuba doubted the wisdom of this 
 course, but a vast majority of the American 
 people seemed to favor it. 
 
 On January 29th the Senate committee on 
 Foreign Relations decided to take some definite 
 action. Two sentiments had divided the com- 
 mittee from the beginning. On the one hand 
 there had been a general desire to grant the 
 recognition which the revolutionists desired, and 
 thus put an end at once to the highly annoying 
 and embarrassing conditions under which inter- 
 course between the United States and Cuba had 
 been maintained for the last ten months. With 
 a recognition of the Cuban Revolutionary 
 Government as a belligerent Power, it had been 
 assumed that the annoyances of the neutrality 
 policy would be to a great extent removed, or at 
 least insensibly diminished. On the other hand, 
 there had been an unmistakable feeling that the 
 United States could not with propriety and 
 justice proclaim the belligerency of the insurgent 
 forces on the military showing so far made by 
 them. The precedent set by Secretary Fish in 
 the last Cuban rebellion was felt to have bound 
 this country to a policy of extreme caution in 
 dealing with the present uprising against the 
 Spanish Government. 
 
268 CUBA. 
 
 A r,ongr Debate. 
 
 Similar resolutions were introduced in the 
 House of Representatives, and then a long 
 debate ensued, not only in Congress, but in the 
 public press and throughout the country at large. 
 Senor Palma, the Cuban Delegate, addressed a 
 long letter on the subject to Secretary Olney, 
 which- was communicated to the Senate and 
 formed the basis of its action. 
 
 Sefior Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish Minister 
 at Washington, took a hand in this debate through 
 the newspapers — an unusual thing for a Minister 
 to do. He especially protested against some 
 statements made in the Senate concerning the 
 way in which, the Spaniards were conducting the 
 war in Cuba. He said : 
 
 "I read with the deepest regret the state- 
 ments made in the Senate by some of the most 
 influential Senators of the United States, knowing 
 that the facts which were stated by them were 
 incorrect ; that their good faith, of which I have 
 no doubt, had been imposed upon, and that it 
 would be very easy for me to prove in a little 
 time that the Senators had been misinformed by 
 persons interested in bringing about a misunder- 
 standing between the two countries. 
 
 " I cannot understand how all rules of war 
 that have been given by all civilized nations are 
 so criminal, so cruel and so tyrannical when they 
 
CUBA. 
 
 269 
 
 are applied in Cuba. I have before my eyes a 
 summary of charges of inhumanity in connection 
 with the war of the rebellion in the United States 
 against both sides, taken from American history. 
 I am sure that many of them are false, most of 
 them exaggerated, some of them necessary and 
 others unavoidable, but, taking only as an illus- 
 tration and for the sake of argument what I see 
 in that list, I cannot understand how people who 
 are familiar with those necessary evils of war 
 have been able to use such harsh, unjust and 
 offensive language against Spain. 
 
 " Nothing is now done in Cuba that has not 
 been done and has not been deemed necessary 
 in other countries when at war. It would be pos- 
 sible and easy for me to quote many facts not 
 different from those which now arouse public sen- 
 timent against Spain. I will only ask persons 
 wanting an impartial and honest opinion to read 
 what the commanders-in-chief of the American 
 armies of both sides and what the armies of 
 France and Germany have deemed necessary for 
 the protection of their soldiers and the carrying 
 out of war." 
 
 To this a vigorous reply was made by some 
 of the Senators, and also by Senor Quesada, of 
 the Cuban legation, who made a damning revela- 
 tion of the numerous atrocities and horrors of 
 Spanish warfare. 
 
2 JO CUBA. 
 
 i 
 
 Action toy Congress. 
 
 Both Houses of Congress finally adopted 
 their resolutions by overwhelming majorities. 
 But the resolutions were not identical. Therefore 
 Conference committees were appointed, and fur- 
 ther delay and debate ensued. At last, on March 
 26, both Houses practically agreed upon identical 
 resolutions, as follows : 
 
 "Resolved by the Senate, (the House con- 
 curring therein), That in the opinion of Congress 
 a condition of public war exists between the 
 Government of Spain and the Government pro- 
 claimed and for some time maintained by force of 
 arms by the people of Cuba, and that the United 
 States of America should maintain a strict neu- 
 trality between the contending Powers, according 
 to each all the rights of belligerents in the ports 
 and territories of the United States. 
 
 " Resolved, further, That the friendly offices 
 of the United States should be offered by the 
 President to the Spanish Government for the 
 recognition of the independence of Cuba." 
 
 These resolutions were ultimately adopted 
 in the midst of great enthusiasm by an over- 
 whelming majority on April 6, and sent to the 
 President for his consideration and action. Being 
 concurrent in form, they were not mandatory 
 upon him, and he was not compelled to do any- 
 thing at all with them. 
 
Cubans Fighting /row. the Tree-Tops. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 LATEST OPERATIONS THE "COMPETITOR" CASE — WEY- 
 
 LER FORCED TO TAKE THE FIELD DEATH OF 
 
 OSGOOD, THE AMERICAN WEYLER GOES OUT 
 
 AGAIN ATTITUDE OF THE WASHINGTON GOV- 
 ERNMENT THE DEATH OF MACEO SPAIN'S 
 
 IMPLACABLE FOE MACEO's GREAT RAID THE 
 
 HERO'S LAST CAMPAIGN THE FINAL TRAGEDY 
 
 THE DEMAND FOR RECOGNITION. 
 
 k URING THE summer and early fall of 
 1896 no important changes occurred in 
 the situation of affairs in Cuba. The 
 insurgents fully held their ground, controlling 
 most of the island outside of a score of garrison 
 towns. General Weyler remained in Havana, 
 talking of the great things he would do, but doing 
 nothing. Forty thousand new troops were 
 received from Spain, bringing the total in the 
 island up to about 200,000, or four or five times 
 as many as those of the insurgents. The latter 
 were divided into two principal bands. The larger 
 of them was in the east-central part of the island, 
 
 16 ( 2 73) 
 
274 CUBA. 
 
 under the command of the General-in-Chief, Max- 
 imo Gomez. The other was in Pinar del Rio, 
 under the dashing Lieutenant-General, Antonio 
 Maceo. The latter gave the Spanish by far the 
 more trouble. Frequent raids and forays men- 
 aced even Havana itself. Weyler constructed 
 another trocha across the island, west of Havana, 
 which, he boasted, would keep Maceo and his men 
 shut up in Pinar del Rio until they were starved 
 into submission. But this boast was vain. The 
 rich province furnished ample supplies for the 
 maintenance of the patriot army for an indefinite 
 time, while arms and ammunition were easily 
 smuggled in by small, fleet vessels from the 
 United States, Mexico and elsewhere. Moreover, 
 more than a few successful attacks were made 
 upon the trocha itself, and patriot bands suc- 
 ceeded in crossing and recrossing it almost at 
 
 will. 
 
 The "Competitor" Case. 
 
 In April the "Competitor," a small schooner 
 of American registry, eluded the vigilance of the 
 Federal authorities, took on board men and 
 supplies, presumably intended to aid the Cuban 
 insurgents, and reached the coast of that island 
 near San Cayetano. Being discovered by the 
 Spanish coast guard, a conflict ensued, resulting 
 in the capture of a number of those on board, 
 as well as the seizure of the vessel. The prison- 
 
CUBA. 
 
 275 
 
 ers, among them several American citizens, were 
 
 subjected to a summary military trial, which, 
 
 although conducted by an Admiralty Court, 
 
 alleged to be competent, appeared to have lacked 
 
 the essential safeguards of procedure stipulated 
 
 by the existing conventions between the United 
 
 States and Spain. The Government promptly 
 
 intervened to secure for its implicated citizens all 
 
 the rights to which they were clearly entitled, 
 
 including appeal from the pronounced sentence 
 
 of death. Their cases were subsequently carried 
 
 to the higher tribunal at Madrid, which has set 
 
 the conviction aside and remanded the cases for 
 
 retrial. 
 
 Weyler Forced to take tlie Field. 
 
 In the month of October more active opera- 
 tions were resumed. The Spanish Government 
 became dissatisfied with Weyler's dilatory tactics, 
 and peremptorily directed him to take the field in 
 person and strike a decisive blow; otherwise, it was 
 intimated, he would be recalled and another put 
 in his place. The reasons for this urgency were 
 evident. The Sranish Treasury was empty, and 
 it was found impossible to raise a loan in any of 
 the money markets of Europe. The only resort 
 was, then, to appeal to the patriotism of the 
 Spanish people themselves for a domestic loan ; 
 and to arouse their patriotic zeal and make the 
 loan a success there must at least be a show of 
 
276 CUBA. 
 
 action in Cuba. So Weyler, with 60,000 troops, 
 marched out of Havana toward the hills where 
 lay Maceo with less than 20,000. Next day the 
 loan was asked for, and the Spanish people, in 
 an outburst of enthusiasm, subscribed not only 
 the $50,000,000 asked for, but more than twice 
 that sum. 
 
 Death of Osgood, the American. 
 Weyler did not succeed in striking the blow 
 He had boasted. He did not himself come any- 
 where near the enemy. But a brigade of his 
 advance guard, pressing forward, came into con- 
 flict with the insurgents. A sharp engagement 
 followed, in which the Spanish were defeated and 
 driven back with great slaughter. The Cubans 
 suffered little loss, except in the death of one 
 man. This was Winchester Dana Osgood, a 
 young American officer. He had had a brilliant 
 career as a scholar at Cornell University and the 
 University of Pennsylvania, and was also a noted 
 athlete, being one of the ablest foot-ball players 
 of the day. He had gone to Cuba to assist the 
 insurgents through pure love of liberty, and had 
 done them valuable service as an artillery officer. 
 In his last engagement he was personally direct- 
 ing the working of a field-gun with admirable 
 effect. The Spaniards were retreating, and the 
 victory was won. Suddenly he was struck 
 squarely in the centre of the forehead with a 
 
CUBA. 277 
 
 heavy rifle-bullet. He staggered back, exclaimed 
 "Well!" and fell dead. 
 
 Weyler Goes Out Again. 
 
 A few days later Weyler returned to Ha- 
 vana, without having fought one serious battle. 
 But the Spanish Government quickly ordered 
 him out again. This time it was for the sake of 
 political effect in the United States. Congress 
 was about to meet, and the President would send 
 in his annual message. American sympathy 
 with the insurgents was known to be strong, and 
 it was feared by Spain that the United States 
 Government would recognize the independence 
 of the Cubans, and perhaps intervene in their 
 behalf. The best way to prevent this, the Span- 
 ish thought, was to make a show of action, as if 
 to prove Spain's ability to crush the rebellion. 
 So Weyler went out and encamped at a safe 
 distance from Maceo, and by a judicious manipu- 
 lation of all news sent out from the island made 
 it appear that he was at last subduing the insur- 
 gents. As a matter of fact, he carefully avoided 
 battle, while the Cubans were constantly on the 
 aggressive. A detachment of the Cuban army 
 crossed the trocha, passed clear around Weyler's 
 entire army, and stormed and burned a town in 
 the outskirts of Havana. The firing was heard 
 and the flames were seen in the very heart of the 
 city, and the greatest alarm prevailed. And 
 
278 CUBA. 
 
 again Weyler hurried back, without striking the 
 long-promised blow. 
 
 Attitude of the Washington Government. 
 
 At the beginning of December the United 
 States Congress met. The President's message 
 paid much attention to Cuba. "The insurrection 
 in Cuba," said Mr. Cleveland, "still continues 
 with all its perplexities. It is difficult to perceive 
 that any progress has thus far been made toward 
 the pacification of the island or that the situation 
 of affairs as depicted in my last annual message 
 has in the least improved. 
 
 In addition to the President's message, Mr. 
 Olney, the Secretary of State, issued an elaborate 
 report on the state of Cuba, in which he said : 
 "Its e fr ict upon the personal security of our 
 citizens in Cuba is not the only alarming feature 
 of the reign of arbitrary anarchy in that island. 
 Its influence upon the fortunes of those who 
 have invested their capital and enterprise there, 
 on the assumed assurance of respect for law and 
 treaty rights, is no less in point. In the nature of 
 things, and having regard to the normal produc- 
 tions and trade of the island, most of these ven- 
 tures have been made in the sugar and tobacco 
 growing and stock-raising districts now given 
 over to civil war. Exact statistics of the amount 
 of such investments are not readily attainable, 
 but an approximate statement shows that Ameri- 
 can interests in actual property in the district of 
 
CUBA. 279 
 
 Cienfuegos reach some $12,000,000; in the 
 Province of Matanzas, some $9,000,000 ; in Sagua, 
 for estates and crops alone, not less than $9,229,- 
 000, while in Santiago the investments in mining 
 operations probably exceed $15,000,000. For 
 Pinar del Rio, Santa Clara, and other interior 
 districts tabulated statements are wanting, and so 
 also with regard to commercial and manufacturing 
 establishments, railway enterprises, and the like. 
 A gross estimate of $50,000,000 would be more 
 likely to fall under than over the mark. A large 
 proportion of these investments is now exposed 
 to the exceptional vicissitudes of the war. 
 Estates have been desolated and crops destroyed 
 by the insurgents and Spaniards alike. Upon 
 those not actually ravaged, operations have been 
 compulsorily suspended, owing to the warnings 
 served by the revolutionists or the withdrawal of 
 protection by the Spanish authorities. 
 The Death of Maceo. 
 
 Following closely upon this came the heaviest 
 blow the patriot cause had yet suffered, in the 
 death of the Lieutenant-General, Antonio Maceo. 
 He was betrayed by a traitor in his own camp, 
 into falling into an ambush at Punta Brava, on 
 Dec. 7, and was massacred with nearly all his 
 staff, the treacherous physician who had led him 
 to his death going over to the Spaniards in safety, 
 and receiving his reward. 
 
 Antonio Maceo had been quite the Prince 
 
280 CUBA. 
 
 Rupert, the legendary chief, of two Cuban insur- 
 rections, and had played an even more conspicu- 
 ous part in the present war than in the ten years' 
 struggle of 1 868-1 878, in which he rose from the 
 rank of volunteer to that of a commander second 
 only to Cespedes, Maximo Gomez, Calixte Garcia, 
 and other veterans, though he was only thirty 
 years of age in 1878. He was born at Guan- 
 tanamo, in the Province of Santiago de Cuba, in 
 1848. In his early youth he earned his living on 
 the wharves, helping to load and unload cargoes. 
 He was an illiterate mulatto workman when the 
 insurrection broke out in 1868, and he imme- 
 diately joined one of the first bands under Donato 
 Marmal. During the war he found time to learn 
 to read and write. He soon distinguished him- 
 self, and became popular, especially among the 
 colored inhabitants, who have ever since looked 
 up to him as their favorite leader. He drew his 
 old father and four brothers into the rebellion, 
 and his youngest brother, Jose, who became a 
 famous chief, was killed in the present rising 
 whilst conducting an attack upon the Spanish post 
 of Santa Cruz, in the district of Santiago. 
 Spain's Implacable Foe. 
 When the great rebellion came to an end, 
 and Marshal Campos induced most of the remain- 
 ing rebel leaders to sign the Peace Treaty of 
 Zanjon, on February 10, 1878, Maceo refused to 
 
CUBA. 251 
 
 submit. He held out for several months, and 
 gave much trouble in the Eastern provinces of 
 the island. At last, in August, 1878, he em- 
 barked for Kingston, Jamaica. He led after- 
 wards a roving life of refugee and conspirator. 
 He went to Honduras, where he became a Gen- 
 eral and Governor of Puerto Cortes, until he 
 shared the fall of President Soto. In 1879 he 
 again tried to raise bands in Cuba, but was made 
 a prisoner and sent to Merhon Citadel by Gen- 
 eral Blanca. He was soon released, and returned 
 to America. Later on, he reappeared several 
 times at Havana, putting up at one of the best 
 hotels. There he was openly visited and wel- 
 comed by all the well-known Separatists and by 
 many Autonomists. He made tours in the whole 
 island, and played his cards warily enough to give 
 no pretext for severity at the hands of several 
 Governors-General. He was all the time pre- 
 paring treason. He suddenly went to Santiago 
 de Cuba, to start the "small insurrection," Insur- 
 rection chica, in 1891. He was confronted by a 
 stern and able General, Polavieja, the present 
 Governor-General of the Philippine Islands, and 
 successor to Marshal Blanco at Manila, who 
 promptly took such measures as were sufficient 
 to nip the rising in the bud. Maceo fled again to 
 Central America and the States, to prepare more 
 slowly and successfully the present rebellion 
 
2 82 CUBA. 
 
 with Marti, Estrada, Betances young Cespedes, 
 Gomez and Aldama. 
 
 Antonio Maceo was one of tne first exiles 
 who landed in the province of Santiago de Cuba, 
 after the flag of the Solitary Star La Estrella 
 Solitaria had been once more unfurled in the 
 dark forests and mountains of Cuba, " La Mani- 
 gua," at the end of February, 1895. His follow- 
 ing, on disembarking from a filibustering brig, 
 consisted of thirty refugees, soon hotly pursued 
 by Spanish forces from Santiago, Holguin, and 
 Guantanamo. The mulattoes and negroes of 
 this province had kept such recollections of their 
 old leader that he was promptly joined by several 
 thousand volunteers, and many men who had 
 been Cuban officers in the previous rising. His 
 system was purely that of a guerillero, like the 
 famous guerilleros who had given Napoleon I. so 
 much to do in the Peninsular War, and like the 
 Mexicans who harassed Bazaine and the Imperial 
 troops of Napoleon III. and Maximilian. 
 Maceo's Great Raid. 
 
 Maceo boldly prophesied, and no less boldly 
 fulfilled the prediction, " that he would ride from 
 the Camaguey to the gates of Havana and to 
 Cape San Antonio, in Pinar del Rio, in less than 
 three months." Away galloped the dark troopers, 
 mounted on the hardy and active Cuban horses, 
 lightly attired with no impediment but their am- 
 
CUBA. 28 X 
 
 munition, their American rifles, and the.r terrible 
 " machetes " — short swords, or cutlasses, which a 
 Cuban handles from his boyhood as easily as he 
 rides horses without saddles. The raiders went 
 over Puerto Principe territory, across the Trocha 
 del Yucaro and Moron, across the rich and fertile 
 provinces of Santa Clara, Las Villas, and Matan- 
 zas, dodging past the Spanish columns, dashing 
 at outposts, burning plantations, destroying mills, 
 laying waste every field and crop, blowing up rail- 
 ways, cutting telegraphs, punishing and black- 
 mailing the Loyalist planters, terrorizing the 
 rural population, spreading alarm even in gar- 
 risoned towns and ports. At last they met the 
 brave old Marshal Campos, and Maceo out- 
 manoeuvred, out-witted, out-marched him so com- 
 pletely in Santa Clara and Matanzas, that the 
 Spanish Kingmaker and Restorer of the Bourbon 
 Monarchy had only just enough time to return by 
 sea to the province of Havana before Maceo him- 
 self appeared close to the capital of the island, 
 carrying fire and sword into the wealthiest and 
 most loyal territory of Cuba. Maceo had thus 
 not only carried out his threat, but also hastened 
 the resignation and disgrace of Marshal Campos. 
 General Weyler succeeded Marshal Campos, and 
 the subsequent history of the war consists of a 
 succession of dashing raids by Maceo, and of 
 futile attempts by the commander of the Span- 
 
284 CUBA. 
 
 ish forces to get to close quarters with him. 
 Latterly, after many manoeuvres and counter- 
 manoeuvres, General Weyler began a systematic 
 advance of the Spanish forces from Havana into 
 the province of Pinar del Rio, driving every one 
 before him and devastating the country, without, 
 however, meeting traces of Maceo and the main 
 body of the insurgents, until he heard that the 
 bands had reappeared in Las Lomas, and close to 
 the Trocha of Mariel Artemisa. 
 
 The Hero's Last Campaign. 
 Maceo had been requested, it appears, by 
 the Revolutionary Junta in New York to do 
 something startling about the time when the 
 American Congress would meet at Washington. 
 He was led to believe that the rebel bands in the 
 provinces of Havana and Matanzas were numer- 
 ous enough to be of use for a bold raid. He was 
 even induced to expect that Maximo Gomez, the 
 Generalissimo, had enough organized forces to 
 advance by the provinces of Santa Clara and 
 Matanzas to co-operate in some striking, if not 
 successful, demonstration whilst Weyler was hun- 
 dreds of miles off seeking for him in Pinar del 
 Rio. Maceo was always ready to attempt daring 
 attacks, and on this occasion he was bent upon 
 again riding at the head of his cavalry to the vil- 
 lages in sight of Havana. Taking with him some 
 of his black troopers, he made for the Trocha at 
 
CUBA. 285 
 
 the end of November, and a night attack upon 
 Artemisa proved to him that General Arolas was 
 on his guard, and not likely to let him pass with- 
 out fierce resistance. He explored the whole 
 length of the lines across the island, thirty-one 
 miles from Artemisa to Mariel. Everywhere he 
 found the Spaniards on the alert, and he hid in 
 the nearest Lomas on the Mariel side, near the 
 coast, keenly disappointed to find that he could 
 not dash across with his veterans. He seems to 
 have felt for the first time misgivings and some 
 hesitation ; but his instructions were clear, and he 
 had sent word to Brigadier Aguirre and other 
 Cuban leaders to gather on the Havana side of 
 the Trocha. On a dark night a boat was used to 
 carry by sea the Cuban chief and about forty of 
 his officers and orderlies, including a doctor and 
 the young son of Maximo Gomez. They found 
 guides to take them to the Havana bands. Maceo 
 had not taken into account that the Spanish 
 generals had much improved their Intelligence 
 Service, and had begun to find more support 
 lately among the rural population. In this way 
 they had been informed of the approach of 
 Maceo and of the gathering of the rebels. Gen- 
 eral Ahumada instantly sent out the picked 
 troops he had in Havana — cavalry, artillery, and 
 battalions seasoned by more than a year's stay in 
 Cuba. Three columns went forward, exploring 
 
286 CUBA. 
 
 the country between Havana and the Trocha on 
 the Mariel side, under General Figueron and two 
 colonels. Maceo had only been three days in the 
 province of Havana, and the Madrid Government 
 was much displeased when it heard that he had 
 passed the Trocha and that for forty-eight hours 
 the news had been kept secret from their Gen- 
 eral. 
 
 The Final Tragedy. 
 
 It would have gone hard with General Wey- 
 ler if Maceo had succeeded even in making only 
 a rapid dash to the suburbs of the capital, as he 
 intended. The fortune of war favored the 
 Governor-General of Cuba. As he was hurry- 
 ing back post-haste with seven battalions, several 
 squadrons, and mountain artillery — as soon as 
 General Ahumada had informed him that his 
 enemy was on the Havana side of the Trocha — 
 Maceo fell in an obscure fight with a small Span- 
 ish column of four hundred and eighty men, 
 commanded by a Major Cirujeda, who only be- 
 came aware of the significance and importance 
 of his brush with the rebels when he was retiring 
 towards Havana with his wounded and dead. He 
 then discovered that a bugler and a guide of his 
 column had found important papers, documents, 
 arms, clothing, a field diary, field glasses, and 
 watches, which showed that the bodies rifled by 
 them were those of Maceo and his Aide-de-Camp, 
 
CUBA. 
 
 287 
 
 the son of Maximo Gomez. Major Cirujeda 
 ordered at once another advance to seize the 
 corpses. The insurgents had recovered the al- 
 most naked bodies of their two chiefs, and wel- 
 comed the Spaniards with a heavy fire, which 
 inflicted some losses on the column. Cirujeda 
 determined to fall back, as he was short of am- 
 munition. He carried to Havana the previous 
 data secured by his irregulars, which was the next 
 day confirmed by a deserter, the rebel surgeon 
 who had been on the staff of Maceo. This eye- 
 witness stated that he had seen Maceo drop 
 mortally wounded, a bullet having gone through 
 his neck, after mangling his face and jaw, and 
 another bullet having inflicted a mortal wound in 
 the abdomen. The same Spanish volley at close 
 quarters had mortally wounded young Gomez 
 and less seriously injured several rebel officers. 
 Maceo never uttered a word, though he survived 
 a few minutes. His followers scattered in all 
 directions, but were rallied by their chief, and 
 retraced their steps as the Spaniards were retir- 
 ing, unconscious of the great advantage they had 
 gained. This explains how they carried off the 
 bodies of Maceo and Gomez. Maceo was much 
 detested and dreaded by his opponents, but in 
 this war he had faithfully obeyed the instructions 
 of the Generalissimo and Cuban Revolutionary 
 Executive. Always unsparing in his severity to 
 
288 CUBA. 
 
 the native-born Cubans who sided with Spain, 
 especially the volunteers, guerilleros, and scouts, 
 he pointedly showed forbearance — like all the 
 Cuban chiefs, as Marshal Campos himself has 
 publicly stated — to the Spanish prisoners or sick 
 that fell into his hands, sending them back to the 
 Spanish outposts. He was the prototype of a 
 guerillero himself — a self-made man, who, in ten 
 years, rose to be Major-General of the insur- 
 gents in 1878, and the idol of the colored 
 people, who fancied he would be the Cuban 
 Toussaint l'Ouverture. 
 
 The Demand for Recognition. 
 The death of Maceo created a profound im- 
 pression in the United States, and renewed the 
 demand that this government recognize the in- 
 dependence of the patriots, if not, intervene in 
 their behalf. Resolutions to that effect were re- 
 ported to the Senate by the Foreign Affairs Com- 
 mittee ; but, on intimation that the President 
 would disregard them, were laid aside for future 
 consideration. Their publication, however, aroused 
 a storm of anger in Spain, curiously mixed with 
 rejoicings over the fall of Maceo. The year 
 1896 closed, therefore, with matters in statu quo — 
 the insurgents holding their ground. Weyler 
 for a third time in the field, but inactive, and the 
 United States preserving an attitude of non-inter- 
 vention and impartial neutrality. 
 
bo 
 
 a 
 
 fa* 
 
Destruction of the Battleship Maine, 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE MURDER OF CANOVAS SAGASTA IN ; WEYLER 
 
 OUT MARSHAL BLANCO Mc KINLEY's WORDS 
 
 NO AMERICANS IN ARREST NOW OFFERS OF 
 
 AUTONOMY OBJECTIONS TO THE SCHEME RUIZ 
 
 AND ARANGUREN THE DE LOME INCIDENT 
 
 DESTRUCTION OF THE MAINE A SURVIVOR' S 
 
 STORY EFFECTS OF THE DISASTER. 
 
 |ITH the accession of President Mc Kin- 
 ley in March, 1897, tne United States 
 Government entered upon a new policy 
 in respect to Cuba. The release of American 
 citizens, imprisoned by Spaniards, was demanded, 
 and it was made plain to the Spanish Government 
 that the barbarities of Weyler's campaigning must 
 be stopped and the war conducted more humanely, 
 or the United States would intervene. Weyler 
 had deliberately set to work to exterminate the 
 people of Cuba, by massacre and starvation, and 
 actually succeeded in killing off 500,000, or one- 
 third of the whole population, before the United 
 States cried "Halt!" 
 
 In May, 1897, the President asked Congress 
 for an appropriation of $50,000, which was at 
 17 (291) 
 
292 CUBA. 
 
 once voted, for bringing home from Cuba all 
 destitute American citizens. Then the rainy- 
 season came on, and operations in the field in 
 Cuba were perforce suspended until fall. 
 
 The Murder of Canovas. 
 
 The next important incident was in Spain 
 itself. Canovas del Castillo, the Prime Minister, 
 was murdered on August 8 by an Anarchist, in 
 revenge for the punishment the Government had 
 inflicted upon various Anarchist criminals. It 
 was evident that this tragedy would have strong 
 bearing upon Cuba, for Canovas had been the 
 patron of Weyler, and the chief exponent of the 
 policy of repression. Canovas was succeeded 
 for a time by General Azcarraga, who had been 
 Minister of War, and the policy toward Cuba 
 remained unchanged. It was evident, however, 
 that this was only a temporary arrangement. 
 
 Sagrasta In— "Weyler Out. 
 
 The revolution came at the beginning of Oc- 
 tober. The Azcarraga Ministry resigned, and the 
 Queen-Regent called Senor Sagasta, the leader of 
 the Spanish Liberals, to form another. Sagasta 
 did so, making up a Liberal Ministry, and deciding 
 upon an immediate reversal of policy in Cuba. 
 
 The first thing was to recall Weyler. That 
 was done promptly. Weyler at first refused to 
 obey the order, and talked of rebelling against 
 
CUBA. 293 
 
 the Madrid Government. Finally he yielded, 
 and left Cuba in a rage, saying and doing all he 
 could to embitter relations between Spain and 
 America. On getting back to Spain he organized 
 demonstrations against the Government, and 
 publicly declared it had been coerced by the 
 United States ; for which conduct the Govern- 
 ment presently arrested him and sentenced him 
 to undergo punishment. 
 
 Marshal Blanco. 
 
 Sagasta sent Marshal Blanco to Cuba, as 
 Weyler's successor. He had long been one of the 
 most eminent and respected of Spanish officers — 
 a man of great ability and of humane instincts. 
 His first acts were, on arriving at Havana, to 
 countermand Weyler's infamous decrees, and re- 
 duce the war to a more humane basis. He also 
 began the consideration of an offer of autonomy 
 to Cuba, in the hope that the island might thus 
 be pacified. Military operations were for a time 
 few and unimportant. Efforts were made to 
 succor the starving, and to revive the industries 
 which had been prostrated by the war. 
 
 At last, at the end of November, 1897, a 
 scheme of autonomy was promulgated, to go into 
 effect on January 1, 1898. Before it was made 
 public, however, Congress met, and President 
 McKinley in his message had some plain words 
 to say on the Cuban question. 
 
294 CUBA. 
 
 McKinley's 'Words. 
 
 The tone of the President's utterance was 
 calm and temperate, but the purport was unmis- 
 takable. He had a fine record of deeds done to 
 report, and he took strong ground concerning 
 future action. He said : 
 
 "That the Government of Sagasta has enter- 
 ed upon a course from which recession with honor 
 is impossible can hardly be questioned; that in the 
 few weeks it has existed it has made earnest of 
 the sincerity of its professions is undeniable. I 
 shall not impugn its sincerity, nor should impa- 
 tience be suffered to embarrass it in the task it 
 has undertaken. It is honestly due to Spain 
 and to our friendly relations with Spain that she 
 should be given a reasonable chance to realize 
 her expectations, and to prove the asserted effi- 
 cacy of the new order of things, to which she 
 stands irrevocably committed. She has recalled 
 the commander whose brutal orders inflamed the 
 American mind and shocked the civilized world. 
 She has modified the horrible order of concentra- 
 tion and has undertaken to care for the helpless 
 and permit those who desire to resume the culti- 
 vation of their fields to do so, and assures them 
 the protection of the Spanish Government in their 
 lawful occupations. She has just released the 
 "Competitor" prisoners, heretofore sentenced to 
 death, and who have been the subject of repeated 
 
CUBA. 295 
 
 diplomatic correspondence during both this and 
 the preceding Administration. 
 
 No Americans in Arrest Now. 
 
 "Not a single American citizen is now in 
 arrest or confinement in Cuba of whom this 
 Government has any knowledge. The near future 
 will demonstrate whether the indispensable condi- 
 tion of a righteous peace, just alike to the 
 Cubans and to Spain, as well as equitable to all 
 our interests so intimately involved in the welfare 
 of Cuba, is likely to be attained. If not, the ex- 
 igency of further and other action by the United 
 States will remain to be taken. When that time 
 comes that action will be determined in the line 
 of indisputable right and duty. It will be faced 
 without misgiving or hesitancy in the light of the 
 obligation this Government owes to itself, to the 
 people who have confided to it the protection of 
 their interests and honor and to humanity. 
 
 "Sure of the right, keeping free from all 
 offence ourselves, actuated only by upright and 
 patriotic considerations, moved neither by passion 
 nor selfishness, the Government will continue its 
 watchful care over the rights and property of 
 American citizens, and will abate none of its 
 efforts to bring about by peaceful agencies a 
 peace which shall be honorable and enduring. If 
 it shall hereafter appear to be a duty imposed by 
 our obligations to ourselves, to civilization and 
 
296 CUBA. 
 
 humanity to intervene with force, it shall be with- 
 out fault on our part, and only because the neces- 
 sity for such action will be so clear as to command 
 the support and approval of the civilized world." 
 Offers of Autonomy. 
 
 Soon afterward the full text of the autonomy 
 scheme, dated November 25, was made public in 
 this country. It creates a Cuban parliament, 
 which, with the insular executive, can consider and 
 vote upon all subjects affecting local order and 
 interests, possessing unlimited powers save as to 
 matters of State, war and the navy, as to which 
 the Governor-General acts by his own authority 
 as the delegate of the central government. This 
 parliament receives the oath of the Governor- 
 General to preserve faithfully the liberties and 
 privileges of the colony, and to it the colonial 
 secretaries are responsible. It has the right to 
 propose to the central government, through the 
 Governor-General, modifications of the national 
 charter, and to invite new projects of law or exec- 
 utive measures in the interest of the colony. 
 
 Besides its local powers, it is competent, first, 
 to regulate electoral registration and procedure 
 and prescribe the qualifications of electors and 
 the manner of exercising suffrage ; second, to 
 organize courts of justice with native judges from 
 members of the local bar ; third, to frame the 
 insular budget, both as to expenditures and 
 
CUBA. 297 
 
 revenues, without limitation of any kind, and to 
 set apart the revenues to meet the Cuban share 
 of the national budget, which latter will be voted 
 by the national Cortes, with the assistance of 
 Cuban Senators and Deputies ; fourth, to initiate 
 or take part in the negotiations of the national 
 Government for commercial treaties which may 
 affect Cuban interests ; fifth, to accept or reject 
 commercial treaties which the national Govern- 
 ment may have concluded without the participation 
 of the Cuban Government; sixth, to frame the 
 colonial tariff, acting in accord with the Peninsular 
 Government in scheduling articles of mutual com- 
 merce between the mother country and the colo- 
 nies. Before introducing or voting upon a bill, 
 the Cuban Government or the chambers will lay 
 the project before the central Government and 
 hear its opinion thereon, all the correspondence in 
 such regard being made public. Finally, all con- 
 flicts of jurisdiction arising between the different 
 municipal, provincial and insular assemblies, or 
 between the latter and the insular executive 
 power, and which from their nature may not be 
 referable to the central Government for decision, 
 shall be submitted to the courts. 
 
 Objections to the Scheme. 
 This scheme of autonomy contains some good 
 features and some bad ones. It is a vast improve- 
 ment upon the present system in Cuba, and upon 
 
298 CUBA. 
 
 any Spain has ever granted to any colony. It 
 falls far short of the Canadian system, and far 
 short, too, of the reasonable expectations not 
 merely of the insurgents, but of the constitutional 
 Autonomists of Cuba. 
 
 There are three major objections to it. One 
 is the dictatorial power reserved to the Governor- 
 General, appointed by the Crown. He represents 
 the sovereign, and it is the Spanish theory that 
 in Cuba, at any rate, the sovereign is to rule as 
 well as reign. So the Governor-General is to 
 have power to appoint arbitrarily seventeen of the 
 thirty-five members of the Cuban Senate. The 
 election of one other member favorable to him 
 will therefore give him entire control of that body, 
 and, of course, of all legislation. His Ministers, 
 too, though nominally responsible to the Legisla- 
 ture, are really to be appointed or removed by 
 him without regard to the will of the Legislature. 
 Finally, he is to have power not only to suspend 
 or dissolve the Legislature at will, but to suspend 
 the constitution itself, or the vital clauses of it and 
 to govern the island with the personal absolutism 
 of a czar. 
 
 A second objection is that all the judges of 
 all the courts are to be appointed by the Madrid 
 Government, without regard to the wishes of the 
 Cubans. Since the judges are to interpret the 
 constitution and the laws, and to decide all 
 
CUBA. 299 
 
 disputes between the Governor-General and the 
 Legislature, the purport of this provision is ap- 
 parent. It is to give judicial sanction to the 
 Governor-General's absolutism, and to deprive 
 the islanders of all recourse against him, no 
 matter what he may do. 
 
 The third objection is the financial one. It 
 is provided that the Madrid Government shall fix 
 the amount of tribute to be paid yearly by Cuba 
 to the Peninsular treasury, and that the Cuban 
 Legislature shall be required to appropriate that 
 amount in full before it can even consider the 
 question of the local Budget. It is also provided 
 that the Madrid Government shall hereafter fix 
 the proportion of the public debt to be assumed 
 by Cuba. And against these exactions of the 
 Madrid Government the Cubans shall have no 
 appeal. The enormity of the debt has already 
 been explained. It amounts to hundreds of 
 millions of dollars, and it has been created not 
 for the benefit of Cuba but of Peninsular Spain. 
 The Cubans are unwilling to have it, or any con- 
 siderable part of it, laid upon them. That they 
 will agree to a scheme under which it may all be 
 laid upon them, and they be burdened with a debt 
 many times greater than any other public debt in 
 the world, and they be compelled, moreover, to 
 pay to Spain, for the benefit of Spain and not of 
 Cuba, an enormous yearly tribute — that they will 
 
300 CUBA. 
 
 agree to have Cuba made, in brief, at once the 
 pack-mule and the milch-cow of the Peninsula — 
 is scarcely to be expected. 
 
 Ruiz and Arang-ureti. 
 
 The insurgent leaders in the field instantly 
 refused even to consider this offer of autonomy, 
 and would not consent to hold a conference with 
 the Spanish authorities. Several efforts to secure 
 such conferences were made, with disastrous 
 results. The most tragic was the effort made by 
 Colonel Ruiz, a gallant young Spanish officer. 
 He visited the Cuban camp of General Aran- 
 guren, an old, personal friend of his, on a peaceful 
 errand, to discuss terms of peace. He was hos- 
 pitably received at first, but as soon as he broach- 
 ed the purport of his mission he was seized by 
 Aranguren's orders, hurried through a court- 
 martial and put to death. This incident profoundly 
 shocked the civilized world, and was generally 
 regarded as a piece of uncalled-for inhumanity. 
 A few weeks later Arano-uren met his death at 
 the hands of avenging Spaniards. No further 
 attempts at negotiations were made in the field, 
 though the talk of a meeting between General 
 Gomez, the insurgent chief, and Marshal Blanco, 
 was now and then heard. 
 
 The DeLome Incident. 
 
 Near the end of January, 1898, the United 
 States Government sent its war-ship Maine on a 
 
CUBA. 3OI 
 
 friendly visit to the harbor of Havana. No 
 United States Naval vessel had gone thither 
 before, since the outbreak of the war, but it was 
 now deemed well to send one, to show that relations 
 between America and Spain were no longer 
 strained but were on a normal footing. At the 
 same time Spain prepared to return the courtesy 
 by sending one of her cruisers to New York. 
 Unfortunately, this exchange of courtesies was 
 marred by the indiscretion of the Spanish Minis- 
 ter at Washington, Senor Dupuy DeLome. He 
 wrote a letter to a friend in Cuba, abusing the 
 United States in a most insulting fashion, and 
 referring to President McKinley, personally, in 
 the most opprobrious terms. This missive was 
 stolen from the mails, or from the desk of its 
 recipient, by the Cubans, and made public on 
 February 9th. It created a profound impression, 
 and aroused bitter resentment throughout the 
 United States. The President acted with rare 
 dignity and forbearance, giving the offender a 
 chance to resign his place without being ignomi- 
 niously kicked out of the country. DeLome 
 promptly took advantage of the opportunity. 
 He cabled his resignation to Madrid. It was 
 accepted within an hour, and a few days later 
 DeLome left the country whose hospitality he had 
 so grossly abused. The Spanish Government 
 then made a formal disclaimer of his offensive 
 
302 CUBA. 
 
 utterances, and appointed another and more 
 acceptable man to take his place. 
 
 Destruction of the Maine. 
 
 The evening of February 15, 1898, witnessed 
 the most appalling tragedy the United States has 
 suffered since its own civil war. This was noth- 
 ing less than the destruction of the warship 
 Maine in Havana harbor, and the death of more 
 than 250 of her officers and men. The disaster 
 came with awful suddenness, in the form of an 
 explosion. Captain Sigsbee, commander of the 
 ill-fated ship, thus describes it: 
 
 "On the night of the explosion I had not 
 retired. I was writing letters. I find it impos- 
 sible to describe the sound or shock, but the 
 impression remains of something awe-inspiring, 
 terrifying — of noise, rending, vibrating, all-per- 
 vading. There is nothing in the former experi- 
 ence of any one on board to measure the 
 explosion by. 
 
 "After the first great shock — I cannot myself 
 recall how many sharper detonations I heard, not 
 more than two or three — I knew my ship was 
 gone. In such a structure as the Maine, the 
 effects of such an explosion are not for a moment 
 In doubt. 
 
 "I made my way through the long passage, 
 in the dark, groping from side to side, to the 
 hatchway, and thence to the poop, being among 
 
CUBA. 303 
 
 the earliest to reach that spot. So soon as I 
 recognized the officers, I ordered the high explo- 
 sives to be flooded, and I then directed that the 
 boats available be lowered to rescue the wounded 
 or drowning. 
 
 " Discipline in a perfect measure prevailed. 
 There was no more confusion than a call to 
 general quarters Would produce, if as much. 
 
 "I soon saw, by the light of the flames, that 
 all my officers and crew left alive and on board 
 surrounded me. I cannot form any idea of the 
 time, but it seemed five minutes from the time I 
 reached the poop until I left, the last man it was 
 possible to reach having been saved. It must 
 have been three-quarters of an hour or more, 
 however, from the amount of work done." 
 A Survivor's Story. 
 
 A graphic and detailed account of the dis- 
 aster is given by Lieutenant Blandin, one of the 
 officers of the Maine. 
 
 He says: 
 
 "I was on watch, and when the men had been 
 piped below I looked down the main hatches and 
 over the side of the ship. Everything was ab- 
 solutely normal. I walked aft to the quarter-deck, 
 behind the rear turret, as is allowed after 8 o'clock 
 in the evening, and sat down on the port side, 
 where I remained for a few minutes. Then, for 
 some reason I cannot explain to myself now, I 
 
304 CUBA. 
 
 moved to the starboard side and sat down there. 
 I was feeling a bit glum, and, in fact, was so quiet 
 that Lieutenant J. Hood came up and asked laugh- 
 ingly if J were asleep. I said, 'No; I am on watch.' 
 
 "Scarcely had I spoken when there came a 
 dull sullen roar. Would to God that I could blot 
 out the sound and the scenes that followed! Then 
 came a sharp explosion; some say, numerous de- 
 tonations. I remember only one. It seemed to 
 me that the sound came from the port side, for- 
 ward. Then came a perfect rain of missiles of all 
 descriptions, from huge pieces of cement to blocks 
 of wood, steel railings, fragments of gratings and 
 all the debris that would be detachable in an ex- 
 plosion. 
 
 "I was struck on the head by a piece of 
 cement and knocked down; but I was not hurt 
 and got to my feet in a moment. Lieutenant 
 Hood had run to the poop ; and I supposed, as I 
 followed, he was dazed by the shock and about to 
 jump overboard. I hailed him and he answered 
 that he had run to the poop to help lower the 
 boats. When I got there, though scarce a min- 
 ute could haveelasped, I had to wade in water to 
 my knees, and almost instantly the quarter-deck 
 was awash. On the poop I found Captain Sigs- 
 bee, as cool as if at a ball, and soon all the officers 
 except Jenkins and Merritt joined us. The poop 
 was above water after the Maine settled to the 
 
CUBA. 305 
 
 bottom. Captain Sigsbee ordered the launch and 
 gig lowered; and the officers and men, who by 
 this time had assembled, got the boats out and 
 rescued a number in the water. Captain Sigsbee 
 ordered Lieutenant-Commander Wainwright for- 
 ward to see the extent of the damage, and if any- 
 thing could be done to rescue those forward or to 
 extinguish the flames, which followed close upon 
 the explosion and burned fiercely as long as there 
 were any combustibles above water to feed them. 
 
 "Lieutenant-Commander Wainwright on his 
 return, reported the total and awful character of 
 the calamity ; and Captain Sigsbee gave the last 
 sad order, 'Abandon Ship,' to men overwhelmed 
 with grief indeed, but calm and apparently un- 
 excited." 
 
 Effect of the Disaster. 
 
 This disaster aroused all imaginable fears 
 and passions. Some suspected that the ship had 
 been destroyed by Spanish treachery, and a great 
 cry for revenge arose. But the sober sense of 
 the Nation prevailed, and it was properly decided 
 to await in patience the result of the official 
 investigation into the cause of the explosion. At 
 the same time, every possible preparation was 
 made for any emegency that might arise. The 
 Navy was put into trim for immediate action. 
 Work on new ships was pushed night and day. 
 The coast defences were reinforced; and the 
 
306 CUBA. 
 
 whole Naval and Military establishment of the 
 nation was put upon a war footing. Congress on 
 March 9, by a unanimous vote, appropriated 
 $50,000,000, to be used by the President accord- 
 ing to his discretion for purposes of national 
 defense. 
 
 The Court of Inquiry met promptly, and 
 began a careful investigation. A wrecking 
 company was set to work to recover the bodies 
 of the dead. Within two days 130 bodies were 
 recovered, and buried in a cemetery in Havana, 
 with all the honors of war. 
 
 A few days after the destruction of the 
 Maine the Spanish warship Viscaya reached New 
 York and was hospitably received. After a few 
 days' stay there she departed and went her way 
 in peace and safety. 
 
 The report of the Court of Inquiry on the 
 Maine disaster was laid before Congress on 
 March 28. It was to the effect that the ship was 
 destroyed by the external explosion of a torpedo 
 or sub-marine mine, the responsibility for which 
 could not be determined. The President on the 
 same day sent to Congress a message on the 
 subject, expressing his full confidence that the 
 Spanish Government would pursue in the matter 
 " a course of action suggested by honor and the 
 friendly relations of the two Governments." 
 
William. McKinley, President of the United States. 
 
BOOK II. 
 War With Spain. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 beginning of our war with spain appealing to 
 
 the powers general lee leaves cuba no 
 
 european meddling a bogus armistice 
 
 the president's message grounds for in- 
 tervention the time for action come 
 
 action of congress spanish defiance 
 
 general woodford leaves madrid war 
 
 and blockade the challenge accepted 
 
 european views causes of the war a 
 
 striking contrast spain reaping what she 
 
 sowed— Spain's low estate — important step 
 in american politics. 
 
 dp 
 
 HIS IS to be a chronicle of war, and of a 
 greater war than Cuba's own fight for 
 freedom. In he preceding chapter we 
 have told that the President hoped, and expressed 
 to Congress and to the nation the hope that Spain 
 would pursue in the matter of the destruction of 
 the warship "Maine" a course of action suggested 
 by honor and the friendly relations of the two 
 18 (309) 
 
3IO WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 governments, and also that a peaceful adjustment 
 of affairs in Cuba on a basis of honor and equity, 
 would be secured. Day by day the chances of such 
 settlement grew more remote. Day by day the 
 urgency of intervention by the United States in 
 Cuba became more apparent. The demand for 
 it grew more urgent. But the President waited. 
 He knew that, intervention meant war and he 
 knew that the country was not prepared for war, 
 nor indeed had the resources of diplomacy been 
 so thoroughly exhausted as to justify intervention 
 and war in the eyes of the world. He therefore 
 kept on trying every peaceful and diplomatic 
 means to settle the controversy with Spain, in the 
 meantime pushing military and naval prepara- 
 tions for work quietly but as expeditiously as 
 possible. Congress became impatient, but he 
 resisted its appeals for haste, promising to remit 
 the whole case to it as soon as all diplomatic 
 measures had been tried. 
 
 Appealing to tlie Powers. 
 Spain made desperate appeals to the Euro- 
 pean powers for aid. Some of them were inclined 
 to intervene in her behalf against the United 
 States, but it was out of the question to do so, 
 unless the six Great Powers could agree to act in 
 concert. This could not be done, because Great 
 Britain positively refused to take any part in such 
 action, and even let it be understood, in the most 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 3 1 I 
 
 unmistakable manner, that her sympathies were 
 with the United States and that she would prob- 
 ably join forces with the United States if any of 
 the other Powers allied themselves with Spain. 
 The Pope endeavored to bring about an amicable 
 settlement of the controversy but was unable to 
 do so. The Spanish Government greatly exag- 
 gerated the part he had taken and thereby 
 brought much reproach upon itself. 
 
 Both nations spared no labor in preparing for 
 war on land and at sea, but in this the United 
 States had from the outset a vast advantage over 
 Spain. She had plenty of money, while Spain 
 was all but bankrupt ; she had fine shipyards and 
 plenty of skilled mechanics and engineers, while 
 Spain had to get her ships built and repaired 
 abroad and had to look abroad for engineers and 
 gunners to manage them. 
 
 General Lee leaves Cuba. 
 
 Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, the United States Con- 
 sul-General at Havana, was in a delicate and even 
 perilous position. American ships were sent to 
 Havana daily to guard his welfare and to bring 
 away such Americans as desired to come. 
 
 As a matter of fact all Americans wanted to 
 get away, feeling sure that there would soon be 
 war, and every boat leaving Havana was crowded 
 with them. On April 5th, Gen. Lee was told that 
 he might leave Havana and return home at any 
 
312 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 time that his own safety demanded. He deter- 
 mined, however, to remain a little longer, until 
 all other Americans could get away. On April 
 9th, he decided to leave with the last of his fellow 
 countrymen. As a matter of courtesy he called 
 at the office of the Spanish Governor General to 
 bid him good-bye, but that officer rudely refused 
 to see him. Then Gen. Lee, with various other 
 United States Officers and a number of private 
 citizens, went aboard the steamship " Fern." 
 When all was ready, he signaled for all other 
 American vessels to leave the harbor first and 
 then late in the afternoon headed the "Fern" for 
 home. As the steamer passed by the wharves of 
 the city she was made a target for shouts and 
 abuse from the crowds of Spaniards that thronged 
 the water front. Gen. Lee was recognized by the 
 mob and many insulting shouts were directed at 
 him. Vice-Consul Springer who had been in 
 the Island 30 years, was standing by Gen. Lee's 
 side. He waved his hand in ironical adieu to the 
 mob and shouted back at them, "Wait, my friends, 
 we will all be back pretty soon." There was one 
 pretty incident. A British vessel was unloading 
 her cargo atone of the wharves. As the "Fern" 
 passeu her, she saluted with her flag, while her 
 crew gave three hearty cheers. Thus Gen. Lee 
 returned home and American relations with Cuba 
 were closed. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 313 
 
 IMo European Meddling. 
 
 In order to settle at once all talk about Euro- 
 pean intervention or even mediation, the Presi- 
 dent on April 7 arranged for a meeting at the 
 White House with the representatives of the six 
 Great Powers. On arriving there, the Ambas- 
 sadors delivered to him a mild and courteous 
 note, expressing, in the names of their respective 
 governments, an earnest hope that further ne- 
 gotiations might lead to an agreement between 
 the United States and Spain, which, while securing 
 the maintenance of peace, would afford all neces- 
 sary guarantees for the re-establishment of order 
 in Cuba. To this the President responded with 
 all possible courtesy, but with decided firmness. 
 He said that he appreciated the good will of the 
 Powers and shared with them the hope that peace 
 might be maintained and justice established at 
 the same time, but he gave them to understand 
 that this was a matter in which the United States 
 must act according to its own "interests, and in 
 which no foreign interference could be tolerated. 
 That served notice to all the world that this 
 nation was going to settle with Spain on its own 
 account. 
 
 A Bogus Armistice. 
 
 The next important move was made by 
 Spain. On April 9th the Cabinet decided to 
 grant an armistice to the Insurgents in Cuba. 
 
3H WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 This was done without any negotiation with the 
 Insurgents and without any assurance that they 
 would accept the offer. As a matter of fact, it 
 was perfectly well known that the Insurgents 
 would not accept the offer. This move on the part 
 of the Spanish Government was evidently a mere 
 ruse or pretext for delay, which the United States 
 Government recorded at its real value. Then 
 the Prime Minister issued a call for the Cortes to 
 assemble on April 20th, five days earlier than 
 had been intended. This was evidently done for 
 the purpose of expediting, if possible, prepara- 
 tions for war and also on making some repre- 
 sentations that might have effect upon the other 
 powers of Europe. 
 
 The President's Message. 
 At last, on April nth, the President sent to 
 Congress his long awaited message on the Cuban 
 question. He related in detail the story of his 
 patient dealings with Spain and her incorrigible 
 conduct and asked for authority to intervene in 
 Cuba, peacefully, if possible, forcibly, if necessary. 
 He gave his reasons for favoring intervention 
 in a logical and conclusive form. First, for the 
 sake of humanity and to put a stop to starvation 
 and massacre and all the horrible miseries that 
 prevailed on the island ; for the protection of 
 American citizens and their property in Cuba 
 and the restoration of American commerce to 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 315 
 
 normal conditions, and finally, for the freeing of 
 this Government from the intolerable nuisance 
 of chronic war in Cuba and continuous and enor- 
 mous expense in preventing filibustering and 
 from the constant menace to our national peace 
 and safety. These were the grounds and they 
 appealed to every one as moderate and absolutely 
 just and convincing. Let some of his own words 
 be quoted for the record. After arguing against 
 recognition of the independence of the Cubans, 
 he said : 
 
 " There remain the alternative forms of inter- 
 vention to end the war, either as an impartial 
 neutral by imposing a rational compromise be- 
 tween the contestants, or as the active ally of the 
 one party or the other. 
 
 "As to the first, it is not to be forgotten that 
 during the last few months the relation of the 
 United States has virtually been one of friendly 
 intervention in many ways, each not of itself con- 
 clusive, but all tending to the exertion of a poten- 
 tial influence towards an ultimate pacific result, 
 just and honorable to all interests concerned. The 
 spirit of all our acts hitherto has been an earnest, 
 unselfish desire for peace and prosperity in Cuba, 
 untarnished by differences between us and Spain, 
 and unstained by the blood of American citizens. 
 
 The forcible intervention of the United States 
 as a neutral, to stop the war, according to the 
 
316 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 large dictates of humanity and following many 
 historical precedents where neighboring States 
 have interfered to check the hopeless sacrifices of 
 life by internecine conflicts beyond their borders, 
 is justifiable on rational grounds It involves, 
 however, hostile constraint upon both the parties 
 to the contest, as well to enforce a truce as to 
 guide the eventual settlement 
 
 Grounds for Intervention 
 
 "The grounds for such intervention may be 
 briefly summarized as follows 
 
 "First — In the cause of humanity and to put 
 an end to the barbarities, bloodshed, starvation 
 and horrible miseries now existing there, and 
 which the parties to the conflict are either unable 
 or unwilling to stop or mitigate. It is no answer 
 to say this is nil in another country, belonging to 
 another nation, and is therefore none of our busi- 
 ness. It is specially our duty, for it is right at 
 our door. 
 
 "Second — We owe it to our citizens in Cuba 
 to afford them that protection and indemnity for 
 life and property which no government there can 
 or will afford, and to that end to terminate the 
 conditions that deprive them of legal protection. 
 "Third — The right to intervene may be justified 
 by the very serious injury to the commerce, trade 
 and business of our people, and by the wanton des- 
 truction of property and devastation of the island. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. ^\J 
 
 "Fourth — And which is of the utmost im- 
 portance. The present condition of affairs in 
 Cuba is a constant menace to our peace, and 
 entails upon this Government an enormous ex- 
 pense. With such a conflict waged for years in 
 an island so near us and with which our people 
 have such trade and business relations — when the 
 lives and liberty of our citizens are in constant 
 danger and their property destroyed and them- 
 selves ruined — where our trading vessels are 
 liable to seizure and are seized at our very door 
 by warships of a foreign nation, the expeditions 
 of filibustering that we are powerless altogether 
 to prevent, and the irritating questions and en- 
 tanglements thus arising — all these and others 
 that I need not mention, with the resulting 
 strained relations, are a constant menace to our 
 peace and compel us to keep on a semi-war foot- 
 ing with a war nation with which we are at peace. 
 
 The Time for Action Come. 
 "The long trial has proved that the object 
 for which Spain has waged the war cannot be at- 
 tained. The fire of insurrection may flame or 
 may smoulder with varying seasons, but it has 
 not been and it is plain that it cannot be extin- 
 guished by present methods. The only hope of 
 relief and repose from a condition which can no 
 longer be endured, is the enforced pacification of 
 Cuba. In the name of humanity, in the name of 
 
3 iS WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 civilization, in behalf of endangered American in- 
 terests which give us the right and the duty to 
 speak and to act, the war in Cuba must stop. 
 
 "In view of these facts and of these consid- 
 erations, I ask the Congress to authorize and em- 
 power the President to take measures to secure 
 a full and final termination of hostilities between 
 the Government of Spain and the people of 
 Cuba, and secure in the island the establishment 
 of a stable Government capable of maintaining 
 order and observing its international obligations, 
 insuring peace and tranquillity and the security of 
 its citizens as well as our own, and to use the mil- 
 itary and naval forces of the United States, as 
 may be necessary, for these purposes." 
 
 In conclusion he said, "The issue is now 
 with Congress. It is a solemn responsibility. I 
 have exhausted every effort to relieve the intoler- 
 able condition of affairs which is at our doors. 
 Prepared to exact every obligation imposed upon 
 me by the Constitution and the Law, I await your 
 action." 
 
 This message was accompanied by many ex- 
 tracts from the reports of the various United 
 States Councils in Cuba showing the horrible ex- 
 tent to which starvation, disease and death had 
 been caused by General Weyler's inhuman order 
 and all agreeing that autonomy for Cuba as pro- 
 posed by Spain was an impossibility. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 319 
 
 Action of Congress. 
 
 Congress acted on the President's message 
 with promptness. There was some little ques- 
 tion whether the Cuban Insurgents should be 
 recognized as independent or not. The President 
 was opposed to such recognization, and his judg- 
 ment finally prevailed. The House of Repre- 
 sentatives on April 13th adopted a resolution 
 empowering the President to intervene in Cuba 
 for the restoration of peace and to use the 
 army and navy if necessary for the purpose. 
 The Senate made some additions to this and 
 finally on April 18th an agreement of both 
 Houses was reached on the following resolutions: 
 
 Resolved, By the Senate and House of Representatives 
 of the United States of America, in Congress assembled : 
 
 First — That the people of the island of Cuba are, and of 
 right ought to be, free and independent. 
 
 Second — That it is the duty of the United States to de- 
 mand and the Government of the United States does hereby 
 demand, that the Government of Spain at once relinquish its 
 authority and government in the island of Cuba and withdraw 
 its land and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban waters. 
 
 Third — That the President of the United States be, and 
 he hereby is, directed and empowered to use the entire land 
 and naval forces of the United States, and to call into the 
 actual service of the United States the militia of the several 
 States, to such extent as may be necessary to carry these 
 resolutions into effect. 
 
320 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Fourth — That the United States hereby disclaims any 
 disposition or intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction 
 or control over said island, except for the pacification thereof, 
 and asserts its determination when that is accomplished to 
 leave the government and control of the island to its people. 
 
 This meant business. The President promptly 
 signed the intervention act and sent a note to 
 Spain requesting her to withdraw from Cuba and 
 let the United States restore order. At the same 
 time, United States warships began to gather in 
 the Gulf of Mexico and the United States army- 
 was gradually moved eastward and southward 
 toward Florida. 
 
 Spanish Defiance. 
 
 Spain met all this with defiance. On April 
 19th the Prime Minister made a bellicose speech 
 to his supporters in the Cortes in which he railed 
 at and maligned the United States, declaring the 
 intervention act to be the most infamous insult 
 ever offered to a nation, and declaring that Spain 
 would fight to the bitter end before she would 
 yield an inch to the United States. 
 
 The next day the Cortes met. The Queen 
 came in person to deliver her speech, reading it, 
 seated upon the throne, with the boy King stand- 
 ing at her right hand. Her speech followed the 
 lines of the Prime Minister of the day before, 
 accusing the United States of insult and aggres- 
 sion and urging the Spanish Government to 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 32 1 
 
 resist to the very end. " It is possible," she 
 said, "that an act of aggression is imminent, and 
 that neither the sanctity of our right nor the 
 moderation of our conduct, nor the express wish 
 of the Cuban people freely manifested, may serve 
 to restrain the passions and hatred let loose 
 against the Spanish Fatherland. In anticipation 
 of this critical moment, when reason and justice 
 will have for their support only the Spanish cour- 
 age and the traditional energy of our people, I 
 have hastened the assembly of the Cortes, and 
 the supreme decision of Parliament will doubtless 
 sanction the unalterable resolution of my Govern- 
 ment to defend our rights, whatsoever sacrifices 
 may be imposed upon us to accomplish this task. 
 In acting thus in unison with the nation, I not 
 only perform the duty which I swore to fulfil when 
 I accepted the Regency, but I also seek to 
 strengthen my mother's heart with the confident 
 belief that the Spanish people will display a force 
 which nothing can shake, until the time when it 
 will be given to my son to defend in person the 
 honor of the nation and the integrity of its 
 territory." 
 
 General "Woodford Leaves Madrid. 
 
 The Spanish Government refused to receive 
 the President's note or ultimatum. One copy of 
 it was delivered to the Spanish Minister at Wash- 
 ington. He immediately asked for his passports 
 
322 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 and prepared to leave the country. On the 
 evening of April 20th, he and his suite entered a 
 railroad train at Washington and departed for 
 Canada. There was no public demonstration 
 at his departure, and no unpleasant incidents 
 whatever. 
 
 At the same time the President's note was 
 transmitted by cable to Gen. Woodford, the 
 United States Minister at Madrid, for him to pre- 
 sent to the Prime Minister of Spain. The latter 
 refused to receive it and sent Gen. Woodford his 
 passport. The General thereupon departed from 
 Madrid for France as speedily as possible. A 
 great crowd surrounded the railroad station, 
 shouting all sorts of unfriendly utterances at the 
 departing minister. As the train traversed Span- 
 ish territory, it was frequently attacked and 
 stoned, windows were broken and the police had 
 to protect it from the mob with drawn swords. 
 At one point Gen. Woodford's car was invaded 
 by detectives who proposed to arrest the Gen- 
 eral's Secretary on the ground that he was a 
 Spaniard. Gen. Woodford personally resisted 
 their attempts and finally succeeded in getting 
 away and in taking his Secretary with him to 
 safety. 
 
 War and Blockade. 
 Simultaneously with the dismissal of the 
 American Minister, the Spanish Government 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 323 
 
 issued a note declaring that it considered war to 
 have been declared between the United States 
 and Spain. The next day, April 22nd, the Presi- 
 dent issued a proclamation announcing a blockade 
 of five of the principal ports of Cuba. To carry 
 out his order, a powerful fleet was at once sent 
 to Cuban waters and the ports of Havana, 
 Matanzas, Cardenas and Bahia Hunda on the 
 north coast, and Cienfuegos on the south coast 
 were closed against entrance or exit of any 
 vessels. At the same time the American Asiatic 
 squadron at Hong Kong, under the command of 
 Commodore Dewey, sailed for Manila with in- 
 structions to destroy the Spanish fleet there and 
 to take possession of the Philippine Islands in 
 the name of the United States. 
 
 . The first prize ship of the war was captured 
 on April 22nd. This was the Spanish merchant 
 steamer " Buena Ventura" which was captured 
 by the Gunboat "Nashville" off Key West. 
 Thereafter the capture of Spanish vessels by the 
 American Blockading Fleet was a matter of daily 
 occurrence. 
 
 The United States promptly made an unequi- 
 vocal declaration that in this war the rights of 
 neutrals were to be respected; that free ships 
 would make free goods, and that neutral goods 
 were to be exempt from seizure, even on the 
 enemy's ships and that there would be no resort 
 
324 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 to privateering. Spain hesitated a few days and 
 then issued a declaration to about the same 
 effect, with the important exception, that she 
 reserved the right to resort to privateering, 
 and even intimated that she would exercise 
 that right. 
 
 The Challenge Accepted. 
 
 Finally, on April 25th, President McKinley 
 sent a special message to Congress recommending 
 not a declaration of war, but that a state of war 
 with Spain be recognized as existing. A bill in 
 accordance with this suggestion was immediately 
 passed by both Houses, without a dissenting vote 
 and was signed by the President. This com- 
 pleted the establishment of a state of war. 
 Actually the war began in the act of the Spanish 
 Government on April 21st, when it withdrew its 
 Minister from Washington ; dismissed the 
 American Minister from Madrid ; declared that 
 a state of war existed and announced that its 
 warships were already on their way to fight 
 America. 
 
 Thus was the full issue joined between the 
 nations, and the United States plunged into a for- 
 eign war almost exactly half a century after its 
 last preceding foreign war had been brought to 
 an end. 
 
Queen Regent and Alphonso XXII* 
 
Opening the Spanish Cortez. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 327 
 
 European Views. 
 
 European opinion upon the war varied. 
 British opinion was chiefly favorable, and Conti- 
 nental opinion largely unfavorable to the United 
 States. There were, however, in the Continent 
 some sane and friendly expressions, from among 
 which the following, from the Frankfort Zeitung, 
 may profitably be quoted : 
 
 " Hostilities have begun between Spain and 
 the United States without a formal declaration of 
 war. This fact is perplexing both to the idealist 
 and the realist. That Spain should be at war is 
 not strange — one is accustomed to this in the 
 case of a European monarchy ; but that the 
 great American Republic, which in the 1 20 years 
 of its existence, has taken to arms but twice, 
 and then only under compulsion, should, as it 
 were, force a war, is truly remarkable. Spain 
 justly enjoys little sympathy, and can expect no 
 material aid. The most she can expect is a more 
 or less sincere expression of pity which is added 
 to the explanation of the absolute justice of her 
 cause. The United States, on the other hand, is 
 accused of the most flagrant offence against in- 
 ternational law, and upon her is turned the wrath 
 of a. great many eager defenders of justice — of 
 men who have forgotten that the political and 
 social development of Europe has been an unin- 
 terrupted chain of international law-breaking, and 
 
 19 
 
328 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 who no longer remember how many of these in, 
 justices they themselves have defended. Truly, 
 the hyprocrisy of which the Americans are ac- 
 cused has a number of representatives even in 
 Europe. 
 
 Causes of the "War. 
 "When the United States begins a war we 
 may rest assured that it is not begun in the friv- 
 olous way in which it has been, time and again, 
 begun by European monarchs, to whom war has 
 often been but the satisfaction of a whim or a mere 
 pastime. The Spanish-American war has more 
 profound causes — causes of which the intelligent 
 students of history are not ignorant. It is true 
 that the decision of the United States has been 
 influenced by material interests, and that politics 
 and financial speculations have played a part, but 
 these, however skilfully they may have been able 
 to take advantage of the existing conditions, 
 could never have forced the entire American 
 people into a policy of arms. The American 
 people who, in a large majority, support its 
 representatives and Government, and who now 
 unanimously advocate determined action, were 
 actuated by the conviction that a stop must be 
 put to the horrible state of affairs brought 
 about by Spanish misrule in Cuba, at the very 
 gates of the country, and by which many 
 American citizens were constantly being injured. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 329 
 
 The reports about the terrible results of the plan 
 of extermination of General Weyler called forth 
 in America a storm of indignation which cannot be 
 appeased by protests or diplomatic expression, 
 but calls for immediate action. ' These conditions 
 must be ended,' has long been the sentiment 
 which has now finally materialized. 
 A Striking: Contrast. 
 " If one compares with this the way in which, 
 two years ago, Europe permitted the cold- 
 blooded murder of 100,000 Armenians by the 
 Sultan, with whom she is even now on the best 
 terms, one cannot but rejoice that there is yet in 
 the world a people among whom humanity is not 
 an empty term, and who, in their just indignation 
 at a committed outrage, can take to the sword. 
 The Americans have never paid much attention 
 to diplomatic forms and quibbles. Independently 
 they conceive their own opinions, independently 
 they create their own politics and diplomatic code. 
 They have the material and the power for this, 
 mentally and physically. They proceed in the 
 direction in which they consider it their duty to 
 proceed, and pay little attention to the approval 
 or disapproval of Europe. The Americans want 
 the Cuban outrages stopped in one way or the 
 other. If words are of no avail, force will be 
 used. What becomes of Spain in the course of 
 events is no one's business but her own. 
 
330 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Spain Reaping: What She So-wed. 
 
 "Spain is reaping what she has sowed. A 
 chapter of the history of the world is now going 
 on which has been inevitable. The Spaniard 
 could conquer, but not colonize. Even the very- 
 Spaniards who discovered America, filled the 
 world with indignation at their brutalities. They 
 destroyed an ancient civilization and sacked 
 peaceful, flourishing kingdoms ; in the same spirit 
 of bloodthirst and greed for gold did they roast 
 the King of the Aztecs, Montezuma, and his 
 people for the sake of forcing more gold from 
 them. The history of Spanish America is a con- 
 tinuous tale of murder and rapine. As soon as 
 the American inhabitants became conscious of 
 their position, rebellion and separation began. 
 In this way Spain has gradually lost all her posses- 
 sions on the American continent, and in this way 
 will she now lose Cuba, the Pearl of the Antilles. 
 
 "Long enough has she had the opportunity 
 of quieting the rising storm by making Cuba free 
 and happy, but she has not availed herself of it. 
 That system which at home persecuted Jews and 
 Moors, opposed every free sentiment, reduced 
 almost the entire population to beggary, and, 
 even now makes use of instruments of torture, 
 could not be a system of freedom, enlightenment 
 and public welfare in Cuba. In the waters of 
 Cuba two entirely mutually opposed stages of 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 33 1 
 
 civilization are constantly brought into contact 
 with each other. In the north is the free 
 American, with his sentiments of equality 
 and independence, his striving for education and 
 activity ; opposed to him is the Spaniard, who 
 has learned nothing, and can be of no advantage 
 to mankind. 
 
 Spain's Low Estate. 
 " The Spanish Kingdom proudly calls itself a 
 Catholic monarchy, and has ever striven to act 
 as the defender of religion — the servant of the 
 clergy. In Spain the clerical ideal has material- 
 ized ; the clergy is all-powerful, the Government 
 her humble servant. The rest is in the same 
 plan — the ruling classes unscrupulously seeking 
 selfish ends, the people impoverished, coarse and 
 ignorant. Out of 17,000,000 inhabitants, barely 
 5", 000, 000 can read and write. To those few 
 schoolmasters that Spain does possess, neither 
 the State nor the community pays a sum large 
 enough to keep them from starving. At the same 
 time 32,000 monks and 15,000 nuns are living 
 most splendidly ; they have everything whenever 
 and how they wish it. Spain may have artists 
 and orators, but she has no mental energy and no 
 power, because she lacks freedom of mind. A 
 people who can only mumble prayers and finds 
 pleasure in bullfights can never found civilization 
 and public welfare. 
 
332 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 "In the present war, free, Protestant Anglo- 
 Saxons are opposed to a Latin nation which is 
 ruled by the clergy. It is a new chapter of a con- 
 flict old in history. Who will and must be the 
 final victor it is easy to see. It is true that, for the 
 beginning, Spain has in her control, larger and 
 better trained bodies of soldiers than the United 
 States ; but the Union can certainly procure these, 
 and possesses, at all events, more endurance, 
 because she is not only superior in population, 
 but is in control of almost inexhaustible resources, 
 whereas Spain is, at the very beginning of the 
 war, almost bankrupt. 
 
 Important Step in American Politics. 
 
 "The task the United States has undertaken 
 in proceeding to free Cuba from the Spanish 
 yoke is certainly a most important step in the 
 development of the politics of the American hemi- 
 sphere. The doctrine, "America for the Ameri- 
 cans," is made to apply, not only to the continent, 
 but to the islands as well. Cuba is, geograph- 
 ically, the most important, and the misrule of the 
 Spanish on that island has long enough been 
 challenging American interference. It would be 
 a waste of energy to make too many conjectures 
 as to the possibilities of the war, but one thing is 
 assured, an easy victory would certainly encourage 
 the Americans to continue in this new policy. 
 They would attempt further liberations, and would 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. T>33 
 
 further strengthen their system of self-satisfied 
 exclusiveness. This is sufficient reason why the 
 European States should, though observing strict 
 neutrality, keep a wary eye on the happenings 
 over there. 
 
 "For the Americans, however, the same law 
 exists which has prevailed throughout the entire 
 history of mankind, and the abuse of which has 
 ever been revenged most terribly on nations and 
 monarchs — that is, the law of temperance. If the 
 Americans abuse this law, not even the fact that 
 they are Americans will protect them from the 
 fatal consequences of their recklessness. For 
 over them, as well as over Spain, the indisputable 
 history of the world sits in judgment." 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE STORY OF SPAIN ROMAN DAYS IN SPAIN PELAYO 
 
 RISE OF SPANISH POWER THE MODERN TI- 
 BERIUS THE DECLINE OF SPAIN FERDINAND'S 
 
 BAD REIGN THE CARLIST REVOLT THE LATEST 
 
 CHAPTER PORTO RICO CHARACTER OF THE 
 
 ISLAND THE CAPITAL AN ANCIENT WALLED 
 
 CITY THE PHILIPPINES SPANISH SETTLEMENTS 
 
 IN I565 INVADED BY OTHER NATIONS 
 
 GREATLY OPPRESSED AND TAXED SOME NATIVES 
 
 UNSUBDUED NATIVES MILD AND AMIABLE 
 
 TRADE OF THE ISLANDS FOREIGN COMMERCE 
 
 BEGINS. 
 
 IT IS a common complaint made by every gen- 
 eration, that we have fallen upon dull and 
 uneventful times. There are no great things 
 happening nowadays, such as those of which we 
 read of in history. But the complaint is, at least in 
 our day, without foundation. We speak of the fall 
 of the Roman Empire as a colossal event, and so it 
 was. But to-day we are witnessing the fall of an 
 empire which once was in its way as great as that of 
 Rome. The Spanish Empire, which was founded 
 upon the ruins of Rome, and which was once fully 
 comparable with Rome in all its glory, has passed 
 through the various stages of decline and now 
 
 (334} 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 335 
 
 seems tottering and hastening to its utter fall. 
 There was a time when Spain dominated the whole 
 of Europe, with the exception of the British Isles. 
 She claimed half of Africa, a great share of Asia 
 and all of America. To-day she is scarcely a third- 
 class power in Europe, the least of all foreign 
 land-holders in Africa, and sees the last of her 
 Asian and American possessions slipping from 
 her palsied grasp. 
 
 No empire ever began its course with higher 
 promise than Spain. The Iberian Peninsula is 
 singularly favored by nature. Its climate is 
 genial, its soil well watered and fertile, and 
 abounding in useful and precious minerals. Its 
 geographical position "gives it command of en- 
 trance to and exit from the Mediterranean Sea, 
 and ample frontage on that sea, and on the 
 Atlantic Ocean, ready access to all the lands of 
 Southern Europe, and close connection with 
 Africa. Nor were the people formerly unworthy 
 of their environment and opportunities. Who the 
 original inhabitants of the country were is not 
 exactly known. Probably they were identical with 
 those "fragments of forgotten peoples" who 
 occupy the Northwest corner of the peninsula 
 and whom we call the Basques. The Basques are 
 solitary and unique among the nations of the 
 world. They seem to belong to the children of 
 neither Ham, Shem, nor Japheth. Their language 
 
336 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 is related to no other now in existence. Some 
 say it was the tongue used by Adam and Eve in 
 the Garden of Eden, and others, that it was 
 brought to Spain by Tubal Cain before the con- 
 fusion of tongues at Babel. Still others say it is 
 the language of the angels, which the Devil once 
 tried to learn, but abandoned in despair, when it 
 took him seven years to learn three words. No 
 wonder if, as they say, in that language yoil spell 
 a word Solomon and pronounce it Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, 
 
 Roman Days in Spain. 
 But whatever the original stock of Spain, the 
 advantages of a composite population were soon 
 added. First, the Celts moved in, and then 
 Phoenicians, Greeks, and Egyptians. After them 
 came the Carthaginians, and then the Romans. 
 The Romans found Spain the hardest of all 
 countries to subdue, but they accomplished the 
 task after an inch by inch struggle, in the time of 
 Augustus Caesar, and then the Spaniards became 
 more Roman than the Romans themselves. It 
 was in Spain that the literature and arts of Rome 
 attained their well-nigh best development. Spain 
 gave to Rome one of the greatest of her Em- 
 perors, Trajan, and such literary lights as Martial, 
 Lucan, Seneca and Quintilian. All over Spain 
 you will find cities still bearing Roman names, 
 such as Leon, which comes from Legio, Saragossa, 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 337 
 
 or Caesar Augusta, Pampeluna, or Pompeiopolis, 
 and Merida, or Emerita Augusta. After the 
 Romans came the conquerors of Rome, the 
 Goths and Vandals, who established there the 
 most lasting of all the Gothic kingdoms. The 
 name of the Vandals is preserved in that of the 
 province of Andalusia. And finally there was an 
 influx of Moors from Africa, thus completing the 
 complex mixture of Spanish blood, and well 
 entitling the Spaniard of to-day to call himself a 
 Hidalgo, which means, the son of somebody. 
 Pelayo. 
 It was in the year 409, that the Goths and 
 Vandals entered Spain and set up there the King- 
 dom of the Visigoths. They established a dynasty 
 which remained unbroken until the invasion of 
 the Saracens. Among the monarchs of this line, 
 were Theodoric, who conquered Attila at Chalons, 
 and Recared, who, about the year 600, reunited 
 the Goths with the Roman Catholic Church. In 
 the seventh century the Saracens landed at 
 Gibraltar, and, in the course of a few years, con- 
 quered the country. They slew Roderic, the 
 Gothic King, and drove the remnant of his people 
 into the mountains of Asturias, where, under the 
 famous Pelayo, in 718 to y^y, were laid the 
 foundations of a kingdom which was destined one 
 day to expel its conquerors. The Saracens 
 established tv/o kingdoms, Cordova and Grenada, 
 
338 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 in which learning and civilization soon advanced 
 to a high pitch. They made several attempts to 
 advance further into Europe but were overwhelm- 
 ingly defeated at Tours, in 732 by Charles Martel, 
 
 The dynasty founded by Pelayo, in Asturias, 
 in 718, lasted until 1027. Then the kingdom was 
 divided into the two separate kingdoms of Leon 
 and Castile, which were reunited in 1230. The 
 kingdom of Navarre was founded in 885, and 
 united with Castile in 151 2. The kingdom of 
 Aragon was founded in 1035, and united with 
 Castile in 15 16. The county of Barcelona became 
 a part of Aragon in 1 1 3 1 . The present kingdom 
 of Portugal was originally a province of Castile, 
 but became an independent kingdom in 1 140. 
 
 The first king of all Christian Spain, includ- 
 ing Aragon, Navarre, Castile and Leon, was 
 Alfonso I, who reigned from 1 104 to 1 134. Aided 
 by French and English volunteers he waged per- 
 petual war against the Saracens and greatly 
 impaired their power. His successors continued 
 the conflict, and, little by little, year by year, 
 drove the Saracens back toward Africa. 
 Rise of Spanish Power. 
 
 Cordova was captured in 1236, and then 
 only the Kingdom of Grenada remained to the 
 Saracens. It resisted for two hundred and fifty 
 years the attacks of the Spaniards, but finally fell 
 at the end of the fifteenth century. At that time 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 339 
 
 Isabella of Castile and her husband, Ferdinand of 
 Aragon, practically united the whole of Spain 
 under one sceptre. Their reign extended from 
 1474 to 1512, and was marked by the final expul- 
 sion of the Moors, the discovery of America by 
 Christopher Columbus, and the organization of the 
 Inquisition. At this time Spain began to grow 
 into a great European power. From this 
 reign dates its modern history. But in the 
 very events which made its greatness, Spain 
 received the seeds of evil which have led to 
 its fall. For one thing, the expulsion of the 
 Moors deprived the country of its best industrial 
 element. The expulsion of the Jews, accom- 
 plished a little earlier, deprived the nation of its 
 best tradesmen and scholars. There was little 
 left except soldiers, priests, and a lazy and 
 ignorant peasantry. Such a nation might achieve 
 great conquests, but could not establish a lasting 
 Empire. 
 
 Early in the fifteenth century came the reign 
 of Charles I, better known as the great German 
 Emperor Charles V. The history of his reign 
 was the history of all Europe. His authority 
 extended over all Germany and a large part of 
 what is now France, half of Italy and the entire 
 Western Hemisphere, He was constantly at war 
 with some power or another, and at last, weary 
 of conflict, and heart-sick at the failure of his 
 
34-0 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 scheme to make his sway over the Holy Roman 
 Empire hereditary, he resigned his crown. That 
 was in in 1556. He gave the Empire to his 
 brother Ferdinand, and his hereditary dominions, 
 Spain, Italy, the Low Countries, and America, to 
 his son Philip. 
 
 Then he retired to a monastery and died two 
 years later. His son, Philip II, became the most 
 powerful monarch in Europe. 
 
 The Modern Tiberius. 
 
 But his reign was marked with excessive 
 cruelty. He was despotic and selfish to an ex- 
 treme degree and has been well called the Tiber- 
 ius of modern history. He aimed to add the 
 British Isles to his dominion by his marriage with 
 Queen Mary of England, but was disappointed in 
 that ambition. He resolved to destroy Protes- 
 tantism in his realm, and to that end established 
 the Inquisition in full force, not only in Spain but 
 also in Italy and the Netherlands. In the latter 
 country he was stubbornly resisted by William 
 the Silent. After a bloody war in which the 
 Spanish Commander, the Duke of Alva, was guilty 
 of such cruelties as the world had not seen since 
 the time of Nero, the independence of the Nether- 
 lands was gained. That was a serious blow to 
 Spain. It so enraged Philip that he murdered his 
 own son, Charles, for the fault of expressing 
 sympathy with the rebels. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 34 1 
 
 As a compensation for the loss of the Nether- 
 lands, however, Philip conquered Portugal and 
 added it to Spain. Then he went to war with 
 England, partly because it had become a Protes- 
 tant country, partly because it had aided the 
 rebels in the Netherlands, and partly because 
 Queen Elizabeth would not marry him and give 
 him her Kingdom. He fitted out in 1588 the 
 Invincible Armada, the largest fleet the world 
 had ever seen, and sent it against England. Bad 
 weather and the English fleet entirely destroyed 
 it, with the loss of more than 20,000 Spanish 
 lives. At the same time English captains attacked 
 the Spanish colonies and Spanish fleets in 
 America and inflicted great loss upon them. 
 
 As if to get revenge for the reverses he suf- 
 fered in foreign wars, Philip inflicted terrible 
 persecutions upon many of his own subjects. 
 There were still in Spain about half a million 
 descendants of the Saracens, who were by far the 
 most business-like and enterprising people in that 
 nation. In 1609 Philip ordered them all to leave 
 Spain within thirty days, under penalty of death. 
 By that mad act he deprived Spain of five- 
 sixths of its wealth and commerce, reduced its 
 revenue to less than half what it had been, and 
 inflicted upon the nation a blow from which it 
 never recovered. 
 
342 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 The Decline of Spain. 
 
 Thereafter the decline of Spain was steady 
 and rapid. France seized all the provinces 
 north of the Pyrenees. The last hold upon Ger- 
 many was broken. Portugal regained its inde- 
 pendence. Dissensions and rebellions arose in 
 Spain itself. And by the year 1 700 the kingdom 
 was practically a wreck. Its Sovereign was de- 
 pendent upon foreign powers for his title to the 
 throne. Again and again Spain was invaded by 
 the Portuguese, Dutch and English. In 1704 the 
 English seized the great fortress of Gibraltar, 
 which they have ever since held. In the latter 
 part of that century England took possession of a 
 number of the West Indian Islands. Then the 
 Napoleonic wars came on. At first Spain sided 
 with France against England and a disastrous 
 war ensued. The Spanish fleet was destroyed in 
 the battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1797 and the 
 Island of Trinidad was taken by the English. 
 Then Spain was compelled in 1803, to give the 
 great American province of Louisiana to 
 France. Two years later the new Spanish fleet 
 was destroyed by Nelson at Trafalgar. 
 
 In 1808 Napoleon deposed the Spanish 
 King, Ferdinand, and put his own brother, Joseph 
 Bonaparte, on the throne. This caused war be- 
 tween France and Spain. English troops came to 
 the assistance of Spain, and the gigantic struggle 
 
General Fitzhugh Lee. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 345 
 
 known as the Peninsular War began. The British 
 troops in Spain were led by the Duke of Well- 
 ington, and in several hard fought campaigns 
 they defeated Napoleon's ablest generals and best 
 troops. 
 
 Ferdinand's Bad Reign, 
 
 In 1 8 14 Ferdinand was restored to this 
 throne. He soon showed himself one of the 
 worst Kings the country ever had. He abolished 
 Parliament and made himself an absolute despot. 
 He re-established the Inquisition. His tyranny 
 drove all the Spanish colonies in Mexico, Central 
 America and South America to revolt. In the 
 course of a dozen years, these latter won their 
 independence. Florida was surrendered to the 
 United States. And then, in all the hemisphere 
 that once was hers, Spain had nothing left but the 
 islands of Cuba and Porto Rico. So bad was the 
 King's government that a large part of the 
 Spanish people wished to depose him and put 
 his brother, Don Carlos, on the throne. 
 The Carl 1st Revolt. 
 
 In 1833 tne King died and by his will left his 
 throne to his infant daughter, Isabella. Then the 
 followers of Don Carlos openly revolted and the 
 first Carlist war began. The whole reign of Isa- 
 bella was marked with shameful mis-government, 
 with frequent outbreaks of the Carlists and with 
 various attempts at revolution. Several times the 
 
 20 
 
346 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Queen had to leave the throne and let General 
 Espartero govern the country. Her personal 
 life was marked with immoralities that were the 
 scandal of all Europe. Finally, in 1868, she was 
 driven from the throne by a revolution, and Mar- 
 shal Serrano, one of her lovers, and the reputed 
 father of her son, became the head of a pro- 
 visional government. In 1870 she formally ab- 
 dicated in favor of her son. 
 
 But the Spanish people had had enough of 
 that family, so Amadeus, Duke of Aosta, son of 
 Victor Emmanuel, King of Italy, was called to the 
 throne. He had a stormy reign of three years 
 and then abdicated. For two years thereafter, 
 Spain had a succession of dictatorships and at- 
 tempts at republican government, and a contin- 
 uous struggle with the Carlists. At last Serrano 
 regained supreme power, and, in January, 1875, 
 gave the crown to Prince Alfonso, son of the Ex- 
 Queen Isabella. The Prince accepted and was 
 recognized by all the European powers as King. 
 The Carlists were soon subdued and peace re- 
 stored. Then for a few years the much troubled 
 country had peace. 
 
 The Latest Chapter. 
 
 Alfonso I. married the Spanish Princess, 
 Mercedes. After her death he married Marie 
 Christina, an Austrian Princess. At the end of 
 1885 he died leaving two infant daughters, the 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 347 
 
 elder of whom became nominally Queen for a 
 short time. But soon after the widowed Queen, 
 Maria Christina, gave birth to a son, who, under 
 the name of Alfonso XIII. became nominal King 
 of Spain. The Queen mother continued to 
 reign as Queen Regent, and on the whole exer- 
 cised her authority wisely and well. The influ- 
 ences of the army and the corrupt political rings 
 which controlled the Ministry and Parliament 
 were, however, too much for her to resist. Being 
 of foreign birth she realized that she must do as 
 the Spanish leaders wished her to do. In conse- 
 quence ill-government continued to prevail in the 
 few colonies that were left to Spain, and 
 rebellions occurred in Cuba and the Philippine 
 Islands. 
 
 Porto Rico. 
 
 Elsewhere we have told the story of Spain's 
 chief colony in the Antilles. That of her second, 
 and only other in late years, is quickly told. 
 
 Porto Rico was sighted by Columbus on the 
 1 6th of November, 1493. Three days later he 
 anchored in the bay, the description of which 
 corresponds to that of Mayagues. In 15 10 and 
 151 1 Ponce de Leon visited the islands and 
 founded a settlement and gave it the name of 
 San Juan Bautista. Landings were effected by 
 the English in 1702 at Arecibo, in 1743 at 
 Ponce, and in 1797 at the capital, but each time 
 
348 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 they were repulsed by the Spaniards. An at- 
 tempt of the people to obtain independence after 
 three years of turbulence was frustrated in 1823. 
 As to the Spanish administration of the islands, it 
 differs but little, if at all from that imposed upon 
 Cuba. 
 
 The island is a parallelogram in general 
 outline, 103 miles from east to west, and from 37 
 to 43 miles across. San Juan, the principal town, 
 is of considerable strategic importance. It is 
 distant from the Cape Verde Islands, 2,100 miles; 
 from Key West, 1,050; from Hampton Roads, 
 1,420. 
 
 The population in 1887 numbered 798,565, 
 of whom 474,933 were white, 246,647 mulattoes, 
 and 76,905 negroes. Slavery was abolished in 
 1873; three years after the colony was declared to 
 be a representative 'province of Spain and divided 
 into seven departments. 
 
 Character of the Island. 
 
 The most of the population is located on the 
 lowlands at the sea front of the hill. For lack of 
 roads the interior is accessible only by mule trails 
 or saddle paths, and it is covered with vast forests. 
 There are interesting caves in the mountains, 
 those of Aguas Buenas and Ciales being the 
 most notable. Rivers and brooks are numerous, 
 forty-seven very considerable rivers having been 
 enumerated. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 349 
 
 The principal minerals found in Porto Rico 
 are gold, carbonates and sulphides of copper, mag- 
 netic oxide of iron in large quantities. Lignite is 
 found at Utuado and Moca, and also yellow amber. 
 A large variety of marbles, limestones and other 
 building stones are deposited on the island, but 
 these resources are very undeveloped. There 
 are salt works at Guanica and Salinac, on the 
 south coast, and at Cape Rojo, on the west, and 
 this constitutes the principal mineral industry in 
 Porto Rico. Hot springs and mineral waters are 
 found at Juan Diaz, San Sebastian, San Lorenzo 
 and Ponce, but the most famous is at Coamo, 
 near the town of Santa Isabel. The climate is 
 hot, but much alleviated by the prevailing north- 
 east winds. A temperature as high as 117 
 degrees Fahrenheit has been recorded, but it 
 seldom exceeds 97 degrees Fahrenheit. The 
 rainy season lasts from August to December, and 
 the rainfall is at times so copious north of the 
 mountains as to inundate cultivated fields and pro- 
 duce swamps. The rainfall for 1878 was 81 
 inches. Its mean annual average is 64^ inches. 
 
 The prevailing diseases are yellow fever, 
 elephantiasis, tetanus, marsh fever and dysentery. 
 
 Porto Rico is unusually fertile, and its domi- 
 nant industries are agricultural and lumbering. 
 In elevated regions the vegetation of the temper- 
 ate zone is not unknown. There are more than 
 
35° WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 five hundred varieties of trees found in the forests, 
 and the plains are full of palms, orange and other 
 trees. The principal crops are sugar, coffee, 
 tobacco, cotton and maize, but bananas, rice, pine- 
 apples and many other fruits are important. 
 
 Railways are in their infancy, and cart roads 
 are deficient. Telegraphic lines connect the 
 principal towns, while submarine cables run from 
 San Juan to St. Thomas and Jamaica. 
 The Capital. 
 
 San Juan is situated on a long and narrow 
 island, separated from the main island at one end 
 by a shallow arm of the sea, over which is a bridge 
 connecting it with the mainland, which runs out 
 at this point in a long sand spit, some nine miles 
 in length, apparently to meet the smaller island ; 
 at the other end the island ends in a rugged bluff, 
 or promontory, some hundred feet high, and three- 
 fourths of a mile distant from the main island. 
 This promontory is crowned by Morro Castle, the 
 principal fortification of the town. At this end of 
 the island is the entrance to the harbor, with a 
 narrow channel and rocky bottom, so close under 
 the headland that one can almost leap ashore 
 from a passing vessel. The water here is 
 some thirty feet deep. To a mariner unac- 
 quainted with the locality, or, when a norther 
 is blowing, this entrance is one of difficulty and 
 danger. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 35 1 
 
 After rounding the bluff one finds a broad 
 and beautiful bay, landlocked, and with a good 
 depth of water, which is being increased by 
 dredging. It is by far the best harbor in Porto 
 Rico, and probably as good a one as can be found 
 in the West Indies. However, it has its draw- 
 backs. Sailing vessels are frequently detained by 
 the northerly winds during the winter months, and 
 even steamers with a draught of over twenty feet 
 are sometimes delayed, but these occasions are 
 rare. When they do occur, the "boca," or 
 entrance to the harbor, is a mass of seething, 
 foaming water, and presents an imposing spec- 
 tacle. To see steamers of sixteen to eighteen 
 feet draught enter in a severe norther, is a sight 
 to be remembered, as the great waves lift them 
 up and seem about to hurl them forward to de- 
 struction. At such times there is need of a 
 staunch vessel, steady nerves, and a captain well 
 acquainted with the channel, as no pilot will 
 venture out. The island upon which the city 
 stands is shaped much like an arm and a hand ; 
 it is about two and one-quarter miles long, and 
 averages less than one-quarter of a mile in width. 
 The greatest width is a little over half a mile in 
 the portion representing the hand, which also 
 contains the major part of the city. 
 
35 2 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 An Ancient "Walled City. 
 
 San Juan is a perfect specimen of a walled 
 town, with portcullis, moat, gates and battlements. 
 Built over two hundred and fifty years ago, it 
 is still in good condition and repair. The walls 
 are picturesque, and represent a stupendous work 
 and cost in themselves. Inside the walls, the 
 city is laid off in regular squares, six parallel 
 streets running in the direction of the length of 
 the island and seven at right angles. The houses 
 are closely and compactly built of brick, usually 
 of two stories, stuccoed on the outside and 
 painted in a variety of colors. The upper floors 
 are occupied by the more respectable people, 
 while the ground floors, almost without excep- 
 tion, are given up to negroes and the poorer 
 classes, who crowd one upon the other in the 
 most appalling manner. The population within 
 the walls is estimated at twenty thousand, and 
 most of it lives on the ground floors. In one 
 small room with a flimsy partition a whole family 
 will reside. 
 
 The ground floors of the whole town reek 
 with filth, and conditions are most unsanitary. In 
 a tropical country, where disease readily pre- 
 vails, the consequence of such herding may be 
 easily inferred. There is no running water in 
 the town. The entire population depends on 
 rainwater caught on the flat roofs of the buildings 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 353 
 
 and conducted to the cistern, which occupies the 
 greater part of the courtyard that is an essential 
 part of Spanish houses the world over, but that 
 here, on account of the crowded conditions, is 
 small. There is no sewerage, except for surface 
 water and sinks, while vaults are in every house 
 and occupy whatever remaining space there may 
 be in the patios not taken up by the cisterns. 
 The risk of contaminating the water is great, and 
 in dry seasons the supply is entirely exhausted. 
 Epidemics are frequent, and the town is alive 
 with vermin, fleas, cockroaches, mosquitoes and 
 dogs. 
 
 The streets are wider than in the older 
 part of Havana, and will admit two carriages 
 abreast. The sidewalks are narrow, and in 
 places will accommodate only one person. The 
 pavements are of a composition manufactured in 
 England from slag, pleasant and even and dur- 
 able when no heavy strain is brought to bear 
 upon them, but easily broken and unfit for heavy 
 traffic. The streets are swept once a day by 
 hand and, strange to say, are kept very clean. 
 From its tropical situation the town should be 
 healthy, but it is not. The soil under the city is 
 clay mixed with lime, so hard as to be almost 
 like rock. It is consequently impervious to water 
 and furnishes a good natural drainage. The 
 trade wind blows strong and fresh, and through 
 
354 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 the harbor runs a stream of sea water at a speed 
 of not less than three miles an hour. With these 
 conditions, no contagious diseases, if properly 
 taken care of, could exist ; without them, the place 
 would be a veritable plague spot. 
 
 Besides the town within the walls, there are 
 small portions just outside, called the Marina 
 and Puerta de Tierra, containing two thousand or 
 three thousand inhabitants each. There are also 
 two suburbs, one, San Turce, approached by the 
 only road leading out of the city, and the other, 
 Catano, across the bay, reached by ferry. The 
 Marina and the two suburbs are situated on 
 sandy points or spits, and the latter are sur- 
 rounded by mangrove swamps. The entire pop- 
 ulation of the city and suburbs, according to the 
 census of 1887, was twenty-seven thousand. It 
 is now (1896) estimated at thirty thousand. One- 
 half of the population consists of negroes and 
 mixed races. 
 
 The Philippines. 
 
 The Philippine Islands likewise demand 
 notice, as among the most splendid and most 
 neglected colonial possessions of Spain. 
 
 On May 21, 1521, the Portuguese Fernando 
 de Magalhaens (Magellan) landed on a little 
 island south of Samar on the eastern coast of the 
 archipelago. Forty-six days later he perished off 
 the east coast of Cebu, or Zebo, one of the cen- 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 355 
 
 tral islands. This exploit made the country 
 known to Europe. It was not until the close of 
 the sixteenth century that the archipelago passed 
 under Spanish domination, during the reign of 
 Philip II. 
 
 Spanish Settlement in 1565. 
 About the middle of the century an expedi- 
 tion sailed from Mexico in five ships, but accom- 
 plished little. In 1565 Don Miguel Lopez de 
 Legazpi reached the islands and founded a 
 Spanish settlement at the town of Cebu, and it 
 is in his correspondence that the name of Philip- 
 pine Islands is first recorded. It was given in 
 honor of his sovereign. Under this monarch an 
 ecclesiastical organization, principally of monastic 
 orders, was established. As H. A. Webster 
 says, " The subjugation of the islands, thanks to 
 the exertions of the Roman Catholic missionaries 
 and the large powers placed in their hands by 
 Philip, was effected, not of course, without fight- 
 ing and bloodshed, but without those appalling 
 massacres and depopulation which characterized 
 the conquest of South America. Contests with 
 frontier rebellious tribes, attacks by pirates and 
 reprisals on the part of the Spaniards combined 
 with volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and torna- 
 does to break the comparative monotony of the 
 subsequent history." 
 
356 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Invaded by Other Nations. 
 
 In 1602 five Dutch ships appeared in the 
 Philippine Islands to blockade the forts, but were 
 driven off by the Spaniards. Incursions were also 
 made by Chinese pirates at different points. The 
 most celebrated of these was the invasion made 
 by Li Ma Hon, who, with two thousand men 
 landed in Manila in 1572, but was defeated and 
 driven off by the Spaniards and natives under the 
 leadership of Juan de Talcedo. In 1762 the 
 capital was taken by the British, but was restored 
 to Spain two years afterward for a ransom of 
 $5,000,000 which was never collected. 
 
 Greatly Oppressed and Taxed. 
 
 The history of these islands during the 
 nineteenth century has been one of oppression, 
 restriction of commerce, and ferocious taxation, 
 in which the ecclesiastics used their influence for 
 the support of the Spanish sovereignty. The last 
 revolt broke out in 1896. The conspiracy was 
 discovered before the day appointed for the 
 rising, and the plans of the insurrectionists were 
 disconcerted. Yet, when the authorities pro- 
 ceeded to arrest those known to be involved, the 
 rebels mustered in force amounting to several 
 thousand, but were dispersed when they offered 
 battle in the neighborhood of Manila. The in- 
 surgents established themselves in the province 
 of Cavite, on the south shore of Manila Bay, 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 357 
 
 eight miles southwest of the port of Manila, and 
 held it until the arrival of twenty-five thousand 
 reinforcements from Spain and a considerable 
 naval fleet enabled the Government to suppress 
 them. 
 
 Some Natives Unsubdued. 
 
 In the inaccessible mountainous parts of the 
 island there are still unsubdued savages. In the 
 last census returns the number of natives not 
 subject to the civil government and paying no 
 tribute, is given as 602,853, while the number of 
 natives paying tribute is returned as 5,501,356. 
 
 The climate of the Philippines varies little 
 from that of other mountainous and tropical 
 countries. The range of the thermometer during 
 the year is from a little over 60 degrees to about 
 90. The year may be divided into three seasons : 
 the first, cold and dry, begins in November ; the 
 second, warm, but still dry, begins in March, the 
 greatest heat being experienced from April first 
 to the end of May ; and the third, which is exces- 
 sively wet, continues from June to the middle of 
 November. 
 
 Natives mild and Amiable. 
 
 Generally speaking, the natives are mild and 
 amiable, predisposed to religious observances, 
 extremely superstitious, and very hospitable. 
 Those of Batangas, Cagayan and Southern Ilocos, 
 are better and more industrious laborers than 
 
35^ WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 those of the other provinces. During their youth 
 they work with energy and a certain mental vigor, 
 but on reaching a more advanced age lapse into 
 indolence, which is one of their greatest defects. 
 
 The women are averse to idleness, have a 
 spirit of enterprise, and often engage in various 
 trades with success. They are economical, and 
 sacrifice themselves cheerfully for those to whom 
 they are attached. 
 
 Trade of the Islands. 
 
 Before the days of Spanish rule there was 
 considerable commercial intercourse between the 
 Philippines and China and Japan, but this, which 
 would naturally have developed enormously if the 
 Spanish trade between Manila and America had 
 been left free, was interrupted, and at times 
 almost completely stopped, by absurd restrictions, 
 devised to secure to Spain a monopoly of the 
 American trade. For a long period only a single 
 galleon, and that under Government supervision, 
 was allowed to proceed yearly from Manila to 
 Acapulco, the value of the cargo each way being 
 restricted within a prescribed sum. Direct trade 
 with Europe, via the Cape of Good Hope, began 
 in 1764; but, as if the exclusion from it of all but 
 Spanish ships was not sufficient, in 1785 a 
 monopoly of this commerce was bestowed on the 
 Royal Company of the Philippines. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 359 
 
 Foreign Commerce Begins. 
 
 With the close of the eighteenth century a 
 certain amount of liberty began to be conceded to 
 foreign vessels. The first English commercial 
 house was established in Manila in 1809, and in 
 1834 the monopoly of the Royal Company ex- 
 pired. Manila remained the only port for foreign 
 trade till 1842, when Cebu was also opened. 
 Jamboanga (Mindanao), Iloilo (Pansay), Sual 
 (Luzon), Legazpi or Albany (Luzon), and Taclo- 
 ban (Leyte), are now in the same category, but 
 only Manila, Iloilo and Cebu have proved of real 
 importance, as they are the only ports where 
 foreign bound vessels have hitherto loaded. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 RESOURCES OF THE TWO COMBATANTS COMPARED 
 
 ARMIES AND NAVIES — THE SPANISH NAVY 
 
 UNITED STATES SHIPS NORTH ATLANTIC SQUAD- 
 RON FLYING SQUADRON PACIFIC STATION 
 
 ASIATIC STATION UNASSIGNED SPECIAL SER- 
 VICE MONITORS TRAINING SHIPS AUXILIARY 
 
 FLEET THE SPANISH SOLDIER THE CIGARETTE 
 
 HIS SOLACE BULLIED, ILL-TREATED AND ROBBED 
 
 THE ARMY IN CUBA SPANISH PRONUNCIATION 
 
 WEST INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES CUBAN 
 
 PROPER NAMES SPANISH GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 
 
 SPANISH PROPER NAMES NAMES OF SPANISH 
 
 SHIPS. 
 
 M 
 
 NEQUALLY matched, in many respects, 
 were the two combatants which thus 
 joined issue for the dread arbitrament 
 of war. In age, in size, in wealth, in intelligence, 
 the contrast was great. Spain dated back, as a 
 civilized Power, to before the Christian Era, while 
 the United States was scarcely a century and a 
 quarter old. Spain numbered 18,000,000; the 
 United States 70,000,000. Spain was all but 
 bankrupt, and her people ignorant ; the United 
 States overflowing with wealth and her people 
 among the most intelligent in the world. 
 
 (360) 
 
\\ 
 
 1__ 
 
 i i ~££ — 
 
 2J 
 
Prominent O&cers of the United States Army and Navy. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 363 
 
 Let us cite a few statistics. Spain has an 
 area of 197,670 square miles, or about twice that 
 of the single State of North Carolina ; while the 
 United States has something more than 3,000,000, 
 or more than fifteen times as much. The popula- 
 tion of the United States was nearly four times 
 as great as that of Spain. The annual revenue 
 of Spain was only $137,000,000, and that of the 
 United States more than $500,000,000. Yet 
 Spain's public debt was $1,232,912,500, while that 
 of the United States was only $1,045,000,000. 
 The foreign trade of Spain was only $260,000,000 
 a year, while that of the United States was 
 $1,645,000,000. In Spain more than 68 per cent, 
 of the people could neither read nor write, while 
 in the United States only 14 per cent, were 
 illiterate. In Spain there were few skilled 
 mechanics or engineers, and no shipyards in 
 which first-class warships could be built, while 
 in the United States were millions of trained 
 artisans and some of the best shipyards in the 
 world. 
 
 Armies and Navies. 
 
 In army and navy, however, Spain was, at 
 least on paper, no mean antagonist. Of course 
 the greater population of the United States made 
 her military resources by far the greater. But 
 Spain's actual standing army was much larger 
 than ours. It consisted of no less than 120,000 
 
 21 
 
364 
 
 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 men on a peace footing, and 480,000 men on a 
 war footing, besides a colonial army of 236,000. 
 Against this the United States had only 26,000 
 men. 
 
 The Spanish navy was also much the larger. 
 It contained 126 steam vessels and 22,000 men, 
 while our navy contained only 54 vessels and 
 13,000 men. But our ships were, on the whole, 
 better than Spain's, and we were able to add to 
 their number, by building and by purchase, in- 
 comparably more rapidly than she. Indeed she 
 was scarcely able to get any new ships, while 
 those added to our navy were counted by the 
 dozen. 
 
 The Spanish Navy. 
 
 As the war was evidently, from the begin- 
 ning, destined to be chiefly naval, interest centred 
 most upon the rival navies. That of Spain, in- 
 cluding ships building, but excluding transports, 
 training ships, and other non-effective vessels, 
 was as follows: 
 
 Launched Building 
 
 Battleship, 1st class 1 .... 1 
 
 Port Defence Ships 1 
 
 Cruisers, 1st class, a 6 
 
 " " " b 2 
 
 " 2d class 6 .... 1 
 
 " 3d class a 28 .... 3 
 
 " " " b 71 , 
 
 Torpedo Craft, 1st class ... 36 
 " " 2d class ... 2 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 365 
 
 The single battleship credited to Spain in 
 the above table was the Pelayo, launched in 1887, 
 described as* follows: Displacement, 9,900 tons; 
 length, 330 ft; breadth of beam, 66 ft; draught, 
 24 ft 9 in.; engines, 6,800 horse-power; speed, 
 15.8 knots; principal armament, 2 12^ in., 2 11 
 in., 1 6% in., and 12 4^ in. breech-loaders with 
 6 quick-firing guns; protection, steel belt, 18 in. 
 maximum thickness, and 1 1 in. on the barbettes. 
 All the first-class cruisers a were new vessels, and 
 nearly all still in the hands of the constructors, 
 three not yet being launched. Six of them were 
 well protected by 1 2 in. steel belts, and the heavy 
 gun emplacements had 8 in. steel armoring. 
 These — the Infanta Maria Teresa, Vizcaya, 
 Almirante, Oquendo, Cataluna, Cardinal, Cis- 
 neros, and Princesa de Asturias, were of 7,000 
 tons, 364 feet in length, 65 feet beam, 13,000 
 horse-power and 20 knots speed. 
 
 The first named, built at Bilbao, made 18.48 
 knots at her official natural-draught trials, during 
 8 hours, steaming at sea, thus slightly exceeding 
 the contract. In these cruisers, two 1 1 in. guns 
 were mounted singly on barbette turrets fore and 
 aft, and there were five 5^ in. guns on each 
 broadside, the pairs severally nearest to the bows 
 and the stern being sponsoned out, so as to fire 
 severally in those directions, and have a wide 
 firing arc on the beam. 
 
366 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 The Emperador Carlos V., launched at 
 Cadiz, in 1892, was a still more powerful ar- 
 mored cruiser (9,235 tons), with a larger light 
 armament than the others, and engines of 15,000 
 horse-power, expected to give a speed of 20 
 knots. The first-class cruisers b in the above 
 statement were the old broadside ships Numancia 
 and Vittoria (from 1863 and 1867), which, having 
 been reboilered, were counted as cruisers mainly 
 for convoying purposes. Of smaller vessels, 
 Spain possessed two remarkable second-class 
 deck-protected cruisers — the sister ships Alfonso 
 XIII. and Lepanto, 4,800 tons, which had their 
 guns very advantageously placed, and, with 
 12,000 horse-power, were expected to steam at 
 20 knots. The third-class cruisers a in the above 
 statement include five 1,130 ton, 14-knot vessels of 
 the Infanta Isabel class, and the torpedo gunboats, 
 of which 3 (of the Sharpshooter class) were in 
 course of construction. In the b list the older 
 and slower gunboats are grouped. Among the 
 torpedo-boats the Ariete (97 tons, 147 ft. 6 in. 
 long) was a remarkable craft, built at Chiswick, 
 which steamed 26.1 knots at her trials. 
 United States Snips. 
 
 The following is a complete list of the effec- 
 tive ships of the United States Navy, at the 
 outbreak of the war, including some of those pur- 
 chased at that time : 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 367 
 
 North Atlantic Squadron. 
 
 Rear-Admiral William T. Sampson Commanding. 
 
 New- York (flagship), Captain French E. 
 Chadwick. Steel armored cruiser, 8,480 tons; 
 17,400 horse-power; 21 knots speed. Armament 
 — Six 8-inch breech-loading rifles, twelve 4-inch 
 rapid-fire guns, eight 6-pounder, four 1 -pounder 
 rapid-fire guns and four Gatling guns. 
 
 Iowa, Captain Robley D. Evans. Steel sea- 
 going battleship, 1 1,296 tons: 1 1,000 horse-power; 
 1 6 knots speed. Armament — Four 1 2-inch breech- 
 loading rifles, eight 8-inch breech-loading rifles, 
 six 4-inch rapid-fire guns, twenty 6-pounder and 
 six i-pounder rapid-fire guns and four Gatling 
 guns. 
 
 Indiana, Captain Henry C. Taylor. Steel 
 coast-line battleship, 10,288 tons; 9,000 horse- 
 power; 15 knots speed. Armament — Four 13- 
 inch breech-loading rifles, eight 8-inch breech- 
 loading rifles, four 6-inch rapid-fire guns, twenty 
 6-pounder and six 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns and 
 four Gatlings. 
 
 Puritan, Captain Purnell F. Harrington. 
 Iron, low-freeboard coast-defence monitor; 6,000 
 tons; 3,700 horse-power; 12 knots speed. Ar- 
 mament — Four 12-inch breech-loading rifles, six 
 4-inch rapid-fire guns, four 3-pounder rapid-fire 
 guns, four 37mm. Hotchkiss revolving cannon 
 and four Gatlings. 
 
368 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Terror, Captain Nicholl Ludlow. Iron, low- 
 freeboard coast-defence monitor, 3,990 tons; 
 3,000 horse-power; 10 knots speed. Armament — 
 Four 10-inch breech-loading rifles, two 6-pounder 
 and two 3-pounder rapid-fire guns, two 37mm. 
 Hotchkiss revolving cannon and four Gatlings. 
 
 Cincinnati, Captain Colby M. Chester. Pro- 
 tected cruiser, 3,183 tons; 10,000 horse-power; 
 19 knots speed. Armament — Ten 5-inch and one 
 6-inch rapid-fire guns, eight 6-pounder and four 
 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns and two Gatlings. 
 
 Detroit, Commander John H. Dayton. 
 Cruiser, 2,000 tons; 5,200 horse-power; 18 knots 
 speed. Armament — Eight 5-inch and two 6-inch 
 rapid-fire guns, six 6-pounder and two 1 -pounder 
 rapid-fire guns and two Gatlings. 
 
 Montgomery, Commander George A. Con- 
 verse. Description identical with that of the De- 
 troit. 
 
 Marblehead, Commander Bowman H. Mc- 
 Calla. Description same as Detroit. 
 
 Dolphin, Commander Henry W. Lyon. Dis- 
 patch-boat, 1,485 tons; 2,240 horse-power ; 15 
 knots speed. Armament — Two 4-inch and two 
 6-pounder rapid-fire guns, two 37mm. Hotchkiss 
 revolving cannon and two Gatlings. 
 
 Wilmington, Commander Chapman C. Todd. 
 Sheathed cruiser, 1,392 tons ; 1,600 horse-power ; 
 13 knots speed. Armament — Eight 4-inch, six 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 369 
 
 6-pounder and two i -pounder rapid-fire guns and 
 two Gatlings. 
 
 Helena, Commander William T. Swinburne. 
 Cruiser, 1,392 tons ; 1,600 horse-power ; 13 knots 
 speed. Armament — Same as Wilmington. 
 
 Nashville, Commander Washburn Maynard. 
 Cruiser, 1,371 tons; 1,790 horse-power ; 14 knots 
 speed. Armament — Eight 4-inch, four 6-pounder 
 and two i-pounder rapid-fire guns and two Gat- 
 lings. 
 
 Castine, Commander Robert M. Berry. 
 Gunboat, 1,177 tons, 2, 186 horse-power ; 16 knots 
 speed. Armament — Eight 4-inch, four 6-pounder 
 and two 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns and two Gatlings. 
 
 Machias, Commander John F. Merry. De- 
 scription same as Castine. 
 
 Vicksburg, Commander A. B. H. Lillie. 
 Gunboat, 1,000 tons ; 850 horse-power ; 12 knots 
 speed. Armament — Six 4-inch, four 6-pounder, 
 two i-pounder and one 3-pounder rapid-fire guns. 
 
 Newport, Commander Benjamin F. Tilley. 
 Description same as Vicksburg. 
 
 Vesuvius, Lieutenant-Commander John E. 
 Pillsbury. Dynamite cruiser, 930 tons; 3,794 
 horse-power ; 22 knots speed. Armament — 
 Three 1 5-inch dynamite guns and three 3-pounder 
 rapid-fire guns. 
 
 Fern, Lieutenant-Commander William F. 
 Cowles. Dispatch-boat, formerly in service be- 
 
370 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 tween navy yards as transport steamer, 840 tons. 
 Armament — Two 3-pounder and two 1 -pounder 
 rapid-fire guns. 
 
 Cushing, Lieutenant Albert Gleaves. Tor- 
 pedo-boat, 165 tons; 1, 720 horse-power ; 22 knots 
 speed. Armament — Three torpedo tubes and 
 two 3-pounder rapid-fire guns. 
 
 Ericsson, Lieutenant-Commander Nathaniel 
 R. Usher. Torpedo-boat, 120 tons; 1,800 horse- 
 power ; 24 knots speed. Armament — Three tor- 
 pedo tubes and four 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns. 
 
 Rodgers, Lieutenant Joseph L. Jayne. Tor- 
 pedo-boat, 142 tons ; 2,000 horse-power ; 27 knots 
 speed. Armament — Three torpedo tubes and 
 four 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns. 
 
 Winslow — Lieutenant John L. Bernadou. 
 Description same as Rodgers. 
 
 Foote, Lieutenant William L. Rodgers. De- 
 scription same as Rodgers. 
 
 Porter, Lieutenant John C. Fremont. Tor- 
 pedo-boat, 185 tons; 3,500 horse-power ; 27 knots 
 speed. Armament — Three torpedo tubes and 
 three 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns. 
 
 Dupont, Lieutenant Spencer S. Wood (flag- 
 ship of torpedo flotilla). Description same as 
 Porter. 
 
 Flying Squadron. 
 Commodore Winfield Scott Schley, Commanding. 
 
 Brooklyn, Captain Francis A. Cook (flag- 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 37 1 
 
 ship). Steel armored cruiser, 11,296 tons; 
 1,000 horse-power; 16 knots speed. Arma- 
 ment — Four 12-inch breech-loading rifles, eight 
 8-inch and six 4-inch breech-loading rifles, twenty 
 6-pounder and six 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns and 
 four Gatlings. 
 
 Massachusetts, Captain Francis J. Higgin- 
 son. Steel coast-line battleship, 10,288 tons; 
 9,000 horse-power ; 15 knots speed. Armament 
 — Four 13-inch breech-loading rifles, eight 8-inch 
 breech-loading rifles, four 6-inch breech-loading 
 rifles, twenty 6-pounder and six 1 -pounder rapid- 
 fire guns and four Gatlings. 
 
 Columbia, Captain James H. Sands. Pro- 
 tected cruiser, 7,350 tons; 21,000 horse-power; 
 21 knots speed. Armament — One 8-inch breech- 
 loading rifle, two 6-inch and eight 4-inch rapid-fire 
 guns, twelve 6-pounder, four 1 -pounder and four 
 Gatlings. 
 
 Minneapolis, Captain Theodore F. Jewell. 
 Description same as Columbia. 
 
 Texas, Captain John W. Phillip. Steel ar- 
 mored battleship, 6,300 tons; 8,000 horse-power; 
 1 7 knots speed. Armament — Two 1 2-inch breech- 
 loading rifles, six 6-inch breech-loading rifles, 
 twelve 6-pounder, two 3-pounder, four 37mm. 
 Hotchkiss revolving cannon and two Gat- 
 lings. 
 
 Katahdin, Commander G. F. F. Wilde. Steel 
 
372 WAR WITH SPAIN. ' 
 
 harbor-defence ram, 2,183 tons; 4,800 horse- 
 power, 15 knots speed. Deck armament — Four 
 6-pounder rapid-fire guns. 
 
 Pacific Station. 
 Rear-Admiral Joseph N. Miller, Commanding. 
 
 Oregon, Captain Charles E. Clark. Steel 
 coast-line battleship, 10,288 tons, 9,000 horse- 
 power; 15 knots speed. Armament — Four 13-inch 
 breech-loading rifles, eight 8-inch and four 6-inch 
 breech-loading rifles, twenty 6-pounder and six 
 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns and four Gatlings. 
 
 Monterey, captain not assigned. Steel, low- 
 freeboard coast-defence monitor, 4,000 tons; 5, coo 
 horse-power; 13 knots speed. Armament — Two 
 13-inch and two 10-inch breech-loading rifles, six 
 6-pounder and four i-pounder and two Gatlings. 
 
 Monadnock, Captain William H. Whiting. 
 Iron low-freeboard coast-defence monitor, 3,900 
 tons, 3,000 horse-power; 14 knots speed. Ar- 
 mament — Four 10-inch breech-loading rifles, two 
 4-inch rapid fire guns, two 6-pounder and two 3- 
 pounder and two 37mm. Hotchkiss revolving 
 cannon. 
 
 Bennington, Commander Henry E. Nichols. 
 Cruiser, 1,750 tons ; 3,500 horse-power ; 17 knots 
 speed. Armament — Six 6-inch breech-loading 
 rifles, two 6-pounder, two 3-pounder and one 
 i-pounder rapid-fire guns, two 37mm. Hotchkiss 
 cannon and two Gatlings. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 373 
 
 Marietta, Captain Frederick M. Symonds. 
 Gunboat, 1,200 tons ; 850 horse-power; 12 knots 
 speed. Armament — Six 4-inch, four 6-pounder, 
 two 1 -pounder and one 3-pounder and two 
 Gatlings. 
 
 Alert, Commander E. H. C. Leutze. Gun- 
 boat, 1,020 tons; 365 horse-power; 10 knots 
 speed. Armament, four guns. 
 
 Asiatic Station. 
 Commodore George Dewey, Commanding. 
 
 Olympia, Captain Charles V. Gridley. Pro- 
 tected cruiser, 5,500 tons; 13,500 horse-power; 
 20 knots speed. Armament — Four 8-inch breech- 
 loading rifles, ten 5-inch rapid-fire guns, fourteen 
 6-poiinder, six 1 -pounder and four Gatlings. 
 
 Baltimore, Captain Nehemiah M. Dyer. 
 Protected cruiser, 4,600 tons ; 10,000 horse- 
 power ; 19 knots speed. Armament — Four 8- 
 inch and six 6-inch breech-loading rifles, four 6- 
 pounder, two 3-pounder and two 1 -pounder guns, 
 four 37mm. Hotchkiss cannon and two Gatlings. 
 
 Raleigh, Commander Joseph B. Coghlan. 
 Protected cruiser, 3,183 tons ; 10,000 horse-power ; 
 19 knots speed. Armament — One 6-inch and ten 
 5-inch rapid-fire guns, eight 6-pounder, four 1- 
 pounder and two Gatlings. 
 
 Boston, Commander Benjamin P. Lamberton. 
 Protected cruiser, 3, 1 89 tons ; 4,030 horse-power ; 
 1 5 knots speed. Armament — Two 8-inch and six 
 
374 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 6 inch breech-loading rifles, two 6-pounder, two 
 3-pounder and two i -pounder rapid-fire guns, four 
 Hotchkiss cannon and two Gatlings. 
 
 Concord, Commander Asa Walker. Gun- 
 boat, 1,700 tons; 3,405 horse-power; 16 knots 
 speed. Armament — Six 6-inch breech-loading 
 rifles, two 6-pounder, two 3-pounder, one 1- 
 pounder rapid-fire guns, two 37mm. Hotchkiss 
 cannon and two Gatlino-s. 
 
 Petrel, Commander Edward P. Wood. Gun- 
 boat, 890 tons; 1,513 horse-power; 11 knots 
 speed. Armament — Four 6-inch breech-loading 
 rifles, two 3-pounder, one 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns, 
 two 37mm. Hotchkiss cannon and two Gatlings. 
 
 Monocacy, Commander Oscar W. Farenholt. 
 Wooden corvette, 1,370 tons; 850 horse-power; 
 1 1 knots speed. Armament — Two 60-pounder 
 breech-loading rifles, four 8-inch smooth-bore guns, 
 two small guns, eight Hotchkiss cannon and one 
 Gatling. 
 
 Unassigftied. 
 
 San Francisco, Captain Richard P. Leary. 
 Protected cruiser, 4,083 tons ; 10,400 horse-power ; 
 20 knots speed. Armament — Twelve 6-inch 
 breech-loading rifles, four 6-pounder, four 3- 
 pounder, two 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns, three 
 37mm. Hotchkiss cannon and four Gatlings. 
 
 Bancroft, Commander J. V. B. Bleecker. 
 Cadet-training ship, 832 tons ; 1,213 horse-power ; 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 375 
 
 14 knots speed. Armament — Four 4-inch, two 
 6-pounder, two 3-pounder, one 1 -pounder rapid- 
 fire guns, one 37mm. Hotchkiss cannon and one 
 Gatling. 
 
 New Orleans, Captain W. M. Folger. 
 Cruiser, steel-sheathed, 3,600 tons; 7,500 horse- 
 power; 20 knots speed. Armament — Six 6-inch, 
 four 4.7-inch, ten 6-pounder, four 1 -pounder rapid- 
 fire guns and four machine guns. Built in 1896 
 at Elswick, England. (Formerly Brazilian cruiser 
 Amazonas.) 
 
 Gwin, Lieutenant Clarence S. Williams. 
 Torpedo-boat. 
 
 Talbot, Lieutenant William R. Shoemaker. 
 Torpedo-boat. 
 
 Special Service. 
 
 Wheeling, Lieutenant-Commander Uriel Se- 
 bree. Cruiser, steel sheathed, 1,200 tons, 850 
 horse-power, 12 knots speed. Armament — Six 
 4-inch, four 6-pounder, one 3-pounder and two 
 1 -pound rapid-fire guns, one 37mm. Hotchkiss 
 cannon and 1 Gatling. 
 
 Miantonomoh, Captain Mortimer L. Johnson. 
 Iron, low-freeboard, coast-defense monitor, 4,000 
 tons, 1,426 horse-power, 10 knots speed. Arma- 
 ment — Four 10-inch breech-loading rifles, two 
 6-pounder, two 3-pounder and one 1 -pounder 
 rapid-fire guns. 
 
376 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Pensacola, Captain Henry Glass. Wooden 
 frigate, 3,000 tons, 680 horse-power, 9 knots 
 speed. 
 
 Monitors. 
 
 Catskill, Lieutenant M. E. Hall. Low-free- 
 board, single turret monitor, 1,875 tons, 340 
 horse-power, 5 knots speed. Armament — Two 
 15-inch smooth-bore guns. 
 
 Montauk, Commander Edward T. Strong. 
 Description same as Catskill. 
 
 Passaic, Lieutenant Francis H. Sherman. 
 Description same as Catskill. 
 
 Jason, Lieutenant F. H. Fickbohm. De- 
 scription similar to Catskill. 
 
 Lehigh, Lieutenant Robert G. Peck. De- 
 scription same as Jason. 
 
 Nahant, Lieutenant Clayton S. Richman. 
 Description similar to Catskill. 
 
 Canonicus, commander not appointed. De- 
 scription same as Nahant. 
 
 Mahopac, Commander not appointed. De- 
 scription similar to Catskill. 
 
 Manhattan, commander not appointed. De- 
 scription same as Mahopac. 
 
 Nantucket, commander not appointed. De- 
 scription similar to Catskill. 
 
 Training Ships. 
 
 Constellation, Commander John McGowan. 
 Ship, 1,186 tons; sail power. Armament — Eight 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. $77 
 
 8-inch smooth-bore guns, two 20-pounder breech- 
 loading rifles, two smaller guns and four 37mm. 
 Hotchkiss cannon. 
 
 Alliance, Commander Albert Ross. Bark, 
 1,500 tons; 550 horse-power; 9 knots speed. 
 Armament — Four 4-inch, two 6-pounder, two 3- 
 pounder, one i-pounder rapid-fire guns and one 
 Gatling. 
 
 Adams, Commander William C. Gibson. 
 Bark. Description similar to Alliance. 
 
 Mohican, Commander George M. Book. 
 Bark, 1,900 tons; 613 horse-power; 10 knots 
 speed. Armament — Eight 9-inch smooth-bore 
 guns, one 8-inch muzzle-loading rifle, one 60- 
 pounder, one 20-pounder, one 3-inch breech- 
 loading rifle, two 37mm. Hotchkiss cannon and 
 one Gatling. 
 
 Auxiliary Fleet. 
 
 Yankee, Commander Willard H. Brownson. 
 Cruiser; 4,659 tons; 15 knots speed. Arma- 
 ment — Four 5-inch breech-loading rifles, smaller 
 guns not decided on. 
 
 Dixie, Commander Charles H. Davis. De- 
 scription same as Yankee. 
 
 Prairie, Commander Charles J. Train. De- 
 scription same as Yankee. 
 
 Yosemite, Commander William H. Emory. 
 Description same as Yankee. 
 
 St. Paul, Captain Charles D. Sigsbee. Crui* 
 
378 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 ser, 11,629 tons; 21 knots speed. Armament 
 not decided on. 
 
 St. Louis, Captain Caspar F. Goodrich. De- 
 scription same as St. Paul. 
 
 Panther, Commander George C. Reiter. 
 Cruiser, 2,843 tons 5 *6 knots speed. Armament 
 not decided on. 
 
 Badger, Captain Albert S. Snow. 
 
 Resolute, Commander Joseph C. Eaton. 
 
 Beside these there were many revenue cutters 
 fitted up for service as dispatch boats and torpedo 
 gunboats, a number of swift yachts for like ser- 
 vice, tugs, colliers, etc. 
 
 The Spanish Soldier. 
 
 The United States soldier is a familiar figure 
 to every American, and there is probably no finer 
 type of fighting man in the world. Far different 
 is the Spanish soldier, in appearance one of the 
 most unsoldierly of men. 
 
 Watch him as he slouches along ; his tunic 
 faded, torn, and probably minus a button or two ; 
 his red trousers frayed and threadbare; his feet 
 cased in the clumsy hempen sandals of the 
 country; and his hands muffled in huge green 
 woolen gloves, between the top of which and 
 the sleeve of his tunic is usually to be seen two 
 or three inches of bare, brown, sinewy arm. He 
 carries his rifle anyhow — at the trail, at the slope, 
 muzzle foremost, slung at his back. Not an in- 
 
Rear Admiral Sampson, 
 
Rear AtLmiral Dewey. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 38 1 
 
 spiring picture ! Far from it ! Nevertheless, 
 that the Spaniard can fight, and fight well, too, on 
 occasions, has been proved on many a blood- 
 stained field. At Igualada, one of the fiercest 
 battles of the late Carlist war, an entire battalion 
 had to choose between annihilation and surrender, 
 and selected the former. Despite his shuffling 
 gait, too, he marches well and uncomplainingly. 
 In fact, the Spanish "Tommy" never seems to 
 tire, and he is seldom out of temper. 
 
 Two meals a day, served at 9 a. m. and 
 5 p. m., constitute the regular commissariat allow- 
 ances, but, in addition, he is served in some corps 
 with coffee and soup in the early morning. Bread, 
 and bread only, at the rate of a pound and a half 
 per man per day, constitutes the Government 
 ration. Any additional food he has to buy from 
 the regimental canteen. This is kept by a civilian, 
 but the scale of prices is regulated by a regimen- 
 tal committee. Very little meat enters into the 
 Spanish soldier's dietary. Perhaps this is the 
 reason his wounds heal so rapidly and easily. A 
 chunk of dry, black bread, a little oil, and a clove 
 of garlic suffice him for the day. 
 
 The Cigarette Mis Solace. 
 
 If to this he is able to add half a pint of wine 
 that looks like red ink and tastes like vinegar and 
 water, he is in clover. One thing, however, he 
 will never consent to do without, and that is his 
 
 22 
 
382 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 cigarette. The number of these an average 
 Spanish "Tommy" will consume in the course 
 of the day is appalling. He rolls them himself, 
 using a yellow, dry, dusty-looking tobacco, which 
 possesses no more flavor to an American smoker's 
 palate than would so much chopped straw. 
 
 In theory, every Spaniard must serve his 
 twelve years in the army ; but there is a wide 
 difference, in this case at all events, between 
 theory and practice. To begin with, any citizen 
 can discharge his liability to serve by the pay- 
 ment, in a lump sum, of 1,200 pesetas. This 
 sounds a good lot of money. But it takes five 
 pesetas to equal an American dollar, so that he 
 really has to disburse only about $240. Enor- 
 mous numbers, even of the peasant class, have 
 taken to availing themselves of this privilege. 
 There has even sprung up in many of the prov- 
 inces a special class of village usurers, who lend 
 the " smart money " — at a ruinous rate of interest, 
 of course — to young men who have been "drawn." 
 Benefit clubs, having the same object in view, are 
 also rife in the agricultural districts. This has the 
 effect of increasing the Spanish revenues ; but 
 from a military point of view it is deplorable. 
 Besides those who honorably purchase their ex- 
 emption, large numbers of young men obtain 
 what are known as "dispensations," absolving 
 them from serving their time under any circum- 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 383 
 
 stances whatever. To get one of these "dispen- 
 sations" it is not necessary to be either braver, 
 wiser or better than one's neighbors. But one 
 must have what the Americans call a " pull " with 
 the authorities. 
 
 Bullied, Ill-treated and Robbed. 
 
 It is scarcely to be wondered at that the 
 Spanish peasant tries his utmost to evade the 
 conscription ; for his treatment, from the moment 
 he dons his country's uniform until the moment 
 he is discharged, is of the vilest. He is bullied 
 by his officers, ill-treated by his " non-coms.," and 
 robbed by all. Nominally his pay is 75 centimos 
 (15 cents) a day. 
 
 Often, however, for years together he does 
 not handle that much money in a month. The 
 Spanish system of "army stoppages" is worked 
 upon a sliding scale. The more money "Tommy" 
 "has coming to him" at the end of the month, 
 the greater is the sum kept back for this, that or 
 the other. 
 
 And he dares not complain, for discipline is 
 enforced with a relentless severity that is neither 
 more nor less than appalling. Desertion is pun- 
 ished by eight years' solitary confinement. For 
 theft the penalties are as follows : If the amount 
 stolen does not exceed 50 cents, imprisonment 
 with hard labor for three years ; from 50 cents to 
 $10.00, ten years' imprisonment; above $10.00, 
 
384 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 death or hard labor for life. In the Spanish mili- 
 tary code of laws there are over eighty crimes 
 many of them of the most trivial nature, which 
 are punishable by death. Nevertheless, organized 
 military revolts, known as "pronunciamientos," 
 are exceedingly common, and the entire army is 
 said to be honeycombed by secret revolutionary 
 societies. 
 
 The Army in Cuba. 
 
 The Spanish army in Cuba was classified at 
 the outbreak of the war as follows : 
 
 First — Regular infantry. This force is com- 
 posed exclusively of men born in Spain. One 
 can have only feelings of pity for these poor boys, 
 for most of them are barely twenty years of age. 
 As regiment after regiment goes marching past, 
 one will look at thousands of youthful faces before 
 seeing a grizzled veteran. These boys are clean- 
 looking, neat and well-behaved. "Toughs" and 
 rowdies among them are almost wholly unknown. 
 They care nothing about Cuba. The island might 
 sink into the sea, and they would merely roll a 
 fresh cigarette and dream of the blue hills of old 
 Spain, so very, very far away. They are dragged 
 from their peaceful, quiet homes to fight for 
 Spain. That is all they know about it, and it is 
 all they care. Poor boys ! One could only pity 
 them, as they kept always coming, coming to 
 Havana, and never going back. It would be a pity 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 385 
 
 to mow down these inoffensive lads with machine 
 guns and steel-jacketed bullets. 
 
 Second — Regular cavalry. This is practi- 
 cally little more than mounted infantry. The men 
 are of Spanish birth. If one did not know that 
 their horses came chiefly from Texas, the infer- 
 ence would be irresistible that the cavalry mounts 
 were the direct descendants of Rosinante of 
 blessed memory. The average cavalry horse of 
 the Spanish forces in Cuba recalls the old story 
 of the man who was driving along a village street 
 somewhere in Connecticut with a horse that was 
 apparently saved from total disintegration only 
 by the harness. 
 
 " Hello ! " said a friend on the sidewalk. 
 "Going to have a new horse?" 
 
 "What d'ye mean? " demanded the other. 
 - "Why, I thought you were going to have a 
 new horse. I see you have the frame up ! " 
 
 When the Spanish cavalry horse becomes 
 too weak and decrepit for active service he is sold 
 to the bull-fighters, who prop him up while the 
 bull gores him to death. 
 
 Third — Guardia Civil — infantry. This is 
 really an admirable body of men. It is the pick 
 of the Spanish troops in Cuba. To be eligible 
 for service with this corps a man must be of good 
 character and some education. As the name im- 
 plies, it is a civil guard, detailed chiefly for service 
 
386 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 in cities and other places where an intelligent, 
 well-behaved force is required. The men are not 
 mounted. They are of Spanish birth, and they 
 take pride in the good name of their corps. 
 
 Fourth — Guerillas — cavalry. From the 
 name, this force is supposed by most Americans 
 to be composed of lawless bands of ruffians, 
 roaming about, without method or discipline, in 
 search of throats to cut and henroosts to rob. 
 This is an error. The guerillas are regularly 
 enlisted men, properly officered, and subjected to 
 army discipline. The detestation in which they are 
 held arises from two circumstances : First, they 
 are mostly native-born Cubans, fighting for pay 
 against the freedom of their own country ; second, 
 in their capacity of scouts and rural patrol, they 
 come in conflict with the Insurgents more fre- 
 quently than any other Spanish force. When 
 captured by Insurgents a guerilla receives no 
 quarter. He is either hacked to death with a 
 machete or hanged to the nearest tree. By 
 reason of his intimate knowledge of the country, 
 the guerilla is more feared and hated than all the 
 rest of the Spanish troops combined. When 
 captured by Insurgents, the Spanish-born soldier 
 is treated humanely, and put to work raising 
 vegetables for the use of his captors. The cap- 
 tured guerilla, however, is killed like a wild 
 beast. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 387 
 
 Fifth — Volunteers — infantry. This was Wey- 
 ler's pet force. It is composed chiefly of Spanish 
 residents of Cuba, who hold themselves in readi- 
 ness for active service when called upon in times 
 of emergency. Its fighting abilities are supposed 
 to be confined to volleys of selected epithets 
 delivered at long range. 
 
 Sixth — Mobilizados — infantry. This is an 
 irregular force for defensive purposes only. It 
 is composed of both Spaniards and native-born 
 Cubans. It is to all intents and purposes a force 
 of night-watchmen, serving without pay, or with 
 pay, as circumstances provide. Each fortified 
 town is supposed to provide a certain number of 
 mobilizados to do guard duty at the blockhouse 
 forts, guarding the place. The citizens usually 
 take turns at this duty. By obtaining a special 
 permit from the authorities, the owner of a plan- 
 tation may arm his workmen, or may hire men as 
 guards, to protect his property against bandits. 
 
 Seventh— Orden Publico — infantry. This is 
 a city guard, similar to the Guardia Civil. It was 
 with men from this force that the United States 
 Consulate-General, in Havana, was guarded. 
 Spanish Pronunciation. 
 
 For the convenience of those who have not 
 a familiar acquaintance with the Spanish language, 
 the pronunciation of some of the commonest 
 names met with in the story of the war is given. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 It will be well to mention" a few of the important 
 peculiarities in the sounds of the Spanish conso- 
 nants. The letter "j " in Spanish has its nearest 
 English equivalent in "h," although it is harsher 
 than that letter, and is like the German guttural 
 " ch." It can be obtained approximately by 
 breathing strongly in the throat, trying at the same 
 time to pronounce the English "h." The letter 
 "g," when followed by " e " or " i," is pronounced 
 in the same way ; but in all other cases is pro- 
 nounced like "g" in "go." The Spanish "h" is 
 not sounded at all. "LI" is pronounced like 
 "Hi "in "billion," and "n" like " ni " in "pinion." 
 In the pure Castilian, which is the language of 
 the Court and of the most highly educated classes 
 in Spain, the letter "c," when followed by "e" or 
 "i," and the letter "z" always are pronounced 
 like " th " in " thick." As these consonants occur 
 frequently, they give this purest form of Spanish 
 a peculiarly soft and melodious sound. But in 
 many parts of Spain, this "th" sound is never 
 heard, the letters "c" and "g" being both pro- 
 nounced like the English " s." The latter custom 
 also prevails throughout Cuba and Porto Rico, 
 and in all the countries of South and Central 
 America, where Spanish is the general language. 
 In the table below the pronunciation of all the 
 names of places in the West Indies or of Cuban 
 leaders which contain the letter "z," or the letter 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 389 
 
 "c," followed by "e" or "i," will consequently 
 be given both ways. Proper and geographical 
 names of Spain itself will be given according to 
 the Castilian form. 
 
 As a general rule, to which, however, there 
 are many exceptions, the emphasis or accent in 
 the pronunciation of Spanish words falls on the 
 last syllable of those which end in a consonant 
 and on the next to the last syllable of those which 
 end in a vowel. In the names here given, an 
 accent mark will be placed upon the vowel in the 
 syllable which receives the emphasis, but it should 
 be remembered that this mark does not properly 
 belong there, but is used merely to indicate how 
 the word is pronounced. It is always a difficult 
 matter to imitate the pronunciation of foreign 
 words in English letters, and the results cannot, 
 in many cases, exactly reproduce the Spanish 
 sounds. The letter "r" in Spanish is always 
 rolled much more than in English. 
 
 West Indian Geographical Names. 
 
 Havana — Ah-vah-na. Cardenas — Car-deh- 
 nas. Cabanas — Cah-ban-yas. Matanzas — Mah- 
 tahn-sas, or Mah-tahn-thas. Pinar del Rio — Pee- 
 nar del Ree-o. Mariel — Mah-ree-el. Santa Clara 
 — Sahn-ta Clah-ra. Santiago de Cuba — Sahn-tee- 
 ah-go deh Coo-ba. Puerto Principe — Poo-air-to 
 Prin-see-pay, or Poo-air-to Prin-the-peh. Guana- 
 bacoa — Gwahn-ah-bah-co-ah. Bahia Honda — Bah- 
 
390 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 ee-ah Ohn-dah. Corrientes — Cor-ree-ehn-tehs. 
 Conchas — Cohn-chahss. Sagua la Grande — Sah- 
 gwah lah Grahn-deh. Cienfuegos — See-ehn-foo- 
 eh-gos, or The-ehn-foo-eh-gos. Moron — Mo- 
 rohn. Nuevitas — Nooeh-vi-tahss. Cubitas — Coo- 
 bi-tahss. Holquin — Ohl-gheen. Santa Cruz — 
 Sahn-tah Crooss, or Sahn-tah Crooth. Manzanillo 
 — Mahn-sah-neel-yo, or Mahn-thah-neel-yo. Maya- 
 guez — Mah-yah-gaiss, or Mah-yah-gaith. San 
 Juan — Sahn Hooahn. Arecibo — Ah-reh-see-bo, 
 or Ah-reh-the-bo. Ponce — Pohn-seh, or Pohn- 
 theh. Jucaro — Hoo-cah-ro. Esperanza — Ehs- 
 peh-rahn-sah, or Ehs-peh-rahn-thah. 
 Cuban Proper Names. 
 
 Maximo Gomez — Mahks-i-mo G6-mes, or 
 Mahks-i-mo G6-meth. Calixto Garcia — Cah-leeks- 
 to Gar-see-ah, or Cah-leeks-to Gar-the-ah. (The 
 " x " in Calixto is pronounced like the guttural 
 "j" previously mentioned.) Perez — Peh-res, or 
 Peh-reth. Alvarez — Ahl-vah-res, or Ahl-vah-reth. 
 Masso — Mahss-o. Capote — Cah-po-teh. 
 Spanish Geographical Names. 
 
 Espafia (Spain) — Es-pahn-yah. Madrid — 
 Mah-dreed. Cadiz — Cah-deeth. Barcelona — 
 Bar-theh-16-nah. Valencia — Vah-len-the-ah. Viz- 
 caya (Biscay) — Veeth-cah-yah. Sevilla (Seville) 
 Seh-veel-yah. Cartagena — Car-tah-heh-nah. Ca- 
 vite — Cah-vee-tay. Castilla — Cahs-teel-yah. Ara- 
 g«n — Ah-rah-gohn. Ceuta — Thay-oo-tah, 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 39 1 
 
 Spanish Proper Names, 
 
 Alfonso — Ahl-fohn-so. Maria Cristina — 
 Mah-ree-ah Crees-tee-nah. Praxedes Sagasta — 
 Prah-heh-dehs Sah-gahss-tah. Leon y Castillo — 
 Leh-6hn ee Cahss-teel-yo. Correa — Cor-reh-ah. 
 Aunon — Ah-oonohn. Romero Giron — Ro-meh- 
 ro Hee-rohn. Lopez Puigcerver — L6-peth Poo- 
 eeg-thair-vair. Gamazo — Gah-mah-tho. Capde- 
 pon — Cahp-deh-pohn. Groizard — Gro-ee-thard. 
 (The last name, from its spelling, appears to be 
 French, but the above would be the Spanish pro- 
 nunciation.) Bermejo — Bair-meh-ho. Cervera 
 — Thair-veh-rah. Weyler — Way-ee-lair. (This 
 again is undoubtedly a German name and is 
 variously pronounced.) Ramon Blanco — Rah- 
 mohn Blahn-co. Silvela — Seel-veh-lah. Romero 
 y Robledo — Ro-meh-ro ee Ro-blay-do. 
 
 Names of Spanish Ships. 
 
 Almirante Oquendo — Ahl-mee-rahn-teh O- 
 kehn-do. Pelayo — Peh-lah yo. Cristobal Colon 
 — Crees-to-bahl Co-lohn. Pluton — Ploo-tohn. 
 Terror — Ter-ror. Furor — Foo-r6r. Ciudad de 
 Cadiz — The-oo-dahd deh Cah-deeth. Azor — Au- 
 thor. Ariete — Ah-ree-eh-teh. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 BLOCKADING HAVANA THE FIRST PRIZE TAKING 
 
 THE PEDRO SHOTS FROM MORRO CASTLE 
 
 IN HAVANA MORE PRIZES A FALSE ALARM 
 
 ADVENTURES OF A PRESS BOAT A SMART CAP- 
 TURE — WORK OF A MONITOR A PRIVILEGED 
 
 FRENCH STEAMER. 
 
 (f 
 
 HE FIRST SHOT of the war was fired 
 at seven o'clock on the morning of April 
 22. It was fired from a six-inch gun 
 on the gunboat Nashville, of Admiral 
 Sampson's fleet, blockading Havana, and the tar- 
 get was the Spanish merchant steamer Buenaven- 
 tura, the first prize of the war. 
 
 Before daylight that morning the fleet was 
 under way to blockade the Spanish-Cuban capital. 
 At sunrise it was slowly steaming south from Key 
 West. There were the great battleships Indiana 
 and Iowa, and the armored cruiser New York, 
 the flagship of Admiral Sampson, who was in 
 command of the squadron. These with a monitor, 
 four torpedo-boats, an unarmored cruiser 
 and gunboats made the first division. By six 
 o'clock the last ship was in line. Meanwhile the 
 crowds at the harbor saw a trail of smoke appear 
 
 (392) 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 393 
 
 on the westward, gradually approaching to round 
 out of the Gulf. About seven o'clock it could be 
 seen to be a two-masted black-hulled merchant- 
 man flying the Spanish flag. Suddenly the Nash- 
 ville left the line of Captain Sampson's squadron, 
 and steamed at full speed westward towards the 
 Spaniard. A moment after breaking from the 
 line she fired a shot from her port side, which 
 struck the water a hundred yards wide of the 
 Spanish merchantman. The latter was half a mile 
 off, and held on her way without heeding the shot. 
 The Nashville pressed on in full chase. 
 Two minutes after the first shot she tried another, 
 which passed within a rod of the Spaniard's bows 
 and struck the water a mile beyond. On seeing 
 this, the merchantman immediately reversed her 
 engines. The Nashville was now close by. The 
 Spaniard struck her colors at 7.15 a. m., and 
 waited. By then the Nashville was alongside, 
 with every starboard gun trained against the mer- 
 chantman. The United States vessel lowered her 
 whaleboat, and Ensign Magruder — a name known 
 to an earlier generation in the American navy — 
 with a small prize crew, boarded the stranger, who 
 proved to be the Buenaventura, laden with lum- 
 ber. The United States torpedo-boat Foote was 
 up alongside in a few minutes. The Spanish 
 vessel's papers were at once handed over, and 
 taken by the Foote to Admiral Sampson's flagship. 
 
394 WAR WITH spain. 
 
 The New York, Indiana, and the Iowa had been 
 
 lying off during this brief drama. A number of 
 
 guns were fired from the New York without any 
 
 apparent object so far as those not on board could 
 
 see. However, the torpedo-boat Foote soon 
 
 returned to the Nashville with orders from the 
 
 commander to hold the Buenaventura as a prize 
 
 of war. The Nashville then escorted her to Key 
 
 West. 
 
 The First Prize. 
 
 The crew of the Buenaventura hung listlessly 
 and indifferently over the rail, and gazed with sleepy 
 curiosity at their captors. Two Spanish officers 
 remained on the bridge, one apparently the cap- 
 tain. When orders came to take the prize to 
 Key West an American sailor held her wheel, an- 
 other stood on the bridge near Ensign Magruder, 
 and a third guarded the maindeck. The American 
 sailors were armed with muskets, and had bayon- 
 ets in their belts. Ensign Magruder bore only 
 his side-arms. The crews of the Nashville and 
 the Foote kept silent from the moment the men 
 went aboard the Buenaventura. All the way to 
 this harbor they made no demonstration of the 
 intense exultation they must have felt at holding 
 the first Spanish prize and prisoners. 
 
 When the Nashville, convoying her first 
 prize, arrived at Key West, all the ships in the 
 harbor blew blasts from their steam whistles, and 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 395 
 
 great crowds gathered and cheered wildly at the 
 sight of the Stars and Stripes flying from the 
 masts of the captured Spaniard. The Cuban 
 residents got up a special demonstration of their 
 own, and paraded the streets with Cuban flags. 
 The Nashville's performance was a very smart 
 one. 
 
 Taking: the Pedro. 
 
 The next prize was the merchant ship Pedro. 
 She was unloading a cargo at Havana when the 
 blockade was proclaimed, and she made all haste 
 to get away, but succeeded in merely running 
 into the American fleet. She put out of the har- 
 bor and headed for the east, intending to run 
 around that end of the island and get to Santiago 
 de Cuba. She had the honor of being espied by 
 the lookout on no less a vessel than the flagship 
 of the fleet, the New York. Instantly the old 
 cry, dear to a fighting seaman's heart, was heard 
 -—"A chase! A chase!" 
 
 The officers and crew gathered in groups, and 
 eagerly watched the flying vessel. The New 
 York increased her speed to eighteen knots, and 
 gained rapidly, Admiral Sampson meanwhile pac- 
 ing the forward bridge. Great delight was ex- 
 pressed when it became evident that the stranger 
 was cut off from escape. The crew were now all 
 at their stations and the guns loaded and trained. 
 The echo of the warning shot had hardly died 
 
396 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 away before the Pedro hove to. The prize crew 
 which was sent on board the captured vessel had 
 scarcely left for their new command when a blank 
 shell was fired from one of the New York's for- 
 ward guns. This was the signal for another 
 steamer which had been sighted to westward to 
 stop. She was scurrying away as fast as possible, 
 when the flagship began a second chase. The 
 excitement now became intense, but perfect dis- 
 cipline was maintained. To the great disappoint- 
 ment of all on board, it was presently seen that 
 the steamer was flying the German flag. An 
 ensign boarded her to obtain information, and she 
 proved to be the tramp steamer Reumus, bound 
 from Havana to Santiago. Her captain stated 
 that he knew nothing about the war, and the 
 American ensign accordingly made the usual 
 apologies and returned to the flagship, the 
 Reumus proceeding on her way. 
 
 Shots from Morro Castle. 
 The Pedro was captured on April 24. The 
 preceding night the first shots were fired at our 
 fleet from Morro Castle. The flag-ship New 
 York was engaged in signalling with lights to the 
 other members of the fleet when the firing began. 
 Captain Chad wick of the New York was asleep 
 at the time. The firing from the forts was at 
 once reported to him by the officer of the deck, 
 and the signal officer asked in excited tones 
 
Commodore Schley. 
 
Captain Sigsbee. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 399 
 
 whether he had not better discontinue signaling. 
 "No," Captain Chadwick replied, with the ut- 
 most coolness, "there is no necessity for stopping. 
 Go ahead." 
 
 A little later Captain Chadwick went on the 
 forward bridge and watched the flames shooting 
 out from Morro Castle as each shot was fired, but 
 after a few minutes he turned his back, remarking 
 that it was perfectly certain the Spaniards could 
 do no damage at five miles, our present approxi- 
 mate distance from the fort. He then returned 
 to bed. 
 
 The other officers, commenting upon the 
 firing, laughingly remarked that the Spaniards 
 evidently couldn't sleep without some fireworks, 
 one of them adding, "They can't hit anything, 
 anyway." 
 
 During this futile attempt to bombard the 
 fleet there was no excitement whatever on board 
 ship. In fact, many of the men were unconcern- 
 edly asleep, though Spain's first gun in the war 
 was being fired, and the ship they were in was 
 the target. 
 
 In Havana. 
 
 Meantime in the city of Havana there was no 
 such tranquillity as Captain Chadwick showed. 
 The opening days of the war were marked with 
 intense excitement and many alarms. The long- 
 expected war-cloud had burst, and had roused 
 
 23 
 
4-00 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 the passions of the Spaniards to the extremest 
 pitch. At length one night, a little before mid- 
 night, a fleet of warships was discovered by 
 searchlights approaching Havana. Instantly the 
 whole town was filled with animation. Alarm 
 guns were fired from the forts, the troops were 
 beat to quarters, and in a few minutes every man 
 was at his post. 
 
 The United States squadron approached at 
 quarter speed. They flashed out their search- 
 lights as soon as the alarm guns were fired. Land 
 and water became almost as bright as at noon- 
 day. Hundreds of people rushed to the water- 
 side. Others, believing a bombardment was 
 about to commence, sought concealment in direc- 
 tions out of the line of the forts. 
 
 The scene was inspiring. The drums beat in 
 the batteries and the soldiers hurried from point 
 to point as directed. 
 
 But beyond all was the awe-inspiring sight of 
 that phantom-like fleet gliding majestically, si- 
 lently, and slowly through the quiet waters, mak- 
 ing no sign of its deadly mission, and giving no 
 sign of life to those on shore, but the continuous 
 searching of the waters and the shore with their 
 powerful searchlights. 
 
 The vessels did not make direct for Havana. 
 They directed their course towards Lacharrena, 
 about two miles to the west. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 4OI 
 
 There was no rest for Havana that night. 
 The squadron continually shifted its position. 
 Evidently there was a dread of torpedoes, and the 
 greatest care was exercised. The reconnoitring 
 and signalling went on until dawn made the elec- 
 tric light needless, and then the American 
 fleet moved off in line to the east and disappeared, 
 whilst the wearied sightseers went home to their 
 beds, and the timid ones came from their hiding 
 places to their own homes. 
 
 More Prices. 
 
 The taking of prizes now became a matter of 
 almost daily occurrence. On April 24 the gun- 
 boat Helena took into Key West the valuable 
 steamer Miguel Jover, with a cargo of 2,000 tons 
 of cotton and staves. She was worth about 
 $400,000. A little later the same day the gun- 
 boat Detroit captured the Catalina, a large steel 
 steamer, of considerable value. And so it went 
 on day after day. All sorts of Spanish ships were 
 taken, from large ocean steamers to small fishing 
 smacks. Now and then a ship of some other 
 nationality was overhauled, but of course re- 
 leased unless she was trying to run the blockade, 
 in which case she either turned back or was taken 
 prisoner. The blockade was effectively main- 
 tained. One or two ships succeeded in eluding 
 the vigilance of our squadron, but they were 
 merely the exceptions that proved the rule. The 
 
4-02 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 blockaded ports were practically sealed against 
 entry or exit. 
 
 A False Alarm. 
 
 The day after the blockade of Havana 
 was established, the monitor Puritan, the cruiser 
 Cincinnati, the gunboats Machias, Nashville, Cas- 
 tine and Newport, and the torpedo-boats Foote 
 and Winslow left the squadron to blockade 
 Matanzas, Mariel and Cardenas. They formed 
 separate divisions. After they had passed out of 
 sight the remainder of the fleet took up regular 
 formation. They drifted fifteen miles from Morro 
 Castle, and a general advance was then made at 
 half speed. Captain Bob Evans, who was not 
 quite certain of the position he was entitled to 
 take with the Iowa, came abreast of the flagship, 
 and shouted through the megaphone, " How near 
 may I go ? " Admiral Sampson, standing on the 
 after-bridge, replied, "As near as you can with- 
 out drawing the fire of the batteries." "All 
 right ! " Captain Evans shouted back, in tones 
 which expressed the keenest disappointment. 
 
 The Iowa then went ahead. About half an 
 hour after the squadron was well under way, the 
 cruiser Cincinnati was seen in the eastern horizon, 
 smoke pouring from her funnels. As she had 
 been heading for Matanzas, it was evident that 
 she had turned back to chase some vessel. The 
 object of the pursuit was soon made out to be a 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 403 
 
 warship, standing well in towards the coast. The 
 flagship New York, the cruiser Marblehead, and 
 the gunboat Wilmington immediately turned out 
 of their course to head the warship off, the re- 
 mainder of the squadron proceeding westward. It 
 was impossible to establish the stranger's identity, 
 but she was thought to be the Viscaya or 
 Oquenda, heading for Havana. The most intense 
 excitement prevailed on board the New York and 
 on the other vessels of the squadron. The men 
 at the guns shouted with glee, while the stokers, 
 off duty below, cheered vociferously, and begged 
 to be allowed to go on deck to help to shoot at 
 the first armed enemy. The officers crowded the 
 quarter-deck, as elated as the men, though under 
 better control. 
 
 The bugler blew to general quarters, and all 
 hands flew to their posts. Admiral Sampson, 
 standing on the bridge, said deliberately to Cap- 
 tain Chadwick, "Yes, it is the Oquenda or 
 Viscaya;" adding, "I should like to bag them 
 both." It was then seen that the chase was flying 
 the Italian flag. This was no proof that behind 
 her still invisible guns Spaniards were not con- 
 cealed, ready to shoot, under false colors, and 
 the guns on the port side of the New York, and 
 in the forward and after turrets, were trained on 
 the stranger. A few minutes later, when about 
 1,500 yards separated the New York from her 
 
404 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 target, the American flag was run up on the war- 
 ship, a puff of smoke issued from her side, and the 
 boom of a gun sounded across the waters. Many 
 on board the flagship still thought the vessel 
 might prove to be an enemy's ship, but the sound 
 of the fifteen guns, with which she saluted the 
 American flag, soon undeceived them. The New 
 York returned the salute, and in her turn flew 
 the Italian flag. The stranger proved to be the 
 Italian cruiser Giovanni Bausan. Without further 
 formalities she continued her course, and entered 
 Havana harbor. An exciting incident thus ended 
 in disappointment, but it served to show the 
 anxiety of all hands for a fight, and to prove the 
 thoroughness of their discipline. 
 
 Adventures of a Press Boat. 
 Some exciting adventures fell to the lot of 
 the steamer Dauntless, which was in use as a 
 news-boat, accompanying the fleet. It went off 
 towards Matanzas, with the ships that were to 
 blockade that port. "At nine o'clock that night," 
 says one who was aboard the Dauntless, "three 
 miles off Matanzas, we were stopped by Ensign 
 Mclntyre, of the Cincinnati, while we were steam- 
 ing quietly toward Matanzas, whose lights were 
 reflected in the sky. A few miles to the south- 
 eastward a large fire ashore was exciting com. 
 ment aboard our vessel, and wonder was rife as 
 to where the United States blockading fleet was 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 405 
 
 to be found, when suddenly our look-out reported 
 'Torpedo-boat astern, coming up fast.' A 
 moment later, by her lights and a rocket which 
 she sent up, the torpedo-boat Dupont was made 
 out. We then discovered that we had come 
 unawares within three miles of the Cuban shore, 
 and far inside the prescribed limits. What fol- 
 lowed was short, sharp and warlike. From the 
 torpedo-boat, which had come alongside, we were 
 hailed with the query, ' What boat is that ? ' 
 Before we could answer, the order came through 
 the megaphone, ' Keep out of this; keep outside 
 the six-mile line, or you will get a shot through 
 you.' 
 
 " Some further colloquy of a more friendly 
 character ensued. When the officer of the 
 Dupont learned the peaceful nature of our mis- 
 sion, we were directed to proceed slowly towards 
 the Cincinnati, in whose neighborhood, also, we 
 were advised to use great caution, as otherwise 
 trouble would be in store for us. We proceeded 
 slowly, but it seems not slowly enough, and very 
 soon we were blinded by the glare of the Cin- 
 cinnati's searchlights. The first intimation we 
 received that we were in too close proximity to 
 the warship was conveyed by the report of a six- 
 pounder, which was immediately followed by a 
 quick hail. Presently the Dupont stole up again, 
 and quietly reported to the Cincinnati, ' This is 
 
406 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 the boat we sighted inshore.' A voice from the 
 Cincinnati replied, ' Very good ; we will send a 
 boat to board her.' 
 
 "All this time the glare of the cruiser's search- 
 lights was on us, and was almost intolerable. 
 Soon afterward a six-oared boat, with Ensign 
 Mclntyre in the stern sheets, came alongside. 
 His first order was, 'Your papers and log, 
 please.' These were produced and found satis- 
 factory, and more cordial relations were soon 
 established. We found that we had transgressed 
 for being- within the limits set for vessels, and had 
 had a close shave of being sunk. We informed 
 the Cincinnati's officer that we would cheerfully 
 take back any mail. In ten minutes the boat 
 returned with this message : ' Captain Chester's 
 compliments, and he will be obliged if you will 
 take in this mail. You can go. You had better 
 steam due west when you make your first course, 
 or you may get into more trouble.' These 
 instructions were obeyed literally, and we set off 
 on our return. Before we had gone six miles we 
 again saw the torpedo-boat astern, evidently 
 keeping an eye on us, the Cincinnati's search- 
 lights meanwhile sweeping the horizon. Soon 
 afterwards we heard four shots in quick succes- 
 sion, but as they were not followed by others, 
 we presumed some other boat had been over- 
 hauled." 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 407 
 
 A Smart Capture* 
 
 A smart bit of work was the capture of the 
 Spanish steamer Panama, by the Mangrove, on 
 the evening of April 25. The Mangrove had 
 been before the war merely a lighthouse tender, 
 but was now fitted with two six-pounder guns and 
 rated as an auxiliary cruiser of the United States 
 navy. The Mangrove was prowling off Havana 
 that evening, when she sighted the Panama head- 
 ing for that port. Chase was given at once, and 
 when the Mangrove got within range she fired a 
 shot at the Spaniard. The latter did not stop, 
 however, but kept on at top speed. Meanwhile, 
 the Mangrove outmanoeuvred the Panama, getting 
 between her and the Cuban shore, but even then 
 the Panama would not stop, and the Mangrove 
 had to fire three more shots, at decreasing range, 
 before the plucky Spaniard reversed his engines 
 and hauled down his flag in token of surrender. 
 
 The Panama's passengers were mainly Span- 
 ish refugees fleeing from New York and other 
 places in the United States to Havana. Captain 
 Quevedo was grief-stricken and greatly humiliated 
 because of the capture. The passengers declared 
 they knew nothing of the blockade, and when they 
 saw the searchlight of the Mangrove they 
 thought it the light of a Spanish man-of-war. The 
 first shot changed their joy to apprehension, the 
 second and third created a panic. The women 
 
408 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 ran screaming for shelter from the enemy's guns, 
 and the captain locked himself sullenly in his cabin. 
 "Work of a Monitor. 
 Most of the prize-taking was done by the 
 small, swift gunboats, but even the big, heavy, 
 slow monitors joined in it at times. This was 
 done in the case of the Guido, taken on April 27. 
 She was bound for Havana from Liverpool. The 
 gunboat Machias sighted her some twenty-five 
 miles north of Havana and fired the customary 
 shot as a warning for her to stop, but the Guido 
 disregarded it. The monitor Terror had also 
 sighted her from the other side at the same time, 
 and she also fired a shot across her bows. The 
 Guido, however, did not stop, and the monitor 
 then began to fire in a way that impressed on her 
 the need of an immediate halt. She was some 
 two miles' distance, but each of the three 6-pound 
 shots which the Terror sent struck the upper- 
 works of the Guido, as it was intended they 
 should. One stove a big hole in one of the boats 
 and another knocked the compass to smithereens 
 off its stanchions. 
 
 A splinter just grazed the wrist of Captain 
 Sachiando, whose uplifted hand grasped the signal 
 rope, and drew some blood. Quartermaster 
 Manuel Rivas, who was at the wheel, was struck 
 in the side by a splinter, but was not seriously 
 hurt. Then the Guido surrendered. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 409 
 
 A Privileged French Steamer. 
 
 An untoward incident of the blockade was the 
 capture and immediate release of the French 
 steamer Lafayette. She had been exempted from 
 capture by a special order of the Washington 
 Government, at the request of the French Govern- 
 ment. But the order was not conveyed to the fleet 
 quite in time. On May 5, while the gunboat An- 
 napolis was cruising off Havana she noticed the 
 Lafayette making for the blockaded port at all 
 speed, with the evident intention of entering the 
 harbor. Commander Hunker, of the gunboat, 
 immediately gave chase and a few minutes later 
 was within hailing distance. Signals ordering the 
 steamer to heave to were run up, but they were 
 disregarded, and the more persuasive argument 
 of a blank shot was used with instant effect. 
 
 The warship's whaleboat, with an officer, was 
 sent out to the Frenchman, whose manifest was 
 inspected, and the results were sent to Com- 
 mander Hunker. The latter ordered the board- 
 ing officer to warn the captain of the Frenchman 
 that Havana was in a state of blockade, and that 
 he would have to make for his ultimate destina- 
 tion, Vera Cruz, Mexico, without touching at any 
 port in Cuba. Captain De Chapelaine, the com- 
 mander of the French vessel, agreed to do this, 
 and the boarding officer and his crew returned to 
 the Annapolis. 
 
4IO WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Some hours later, or just after dark, the 
 Lafayette was again detected trying to slip through 
 the line of the blockading squadron, and the 
 Annapolis again gave chase. The Wilmington, 
 the Vicksburg and two of the tugs joined in the 
 hunt, and, after another gun was fired across the 
 Frenchman's bows, she again hove to. This time 
 a permanent boarding crew under Ensign Sega- 
 mond, of the Wilmington, was placed aboard, 
 and, escorted by the latter vessel, the prize was 
 headed for Key West, where she arrived early 
 next morning. Her arrival there caused con- 
 siderable sensation, as it was said that she had 
 left Corunna after the blockade had been declared, 
 and that she carried among her 161 passengers a 
 number of officers of the Spanish army, besides 
 arms, ammunition, medicine and other contra- 
 band of war. 
 
 Early in the day the prize commission went 
 out to the Lafayette and made a critical exam- 
 ination of her manifest. While this work was in 
 progress a note was received from Commodore 
 Watson, who had just taken command of the 
 squadron, saying that he had received orders 
 from Washington requiring him to release the 
 Lafayette and have her convoyed to Havana by a 
 man-of-war. The ship's papers were at once re- 
 turned to her commander and he was informed 
 that he was free to go to Havana. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE WAR IN THE FAR EAST THE OPPOSING FLEETS — 
 
 PANIC AT MANILA — -ENTERING MANILA BAY 
 
 THE BATTLE OF MANILA THE SPANIARDS 
 
 BRAVE, BUT BEATEN A HALT FOR BREAKFAST 
 
 FINISHING THE JOB AN UNRIVALED PERFORM- 
 ANCE T E L L I N G THE NEWS THE PRESIDENT 
 
 THANKS DEWEY DEWEY'S RECORD TAKING POS- 
 SESSION OF THE PHILIPPINES. 
 
 OON AFTER the opening of the war, 
 expectation began to turn toward the 
 Far East. Spain had a considerable 
 fleet in the waters of the Philippine Islands, with 
 which she might menace our commerce in the 
 Pacific Ocean, and even cause some annoyance to 
 the California coast. It seemed imperative that 
 it should be promptly destroyed or captured. 
 Accordingly, instructions were sent to Commo- 
 dore George Dewey, commanding the American 
 fleet in that part of the world, to proceed to 
 Manila and deal with the Spanish fleet according 
 to his own discretion. 
 
 Dewey was then at Hong Kong. His fleet 
 contained not more than half as many ships as 
 
 (41 1) 
 
412 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 the Spanish, but they were larger and better ships, 
 and he felt no doubt as to the result of an. engage- 
 ment. On April 27 he set out for the scene of 
 battle. It was announced that the Spanish fleet 
 would come out of the harbor and meet him in 
 the open sea. Meantime the land defences of the 
 harbor were strengthened, and the Spanish Gov- 
 ernor issued various proclamations, defying and 
 vilely calumniating the Americans. One of his 
 proclamations declared that "the American peo- 
 ple are composed of all social excrescences, who 
 have exhausted our patience and provoked war 
 with their perfidious machinations, their acts of 
 treachery and their outrages against the law of na- 
 tions and international conventions." The proc- 
 lamation proceeded to say : "A squadron manned 
 by foreigners, possessing neither instruction nor 
 discipline, comes to the Archipelago, with the ruf- 
 fianly intention of robbing us of all that means 
 life, honor and liberty. The aggressors shall not 
 profane the tombs of your fathers. They shall 
 not gratify their lustful passions at the cost of 
 your wives and daughters. They shall not cover 
 you with dishonor or appropriate the property 
 your industry has accumulated as a provision for 
 your old age. They shall not perpetrate any of 
 the crimes inspired by their wickedness and 
 coveteousness ; because your valor and patriot- 
 ism will suffice to punish this miserable people, 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 413 
 
 which, claiming to be civilized and cultivated, have 
 exterminated the unhappy natives of North 
 America, instead of bringing to them the light of 
 civilization and of progress." 
 
 The Opposing- Fleets. 
 
 The United States fleet, under Commodore 
 Dewey, consisted of the following ships : 
 
 The flagship Olympia, one of the best cruis- 
 ers afloat, Captain C. V. Gridley. 
 
 The cruiser Baltimore, Captain N. M. Dyer. 
 
 The cruiser Boston, Captain Frank Wildiez. 
 
 The cruiser Concord, Commander Asa 
 Walker. 
 
 The cruiser Raleigh, Captain J. B. Coghlan. 
 
 The gunboat Petrel, Commander E. P. Wood. 
 
 The dispatch-boat Hugh McCulloch. 
 
 The steamer Nanshan, storeship. 
 
 The steamer Zafiro, collier. 
 
 Opposed to it was the following fleet, com- 
 manded by Admiral Montojo : 
 
 The cruiser Reina Cristina. 
 
 The cruiser Castilla. 
 
 The cruiser Velasco. 
 
 The cruiser Don Juan de Austria. 
 
 The gunboat Paraguay. 
 
 The gunboat Ulloa. 
 
 The gunboat El Cano. 
 
 The gunboat General Lezo. 
 
 The gunboat Marquez del Duero. 
 
414 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 The transport General Alava. 
 The transport Manila, 
 The transport Cebu. 
 
 Panic at Manila. 
 
 Meantime there was something much like a 
 state of panic at Manila. The American Consul, 
 Mr. Williams, who was warned on April 15 by 
 cable to leave Manila, sent warning to the Amer- 
 ican residents and began negotiations with Gov- 
 ernor-General Primo de Rivera to hand over the 
 affairs of the American Consulate to the British 
 Consul, E. A. Rawson Walker. 
 
 Rivera professed to be ignorant of the strained 
 relations between the United States and Spain, so 
 he cabled to Madrid for instructions, as Spanish 
 consent was necessary for the transfer. Rivera 
 temporized for several days, until the arrival of 
 General Augusti, his successor, when the transfer 
 was made. The American colony at Manila con- 
 sisted of twenty-five persons engaged in business. 
 Williams warned them to wind up business and 
 leave as soon as possible. Several went away, 
 but the majority went on board British vessels in 
 the harbor to await the outcome of Dewey's arrival. 
 
 One American named Johnson refused to go, 
 as his wife had just given birth to a child and 
 could not be moved. Consul Williams was 
 treated with much courtesy, but as soon as he de- 
 serted the consulate the insignia of the United 
 
a 
 a 
 
 ft 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 417 
 
 States on the shield over the door were taken 
 down and kicked into splinters. Only one Amer- 
 ican ship was left in the harbor, the Great 
 Admiral, which was loading hemp for New York. 
 Captain Stirling's papers were not accurate, and 
 he feared to sail lest some Spanish cruiser would 
 seize him because of defective papers. 
 
 Consul Williams went away on the steamer 
 Esmeralda. The Chinese, who feared their prop- 
 erty would be looted, offered large sums for pas- 
 sage on the steamer. One hundred and fifty dol- 
 lars bonus was offered above the ordinary fare of 
 $50, and some paid as high as $250 merely for 
 deck passage. The steamer is allowed to take 
 two hundred deck passengers, but this number 
 was largely increased. 
 
 When Consul Williams reached Hong Kong 
 he made his headquarters with Consul-General 
 Rounseville Wildman. 
 
 He brought complete maps of the harbor and 
 plans of all the fortifications. With Wildman he 
 went down to the fleet at Mires Bay and held a 
 conference with Admiral Dewey, at which the 
 plan of attack was perfected. It was decided that 
 Dewey should attack the Spanish fleet wherever 
 he found it, as it was recognized it would be more 
 important to destroy or cripple the fleet than to 
 capture Manila, as then American merchant ves- 
 sels would be safe. 
 
 24 
 
41 8 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Entering Manila Bay. 
 
 Despite the boasts of the Spanish commander, 
 the Spanish fleet did not go out to meet the 
 American, but remained in harbor, under the 
 guns of the forts of Manila and Cavite. Dewey 
 reached Subig Bay, thirty miles north of Manila, 
 on Saturday, April 30, and having as yet seen 
 nothing of the enemy, sent two of his ships, the 
 Baltimore and the Concord, forward to reconnoitre. 
 They went as far as the entrance to Manila Bay, 
 and found no Spanish ships. So Dewey decided 
 to go ahead and enter the harbor. 
 
 It was midnight, that night, when the fleet 
 arrived at the dark gateway that led into the 
 capital of the Philippines. There were forts on 
 both sides, and on the two islands which lay in 
 the narrow channel, and torpedoes and submarine 
 mines were supposed to be abundant. But the 
 gallant Vermonter, who had fought with Farragut, 
 never hesitated a moment. 
 
 The " wee, small hours" of Sunday morning, 
 May Day, were beginning to grow toward sunrise 
 when the fleet passed the forts of Corregidor 
 Island. The flagship had passed more than a 
 mile beyond them, and the others were swiftly 
 following, with the prospect of all getting in with- 
 out discovery or the firing of a shot, when a few 
 sparks flew up from the smokestack of the Mc- 
 Culloch. They gave the alarm to the Spanish 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 419 
 
 garrison, and in an instant several shells were 
 sent screaming over the water, toward the ships. 
 They fell wide of the mark, however, and the fleet 
 swept on uninjured. But it was not in Yankee 
 blood to be shot at without reply. In the uncer- 
 tain light the gunners of the Raleigh, Concord 
 and Boston fired back, without a moment check- 
 ing the progress of the ships. Their shells went 
 straight to the mark, and the forts ashore were 
 quickly silenced. Then Dewey gave orders for 
 the men to lie down and sleep for an hour or two 
 before the day's work began. 
 
 The Battle of Manila. 
 
 It was a calm and lovely Sunday morning, 
 when the American fleet came sweeping slowly up 
 the sparkling waters of Manila Bay. All was serene 
 and peaceful. The Spanish ships were lying close 
 to the shore, under the guns of the forts at Cavite, 
 at the south side of the bay. Some of them were 
 behind its great stone breakwater. The Olympia 
 led the advance with not a sign of life about her, 
 nor any sound nor motion save the measured 
 throbbing of her mighty engines. 
 
 The Spanish began firing first, their shells 
 dropping all around the Olympia, but doing her 
 no harm. Then, as a shell burst directly over 
 her, a hoarse cry came from the boatswain's mate 
 at the after 5-inch gun, and "Remember the 
 Maine ! " arose from the five hundred men at the 
 
420 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 guns. The watchword was caught up in the tuiv 
 rets and fire-rooms, until, wherever seaman or 
 fireman stood at his post, "Remember the 
 Maine! " had rung out for defiance and revenge, 
 The utterance seemed unpremeditated, but it was 
 evidently in every man's mind, and now that the 
 moment had come to make an adequate reply to 
 the murder of the Maine's crew, every man 
 shouted what was in his heart. 
 
 The Olympia was now ready to begin the 
 fight. Commodore Dewey, his chief of stafi^ 
 Commander Lamberton, and several other offL 
 cers were on the forward bridge. Captain Grid 
 ley was at his station in the conning tower. 
 
 It was just 5.40 by the clock. The Olympia 
 was about 5,600 yards from the foe. Turning 
 quietly, and with the coolest and calmest of man- 
 ners, Commodore Dewey said : 
 
 "You may fire whenever you are ready, 
 Captain Gridley." 
 
 Captain Gridley was ready. Within a minute 
 one of his 8-inch guns roared answer, and the 
 battle was on. 
 
 The Spaniards Brave, but Beaten. 
 
 The other ships at once began firing and the 
 conflict became general. Our fire was directed 
 chiefly, at first, at the Spanish ships Reina Cris^ 
 tina and Castilla. The range was too great for 
 accuracy, and the Spaniards seemed encouraged 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 42 1 
 
 to fire faster, knowing exactly our distance, while 
 we had to guess theirs. 
 
 It was very evident that Admiral Montojo 
 had not expected the enemy so soon, but having 
 recovered from the first surprise of the attack, he 
 directed the operations of his fleet with great 
 bravery and considerable skill. 
 
 Early in the battle he steamed towards the 
 enemy as though challenging the American Ad- 
 miral to single combat. A terrible fire was 
 brought to bear upon the Reina Cristina, in the 
 face of which she was compelled to retire in a 
 sinking condition. 
 
 She directed her course as well as she could 
 towards the harbor of Cavite, steaming slowly. 
 Then a big shell struck her, burst between decks, 
 and set her on fire. She foundered before reach- 
 ing the harbor, and many men went down with 
 her. 
 
 A Halt for Breakfast. 
 
 When eight o'clock struck, Commodore 
 Dewey signalled for all hands to stop firing and 
 retire out of range for breakfast. The men had 
 been hard at work for more than two hours, on 
 nothing but a cup of coffee. Yet they were re- 
 luctant to quit fighting, even for an hour. Some 
 of them became almost mutinous when ordered 
 to stop firing. Their feeling was well expressed 
 by one gunner, who turned to Commander Lam- 
 
42 2 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 berton with tears in his eyes, and cried, " For 
 God's sake, Captain, don't stop now ; let's finish 
 'em up right off. To hell with breakfast." Old 
 Purdy, a privileged petty officer because he had 
 served in the navy or army nearly fifty years, was 
 greeted by the Commodore on Saturday, when 
 the old man shifted his quid and said, "I hope 
 you won't fight on the third of May, Commodore." 
 "Why not?" asked the Commodore. "Well, 
 you see, I got licked the last time I fought on 
 that date," he answered. Purdy had been with 
 Hooker at Chancellorsville, and he did not like 
 that anniversary. 
 
 Finishing the Job. 
 
 Dewey took his time. He told the men to 
 eat a good breakfast, and get well rested. Then, 
 a little before ten o'clock, action was resumed. 
 The ships now paid special attention to the shore 
 batteries. A tremendous fire was rained upon 
 them, and before long their fire slackened, and 
 ultimately all were silenced. 
 
 Meantime the Spanish warships had not been 
 neglected, and a transport had been sent to the 
 bottom. 
 
 About ten o'clock occurred one of the most 
 stirring scenes of a stirring day. The Spanish 
 cruiser Don Antonio de Ulloa had made a heroic 
 fight. The great guns of the powerful American 
 cruisers had swept her decks of every structure, 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 423 
 
 and not a living man remained upon the upper 
 deck. But the guns on the lower decks still shot 
 out defiance at the enemy. 
 
 Finally the cruiser's hull was riddled like a 
 sieve, water poured through the numerous rents, 
 and with her flag flying and her lower guns firing 
 to the last, the Don Antonio de Ulloa foundered 
 with all hands. 
 
 The Spaniards hauled down their flag at a 
 quarter-past twelve, after a hard-fought fight of 
 seven hours. 
 
 An Unrivalled Performance. 
 
 So ended this battle, one of the most note- 
 worthy ever fought in all the world. The American 
 fleet had engaged a fleet numerically its superior, 
 and an array of land batteries at the same time. 
 It had done so in strange waters, the home waters 
 of the enemy. It had destroyed every Spanish 
 ship and silenced every battery. And it had done 
 so without the loss of a single ship, nor even serious 
 injury to one, and without the loss of a single life. 
 There was nothing like that on record before. 
 
 There was an act of treachery on the part of a 
 Spanish warship, which lowered her flag and then 
 fired at a boat's crew sent to take possession of her. 
 She did not hit the boat, but our guns were turned 
 on her and tore her to pieces. She went to the 
 bottom with all on board. Several vessels close in- 
 shore behaved in the same way and shared her fate. 
 
424 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 The Spaniards had fought to their last gasp 
 and now surrendered. They had been announcing 
 that the Americans would kill every one in Cavite, 
 and when we landed a long procession of priests 
 and Sisters of Mercy met the boat from the Petrel 
 and begged our men not to injure the wounded 
 in the hospital. As a matter of fact, the Ameri- 
 cans rescued some two hundred Spaniards and 
 sent them ashore. 
 
 Commodore Dewey's orders were to capture 
 or destroy the Spanish fleet, and never were in- 
 structions executed in more complete fashion. At 
 the end of seven hours there was nothing left of 
 the Spanish fleet but a few relics. The American 
 commander had most skilfully arranged every 
 detail of the action, and even the apparently in- 
 significant features where carried out with perfect 
 punctuality and in railroad time-table order. 
 
 At the end of the action Commodore Dewey 
 anchored his fleet in the bay before Manila and 
 sent a message to Governor-General Augusti, 
 announcing the beginning of the blockade and 
 adding that if a shot should be fired against his 
 ships he would destroy every battery about 
 Manila. 
 
 The position occupied by the Spaniards, the 
 support which their ships received from the land 
 batteries and the big guns they had ashore gave 
 them i^n enormous advantage. Therefore, when 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 425 
 
 it is considered that the Spaniards lost over six 
 hundred men in killed and wounded, that all their 
 ships, probably fourteen, were destroyed and that 
 the naval arsenal at Cavite was also destroyed, 
 with its defenses, it will become apparent that the 
 victory of the American Commodore was one of 
 the most complete and wonderful achievements in 
 the history of naval warfare. 
 
 Telling: the News. 
 
 The first news of the battle came through 
 Spanish channels, the cable from Manila to Hong 
 Kong being in Spanish hands. It was stated that 
 a great victory had been won for Spain. The 
 Madrid Government was jubilant, its people wild 
 with delight. A few hours later the truth was 
 told, and then martial law had to be established in 
 Madrid and throughout Spain, to repress the fury 
 of the enraged populace. 
 
 It was six days later when full reports came 
 to hand. They had been sent by steamer from 
 Manila to Hong Kong, and thence by cable to 
 Washington. 
 
 The American commander's dispatches were 
 brief and modest. This was the first : 
 
 "Manila, May i. — Squadron arrived at Manila 
 at daybreak this morning. Immediately engaged 
 the enemy, and destroyed the following Spanish 
 vessels : Reina Cristina, Castilla, Don Antonio de 
 Ulloa, Isla de Luzon, Isla de Cuba, General Lezo, 
 
426 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Marquis de Duero, Cano, Velasco, Isla de Min- 
 danao, a transport, and water battery at Cavite. 
 The squadron is uninjured, and only a few men 
 are slightly wounded. Only means of telegraph- 
 ing is to American Consul at Hong Kong. I shall 
 communicate with him. Dewey." 
 
 Following is the second message : 
 
 "Cavite, May 4.— I have taken possession of 
 naval station at Cavite, on Philippine Islands. 
 Have destroyed the fortifications at bay entrance, 
 paroling the garrison. I control bay completely 
 and can take city at any time. The squadron is 
 in excellent health and spirits. Spanish loss not 
 fully known, but very heavy. One hundred and 
 fifty killed, including captain of Reina Cristina. 
 I am assisting in protecting Spanish sick and 
 wounded; 250 sick and wounded in hospital with- 
 in our lines. Much excitement at Manila. Will 
 protect foreign residents. Dewey." 
 
 The President Thanks Dewey. 
 
 By direction of the President, Secretary Long 
 sent this dispatch to Commodore Dewey: 
 "Dewey, Manila. Washington, May 7, 1898. 
 
 "The President, in the name of the American 
 people, thanks you and your officers and men for 
 your splendid achievement and overwhelming 
 victory. In recognization he has appointed you 
 Acting Admiral, and will recommend a vote of 
 thanks to you by Congress. Long." 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 427 
 
 Then the President and the two houses of 
 Congress hastened to express the country's 
 gratitude for the brilliant victory won by Commo- 
 dore Dewey's squadron off Manila, and to reward 
 in time-honored fashion the gallantry of the 
 officers and men whose triumph had shed fresh 
 lustre on American discipline and valor. Fulfill- 
 ing the promise of his cable dispatch of congrat- 
 ulation to Commodore Dewey, the President, in a 
 felicitous message, reciting the achievement of the 
 Asiatic squadron, suggested to Congress that the 
 Nation's thanks be given to the fleet commander 
 and to the officers and men who had helped him 
 to crush the Spanish forces in the Philippines. 
 Both houses accordingly passed by a unanimous 
 vote a resolution voicing the gratitude felt by the 
 American people for the "highly distinguished 
 conduct in conflict with the enemy" shown by 
 Commodore Dewey and by all his subordinates, 
 and directing the President to convey this ex- 
 pression of thanks to the officers and men of the 
 fleet at Manila. 
 
 But the action of the two houses did not 
 stop with the single compliment of a vote of thanks 
 — exceptional and highly prized as that distinc- 
 tion is. Both branches passed without opposition 
 a bill increasing the number of rear-admirals in 
 the Navy from six to seven, thus creating a 
 vacancy in that grade, to which the President had 
 
428 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 practically given notice that he would at once 
 advance the commander of the Asiatic squadron. 
 A sword of honor was also voted to Dewey, and 
 commemorative medals to all his men. 
 Dewey's Record. 
 Admiral Dewey, the hero of Manila, had 
 had a lone and creditable career of service. He 
 entered the Naval Academy from Vermont in 
 September, 1854. Being graduated in 1858, he 
 was assigned to the frigate Wabash, of the Euro- 
 pean squadron, and remained in Mediterranean 
 waters until the outbreak of the war. Returning 
 to this country in 1861, he was detailed to the 
 Mississippi, one of the vessels in the West Gulf 
 squadron, serving in her until she was destroyed 
 in 1863. It was during this time that the squad- 
 ron was engaged in the capture of New Orleans. 
 Commodore Dewey was then a lieutenant. The 
 Mississippi was under command of Captain 
 Melancthon Smith, and just as the end of the 
 battle of New Orleans appeared to be in sight the 
 Confederate ram Manasses came down the river 
 at full speed to attack the Union fleet. Admiral 
 Farragut directed the Mississippi to turn and run 
 her down. She obeyed, but when within a few 
 yards of the enemy the Manasses turned and ran 
 ashore. The Mississippi poured two broadsides 
 into her and sent her to the bottom of the river a 
 total wreck. The Mississippi while trying to run 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 429 
 
 the batteries of Port Hudson on March 21, 1863, 
 grounded and heeled to port. In spite of the 
 desperate efforts of the crew, she could not be 
 saved. The enemy, getting the range, poured 
 shell after shell into her hull, and Captain Smith 
 ordered her fired, and the crew escaped in their 
 boats. 
 
 After the destruction of the Mississippi, 
 Lieutenant Dewey was assigned to the steamboat 
 Agawam, of the North Atlantic blockading fleet, 
 and assisted in two attacks on Fort Fisher — one 
 in December, 1864, and the other in January, 
 1865. On March 3, 1865, ne was commissioned 
 lieutenant-commander, and served on the old 
 Kearsarge. At the close of the war he went 
 aboard the Colorado, the flagship of the European 
 squadron, and remained on her until 1867. For 
 two years thereafter he did shore duty, being- 
 assigned to the Naval Academy. He was next 
 placed in command of the Narragansett, in special 
 service, in 1870 and 1871, and was again assigned 
 to shore duty a year later at the Torpedo Station. 
 He was made a commander on April 13, 1873, 
 and was in charge of the Narragansett on the 
 Pacific survey until 1875, when he was appointed 
 lighthouse inspector for two years. He then be- 
 came secretary of the Board, and retained that 
 post until 1882. In command of the Juniata, 
 of the Asiatic squadron, from 1882 to 1883, he 
 
43° WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 was promoted to a captaincy in September, 1884, 
 commanding the Dolphin in the same year. He 
 was next transferred to the Pensacola, on the 
 European station. In 1889 he was summoned to 
 Washington, to become for four years the chief 
 of the Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting, and 
 that service was succeeded by another detail to 
 the Lighthouse Board. From this duty he was 
 relieved to accept the presidency of the important 
 Board of Inspection and Review, which he held, 
 until, as a commodore, he was sent in November, 
 1897, to command the Asiatic station. 
 
 Taking: Possession of the Philippines. 
 A few days after the victory at Manila, the 
 Washington Government took steps toward the 
 complete and permanent occupation of the 
 Philippine Islands. The great warships Monterey 
 and Monadnock and the cruiser Charleston were 
 sent thitherto reinforce Dewey's fleet, and Major- 
 General Merritt, with an army of 20,000 men, 
 was sent out to assume control as Military Gov- 
 ernor. His commission clothed him with greater 
 discretionary powers than had ever up to that 
 time been granted to an agent of this Govern- 
 ment. Except in his relations with foreign 
 Powers growing out of possible complications in 
 the East, which are to be referred to Washington 
 for negotiation, General Merritt's control of affairs 
 will be practically supreme. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 WITH THE BLOCKADING FLEET SHELLING MATAN- 
 
 ZAS OTHER SHIPS JOIN IN GETTING CLOSER 
 
 TO THE MARK "CEASE FIRING ! " ABOARD SHIP 
 
 SCENES ON THE NEW YORK THE MEN AT 
 
 THE GUNS SICK MEN WANTED TO BE IN IT 
 
 BLANCO'S MULE STORY CAVALRY AGAINST NAVY 
 
 THE ADMIRAL TEACHES ANOTHER LESSON 
 
 THE CARDENAS TRAGEDY HELPLESS UNDER 
 
 FIRE THE FATAL SHOT DAMAGE TO THE 
 
 ENEMY ENSIGN WORTH BAGLEY THE GUSSIE's 
 
 FAILURE BOMBARDING SAN JUAN THE BATTLE 
 
 OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA SPANIARDS ON THE 
 
 RUN LINE CUT OFF MOLE ST. NICHOLAS. 
 
 df 
 
 HERE WAS plenty of work and excite- 
 ment for the blockading fleet without 
 merely capturing prizes. After the firing 
 by Morro Castle, as told in a former chapter, 
 the temptation to throw a few shells into Havana 
 was very strong, but was resisted. However, a 
 chance to try the guns soon came, not at Havana, 
 but at Matanzas. The trouble there began on 
 April 24. We have already told how part of the 
 fleet went thither. The torpedo-boat Foote went 
 in to about three hundred yards from shore to 
 take soundings, and was thus engaged, when sud- 
 
 (431) 
 
43 2 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 denly a masked battery at the entrance to Matan- 
 zas harbor opened fire upon her. Three dis- 
 charges were made in quick succession. They all 
 went wide of the mark, and the shot struck the 
 water a quarter of a mile away. The officers and 
 men on the torpedo-boat Foote were momentarily 
 startled by the volley, then observations were 
 taken. The cruiser Cincinnati, which was stand- 
 ing off, was hailed by the torpedo-boat, and Lieu- 
 tenant Rodgers made his report through the mega- 
 phone. 
 
 'T have to report," he said, "that we are 
 sounding within the 20-fathom line." Then he 
 added: "We seem to have drawn the enemy's 
 fire from shore. We have been fired at three 
 times." The orders of Captain Chester, in com- 
 mand of the cruiser Cincinnati, did not permit 
 shelling Matanzas, so the fire from the masked 
 battery was not returned. 
 
 Shelling Matanzas. 
 
 But the response to the Spanish shots was 
 merely postponed. On April 27 it was noticed 
 that the Spaniards were building new fortifications 
 at Matanzas, and Admiral Sampson thought it 
 would be a good plan to stop them, and at the 
 same time to give his gunners a little practical 
 target pactice. So he turned in toward the harbor 
 with his flagship, the New York, the big monitor 
 Puritan, and the cruiser Cincinnati. Then "Gen- 
 
1 
 

 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 435 
 
 eral quarters ! " was sounded, and the men rushed 
 eagerly to the guns. When the New York was 
 about 4,000 yards from Punta Gorda, the order to 
 begin firing was given. Cadet Boone, in charge 
 of an 8-inch gun amidships on the port side, fired 
 the first shot. This was at 12.56 p. m. Fifty 
 pairs of glasses were levelled from the flagship at 
 the shore. It seemed minutes before the yellow 
 smoke cleared away, but in reality it was less than 
 five seconds. Then a little cloud of dust was 
 seen to rise at the right of the earthworks. For 
 the first attempt at 4,000 yards it was by no means 
 a bad shot. 
 
 Without the aid of glasses the objective 
 point could be clearly defined. With a deafening 
 roar the 8-inch gun in the forward turret let fly its 
 iron missile. It landed high. The after turret 
 came next with the same sized projectile. A 
 shout of delight went up from the flagship as a 
 dense cloud rose slowly from the very centre of 
 the earthworks, showing how true had been the 
 aim. Then from the entire port side a fearful 
 fusillade was poured on the shore, the four turret 
 guns firing almost simultaneously and the 4-inch 
 guns adding their smaller hail. When the smoke 
 blew away Punta Gorda was dotted with dust 
 clouds that looked like miniature geysers spring- 
 ing suddenly from the earth. Each showed where 
 a shot had struck. 
 
 25 
 
436 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 At this stage the guns in the Quintas da 
 Recreo battery were observed to be firing on the 
 flagship. This fort is on the eastward arm of the 
 harbor, 7,000 yards from where the flagship was 
 lying. It is provided with four 8-inch guns. The 
 flagship's fire was at once directed upon it. 
 Other Ships Join In. 
 
 Up to this period the New York had been 
 firing alone. Captain Harrington on the Puritan, 
 and Captain Chester on the Cincinnati, had drawn 
 up, and were vigorously signalling for permission 
 to fire. When this was reported to Admiral 
 Sampson, he said, "All right; tell them to go 
 ahead." So, while the New York was opening 
 fire on Quintas da Recreo, the Puritan took a 
 position to the eastward and opened on the same 
 point. The Cincinnati went to the westward and 
 pounded a rapid-fire broadside into the earthworks 
 on Punta Gorda. 
 
 Occasionally shots from Quintas da Recreo 
 could be seen coming in the direction of the New 
 York. All fell very short, and at no time threat- 
 ened the ship. Only about ten shots are believed 
 to have been fired from this battery during the 
 whole engagement. However, there may have 
 been more. It is possible that its guns were 
 disabled, as two 8-inch shells were distinctly seen 
 to land square in the fort. Its distance from the 
 ship was so great and the smoke, which the 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 437 
 
 wind took in its direction, so thick, that it was hard 
 to judge the effect of the fire, and still harder 
 to get good aim. For about five minutes Quin 
 tas daRecreo got the full benefit of the port broad- 
 sides of the New York and the Puritan. 
 Getting Closer to the Mark. 
 What its ultimate fate would have been is 
 hard to tell had not attention been diverted from 
 it by a shell from Punta Gorda that whizzed over 
 the New York and fell a little short of the Cincin- 
 nati. Leaving Quintas da Recreo to the tender 
 mercies of the Puritan, which was still merrily 
 banging away, Captain Chadwick put his helm to 
 starboard, until the port battery once more bore 
 on the Punta Gorda earthworks. Another shell 
 came from shore, whizzing along over the flagship. 
 "Too high, but a better shot than I thought they 
 could make," said an officer. Then the Cincin- 
 nati and the New York poured shot into the yellow 
 earthworks and the surrounding land, until the 
 smoke hid everything from view. Only one more 
 shot from Punta Gorda was noticed. It fell short 
 of the New York by about two hundred yards. 
 It was believed to have come, not from the earth- 
 works, but from a field battery on the brow of a 
 slight hill about half a mile further inland than the 
 earthworks. In fact, it is doubtful whether any 
 shots were fired from the earthworks after the two 
 or three broadsides had been poured into them. 
 
43 8 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 What became of the soldiers seen on Punta 
 Gorda is not known. Some declared they saw 
 them running to the brow of the hill where the 
 field battery was thought to be stationed. But 
 this, as well as the estimate of the enemy's num- 
 ber, which ranged from four hundred to four 
 thousand, was purely supposition, distance and 
 smoke preventing accurate knowledge. 
 
 "Cease Firing!" 
 
 At 1. 1 5 p.m., when the bombardment was at 
 its height, and after it had been in progress for 
 nineteen minutes, Admiral Sampson ordered 
 " Cease firing ! " to be sounded. A few shots rang 
 out from the Cincinnati and the Puritan before 
 they caught the signal. 
 
 On shore all was quiet. Not a soul could be 
 seen there, and there was no more firing. The 
 earthworks a quarter-hour before had presented 
 a fairly regular outline, but now they had a jagged 
 appearance. Big gaps were plainly Visible at 
 Quintas da Recreo. There was not a sign of life 
 there. Admiral Sampson had effectually stopped 
 the work at Punta Gorda. He had drawn the 
 fire of the enemy, and had discovered exactly the 
 quality and location of their batteries, besides 
 affording three ships good target practice. Inci- 
 dentally he had put the fear of American guns 
 into Spanish hearts. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 439 
 
 Aboard Ship. 
 
 This bombardment also gave an excellent, 
 though at the same time a frightful illustration of 
 a warship's death-dealing powers. Tremendous 
 broadsides poured without cessation on the little 
 streak of earthworks. Had a single ship been in 
 the place where the shells fell it seems as if she 
 would have been blown to bits before she could 
 have returned the fire. When a i o,ooo-ton ship, 
 usually as steady as a rock, shakes and trembles 
 like a frightened child ; when firmly fitted bolts 
 start from their sockets and window-panes and 
 wood-work are shattered ; when the roar peals up 
 from port and starboard, and you feel your feet 
 leaving the deck and your glasses jumping 
 around your forehead, while a blinding, black- 
 ening smoke hides everything from sight, then it 
 is that you first realize the terrible power of a 
 modern warship's batteries. 
 
 Scenes on the New York. 
 
 Scenes of intense human interest occurred 
 on the flagship's deck during the bombardment. 
 The centre of attraction, naturally, was the for- 
 ward bridge, where Admiral Sampson paced up 
 and down, his long glass in hand, pausing now 
 and then to watch the effect of the shots, im- 
 passive as if at sub-calibre target practice off the 
 Dry Tortugas. Captain Chadwick was at his side, 
 in the dual capacity of chief of staff and captain of 
 
44-0 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 the ship, equally calm, and giving orders con- 
 tinuously regarding the direction of the fire and 
 the handling of the ship. Lieutenant Stanton, 
 assistant chief of staff; Lieutenant-Commander 
 Potter, executive officer of the ship, and Lieu- 
 tenant J. Roller, the navigator, all were on the 
 bridge, and as busy as they could be. Three 
 men were at the wheel, and the usual staff of 
 lookouts and signal boys were in their places. 
 The conning tower, with its heavily protected 
 sides, was without an occupant. The whistling 
 of a few shells could not drive the men who direct 
 the fighting squadron from their unprotected 
 place of vantage. 
 
 Directly beneath the bridge on the super- 
 structure, just aft and slightly above the forward 
 turret, stood Chaplain Royce. The chaplain and 
 the three doctors were the only persons on board 
 who sincerely hoped they would have no work to 
 do. All others were at their regular stations, 
 directing the gun crews, rushing up ammunition 
 from below or standing patiently in the engine- 
 room, waiting to back or go ahead, as the tele- 
 graph signalled. 
 
 The Men at the Guns. 
 
 The way the "jackies " worked at their guns 
 was splendid. Many of them were stripped to 
 the waist. The muscles stood out on their bare, 
 tattooed arms. The perspiration ran down their 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 44 1 
 
 faces, and mixing with the gunpowder, made 
 grim streaks of black over their skins. When 
 "Cease firing" sounded disappointment was writ- 
 ten visibly on all their faces. But the decks were 
 quickly swept, the shrouds rehooked, the guns 
 cooled and washed, and at dinner when the band 
 played "The Stars and Stripes Forever," there were 
 few signs to show that the flagship New York had 
 been into action for the first time in her career. 
 
 About three hundred shots were fired during 
 the bombardment, one hundred and four of which 
 were from the New York. The total cost of the 
 bombardment was about $3,500, expended entirely 
 in ammunition. The cruiser Cincinnati did won- 
 derfully quick and rapid work with her batteries. 
 The monitor Puritan probably fired fewer shots 
 than the others, apparently not using her rapid- 
 fire guns, but taking careful aim with her 12- 
 inch monster at Quintas da Recreo. 
 
 To those on board the flagship who had 
 never before been on a warship when she was 
 firing both batteries at once, and who had never 
 heard the shells whistle through the air, the ex- 
 perience was not so bad as was anticipated. The 
 noise of the guns deafened some slightly, but a 
 timely application of wool to the ears deadened 
 its effect considerably. Taken all in all, the 
 shock of the broadside was not so great as had 
 been expected. 
 
44 2 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Sick Men 'Wanted To Be In It. 
 
 The most characteristic incident of the bom* 
 bardment of Matanzas, and one that will go down 
 in history as an instance of Yankee pluck, occurred 
 in the sickbay on the flagship. Sick sailors were 
 lying there, listening to the shots, all eager to get 
 on deck. Suddenly, as if moved by a common im- 
 pulse, four of them sprang from their cots. One 
 had malaria, two had grip and another a high 
 fever, but their, ailments were forgotten as they 
 rushed out to their gun divisions and took their 
 usual stations. Despite their entreaties to be 
 allowed to stay, they were ordered back to the 
 sickbay, to which they sorrowfully returned. It is 
 hardly necessary to say that these four splendid 
 specimens of "the man behind the gun" were not 
 reported for breach of discipline. 
 
 Blanco's Mule Story. 
 
 Marshal Blanco sent an amusing report of 
 this affair to the Madrid Government. He said : 
 
 Three American cruisers fired on the bat- 
 teries of Fort Morillo, at Matanzas, without doing 
 any damage. We fired fourteen shots, to which 
 the Americans replied with a multitude of mitrail- 
 leuse (quick-firing) shots, which did not do any 
 injury. The American squadron also fired fourteen 
 cannon shots at the Sabanilla battery, only one mule 
 being killed. The Spanish battery only replied 
 with four shots, as the squadron was beyond range. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 443 
 
 Cavalry Against Navy. 
 
 A few days later came an amusing incident. 
 The New York was lying about two miles off 
 shore at the picturesque harbor of Cabanas. It 
 was early evening, and the ship's band was play- 
 ing its usual dinner music, when from a hill to the 
 eastward of Cabanas Harbor came the sound of 
 volley firing. It was plainly a small-arms attack, 
 though no smoke could be seen. The enemy was 
 thought to be hidden close to the beach in front 
 of a ruined white building, which sloped as if it 
 had once been the hacienda of a tobacco plan- 
 tation. Now and again individual firing was 
 heard, and well-regulated volleys continued. It 
 was estimated that a troop of cavalry, dismounted, 
 was doing the firing. 
 
 The officers of the flagship stood on her deck 
 trying to ascertain definitely the location of the 
 enemy, more amused than annoyed at this novel 
 method of attacking an armored cruiser. 
 
 The Admiral Teaches Another r,esson. 
 
 Rear-Admiral Sampson decided that the 
 lesson taught at Matanzas must be taught again 
 at Cabanas. 
 
 "Man the port battery!" was the order. 
 
 At a few minutes after 6 o'clock the four-inch 
 gun in the after port battery sent a shot flying 
 over the water into Cuba's soil, raising a little 
 cloud of dust about one hundred yards in front of 
 
444 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 the hacienda, and just about where the Spanish 
 cavalry stood. Before the hills, growing dim in 
 the evening mist, had ceased echoing and rever- 
 berating the other 4-inch gun in the after battery- 
 had landed its projectile. A few more shots from 
 this battery were fired. The ground was evi- 
 dently damp, as no dust arose, and it was hard 
 to tell where the shells struck. They were fired 
 at 3,400 yards range. The Spaniards were not 
 heard from after the first shot. 
 
 The Cardenas Tragedy. 
 The first loss of life on the American side in 
 the war occurred on May 11, at Cardenas. The 
 gunboat Wilmington, the torpedo-boat Winslow, 
 and the revenue cutter Hudson were taking 
 soundings when a Spanish gunboat was seen near 
 shore. The Winslow started in to capture her. 
 When the Winslow was about 1,500 yards from 
 the shore, a masked battery suddenly opened fire 
 upon her. The plucky little torpedo-boat replied, 
 and pressed on nearer. Then a 10-inch shell 
 struck her, wrecking her steam steering gear and 
 rendering her for the time helpless. Despite this 
 unfortunate incident the little vessel replied vig- 
 orously with her three guns until one of them was 
 disabled by a fragment of shell. The other guns 
 continued to operate, while the men who were not 
 otherwise engaged gathered to connect the hand- 
 steering apparatus. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 445 
 
 In the mean time another io-inch shell 
 struck the Winslow on the port side, wrecking 
 her forward boiler, to which the port engine was 
 attached and which was held in reserve in case of 
 accident to the aft boiler. Dense clouds of steam 
 filled the compartment, driving the men who were 
 at work there to seek the deck for air. 
 Helpless Under Fire. 
 
 A knot of these men gathered on the forward 
 deck, where Ensign Bagley was stationed to 
 watch the boat's course and carry orders to the 
 engine room. With one engine and boiler disa- 
 bled and the other engine and boiler not in opera- 
 tion the situation of the Winslow was perilous. 
 
 To add to the danger the forward hand- 
 steering gear was destroyed by a piece of shell. 
 While the machinists were attempting to rig up 
 the aft steering apparatus the engineers coupled 
 the aft boiler to the starboard engine. 
 
 The propeller, revolving without the guidance 
 of the rudder, set the little boat moving to and fro 
 like a shuttle, and to the men on the other vessels 
 it seemed as though the Winslow was doomed. 
 
 But she was not to perish without an effort 
 to save her, for as soon as he realized her plight, 
 Lieutenant Newcomb, of the Hudson, without 
 receiving any orders, steamed straight up to the 
 Winslow to tow her out of harm's way. In doing 
 this the Hudson was exposed to the enemy's fire. 
 
446 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Apparently, however, the Spanish commander 
 had gone mad on the subject of destroying the 
 torpedo-boat, for he did not deign to fire at the 
 Hudson, but continued to hurl shells at the hap- 
 less Winslow. The guns of the latter barked 
 back at the foe viciously. 
 
 As the Hudson approached the Winslow, 
 Ensign Bagley cried out : 
 
 " Pass us a line quickly ! This is too hot ! " 
 The Fatal Shot. 
 
 The Hudson's crew threw the line, and it was 
 made fast. Just as the hawser drew taut a 10- 
 inch shell fell and exploded in the middle of the 
 group of men who had been working at it on the 
 Winslow. Every man in the party was thrown 
 backward, all dead or mortally wounded. The 
 plucky ensign, who had been in an exposed posi- 
 tion during the entire conflict, was instantly killed, 
 as were two of his companions. Two more, 
 Meek and Tunnell, were so grievously injured 
 that they died a short time later. 
 
 When the Hudson's men saw the mutilated 
 bodies of the men on the Winslow, they became 
 frantic, and cursed and yelled, and it seemed as 
 though they could not load and fire quick enough. 
 They fired 135 rounds in thirty-three minutes. 
 The guns became so hot that the gunners could 
 not touch them with their hands, and manipulated 
 them with their elbows. The men loaded so 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 447 
 
 rapidly that it was a wonder that some of them 
 did not have their hands cut off by the rapidly 
 closing breech-locks. The guns became so heated 
 that many of them expanded, and in some cases 
 the shells went off prematurely, but fortunately not 
 until the breech-locks had been closed. The men 
 worked like beavers, and hesitated to desist when 
 ordered to cease firing. Then the Hudson, with 
 the Winslow in tow, moved slowly out of range. 
 Damage to the Enemy. 
 
 The engagement lasted from 1.30 to 2.35. 
 While the Winslow was the target at which the 
 Spaniards were aiming, the other two vessels 
 kept up a heavy fire, the Hudson using the six- 
 pound guns which she mounts and the Wilmington 
 using every weapon with sufficient power. 
 
 One of the Wilmington's shells exploded in 
 a Spanish gunboat, and others fell in the town, 
 setting it on fire and doing great damage to the 
 warehouses and shipping along the water-front. 
 
 The shore battery did not fire another shot 
 after the Winslow was towed away by the Hud- 
 son. On account of the smoke and the masking 
 of the battery, the officers who participated in the 
 engagement are unable to say what the Spanish 
 loss in killed and wounded was, though it must 
 have been heavy. The battery is believed to have 
 been composed of heavy field guns, for it was 
 frequently moved during the conflict. 
 
448 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Ensign 'Worth Bagley. 
 
 Ensign Worth Bagley, who was killed in the 
 engagement at Cardenas, was the first man on 
 the American side in the present war who lost his 
 life in action. It is a curious and interesting fact 
 that the first man in the Civil War on the 
 Southern side who was killed in a regular engage- 
 ment was a North Carolina soldier, named Wyatt, 
 belonging to the ist Regiment of Volunteers from 
 that State. He was shot at the Battle of Big 
 Bethel, on the Peninsula. Ensign Bagley was 
 born in Raleigh, N. C, and was about twenty-six 
 years old. He was the grandson of a fine old 
 North Carolina Quaker, the late Governor 
 Jonathan Worth, and was a collateral descendant 
 of General Worth, of New York. Young Bagley 
 entered the Naval Academy on September i, 
 1 89 1, having been appointed from the IVth Con- 
 gress District of North Carolina. He was a good 
 student, and stood well with his classes. He had 
 special distinction in athletic matters. Detached 
 from the academy on graduating, June, 1895, ne 
 went to the receiving ship Vermont, whence he 
 was sent to the cruiser Montgomery July 23, and 
 thence to the Texas, on October 8. Thence he 
 was sent to the Maine, on January 20, 1896. He 
 was transferred back to the Texas July 20, 1896, 
 where he remained until the 28th, when he 
 returned to the Naval Academy for final examina- 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 449 
 
 tion. He was promoted to ensign June 30, and 
 ten days later joined the Indiana, whence he was 
 transferred to the Maine, on August 17. He was 
 ordered to the Columbia Iron Works, Baltimore, 
 on November 19, 1897, as inspector, in connection 
 with fitting out the torpedo-boat Winslow, and 
 when that vessel went into commission, on De- 
 cember 28, he became second in command, under 
 Lieutenant Bernadou. Ensign Bagley was with 
 this boat last February, when, in the height of a 
 gale off the Delaware Breakwater, Lieutenant 
 Bernadou, with Bagley's assistance, rescued two 
 poor fellows adrift on a garbage scow. 
 The Gussie's Failure. 
 Down to this time the Government censor- 
 ship over news was lax, and information often got 
 out that should have been kept secret. It was 
 quickly caught up by Spanish spies and made 
 use of against this country. For example, the 
 steamer Gussie was sent on May 1 2 to carry a 
 cargo of arms and ammunition to the Cuban In- 
 surgents. The intention to send her was made 
 known, and the Spaniards made preparations 
 accordingly. When she got near shore, instead 
 of finding the Insurgents there to receive the 
 cargo, she found a body of Spanish troops, who 
 fired upon her and prevented the landing of the 
 cargo. So the expedition had to return, an utter 
 failure. That opened the eyes of the Govern- 
 
45 O WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 merit to the necessity of keeping its plans secret, 
 
 and thereafter the censorship was far more strict. 
 
 Bombarding San Juan. 
 
 Another important bombardment occurred on 
 May 12. Admiral Sampson went with part of 
 his fleet to San Juan, the capital of Porto Rico, 
 and battered down some of its fortifications,. On 
 his ships two men were killed and seven wounded, 
 while the Spanish loss was much heavier. 
 
 The battle was fought in the early light of 
 day, and during the first hour a haze overhung 
 the shore. Before the firing began one could 
 just see the hills and an indistinct line of forts. 
 
 The mastheads of the ships, with the Stars 
 and Stripes waving from them, stood out more 
 clearly, and through the smoke flashed gun after 
 gun. Spanish shot kept falling all about the 
 ships, sending up great columns of water. 
 
 Big rings of smoke rolling along overhead 
 showed where shells burst in the air. The forti- 
 fied hilltop, too, was veiled in smoke. At quick 
 intervals heavy puffs and flashes indicated the 
 location of the guns. 
 
 The Spaniards fought bravely. The rapid- 
 fire guns of our squadron kept pouring a steady 
 hail at every gun, and time and again drove the 
 Spaniards to shelter. 
 
 As soon as there was a lull, back the Dons 
 would come and begin firing away as wildly as ever. 
 
Watching the Searchlights at Havana during the Blockage. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN, 453 
 
 When our ships withdrew the forts poured a 
 defiant rain of shells after them, and their guns 
 could be heard blazing away long after our ves- 
 sels were out of range. 
 
 The Battle of Santiago de Cuba. 
 
 At daybreak, on May 18, the St. Louis ap- 
 peared off Santiago de Cuba, having been sent 
 by the Admiral to cut the cable connecting Santi- 
 ago and Jamaica. About 6 a.m. the American 
 flag was hoisted at the masthead and all hands 
 were called to quarters. The ship then swung 
 round and steamed across the harbor at a distance 
 of five miles from the forts, firing three shots 
 from one of her forward six-pounders in the 
 direction of the Morro, with the intention of draw- 
 ing the fire of the forts to see what guns they had, 
 but the fire was not returned. The ship then 
 steamed back and forth across the harbor, getting 
 gradually closer to the forts. 
 
 About noon, the ship having reached a posi- 
 tion one and a quarter miles from the Morro, the 
 grapnel caught the cable. The Spaniards evi- 
 dently discovered the mission of the ship about 
 this time, for a battery to the east of the Morro 
 opened fire with a 6-inch gun, the first shot falling 
 about two hundred yards short of the ship. Cap- 
 tain Goodrich now ordered the fire to be returned 
 by the two 6-pounders on the starboard side, the 
 only guns that could be brought to bear on the 
 
 26 
 
454 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 shore battery. This was speedily done, Ensign 
 Payne firing the forward gun, and Lieutenant 
 Catlin the after one, and their shots began to fall 
 thick and fast on shore. Another shot was fired 
 from the gun on shore, and the shell whistled 
 over the stern of the ship and struck the water a 
 few yards beyond. 
 
 Spaniards on the Run. 
 That was the last shot from that gun, as one 
 of the 6-pound shells struck the gun and disabled 
 it, and the Spaniards around could be seen flying 
 to the old Morro for shelter. A mortar battery 
 then opened fire from the brow of a hill on Caspar 
 Point, well back in the bay, and the shells began 
 to fall around the ship dangerously near, some 
 falling a little short of the ship, while others 
 passed close overhead, with an unearthly scream, 
 which seemed to say, "Where are you?" and 
 then plunged in the water just beyond the ship. 
 This battery was out of range of the small guns 
 of the St. Louis. The little tug Wampatuck, 
 commanded by Lieutenant Karl Jungen, then 
 came up just ahead of the ship and opened fire 
 with her one little 3-pounder, Quartermaster 
 Reynolds, one of the famous Jamison raiders, 
 firing the gun, and did excellent work. Another 
 battery to the west of the entrance opened fire, 
 but it was silenced after it had fired a few shots, 
 and the gunners engaged in a foot-race similar 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 455 
 
 to the one seen at the other battery only a short 
 time before. The guns were now turned on the 
 signal station to the east of the Morro, where the 
 Spaniards had been engaged in signalling since 
 the beginning of the engagement. The first few 
 shots tore away the roof of the signal-house and 
 the men stationed there left without hauling down 
 their last signal. Seeing that the mortar battery 
 could not be reached, and that the other batteries 
 had all been silenced, the captain took the ship 
 out of range of the mortars, and then stopped and 
 finished heaving up the grapnel. As the grapnel 
 appeared at the water's edge the cable could be 
 seen hanging from two of its prongs, and a 
 mighty cheer arose from the officers and crew, 
 who had assembled on the forecastle. About 
 two hundred fathoms of the cable were brought 
 in on deck. Then the axe of Segraves rose 
 and fell, and the work was done, and nobly 
 done, and each man in the crew of the St. Louis 
 treasures a piece of that cable as a souvenir 
 of the battle they fought that day in order to 
 secure it. 
 
 The engagement lasted forty-five minutes, 
 the ship lying motionless in the water with her 
 broadside to the forts and only a mile and a 
 quarter away. She could not move without cut- 
 ting her line and letting the cable go, which the 
 captain declined to do. During this time sixty- 
 
456 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 six shots were fired from the St. Louis's gun 
 forward, and 106 shots from the after gun, while 
 the little Wampatuck fired seventy-three from her 
 3-pounder. The conduct of the officers and crews 
 of the St. Louis and the Wampatuck during the 
 engagement was worthy of all praise. Segraves 
 and his men, working with the lines on the fore- 
 castle, bravely stuck to their stations while the 
 shells were whistling around them. The men 
 of the engineer force not on watch rushed up and 
 volunteered their services in passing ammunition. 
 The officers and marines at the guns worked with 
 a will, and fully exemplified the motto which 
 Captain McCalla is said to have given the crew 
 of the Marblehead : "The best protection against 
 the enemy's fire is the rapidity of fire directed 
 against the enemy's guns." 
 
 Line Cut off Mole St. Nicolas. 
 After cutting the cables at Santiago de Cuba, 
 Captain Goodrich decided to cut the French cable 
 that runs from Mole St. Nicolas, Hayti, to Guan- 
 tanamo, Cuba, about thirty miles eastward of 
 Santiago. On the morning after the encounter 
 with the forts of Santiago, the St. Louis and the 
 Wampatuck appeared off Guantanamo about 
 daylight, and the Wampatuck, with Lieutenant 
 Jungen in command, Chief Officer Segraves, En- 
 sign Payne, Lieutenant Catlin, eight marines and 
 four seamen from the St. Louis on board, steamed 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 457 
 
 into the mouth of the harbor, dropped a grapnel 
 in eight fathoms of water, and proceeded to drag 
 across the mouth of the harbor for the cable. 
 About one hundred and fifty fathoms of line was 
 run out, and soon the cable was hooked in about 
 fifty fathoms of water. About this time the look- 
 out reported a Spanish gunboat coming down the 
 harbor, and a signal was sent to the St. Louis, 
 half a mile outside, but she already had dis- 
 covered it, and immediately opened fire with the 
 two port 6-pounders. The Wampatuck then be- 
 gan firing with her one 3-pounder. The gunboat, 
 however, was out of range of these small guns, 
 and the shells all fell short. The gunboat now 
 opened fire with 4-inch guns, and every shot went 
 whistling over the little Wampatuck and struck 
 the water between her and the St. Louis. Being 
 well out of the range of the 6-pounders, the gun- 
 boat was perfectly safe, and she steamed back 
 and forth, firing her larger guns. For about 
 forty minutes the tug worked on the cable, while 
 the shells were striking all around her, but she 
 seemed to bear a charmed life. Captain Good- 
 rich, seeing that he could not get the gunboat 
 within reach of the small guns while that vessel 
 could easily reach both the St. Louis and the 
 Wampatuck with her heavier battery, signalled 
 the tug to withdraw ; the line was cut and both 
 vessels steamed out to sea, leaving the cable un- 
 
45^ WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 cut. As the tug started out it was noticed that 
 riflemen on shore were firing on her. Lieutenant 
 Catlin then opened up with the Gatling gun 
 mounted aft, and the Spaniards on shore could 
 be seen scattering and running for shelter. The 
 French cable was cut next morning off Mole 
 St. Nicolas, well outside of the three-mile limit. 
 The St. Louis and the Wampatuck steamed away 
 in company, leaving the Spaniards looking' after 
 them in amazement at their audacity. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE OREGON — NO THOUGHT OF 
 
 WAR FINE WORK AT SEA IN THE STRAITS OF 
 
 MAGELLAN — GOOD-BY TO THE SLOW VESSELS 
 
 END OF THE GREAT VOYAGE A REMARKABLE 
 
 SPEED RECORD HER SIZE AND HER ARMAMENT 
 
 THE OREGON'S COMMANDER. 
 
 Y NO means the least striking and signifi- 
 cant incident of the war was the voyage 
 of the Oregon. This great battleship, 
 one of the most powerful in the world, had been 
 built at San Francisco, and had been kept on the 
 Pacific coast station. But the destruction of the 
 Maine weakened the North Atlantic Squadron, 
 and made it seem desirable that an addition be 
 made to it, at least equal to the loss. So it was 
 decided to summon the Oregon. 
 
 To get her from the Pacific to the North 
 Atlantic Squadron would be no small job. A 
 canal across the Central American isthmus would 
 have made it easy. She could have come through 
 that route in a few days with safety. But unhap- 
 pily this nation had failed to construct such a 
 canal, and in its absence it was necessary for her 
 to make the long voyage around Cape Horn, or at 
 
 459 
 
460 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 least through the Straits of Magellan. This 
 was a trip of 13,000 miles, ranging from tropic 
 heat to polar frost. And it was to be made 
 not by a cruiser intended for ocean voyaging, 
 but by a heavy battleship intended for coast 
 defence. We shall see how the arduous task was 
 performed. 
 
 No Thought of "War. 
 The thought of a possible war with Spain had 
 little place in the minds of the officers and men 
 of the Oregon on March 6, when she left the 
 drydock in Puget Sound, where she had been 
 undergoing repairs for several weeks. At that 
 time the relations between the two countries were 
 somewhat strained, but belief was general that 
 war would be avoided through diplomatic means. 
 The Maine had been destroyed and the Navy 
 Department had decided to replace her in the 
 North Atlantic Squadron by a vessel which was 
 more than her equal. By none was the move 
 considered a warlike one, but it was deemed 
 desirable that the strength of the squadron should 
 not remain depleted. The change from the Pacific 
 to the Atlantic was not a pleasant one to the 
 officers and crew of the vessel, for long service in 
 the West had made them many friends, and the 
 voyage through the tempestuous straits and a 
 double passage through the tropics was not the 
 most desirable prospect in the world. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 46 1 
 
 When word came from Washington to start 
 on the voyage the Oregon had just arrived in 
 San Francisco from drydock, and she was ab- 
 solutely in perfect order in every detail. Two 
 days were consumed in taking on coal, and on 
 March 14 she left the Mare Island Navy Yard 
 on a voyage that was destined to prove a record- 
 breaker. Early in the trip fair weather was en- 
 countered and on April 4 she reached Callao, 
 after having covered 4,000 miles. At Callao a 
 rumor was current that the Spanish residents of 
 Valparaiso intended to do some mischief in case 
 the Oregon put into that port. Captain Clark 
 decided not to stop there, but to continue on to 
 Punta Arenas. A full supply of coal was taken 
 on at Callao, and from the day the Oregon left 
 there, April 7, until her arrival at Key West, the 
 ship's crew had not a moment of shore liberty. 
 Fine Work at Sea. 
 
 The Oregon had behaved splendidly on the 
 run down to Callao. She had met with storm 
 after storm, and violent storms, too. She had 
 fought a long battle with the elements, but had 
 come out victorious without a mark. The steel 
 plate was intact, and the guns as firm as on the 
 day of her trial trip. Captain Clark was handed 
 a sealed packet containing his orders. He was not 
 to know his destination until the harbor had disap- 
 peared from view. Just as soon as the bunkers 
 
462 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 could be stored to their full capacity, the ship was 
 headed about and steered into the open sea. 
 Captain Clark had the story of the Maine's report 
 and its reception by the American people to 
 communicate to his men, beside the route of their 
 excursion around the cape. 
 
 Officers and crew exercised the greatest pre- 
 caution when war with Spain promised to become 
 the sequel of the Maine disaster. The ship was 
 given a coat of iron gray and her searchlight 
 swept the horizon for hostile sails. An extra force 
 of lookouts was maintained day and night, and 
 no boat was permitted to approach the warship. 
 
 The progress of the vessel southward, after 
 leaving- Callao, was no summer cruise. It seemed 
 as if the elements had allied themselves with the 
 Spaniards. The heavy vessel rode the waves 
 beautifully and surprised even those who had 
 expected most of her. She was, it may be 
 observed, the first modern American battleship to 
 cross the equator or to pass through the Straits 
 of Magellan. 
 
 In the Straits of Magellan. 
 
 On April 1 7 the Oregon entered the Straits 
 of Magellan. The weather was cold and the sea 
 rough, but the big ironclad rushed through the 
 turbulent waters at a rate of thirteen knots an 
 hour, and the following day made Punta Arenas, 
 where more coal was taken on. The men suffered 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 463 
 
 severely from the sudden change in the tempera- 
 ture, but not a single one manifested any disposi- 
 tion to shirk, and the officers had no trouble with 
 them. After a three days' stop at Punta Arenas, 
 the Oregon turned her nose northward. 
 
 All this time the officers and crew were al- 
 most entirely ignorant of the trend of events 
 except for the small amount of information they 
 could glean in the places at which they stopped. 
 This was sufficient to show them that the situa- 
 tion was a grave one, however, and before the 
 Straits were cleared Captain Clark ordered the 
 ship to be made ready for action and in other 
 ways made preparations to meet any emergency 
 that might arise. The gunboat Marietta was 
 picked up at Punta Arenas and both vessels were 
 soon covered with the grim paint of war. From 
 Punta Arenas to Rio, which was reached on April 
 30, the progress of the Oregon was greatly im- 
 peded by the Marietta, no less than five full days 
 being lost in waiting for her. 
 
 At Rio the first news of the declaration of 
 war was brought to the Oregon. The informa- 
 tion was instantly communicated to the men, who 
 received it with cheers, intermingled with cries of 
 "Avenge the Maine." Orders were also received 
 for the Oregon to pick up the Brazilian cruiser 
 Nictheroy and proceed at all possible speed to 
 the United States. 
 
464 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Good'by to tlie Slow Vessels. 
 
 On May 3 the Oregon, in company with the 
 little Marietta and the Nictheroy, left Rio. With 
 two such slow vessels as consorts, the Oregon 
 was greatly hampered, and after two days of 
 steaming at nine knots, Captain Clark hoisted the 
 good-by signal and started off with a rush for 
 Bahia, 745 miles distant. On the run to Bahia 
 the Oregon made 375 miles in twenty-four hours, 
 a record that surpasses any other ever made by a 
 battleship of any class. Bahia was reached on 
 May 8, and, after a twelve hours' stay, the voyage 
 northward was resumed. All the speed that could 
 be crowded out of the vessel was made at this 
 juncture for two reasons. The first was the 
 anxiety of officers and men to reach their jour- 
 ney's end in time to engage in the conflict with 
 Cervera, and the other to afford relief from the 
 excessive heat, which was telling on the men in 
 the fireroom. 
 
 Barbadoes, the next point of touch, is 2,578 
 miles from Bahia, and this distance was covered 
 in nine days, another record-breaking run. Cap- 
 tain Clark expected to find Admiral Sampson 
 near Barbadoes, but instead he learned that the 
 American fleet was at Porto Rico, and that Cervera 
 was at the Canary Islands. The former report 
 was correct, but the latter was misleading, for at 
 that time the Spanish Admiral was either at Cura- 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 465 
 
 coa or on his way thither. Captain Clark 
 did not permit his ignorance of the position 
 of his foes to worry him, however, and on 
 the day of his arrival he again set sail, this time 
 for his own land. His course was almost a 
 semi-circular one, swinging around to the east- 
 ward of the Windward Isles and avoiding the 
 tortuous channels of the Bahamas until the 
 Florida coast was reached. 
 
 Jupiter Light was sighted about 8 o'clock on 
 the evening of May 24, and volunteers were called 
 for to man a boat and carry dispatches ashore. 
 End of the Great Voyage. 
 
 The dispatches of the Navy Department 
 from Captain Clark were characteristic of the 
 man. They simply related that he had arrived 
 and asked for orders. Immediately there came 
 this reply : 
 
 "If you are ready for service, go to Key 
 West. If you need repairs go to Norfolk. 
 
 Long." 
 
 Without an hour's delay, the Oregon was 
 headed for Key West, which was reached at 6 
 o'clock next morning, the trip from Jupiter Light 
 being made at an average speed of 13 knots an 
 hour. This is the tale of the long, historic and 
 remarkable voyage. It needs no embellishment. 
 When asked what incidents marked the voyage, 
 Captain Clark said : 
 
466 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 "No trip of its kind and length was more 
 uneventful. The ship behaved perfectly. The 
 men acted finely, and we had not the slightest 
 bit of trouble in any way. Having proved 
 the Oregon's seaworthiness, we now want to 
 prove her ability in battle, and our cup will be 
 full." 
 
 A Remarkable Speed Record. 
 
 All told, the time consumed in the Oregon's 
 voyage was sixty-eight days from San Francisco 
 to Key West. The average speed throughout 
 was between eleven and twelve knots, including 
 the time lost in waiting for the Marietta and Nic- 
 theroy. For two hours in the trip from Bahia to 
 Barbadoes the vessel made fifteen knots an hour, 
 her contract speed, and that was after she had 
 been out over a month. In all the voyage the 
 Oregon never sighted a Spanish war vessel, 
 though at several places it was reported that Cer- 
 vera's fleet was near at hand. From the Straits 
 until she arrived at Key West, her lights were 
 "doused" at night, and so cautious was Captain 
 Clark that he issued an order that no one should 
 smoke a cigar on deck after dark, for fear it 
 might give the enemy a line on the vessel's po- 
 sition. 
 
 Off Cape St. Roque, the easternmost point of 
 Brazil, on the night of May 12, lights of several 
 strange vessels were discerned, and many of the 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 467 
 
 Oregon's officers believe that they were those of 
 the vessels of Cervera's fleet. In the morning no 
 trace of these ships could be seen, nor could any 
 word of them be obtained from fishing smacks in 
 the vicinity. At Punta Arenas it was reported to 
 Captain Clark that the Temerario, the Spanish 
 torpedo-boat destroyer, was cruising along the 
 Brazilian coast, and he was warned to keep a 
 a sharp lookout for it. Every night extra guards 
 were mounted, and every precaution was taken 
 to repel an attack by the fast little Spanish vessel. 
 All this trouble was taken in vain, however, as at 
 Rio Janeiro it was learned that the Temerario was 
 in drydock. 
 
 The real heroes of the voyage were Chief 
 Engineer Robert W. Milligen and the seventy 
 men in his division. Despite the intense tropical 
 heat, these brave fellows worked like demons, and 
 their labors have added lustre to the name of the 
 American Navy and a page to naval history. 
 During the voyage the terms of enlistment of 
 many of the seamen expired, but the majority of 
 them re-enlisted on board ship, and most of those 
 who failed to do so protested that they intended 
 to re-enter the service as soon as they obtained 
 a few days' rest. The fact that the Oregon is 
 the first United States battleship to cross the 
 equator is worthy of note. When the line was 
 crossed the officers held high carnival, and went 
 
468 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 through a mystical ceremony which was greatly 
 enjoyed. 
 
 In speaking of his trip Captain Clark said: 
 "The Oregon's record-breaking voyage of nearly 
 fourteen thousand miles is an important argument 
 in favor of the early completion of the Nicaragua 
 Canal or some other canal across the Isthmus of 
 Panama. I hope that it will have some influence 
 with Congress, and I believe it will. With such a 
 canal our journey would have been cut in half and 
 a first-class battleship would have been added to 
 Admiral Sampson's fleet." 
 
 Her Size and Her Armament. 
 
 The Oregon was begun in 1891 at the Union 
 Iron Works, San Francisco, at a contract price of 
 $3,180,000, and was launched October 23, 1894. 
 She is registered as a steel coastline battleship of 
 10,288 tons burden, with engines capable of de- 
 veloping 9,000 horse-power. Her armament em- 
 braces four 1 3-inch breech-loading rifles in pairs, 
 placed in two 15-inch barbette turrets; eight 
 8-inch and four 6-inch breech-loading rifles in the 
 main battery, and twenty 6-pounder and six 
 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns, and four Gatling guns 
 in the secondary battery. The ship is encircled 
 by a steel belt eighteen inches in thickness, and her 
 decks are covered with a layer of three-inch chilled 
 steel. Her coal bunkers will hold 1,640 tons, and 
 her full complement of officers and men is 473. 
 

WAR WITH SPAIN. 47 1 
 
 Her builders were justified in expecting great 
 things from the Oregon, because of her remark- 
 able performance on May 14, 1896, when, after 
 months of preparation and many trials, she made 
 her official trial run out of the harbor of San 
 Francisco. At that time she not only fulfilled the 
 promises made by her builders, but exceeded the 
 required speed to such an extent that the Union 
 Iron Works received a bonus of $175,000. She 
 carried 160 pounds of steam, and, although her 
 engines were not crowded to their utmost capa- 
 city, she made 16.78 knots an hour. The prize 
 was $25,000 for every one-fourth knot developed 
 over the required speed of fifteen knots an hour. 
 
 The performance of the Oregon was tele- 
 graphed all over the world, the builders were 
 elated over their success, and the city of Portland 
 showed its appreciation by presenting a silver 
 service, valued at $20,000 to the ship. 
 
 The Oregon's Commander. 
 
 Captain Charles Edgar Clark, the commander 
 of the Oregon, was born in Vermont, and was 
 appointed to the Naval Academy, from that state 
 in i860. In 1863 he was promoted to ensign and 
 assigned to the steam sloop Ossipee, of the West- 
 ern Gulf blockading squadron. He was with his 
 vessel in the battle of Mobile Bay, and took part 
 in the bombardment of Fort Morgan. From 1865 
 to 1867 he was with Vanderbilt on the Pacific 
 
 27 
 
472 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Station. He received a lieutenant's commission 
 in 1867 and became a lieutenant-commander a 
 year later. He was then attached to the Suwanee, 
 which was wrecked on July 7. His service on the 
 receiving-ship Vandalia at Portsmouth, on the 
 Seminole in the North Atlantic, and at the Naval 
 Academy, lasted until 1873, when he was assigned 
 to the Atlantic Station, where he remained for 
 three years with the Hartford, the Monocacy and 
 the Kearsarge. The next three years he spent 
 at the Charlestown Navy Yard. He received his 
 commander's commission in 1881, and after duty 
 on the training ship New Hampshire, and at the 
 torpedo station, went with the steamer Ranger 
 on a survey trip up the North Pacific. This cruise 
 lasted three years. From 1887 to 1891 he was 
 Lighthouse Inspector, and was afterward stationed 
 at the Mare Island Navy Yard. He took com- 
 mand of the Mohican in September, 1893, and left 
 her to take command of the Monterey as captain, 
 in 1896. His next and latest command was the 
 Oregon. 
 
 From a purely layman's point of view, the 
 long journey of the Oregon from San Francisco, 
 down the western coast of South America, through 
 the Straits of Magellan and up along the Atlantic 
 side of the Southern continent, is remarkable 
 because of the peculiar condition which has 
 existed almost from the day she started. From 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 473 
 
 the point of view of those who go down to sea in 
 ships, the voyage is none the less noteworthy 
 because of its length, its freedom from accident, 
 and the speed which the good ship maintained 
 throughout. From the point of view of the patriot, 
 it is a most satisfactory evidence that American 
 brains can build a ship that can stand such a trip, 
 and that American sailors can pilot such a ship 
 through the perilous sea that beats on the South 
 American coast, especially when a murderous foe 
 is hovering near to destroy her. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE SPANISH CAPE VERD FLEET SEEKING THE 
 
 SPANIARDS — NEWS AT LAST SANTIAGO DE CUBA 
 
 THE FIRST ATTACK A PEEP INTO THE HARBOR 
 
 FIRING BIG GUNS RESULTS OF THE SHOOTING 
 
 "SEALING THE CORK'' THE SEARCH FOR THE 
 
 SURVIVORS — WAITING FOR HOBSON's RETURN 
 
 WHAT HOBSON DID. 
 
 EFORE WAR was actually declared a 
 small but powerful Spanish fleet was 
 sent from Cadiz to the Cape Verd Is- 
 lands, presumably thence to make a quick dash 
 across the Atlantic. This fleet was under the 
 command of Admiral Cervera, one of the ablest 
 officers in the Spanish navy. It consisted of four 
 swift and heavily armed and armored cruisers, or 
 second-class battleships, and three torpedo-boat 
 destroyers. The former were the Cristobal 
 Colon, the Vizcaya, the Almirante Oquendo, and 
 the Maria Teresa ; the latter, the Furor, Terror, 
 and Pluton. The fleet remained at the Cape 
 Verd Islands for some time, even after war was 
 openly declared. At last, however, Portugal 
 
 474 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 475 
 
 made a proclamation of neutrality, and then the 
 ships had to leave. 
 
 Whither they went was for a long time in 
 doubt. Conflicting reports abounded. Several 
 times it was officially and positively stated that 
 they had returned to Cadiz, again that they had 
 gone to the Philippines, again that they were off 
 the New England coast, again that they had gone 
 down the Brazilian coast to intercept the Oregon. 
 Seeking: the Spaniards. 
 
 Admiral Sampson's fleet set out from Key 
 West on May 3, to cruise about the West Indies 
 in search of the Spanish fleet. It was composed 
 of the battleships Iowa and Indiana, the cruisers 
 New York (flagship), Montgomery and Detroit, 
 the monitors Amphitrite and Terror, the torpedo- 
 boat Porter, the collier Niagara and the tug Wam- 
 patuck. 
 
 Leaving Key West on May 3, the fleet sailed 
 in the direction of Havana, then turned eastward, 
 keeping in sight of the lofty coast of Cuba. At 
 night the beacons on the Cuban hills were lighted 
 as usual, but they gave guidance to few vessels 
 besides the enemies of Spain. The fleet carried 
 no lights, but there was much signal practice with 
 colored lamps. 
 
 At daylight on May 1 2 the fleet bombarded 
 San Juan, the seaport and metropolis of Porto 
 Rico. 
 
476 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 News at Last. 
 
 Then came the long awaited news. The 
 Spanish fleet was authoritatively announced to 
 have reached Martinique, a French island in the 
 West Indies, some distance south of Porto Rico. 
 The Spanish Admiral had intended to touch at 
 Martinique, and then proceed to Porto Rico. 
 But finding that Admiral Sampson's fleet had 
 already bombarded the capital of the latter island, 
 he was compelled to change his plans. The neu- 
 trality laws compelled him to leave Martinique in 
 twenty-four hours. He did so, leaving behind 
 the torpedo-boat destroyer Terror, which had be- 
 come disabled. Then he went southwest, to 
 Curacoa, a Dutch island near the coast of Ven- 
 ezuela, where he got a few tons of coal and other 
 supplies. Then again he was lost to sight, and 
 there was much speculation as to his whereabouts. 
 Admiral Sampson's fleet searched for him and 
 guarded the passage at one end of Cuba, while 
 Commodore Schley with his fleet hastened down 
 from Hampton Roads and joined in the hunt. 
 
 On May 15, the Spanish fleet disappeared 
 from Curacoa. There were rumors that it had 
 gone to Port Limon, to Havana, and back to 
 Spain. All was uncertainty for five days, and 
 then it was learned that it had got into the harbor 
 of Santiago de Cuba, near the southeastern end 
 of that island. Over that news Spain was exul- 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 477 
 
 tant, declaring Cervera had outwitted the Ameri- 
 can commanders, and the Madrid government 
 cabled him a message of thanks and congratula- 
 tion. On the other hand it was thought in this 
 country that Cervera had made it more fatal for 
 himself, for he had got into a trap from which he 
 could not escape. The latter view was soon 
 shown to be correct. Commodore Schley has- 
 tened to Santiago with his powerful fleet, and 
 blockaded the narrow entrance to the harbor, 
 making it impossible for the Spaniards to get out 
 without fighting a vastly superior force. As was 
 said on all hands, Cervera was bottled up, and 
 Schley had put the cork in the bottle. 
 Santiago de Cuba. 
 Santiago de Cuba, the second city in size on 
 the island, is probably the oldest city of any size 
 on this hemisphere, having been founded by 
 Velasquez in 15 14. It fronts on a beautiful bay, 
 six miles long and two miles wide, on the south- 
 eastern coast of Cuba, one hundred miles west of 
 Cape Maysi. The population in 1895 was 59,614. 
 The mean temperature in summer is 88 degrees; 
 in winter, 82 degrees. It is regarded as very 
 unhealthy, yellow fever being prevalent through- 
 out the year and smallpox epidemic at certain 
 times. These conditions are due to the lack of 
 sanitary and hygienic measures; all refuse matter, 
 as well as dead dogs, cats, chickens, etc., being 
 
47^ WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 thrown into the streets to decay and fill the air 
 with disease germs. 
 
 Santiago is the capital of the province and 
 oriental region. There are a number of tobacco 
 factories, but the chief business is the exportation 
 of raw materials and the importation of manu- 
 factured goods and provisions. Sugar, iron ore 5 
 manganese, mahogany, hides, wax, cedar and 
 tobacco are exported to the United States. 
 
 The entrance to Santiago harbor is only about 
 200 feet wide, so that vessels must go in and out 
 in single file. The Spaniards had forts and bat- 
 teries on each side, and torpedoes in the channel, 
 so that it would be a perilous thing for our fleet 
 to try to force an entrance. 
 
 The First Attack. 
 
 Commodore Schley, however, determined to 
 do some fighting. On May 31 he raised his flag 
 on the battleship Massachusetts, and gave the 
 signal for action. 
 
 The work of ascertaining the position of the 
 Spanish warships was delegated to the protected 
 cruiser Marblehead because of her comparatively 
 light draught and good speed. 
 
 Commander McCalla was ordered to enter 
 the mouth of the harbor as far as possible, in 
 order to get a view of the lower part of the bay. 
 The cruiser started at full speed, and, passing 
 over the shallows of Morillo Point on the east, 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 479 
 
 right under the guns of Morro, was opposite the 
 harbor entrance before the Spaniards had appar- 
 ently noticed her presence. 
 
 A Peep Into the Harbor. 
 
 The Marblehead slackened speed as soon 
 as she had passed Morro on the east, and 
 her officers were able to get an unobstructed view 
 of the bay as far as Punta Gorda, which is some 
 distance above the fort of La Socapa on the west 
 side of the narrow mouth of the bay. Lying at 
 anchor in the bay above La Socapa the Marble- 
 head's officers saw the Spanish fleet, whose where- 
 abouts had ever since the war began given so 
 much anxiety to the authorities at Washington 
 and kept the whole American navy on an eager 
 lookout. 
 
 In the channel between Smith Cay and Chur- 
 ruca Point were sighted the four armored cruisers, 
 Cristobal Colon, Almirante Oquendo, Vizcaya and 
 Maria Teresa, with the torpedo-boat destroyers 
 Pinton and Furor. 
 
 With them was the old cruiser Reina Mer- 
 cedes, a vessel fairly well armed, but because of 
 her unseaworthiness practically worthless for 
 fighting purposes. 
 
 Commander McCalla having accomplished 
 his purpose turned the Marblehead's prow again 
 towards the Brooklyn and reported his discovery 
 to Commodore Schley. He was overjoyed to 
 
480 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 learn that beyond all question Cervera's warships 
 were confined in a position where their speed 
 capabilities would be of little avail. 
 
 This much being known, Commodore Schley 
 was still in doubt regarding the strength of the 
 fortifications of old Morro and La Sacopa and 
 the masked batteries which were known to be 
 hidden in the woods that skirt the shore of the 
 bay below the forts. 
 
 Schley's attack was planned solely for the pur- 
 pose of locating the masked batteries and deter- 
 mining the strength of Cervera's protecting forts. 
 
 The Commodore transferred his flag from the 
 Brooklyn to the Massachusetts at 1 2 o'clock noon, 
 and from the battleship signalled to the Iowa and 
 the New Orleans to take part in the attack, with 
 the converted yacht Vixen as a despatch boat. 
 
 The other vessels of the fleet, including the 
 battleship Texas, were left in the offing coaling 
 and attending to ordinary routine work. 
 
 As the attacking vessels steamed rapidly 
 toward Morro the Cristobal Colon was seen to be 
 the nearest vessel of the Spanish fleet. 
 
 She was lying with her port broadside toward 
 the American warships. Behind her were the other 
 Spanish vessels and the battery on Churruca Point. 
 
 The Massachusetts led in the attack, with the 
 New Orleans following, and the Iowa behind the 
 former Brazilian cruiser. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 48 1 
 
 Firing Big: Guns. 
 
 The flagship opened fire at once on the Cris- 
 tobal Colon, which lay in a tempting position in 
 the harbor mouth. The Massachusetts fired her 
 8-inch port gun for the first shot, but soon brought 
 her 13-inch rifles into play. 
 
 The Spaniards replied with 10 and 12-inch 
 Krupp guns from the batteries, while the Cristobal 
 Colon used her 10 and 6-inch guns entirely. 
 
 The firing on both sides was inaccurate at 
 first, but the gunners on the American warships 
 soon found the range of Cervera's flagship and 
 Morro fort, whose walls rapidly crumbled under 
 the terrific fire of the attacking vessels. 
 
 Commodore Schley's vessels fired fifty shots 
 in the course of the fight, while the Spaniards 
 wasted 100 shots. 
 
 Results of the Shooting. 
 
 No one was injured on the American vessels, 
 and the Spanish loss is unknown, but it is 
 believed to have been very heavy, particularly in 
 Morro. 
 
 When Commodore Schley gave the signal to 
 stop the attack three of the Spanish batteries over 
 on the west side of the harbor and two on the 
 east side were silenced and the fortifications de- 
 molished. The Spaniards kept up a weak and 
 scattering fire for twenty minutes after Commo- 
 dore Schley's ship stopped firing and long 
 
482 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 after the vessels were beyond the reach of their 
 guns. 
 
 In the thirty-three minutes that the actual 
 engagement lasted the three American warships 
 passed twice before the entrance of the harbor 
 within easy range of the Spanish guns of Morro 
 Castle, four masked batteries and the Cristobal 
 Colon, yet not a single Spanish shell struck any 
 one of Commodore Schley's vessels. 
 
 Three projectiles struck the water near the 
 New Orleans, one other shell exploded within 
 fifty feet of the bow of the Massachusetts, and 
 several other shots passed over the Iowa close 
 enough to lead the gunners on the American 
 vessels to believe that other than Spanish artillery- 
 men manned the modern rifles in the Santiago 
 batteries. 
 
 Save for these few shots the marksmanship 
 of the Spaniards was little better than has been 
 shown in the other engagements of the war, and 
 its character was tersely described by Fighting 
 Bob Evans, who, as he stood beaming on the 
 bridge of the Iowa after the firing had ceased, 
 shouted : 
 
 "The Spaniards didn't hit a thing but the 
 water, and that wasn't a great difficulty." 
 " Sealing the Cork." 
 
 Finally, in the early morning of June 3, the 
 harbor was closed against entrance or exit. This 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 483 
 
 was done m one of the bravest bits of work ever re- 
 corded in naval history. Lieutenant Richmond P. 
 Hobson, with seven men, volunteered to take an 
 old coal steamer, the Merrimac, into the narrow- 
 est part of the channel and sink her, effectively 
 blocking the way. Hundreds of men and officers 
 wanted to join in the perilous enterprise, but 
 these eight were enough. All day the prepara- 
 tions proceeded, and by nightfall the craft was in 
 readiness. A row of torpedoes had been ar- 
 ranged outside the hull, so that Lieutenant Hob- 
 son could explode them from the bridge of the 
 vessel and thus insure her rapid sinking. At 
 nightfall the various ships of the fleet passed the 
 doomed Merrimac, cheering her lustily. By 10 
 o'clock all but the men who were going on the 
 dangerous errand had been taken from the Mer- 
 rimac, and the collier took a position near the New 
 York to await the appointed hour. It was an im- 
 pressive night among the men of the fleet, for few 
 expected that the members of the little crew would 
 see another sunrise. The night was cloudy, with 
 fitful lightning flashing behind the dark lines of the 
 shore, now and then showing the battlements. 
 
 Soon after 3 o'clock the Merrimac began to 
 drift slowly toward the land, and in half an hour 
 was lost to sight. It was Lieutenant Hobson's 
 plan to steam past Morro, swing crosswise the 
 channel, drop his anchors, open the valves, ex- 
 
484 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 plode the torpedoes on the port side, leap over- 
 board, preceded by his crew, and make their 
 escape in a little lifeboat which was towed astern, 
 if possible, and if not to attempt to swim ashore. 
 All the men were heavily armed, ready to make a 
 fierce resistance to capture. 
 
 Scarcely had the ship disappeared when a 
 flash from Morro's guns proclaimed that she had 
 been discovered. Immediately the other batteries 
 around the harbor opened fire, but the ship went 
 steadily on. A heavy cannon and musketry fire 
 continued for about a half-hour, and guns were 
 fired at intervals until long after daylight. None 
 of the American ships dared to fire for fear of 
 striking the Merrimac's crew. 
 
 The Search for the Survivors. 
 
 Cadet Powell, who had charge of a launch 
 which was to have picked up or assisted Lieuten- 
 ant Hobson and his crew, after the Merrimac had 
 been sunk, told this story of his experience: 
 
 "Lieutenant Hobson took a short sleep after 
 midnieht. At 2 o'clock he came on deck and 
 made a final inspection, giving his last instruc- 
 tions. Then we had a little luncheon. Hobson 
 was as cool as a cucumber. About 2.30 o'clock 
 I took the men who were not going on the trip into 
 the launch, and started for the Texas, the nearest 
 ship, but had to go back for one of the assistant engi- 
 neers, whom Hobson finally compelled to leave. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 485 
 
 " I shook hands with Hobson the last of all. 
 He said: 'Powell, watch the boat's crew when 
 we pull out of the harbor. We will be cracks, 
 rowing thirty strokes to the minute.' 
 
 "After leaving the Texas I saw the Merrimac 
 steaming slowly in. It was only fairly dark then 
 and the shore was quite visible. We followed 
 about three-quarters of a mile astern. The Mer- 
 rimac stood about a mile westward of the harbor 
 and seemed a bit mixed, turning completely 
 around. Finally, heading to the east, she ran 
 down and then turned in. 
 
 "We were then chasing him because I 
 thought Hobson had lost his bearings. When 
 Hobson was about three hundred yards from the 
 harbor the first gun was fired, from the eastern 
 bluff. We were then half a mile off shore, close 
 under the batteries. The firing increased rapidly. 
 We steamed in slowly and lost sight of the Merri- 
 mac in the smoke which the wind carried off 
 ashore. It hung heavily. 
 
 "Before Hobson could have blown up the 
 Merrimac the western battery picked us up and 
 began firing. They shot wild, and we heard only 
 the shots. We ran in still closer to the shore, 
 and the gunners lost sight of us. 
 
 "Then we heard the explosion of the tor- 
 pedoes on the Merrimac. 
 
486 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Wat in g for Hobson's Return. 
 
 "Until daylight we waited just outside the 
 breakers, half a mile westward of Morro, keep- 
 ing a bright lookout for the boat or for swimmers, 
 but saw nothing. Hobson had arranged to meet 
 us at that point, but thinking that some one might 
 have drifted out, we crossed in front of Morro 
 and the mouth of the harbor to the eastward. 
 
 "About 5 o'clock we crossed the harbor 
 again within a quarter of a mile, and stood to the 
 westward. In passing we saw one spar of the 
 Merrimac sticking out of the water. We hugged 
 the shore just outside of the breakers for a mile, 
 and then turned toward the Texas, when the bat- 
 teries saw us and opened fire. 
 
 "It was then broad daylight. The first shot 
 fired dropped thirty yards astern, but the other 
 shots went wild. 
 
 "I drove the launch for all she was worth, 
 finally making the New York. The men be- 
 haved splendidly." 
 
 What Hobson Did. 
 
 What was done by Hobson and his men is 
 briefly to be told. There was none of the dash 
 and excitement of battle in the job, no blazing 
 and thundering of big guns and darting of tor- 
 pedoes. At least there was none on Hobson's 
 side. He and his men and their defenceless ship 
 sailed slowly into the awful trap without a stroke 
 
Action on a Monitor. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 489 
 
 in their own defence. A literal hail of shot and 
 shell swept down upon them. The chanees were 
 they would be riddled, or blown to atoms. But 
 calmly and steadily the ship was moved forward 
 until the narrowest part of the channel was 
 reached. Then anchor was cast out at the bow. 
 In instant peril of death they waited patiently, as 
 inch by inch the tide swung the great hulk 
 around. At last she lay right across the channel, 
 her length reaching almost from shore to shore. 
 Then they dropped another anchor at the stern, 
 to hold her fast in that position. Then as Gren- 
 ville said after his immortal fight, the word was 
 given, " Sink me the ship, Master Gunner ! Sink 
 her ! Split her in twain ! " And by the hands of 
 her own crew, the ship was sunk, effectually bar- 
 ring the harbor against exit or entrance. The 
 work was done. Then, seeing there was no 
 escape in their open skiff through the storm of 
 shot and shell that fell about them, Hobson and 
 his seven men calmly rowed straight to the nearest 
 Spanish ship, whose guns were belching out death 
 against them, and gave themselves up as prisoners 
 of war. The Spaniards appreciated their valor, 
 cheered them to the echo, received them more as 
 honored guests than prisoners, and at once sent 
 an envoy to the American fleet to negotiate for 
 their release in return for the release of Spaniards 
 held as prisoners in the United States. 
 28 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE SEVENTH REGIMENT TWO BIG CAMPS THE 
 
 SECOND CALL GENERAL SHAFTER FOR THE 
 
 PHILIPPINES PREPARING TO INVADE CUBA 
 
 THE TRIP TO CUBA OPERATIONS AT GUANTA- 
 
 NAMO RAIDING A SPANISH CAMP SPANIARDS 
 
 RUSH FOR THE BUSHES THE DOLPHIN THROWS 
 
 SHELLS. 
 
 |NE of the first things to be done after 
 war was declared was to raise an army. 
 Evidently it was not going- to be alto- 
 gether a war at sea. Troops would be needed 
 for the invasion of Cuba and Porto Rico, and also 
 for occupying the distant Philippines. For such 
 purposes the standing army of less than 30,000 
 men was absurdly inadequate. Volunteers must 
 be called for. Some debate ensued in Congress 
 as to the number the President was to be em- 
 powered to ask for, but at last the matter was 
 left to a laro-e extent to his discretion. 
 
 On Saturday, April 23, the President issued 
 a call for 125,000 men. Requisitions were made 
 upon the various state governments to furnish 
 each of them its quota, according to its size. 
 Many of the militia regiments were ordered by 
 
 490 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 49 1 
 
 the state governors to hold themselves in readi- 
 ness for service, and recruiting offices were opened 
 here and there, to secure new men. Many men 
 of means and prominence interested themselves 
 in the movement in one way or another. Theodore 
 Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, re- 
 signed his office in order to raise and lead a 
 regiment of "Rough Riders" recruited partly 
 from cow-boys of the West and partly from 
 athletic young men of fashionable society. These 
 fighters were variously called "Roosevelt's Rough 
 Riders," "Roosevelt's Rustlers," and "Teddy's 
 Terrors." John Jacob Astor organized and 
 equipped a fine battery, which was sent to Manila. 
 The Seventh Regiment. 
 There was a general uprising of enthusiastic 
 response to the President's call. But there were 
 some hitches and misunderstanding. The New 
 York Seventh Regiment, one of the finest and 
 most famous militia organizations in the country, 
 was quick to volunteer. In accord with its splen- 
 did history, the regiment was filled with patriotism. 
 But when it was found that the regiment would 
 be broken up and lose its identity, the men natur- 
 ally demurred and voted not to surrender their 
 regimental organization. So they were left be- 
 hind. The Thirteenth Regiment of Brooklyn, 
 through a stupid blunder, was placed ^i a still 
 more unfortunate position, and for not yielding to 
 
492 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 what it deemed an unjust order, was disbanded 
 by the Governor. 
 
 These were, however, exceptional incidents. 
 On the whole the work of raising an army went on 
 smoothly and rapidly. Camps of instruction and 
 drill were established at convenient points all over 
 the land, and thither the troops were sent to 
 become disciplined and accustomed to the hard- 
 ships of army life. 
 
 Two Big Camps. 
 
 Besides the state camps which the various 
 states established, there were national camps, 
 the chief of which were at Chickamauga, Georgia, 
 and Tampa, Florida. The former was at the site 
 of the famous battle fouaht there in our civil war 
 
 o 
 
 and was chosen because of its available situation. 
 The latter was selected because it was at a con- 
 venient place for shipment of the troops to Cuba. 
 Troops began to arrive at Chickamauga on May 
 15, the first of the volunteers being the First Ohio 
 Cavalry. Within a week 25,000 men were 
 massed there, and later the number was swelled 
 to 65,000, the largest army in the United States 
 since the civil war. From Chickamauga the 
 troops were forwarded to Tampa, there to await 
 the time when they would be sent to Cuba. 
 The Second Call. 
 The first call for troops was soon filled and 
 125,000 men were under arms. But it was then 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 493 
 
 realized that a still larger force would be needed, 
 and so, on May 25, the President issued a second 
 call, for 75,000 more, making 200,000 in all. 
 This call was answered with equal promptness 
 and the entire roster was made up. 
 
 There was considerable delay in equipping 
 the troops. Clothing had to be manufactured in 
 vast quantities. Even the regular army, which 
 had been well equipped, had to have all its clothes 
 new, for a tropical land was to be invaded, and 
 thinner and lighter clothes were more necessary 
 than the men had been used to here. 
 General Shatter • 
 
 The General commanding the whole army was 
 General Nelson A. Miles. To command the expe- 
 dition to Cuba General William R. Shafter was 
 selected. He was a veteran of the civil war, having 
 first entered the military service on the 21st of 
 August, 1861, when he was mustered into the volun- 
 teers as First Lieutenant of the Seventh Michigan 
 Infantry, being honorably mustered out just a year 
 later. He at once re-entered the service as Major 
 of the Nineteenth Michigan, becoming Lieutenant- 
 Colonel in 1863, and Colonel of the Seventeenth 
 United States Colored Infantry April 1 9, 1 864. He 
 was commissioned a Brevet Brigadier-General of 
 Volunteers on March 13, 1865, for gallant and meri- 
 torious services during the war, and was also 
 brevetted Colonel in the regular army March 2, 
 
494 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 1867, for gallantry at the battle of Fair Oaks, 
 Virginia. 
 
 In July, 1866, while still in the volunteer 
 service, Gen. Shafter was appointed Lieutenant- 
 Colonel of the Forty-first Regular Infantry, from 
 which he was transferred to the Twenty-fourth 
 Infantry in 1869 on the reduction of the army to 
 a peace footing. He became Colonel of the First 
 Infantry March 4, 1879, which position he held 
 until he was made Brigadier-General, May 26, 
 1897. During this long period as a regimental 
 commander, Gen. Shafter won a high reputation, 
 his regiment having an enviable name throughout 
 the entire army for its efficiency, drill, and discip- 
 line, it having been often said that it was "the best 
 regiment in the army." An officer who returned 
 from Germany in 1892, after a year spent in ob- 
 servation of the army of that country, said that 
 Shafter's First Infantry was the only American 
 regiment which reached the German standard. 
 For the Philippines. 
 
 The first great victory of the war was Admiral 
 Dewey's at Manila, and it made evident the ne- 
 cessity of sending an army thither to take posses- 
 sion of the Philippine Islands and set up a govern- 
 ment over them. For this task General Wesley 
 Merritt was selected as leader. He was one of 
 the most distinguished surviving veterans of the 
 civil war, and was second in command in the whole 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 495 
 
 army only to General Miles. It was arranged to 
 send him out to Manila with practically supreme 
 authority, to be a Military Governor, or practically 
 a Dictator. He was to have twenty thousand 
 troops, and every effort was made to get these 
 together and send them at the earliest possible 
 moment. A lot of passenger steamers were secured 
 for troopships, and supplies of clothing, food, and 
 munitions of war were collected on a gigantic scale. 
 First the U. S. warship Charleston was sent 
 off with ammunition for Dewey, on May 22, sail- 
 ing, of course, from San Francisco. On May 25 
 the three steamers City of Peking, City of Sydney, 
 and Australia, sailed from that port with the first 
 detachment of the army, consisting of 2,500 men. 
 This expedition reached Honolulu on June 1, and 
 sailed thence for Manila on June 4. The Ha- 
 waiian Government decided not to observe neu- 
 trality in the war, but to act as an ally of the 
 United States, although Spain vigorously pro- 
 tested and threatened to hold it responsible for the 
 consequences. So our troops were welcomed 
 there in fine style and entertained most hospit- 
 ably. On June 6 the warship Mohican left San 
 Francisco for Manila, and five days later the for- 
 midable monitor Monterey followed. The second 
 military expedition set out on June 15, consisting 
 of 3,500 troops, in four steamships. The monitor 
 Monadnock went on June 23d, and at the end of 
 
496 WAR WITH SPAIN 
 
 the month a third military party of some thou 
 sands went out, General Merritt himself going 
 with it. 
 
 Preparing: to Invade Cuba. 
 
 Early in June preparations were hastened 
 for the invasion of Cuba, and thousands of soldiers 
 were put aboard ship at Tampa and taken around 
 to Key West, whence the final start was to be 
 made. On June 13, despite the superstition at- 
 taching to that number, the great expedition set 
 forth. It comprised 14,564 enlisted men, and 773 
 officers, as follows : 
 
 Infantry regiments — Sixth, 16th, 71st New- 
 York Volunteers ; 10th, 2 1 st, 2d, 13th, 9th, 24th, 
 8th, 2 2d, 2d Massachusetts Volunteers : 1st, 25th, 
 1 2th, 7th, 17th, 3d, 20th; total infantry, 561 offi- 
 cers and 10,709 enlisted men. 
 
 Cavalry — Two dismounted squadrons of 
 four troops each from the 3d, 6th, 9th, 1st and 
 10th Cavalry, and two dismounted squadrons 
 of four troops each from the 1st United States 
 Volunteer Cavalry. Total dismounted cavalry, 159 
 officers and 2,875 enlisted men. Mounted cav- 
 alry — One squadron of the 2d; 9 officers and 280 
 enlisted men. 
 
 Artillery — Light Batteries E and K, 1st Ar- 
 tillery: A and F, 2d Artillery : 14 officers and 323 
 enlisted men. Batteries G and H, 4th Artillery 
 siege, 4 officers and 132 enlisted men. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 497 
 
 Engineers — Companies C and E, 9 officers, 
 200 enlisted men. 
 
 Signal Corps — One detachment, 2 officers 
 and 45 enlisted men. 
 
 The Trip to Cuba. 
 
 This great fleet of troopships and its power- 
 ful naval escort, headed by the battleship Indiana, 
 presented the most imposing spectacle of the kind 
 ever seen in American waters. From Key West 
 the procession moved to Rebecca Shoal, near 
 Dry Tortugas, and then steered for the eastern 
 end of Cuba, the objective point being the harbor 
 of Santiago, where the Spanish fleet was held 
 prisoner by the American ships of war. The 
 voyage was made carefully and without mishap, 
 and at noon of June 20 the whole fleet was off 
 the harbor of Santiago. 
 
 A conference was at once held by General 
 Shafter, Admiral Sampson, and the Cuban Gen- 
 eral Garcia, to consider the best place for landing. 
 It was decided to make a naval demonstration 
 at the entrance to the harbor and a little west of 
 it, to attract the attention of the Spanish troops 
 thither and then to hurry the troops ashore 
 at Baiquiri, some miles to the eastward. This 
 was done with eminent success. Landing was 
 begun on the morning of June 22, and by the 
 afternoon of the next day all were ashore without 
 mishap. The Cuban insurgents aided materially 
 
498 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 in the work, and at once joined forces with the 
 American army, for a joint forward movement 
 against the Spaniards and the city of Santiago. 
 Operations at Guantanamo. 
 
 In the mean time while the army of invasion 
 was being prepared and conveyed to Cuba, a 
 preliminary invasion was made by the navy, by 
 landing a force of marines near Guantanamo, 
 about forty miles east of Santiago. A part of the 
 American fleet arrived at the entrance to the Bay 
 of Guantanamo on June 7 and bombarded the 
 fortifications and the suburban village of Cai- 
 manera. Three days later a force of eight hun- 
 dred marines landed on Fisherman's Point, raised 
 the Stars and Stripes for the first time on Cuban 
 soil, and established a camp which they called 
 Camp McCalla. The landing was made from 
 the troopship Panther, protected by the fire of 
 the battleship Oregon and the gunboats Marble- 
 head, Vixen, and Dolphin. 
 
 The next day a fierce attack was made upon 
 the camp by Spaniards, firing from the cover of the 
 dense woods, and it was maintained without 
 cessation for thirteen hours. Four Americans 
 were killed, the first to lose their lives on Cuban 
 soil. They were John Blair Gibbs, a surgeon ; 
 Charles H. Smith, a sergeant ; and William 
 Dunphy and James McColgan, privates. The 
 Spanish loss was not ascertained, but was much 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 499 
 
 heavier. The next night the attack was renewed, 
 and two more Americans were killed, Henry 
 Goode and George Tauman. More than twenty 
 Spaniards were killed. The attack was a pic- 
 turesque and striking spectacle. The crack of the 
 Spanish rifles, sending tongues of fire from every 
 bush encircling the camp, and the twitter of the long 
 steel bullets overhead, could be heard, while the 
 machine guns down on the water were ripping 
 open the thickets, and the field guns were driving 
 in shot where the fire of the Spaniards was the 
 thickest. 
 
 Then there was the screech of the Marble- 
 head's shells as she. took a hand in the fight, and 
 the sharp, quick flashing of the Colt rapid-firing 
 i -pounder guns from the effectively-placed ship 
 launches. 
 
 The Dolphin found the Spanish water-station 
 on the ocean side of the harbor entrance, which 
 supplied the water for the attacking force. The 
 well was situated in a blockhouse windmill, having 
 a small garrison. It was shelled at two thousand 
 yards. The station was wrecked and canister 
 followed the retreating Spaniards up the steep 
 hills. 
 
 Raiding: a Spanish Camp. 
 
 A few days later the Americans decided that 
 attack was the best defence, so they set out to 
 take the aggressive and to destroy the camp of 
 
500 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 the Spaniards. A small party of marines, with 
 some Cuban allies, marched five miles across the 
 hills under a scorching tropical sun. At two 
 hundred yards' distance from the Spanish camp 
 the fight began. 
 
 Very few Spaniards were in sight. They 
 were lying behind the huts and in the brush, but 
 puffs of smoke revealed their positions and enabled 
 the Americans to do effective work. 
 
 For twenty minutes both sides maintained a 
 terrific fire. The Spanish shots were generally 
 wild and spasmodic, while the Americans coolly 
 fired away, aiming carefully and shooting to kill. 
 For the most part our firing was done individually, 
 but at times the officers could direct firing by 
 squads, always with telling effect. 
 
 Spaniards Rush for the Bushes. 
 
 It was beginning to look as though a bayonet 
 charge down the slope would be necessary to 
 dislodge the enemy, when suddenly the latter 
 began to break for a thicket a hundred yards 
 further on. Little groups could be seen fleeing 
 from the camp, separating, darting through the 
 brush and zigzagging to escape the bullets. 
 
 It was then the American fire became most 
 deadly. Man after man could be seen to fall in 
 a vain rush for shelter, and the fire from the 
 Spanish became scattering and almost ceased. 
 
 Two Cubans lay dead and four wounded ; 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 5OI 
 
 and Private Walker, of Company D, had to limp 
 to the rear with a slight wound in his ankle. 
 
 The easy victory put the command in high 
 spirits. The little Cuban warriors waved their 
 machetes and howled curses at the Spanish in 
 savage fashion. Their firing had been wild 
 throughout ; but they all displayed the utmost 
 contempt for the Spanish bullets, apparently being 
 absolutely without fear. 
 
 The Dolphin Throws Shells. 
 
 As the enemy began breaking from the camp, 
 the Dolphin, which lay out at sea, was signalled 
 and began pitching shells toward the thicket for 
 which the Spaniards were making. Meanwhile 
 Lieutenant Magill was seen coming with forty 
 men as reinforcements, and Captain Mahoney was 
 on the way with a hundred more. But before 
 either could reach the scene the trouble was all 
 over. 
 
 As the Spanish retreated the Americans 
 moved slowly forward, firing as they went ; and 
 by the time camp was reached the enemy had all 
 got away, taking their wounded, and probably 
 many of their dead. 
 
 Fifteen bodies were found scattered through 
 the brush ; but the Americans were unable to 
 examine the spot where their firing had been 
 most deadly. No time was lost in burning the 
 buildings and filling the well with earth and stones. 
 
502 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 The Dolphin landed water and ammunition, 
 as an attack was expected on the return march, 
 but none was made. Evidently the Spaniards 
 were too thoroughly beaten to attempt further 
 fighting. The marines did not reach the Ameri- 
 can camp until after nightfall ; and, as they had 
 been without food since the early morning, they 
 were thoroughly exhausted. But there were no 
 more Spanish attacks upon Camp McCalla. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 battle of la quasina captain capron s heroic 
 
 death the general advance work of the 
 
 fleet — Spain's banner falls — cervera's 
 
 startling move cervera's ship opens the 
 
 fight the texas in the thick of it end 
 
 of the destroyers "don't cheer ; the poor 
 
 devils are dying" greatest chase of mod- 
 ern times down came the colon's flag 
 
 it was schley's victory not likely that 
 
 the colon can be saved admiral cervera 
 
 wounded surrender of santiago discuss- 
 ing terms great rejoicings. 
 
 ENERAL SHAFTER'S army, after land- 
 ing at Baiquiri, moved swiftly forward 
 against the city of Santiago, which was 
 strongly garrisoned and soon re-enforced by 
 General Pando. The Spanish garrison was fully 
 as large as the combined forces of the Americans 
 and their Cuban allies, and had the enormous 
 advantage of fighting on the defensive from 
 behind fortifications. It had, moreover, the pow- 
 erful aid of Admiral Cervera's fleet, which lay in 
 the harbor close to the city, while the American 
 fleet, outside, was out of range. 
 
 5°3 
 
504 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Battle of La Quasina. 
 
 The first serious fighting occurred at La 
 Ouasina on Friday, June 24th, and the brunt of 
 it was borne, with heavy loss, by the "Rough 
 Riders" led by Colonel Wood and Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Roosevelt. The expedition started from 
 Juragua, which is marked on some Cuban maps 
 as Altares. The Cubans had brought informa- 
 tion to the American army headquarters, on 
 Thursday, that a Spanish force had assembled at 
 La Ouasina for the purpose of blocking the 
 march to Santiago. The troops left Juragua at 
 daybreak. The first part of the journey for the 
 rough riders was over a series of steep hills, 
 several hundred feet high. The men carried 200 
 rounds of ammunition and their heavy camping 
 equipment. Although the march was accom- 
 plished easily enough in the early morning, the 
 weather became intensely hot, and the sun beat 
 fiercely upon the cowboys and Eastern athletes 
 as they toiled up the hillsides with their heavy 
 packs. Frequent rests were necessary, and the 
 trail was so narrow for the greater part of the 
 way that the men had to proceed in single file. 
 
 Prickly cactus lined both sides of the path, 
 and the underbrush was so thick that it was im- 
 possible to see ten feet on either side. All the 
 conditions therefore, were favorable for a mur- 
 derous ambuscade, but the troopers kept a cIosq 
 
Spanish Troops in San Juan, Porto Rico. 
 
ess 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ' ; £ 
 
 P^ 
 
 Climbing the Mast to Man the Turret Guns, 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN, 507 
 
 watch, and made as little noise as possible. They 
 entered into the spirit of the affair with the 
 greatest enthusiasm. It was their first oppor- 
 tunity, and every man was eager for the fight. 
 The weather grew more and more swelteringly 
 hot. One by one men threw away their blankets, 
 tent rolls, and their emptied canteens. The first 
 intimation they received of the presence of the 
 enemy was when they were three or four miles 
 back from the coast. Then the low cuckoo-like 
 calls used by the Spaniards began to be heard. 
 In the bush it was difficult to make out the exact 
 points from which these sounds proceeded. The 
 men were ordered to speak in whispers, and 
 frequent halts were made. About eight o'clock a 
 place was reached where the trail opened out into 
 a space covered with high grass. On the right 
 side of the trail the ground was thickest, being 
 covered with a kind of bramble underbrush. On 
 the other side a barbed wire fence also ran along 
 the path. The dead body of a Cuban was found 
 lying on the roadside. A few seconds later the 
 heads of several Spaniards were seen among the 
 bushes, but only for a moment. Not till then 
 were the men permitted to load their carbines. 
 Just as they did so the sound of firing was heard 
 a mile or two to the right, apparently from the 
 hills beyond the thicket. This was understood to 
 be the regulars' reply to the Spaniards, who had 
 29 
 
508 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 opened on them from the thicket. In addition to 
 a rapid rifle fire Hotchkiss guns were also heard. 
 Hardly two minutes later the Mausers com- 
 menced to crack in the thicket, and bullets 
 whistled over the heads of the Rough Riders, 
 cutting the leaves of the trees and sending chips 
 flying from the fence-posts by the side of the 
 track. 
 
 The Spaniards poured a heavy fire, which 
 soon began to tell with disastrous effects. The 
 troopers stood their ground well, while the bullets 
 continued whizzing around them on every side. 
 Sergeant Fish was the first to fall. He was shot 
 through the heart. The Spaniards were not more 
 than two hundred yards away, but only occasional 
 glimpses of them could be obtained. The 
 troopers poured volley after volley into the brush 
 in the direction indicated by the rattle of Spanish 
 musketry, but the enemy's fire became more 
 frequent, and seemed to be getting into closer 
 range. Colonel Wood walked along the lines 
 with the utmost coolness, and ordered the troops 
 to deploy into the thicket, at the same time send- 
 ing another detachment into the open space on 
 the left. Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt led the 
 former, urging his men onwards as they forced 
 their way through the brush. Every moment 
 shots came thicker and faster from the enemy, 
 and the air seemed to be filled with the singing 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 509 
 
 and shrieking sounds of Mauser bullets, while 
 the short pops of Spanish rifles could be easily 
 distinguished from the heavier reports of the 
 American weapons. Sometimes shots came in 
 volleys, sometimes following each other in rapid 
 succession for several minutes. 
 
 Captain Capron's Heroic Death. 
 
 Captain Capron stood behind his men, using 
 his revolver whenever a Spaniard exposed him- 
 self. He had killed two, and was just preparing 
 to fire again, at the same time shouting orders to 
 his troopers, when he was shot through the body. 
 His troop was badly disconcerted for an instant, 
 but as he fell he cried out, "Don't mind me, 
 boys ; go on with the fight." Sergeant Bell 
 stood by the side of Captain Capron when the 
 latter was mortally hit. He had seen that he was 
 fighting against terrible odds, but he never 
 flinched. " Give me your gun a minute," he said 
 to the sergeant, and, kneeling down, he deliber- 
 ately aimed and fired two shots in quick suc- 
 cession. At each a Spaniard was seen to fall. 
 Bell in the mean time had seized a dead com- 
 rade's gun, and knelt beside his captain and fired 
 steadily. 
 
 When Captain Capron fell he gave the ser- 
 geant parting messages to his wife and father, 
 and bade the sergeant good-by in a cheerful voice, 
 and was then borne away dying. 
 
5IO WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Sergeant Hamilton Fish, Jr., was the first man 
 killed by the Spanish fire. He was near the head 
 of the column as it turned from the wood road 
 into the range of the Spanish ambuscade. He 
 shot one Spaniard who was firing from the cover 
 of a dense patch of underbrush. When a bullet 
 struck his breast he sank at the foot of a tree 
 with his back against it. Captain Capron stood 
 over him shooting, and others rallied around him, 
 covering the wounded one. 
 
 After ten or fifteen minutes' hot work the 
 firing fell off somewhat, and Lieutenant-Colonel 
 Roosevelt ordered his men back into the trail, 
 narrowly escaping a bullet himself. It now be- 
 came evident that the Spanish were falling back 
 and changing their position, but their fire con- 
 tinued at intervals. The troopers tore to the 
 front and got into a more open part of the 
 country than where the enemy's fire was coming 
 from. As soon as the position had been changed 
 the Americans poured a more terrific fire upon 
 the Spaniards. They had now got them into 
 more open country where they could see them 
 better, and it was not long before the enemy 
 gave way. They ran down the steep hill and up 
 another to a blockhouse. Colonel Wood and 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt led their troopers 
 onward, and a hail of bullets was poured upon 
 the blockhouse. When the Americans got within 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 511 
 
 six hundred yards of the blockhouse the Spaniards 
 abandoned it. They scattered among the brush 
 up another hill in the direction of Santiago, and 
 the battle ended. 
 
 The General Advance. 
 
 Just a week later, on July i, a general ad- 
 vance was made and a tremendous battle was 
 fought in the very outskirts of Santiago, fully 
 15,000 men being engaged on our side and 
 fully as many more on the Spanish side. The 
 first shot in it was fired from a battery by Captain 
 Capron, father of the Captain Capron who met 
 his death so bravely at La Quasina. 
 
 Many dramatic incidents occurred during 
 the day, with numerous evidences of splendid 
 personal bravery of the American officers and 
 men in their work of continuous and intense 
 physical strain, owing to the hills and swamps 
 and the fierce tropical sun which beat down upon 
 them the greater part of the day. 
 
 Skill and Valor of Cubans. 
 
 The Cubans behaved with skill and valor, 
 and rendered valuable aid. General Garcia and 
 other Cuban generals led the troops in person, 
 and showed great coolness in tight places. 
 
 The Spaniards fought stubbornly throughout, 
 and their retreat, though steady, was slowly and 
 coolly conducted. They contested every inch of 
 the way, and fought with unexpected skill, their 
 
512 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 officers handling the troops with bravery and 
 good judgment. As in all of their fighting, so 
 far, however, they did most of their work under 
 cover, rarely showing themselves in large bodies 
 in the open. 
 
 The American loss was nearly a thousand in 
 killed and wounded, and the Spanish loss at least 
 twice as great, f^g battle ended with the Ameri- 
 cans encamped within a mile of the walls of 
 Santiago ; but General Shafter thought it best 
 to await the arrival of re-enforcements before 
 attacking the city. 
 
 Work of the Fleet. 
 
 Our fleet was too far away to take part in 
 the battle proper, but it did some effective firing 
 at the fortifications of Aguadores, on the coast. 
 The target was an old stone fort, flying the 
 Spanish flag. 
 
 When the small shells hit its battlements, 
 almost hidden by green creepers, fragments of 
 masonry came tumbling down. A shot from the 
 Suwanee hit the eastern parapet and it crumbled 
 away. Amid the smoke and debris the flagstaff 
 was seen to fall forward. 
 
 "The flag has been shot down!" shouted the 
 ships' crews, but when the smoke cleared away 
 the emblem of Spain was seen to be still flying 
 and blazing brilliantly in the sun, though the flag- 
 staff was bending toward the earth. Apparently 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 513 
 
 the flagstaff had been caught firmly in the wreck- 
 age of the fort. A few more shots levelled the 
 battlements until ■ the old castle was a pitiful 
 sight. 
 
 When the firing ceased Lieutenant Dele- 
 hanty, of the Suwanee, was anxious to finish his 
 work, so he signalled to the New York, asking 
 permission to knock down the Spanish flag. 
 
 "Yes," replied Admiral Sampson, "if you 
 can do it in three shots." 
 
 The Suwanee then lay about sixteen hundred 
 yards from the old fort. She took her time. Lieu- 
 tenant Blue carefully aimed the 4-inch gun, and 
 the crews of all the ships watched the incident 
 amid intense excitement. 
 
 When the smoke of the Suwanee's first shot 
 cleared away, only two red streamers of the flag 
 were left. The shell had gone through the centre 
 of the bunting. A delighted yell broke from the 
 crew of the Suwanee. 
 
 Two or three minutes later the Suwanee 
 fired again, and a huge cloud of debris rose from 
 the base of the flao-staff. For a few seconds it 
 was impossible to tell what had been the effect of 
 the shot. Then it was seen that the shell had 
 only added to the ruin of the fort. 
 
 Spain's Banner Falls. 
 
 The flagstaff seemed to have a charmed ex- 
 istence, and the Suwanee had only one chance 
 
514 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 left. It seemed hardly possible for her to achieve 
 her object with the big gun, such a distance and 
 such a tiny target. 
 
 There was breathless silence among the 
 watching crews. They crowded on the ships' 
 decks, and all eyes were on the tattered rag, 
 bending toward the earth from the top of what 
 once had been a grand old castle. But it was 
 only bending, not yet down. 
 
 Lieutenant-Commander Delehanty and Lieu- 
 tenant Blue took their time. 
 
 The Suwanee changed her position slightly. 
 Then a puff of smoke shot out from her side, up 
 went a spouting cloud of debris from the parapet 
 and down fell the banner of Spain. 
 
 Such yells from the flagship will probably 
 never be heard again. The Suwanee's last shot 
 had struck right at the base of the flagstaff and 
 had blown it clear of the wreckage which had 
 held it from finishing its fall. 
 
 Cervera's Startling: Move. 
 
 It was supposed that operations would now 
 be suspended for some days, until General Shaf- 
 ter could get re-enforcements. But two days 
 later, on July 3d, a startling change in the situation 
 occurred. Captain-General Blanco, at Havana, 
 peremptorily ordered Admiral Cervera to break 
 out of Santiago harbor with his fleet, and the latter 
 obeyed, though he knew he was going to certain 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 515 
 
 destruction. The sunken hulk of the Merrimac 
 was passed in safety, but just outside the harbor 
 gate Commodore Schley was waiting with his 
 ships. 
 
 As told by a New York Sun correspondent 
 on the Texas, at about half-past nine in the morn- 
 ing, while the Texas was lying directly in front of 
 Santiago harbor, Lieut. M. L. Bristol saw smoke 
 arising between Morro Castle and La Socapa. 
 An instant later the nose of a ship poked out 
 behind the Estrella Battery. Clash went the 
 electric gongs calling the ship's company to gen- 
 eral quarters. Full speed ahead plunged the 
 Texas toward the enemy and up fluttered the 
 vari-colored flags signalling " The enemy is trying 
 to escape." 
 
 The Brooklyn, Iowa and Oregon responded 
 immediately. All headed toward the harbor en- 
 trance, being then about two and a half miles 
 away. 
 
 There was much suppressed excitement 
 aboard all the vessels as they sped in the direction 
 of the enemy. The first of the Spanish squadron 
 to come into view was the Almirante Oquendo. 
 Closely following her came the Cristobal Colon, 
 which was easily distinguishable by the military 
 masts between her two smokestacks. Then came 
 the two other cruisers, Vizcaya and Infanta Maria 
 Teresa. 
 
516 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Cervera's Ship Opens the Fight. 
 
 Almost before the leading ship was clear of 
 the shadow of Morro Castle the fight had begun. 
 Admiral Cervera started it by a shell from the 
 Almirante Oquendo, to which he had transferred 
 his flag. It struck none of the American vessels. 
 In a twinkling the big guns of the Texas belched 
 forth their thunder, which was followed immedi- 
 ately by a heavy fire from our other ships. The 
 Spaniards turned to the westward under full steam, 
 pouring a constant fire on our ships, and evidently 
 hoping to get away by their superior speed. 
 
 The Brooklyn turned her course parallel with 
 that of the Spaniards, and, after getting in good 
 range, began a running fight. 
 
 The Texas in the Thick of it. 
 
 The Texas, still heading in shore, kept up a 
 hot exchange of shots with the foremost ships, 
 which gradually drew away to the westward 
 under the shadow of the hills. The third of the 
 Spanish vessels, the Vizcaya or Infanta Maria 
 Teresa, was caught by the Texas in good fighting 
 range, and it was she that engaged the chief at- 
 tention of the first battleship commissioned in the 
 American Navy — the old hoodoo, but now the 
 old hero. The Texas steamed west with her 
 adversary, and as she could not catch her with 
 speed she did with her shells. Captain John W. 
 Philip directed operations from the bridge until 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 5 I 7 
 
 the fire got so hot that he ordered the ship to be 
 run from the conning tower, and the bridge con- 
 tingent moved down to the passage surrounding 
 the tower. This was a providential move, for a 
 moment later a shell from one of the Spanish 
 cruisers tore through the pilot house. It would 
 have killed the wheelman and perhaps everybody 
 on the bridge had they remained there. 
 
 The Oregon and the Iowa to the Front. 
 
 Meanwhile the Oregon had come in on the 
 run. She passed the Texas and chased after 
 Commodore Schley, on the Brooklyn, to head off 
 the foremost of the Spanish ships. The Iowa 
 also turned her course westward, and kept up a 
 hot fire on the running enemy. 
 
 At 10.10 o'clock the third of the Spanish 
 ships, the one that had been exchanging compli- 
 ments with the Texas, was seen to be on fire and 
 a mighty cheer went up from our ships. The 
 Spaniard headed for the shore and the Texas 
 turned her attention to the one following. The 
 Brooklyn and Oregon, after a few parting shots, 
 also left her contemptuously and made all steam 
 and shell after the foremost two of the Spanish 
 ships, the Almirante Oquendo and the Cristobal 
 Colon. 
 
 Just then the two torpedo boat destroyers 
 Pluton and Furor were discovered. They had 
 come out after the cruisers without being seen, 
 
518 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 and were boldly heading west down the coast. 
 "All small guns on the torpedo boats! " was the 
 order on the Texas, and in an instant a hail of 
 shot was pouring all about them. A six-pounder 
 from the starboard battery of the Texas, under 
 Ensign Gise, struck the foremost torpedo boat 
 fairly in the boiler. 
 
 End of tlie Destroyers. 
 
 A rending sound was heard above the roar of 
 battle. A great spout of black smoke shot up 
 from that destroyer and she was out of commis- 
 sion. The Iowa, which was coming up fast, 
 threw a few complimentary shots at the second 
 torpedo boat destroyer and passed on. The little 
 Gloucester, formerly J. Pierpont Morgan's yacht 
 Corsair, then sailed in and finished the second 
 boat. 
 
 Gun for gun and shot for shot the running 
 fight was kept up between the Spanish cruisers 
 and the four American vessels. At 10.30 o'clock 
 the Infanta Maria Teresa and Vizcaya were al- 
 most on the beach, and were evidently in distress. 
 As the Texas was firing at them a white flag was 
 run up on the one nearest her. 
 
 " Cease firing!" called Captain Philip, and a 
 moment later both the Spaniards were beached. 
 Clouds of black smoke arose from each, and 
 bright flashes of flame could be seen shining 
 through the smoke. Boats were visible putting 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 519 
 
 out from the cruisers to the shore. The Iowa 
 waited to see that the two warships were really 
 out of the fight, and it did not take her long to 
 determine that they would never fight again. 
 The Iowa herself had suffered some very hard 
 knocks. 
 
 The Brooklyn, Oregon and Texas pushed 
 ahead after the Colon and Almirante Oquendo, 
 which were now running the race of their lives 
 along the coast. At 10.50 o'clock, when Admiral 
 Cervera's flagship, the Almirante Oquendo, sud- 
 denly headed in shore, she had the Brooklyn and 
 Oregon abeam and the Texas astern. The 
 Brooklyn and Oregon pushed on after the Cris- 
 tobal Colon, which was making fine time and 
 which looked as if she might escape, leaving the 
 Texas to finish the Almirante Oquendo. This 
 work did not take long. The Spanish ship was 
 already burning. At 1 1.05 down came the yellow 
 and red flag at her stern. Just as the Texas got 
 abeam of her she was shaken by a mighty ex- 
 plosion. 
 
 "Don't Cheer; the Poor Devils are Dying;." 
 
 The crew of the Texas started to cheer. 
 " Don't cheer, because the poor devils are dying," 
 called Capt. Philip, and the Texas left the Al- 
 mirante Oquendo to her fate to join in the chase 
 of the Cristobal Colon. 
 
520 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 That ship in desperation was ploughing the 
 waters at a rate that caused the fast Brooklyn 
 trouble. The Oregon made great speed for a 
 battleship, and the Texas made the effort of her 
 life. Never since her trial trip had she made such 
 time. 
 
 The Brooklyn might have proved a match 
 to the Cristobal Colon in speed, but she was not 
 supposed to be her match in strength. 
 
 Greatest Chase of Modern Times. 
 
 It would never do to allow even one of the 
 Spanish ships to get away. Straight into the 
 west the greatest chase of modern times took 
 place. The Brooklyn headed the pursuers. She 
 stood well out from the shore in order to try to 
 cut off the Cristobal Colon at a point jutting out 
 into the sea far ahead. The Oregon kept a 
 middle course about a mile from the cruiser. The 
 desperate Don ran close along the shore, and now 
 and then he threw a shell of defiance. The old 
 Texas kept well up in the chase under forced 
 draught for over two hours. 
 
 The fleet Spaniard led the Americans a 
 merry chase, but she had no chance. The Brook- 
 lyn gradually forged ahead, so that the escape of 
 the Cristobal Colon was cut off at the point above 
 mentioned. The Oregon was abeam of the Colon 
 then, and the gallant Don gave it up. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 52 I 
 
 Down Came the Colon's Flag-. 
 
 At 1. 1 5 o'clock he headed for the shore, and 
 five minutes later down came the Spanish flag. 
 None of our ships was then within a mile of her, 
 but her escape was cut off. The Texas, Oregon 
 and Brooklyn closed in on her and stopped their 
 engines a few hundred yards away. 
 
 Commodore Schley left the Brooklyn in a 
 small boat and went aboard the Cristobal Colon 
 and received the surrender. Meantime the New 
 York, with Admiral Sampson on board, and the 
 Vixen were coming up on the run. Commodore 
 Schley signalled to Admiral Sampson : ' ' We have 
 won a great victory; details will be communicated." 
 It Was Schley's Victory. 
 
 The victory certainly was Commodore 
 Schley's. Then for an hour after the surrender 
 in that little cove under the high hills was a gen- 
 eral Fourth of July celebration, though a little 
 premature. Our ships cheered one another, the 
 captains indulged in compliments through the 
 megaphones, and the Oregon got out its band, and 
 the strains of the "Star-Spangled Banner" echoed 
 over the line of Spaniards drawn up on the deck 
 of the last of the Spanish fleet, and up over the 
 lofty green-tipped hills of the Cuban mountains. 
 
 Commodore Schley coming alongside the 
 Texas from the Cristobal Colon in his gig, called 
 out cheerily, "Itwas a nice fight, Jack, wasn't it?" 
 
522 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 The veterans of the Texas lined up and gave 
 three hearty cheers and a tiger for their old com- 
 mander-in-chief. Capt. Philip called all hands to 
 the quarter-deck, and, with bared head, thanked 
 God for the almost bloodless victory. 
 
 "I want to make public acknowledgment 
 here," he said, "that I believe in God the Father 
 Almighty. I want all you officers and men to lift 
 your hats and from your hearts offer silent thanks 
 to the Almighty." 
 
 All hats were off. There was a moment or 
 two of absolute silence, and then the overwrought 
 feelings of the ship's company relieved themselves 
 in three hearty cheers for their beloved com- 
 mander. 
 
 The Brooklyn, later in the afternoon, started 
 east to chase a report that another Spanish war- 
 ship had been seen. The vessel turned out to be 
 the Austrian cruiser Maria Teresa. 
 
 The Resolute came up, and the work ot 
 transferring the prisoners of the Cristobal Colon 
 to her was begun. Five hundred and thirty men 
 were taken off. Eight were missing. 
 
 Not Likely that the Colon can he Saved. 
 
 It was hoped that the Cristobal Colon might 
 be saved as a Fourth of July gift to our navy. She 
 was beached bow on, on a sandy shore, and her 
 stern was afloat. She was not materially damaged 
 by the shots that had struck her. One thirteen- 
 

 O 
 
 « 
 
 a 
 2 
 
 o 
 a 
 
 ft* 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 525 
 
 inch shell and one eight-inch had hit her, but it 
 was found that the Spaniards had taken every 
 mean measure to destroy her after they themselves 
 were safe. They had opened every sea valve in 
 the ship and had thrown the caps overboard. 
 They had opened all the ports and smashed the 
 deadlights. They had even thrown the breech 
 plugs of their guns overboard. 
 
 The Colon floated off at 7 o'clock in the 
 evening and drifted 500 yards down the beach 
 to the westward, swinging bow out. The New 
 York pushed her back, stern on the beach, but 
 the water was already up to her gun deck. At 
 1 1 o'clock she lurched and turned over on her 
 starboard side, with her port guns pointing 
 straight up to the sky. 
 
 Admiral Cervera Wounded. 
 
 The Spanish Admiral, who was wounded in 
 the arm, was taken to the Gloucester, and was 
 received at her gangway by her commander, 
 Lieutenant-Commander Richard Wainwright. He 
 grasped the hand of the gray-bearded Admiral, 
 and said to him : " I congratulate you, sir, upon 
 having made as gallant a fight as was ever wit- 
 nessed on the sea." There was no mistaking the 
 heartbroken expression upon the old head sea- 
 man's face as he took the proffered hand of Lieu- 
 tenant-Commander Wainwright and was shown 
 
 30 
 
526 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 to the latter's cabin, but he made every effort to 
 bear bravely the bitter defeat that had come 
 to him. 
 
 Lieutenant-Commander Wainwright had been 
 the executive officer of the Maine. He was 
 aboard her when she was blown up through 
 Spanish treachery at Havana, and was one of the 
 last to leave her shattered hulk. Now with grim 
 satisfaction he watched the flames and smoke 
 roaring through the decks of the three Spanish 
 warships. To his brother officers beside him he 
 remarked : "The Maine is avenged." 
 
 In this battle six Spanish ships were de- 
 stroyed, 600 men killed, and 1,800 taken pris- 
 oners. On the American side not a ship was 
 injured, and only one man was killed and two 
 wounded. Spain's finest fleet was utterly de- 
 stroyed, and the doom of Santiago was sealed. 
 Surrender of Santiago. 
 
 After the destruction of the Spanish fleet no 
 important movements were made by the army, 
 except to tighten its grip upon the city of Santi- 
 ago by extending its lines around it more fully. 
 Then the Spanish commander asked for terms 
 of surrender. He at first proposed to evacuate 
 the city if our commanders would let him do so. 
 But they refused. Unconditional surrender was 
 their demand. Time was given to him to com- 
 municate with Madrid, and as a result an agree- 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 527 
 
 ment was finally reached between General Toral 
 on the Spanish side and General Shafter on the 
 American. The act of surrender was signed at 
 four o'clock on the afternoon of July 15. It pro- 
 vided for the surrender of the city of Santiago 
 and all of the province of Santiago lying east of 
 a line drawn from Aserradero to Sagua de Ta- 
 namo, and of all the Spanish troops therein, the 
 latter to be sent home to Spain by the United 
 States Government. 
 
 The terms of the surrender involved the fol- 
 lowing points : The 20,000 refugees at El Caney 
 and Siboney to be turned back to the city. 
 
 An American infantry patrol to be posted on 
 the roads surrounding the city and in the country 
 between it and the American cavalry. 
 
 Our hospital corps to give attention as far 
 as possible to the sick and wounded Spanish sol- 
 diers in Santiago. 
 
 All the Spanish troops in the province ex- 
 cept 10,000 men at Holguin, under command ol 
 Gen. Luque, to come into the city and surrender. 
 
 The guns and defences of the city to be 
 turned over to the Americans in good condition. 
 
 The Americans to have full use of the Jura 
 gua Railroad. 
 
 The Spaniards to surrender their arms. 
 
 All the Spaniards to be conveyed to Spain 
 on board of American transports with the least 
 
528 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 possible delay, and be permitted to take portable 
 church property with them. 
 
 . Discussing- Terms. 
 
 The clause in regard to church property was 
 especially interesting in view of the fact that when 
 the Americans first threatened to bombard the 
 city the Archbishop of Santiago and the priests 
 and nuns came out to the American lines and 
 demanded safe convoy out of the city. They 
 were told to go back and point out to the Span- 
 ish officers the foolishness of further resistance. 
 
 There was a good deal of discussion re- 
 garding the arms of the Spaniards. They were 
 anxious to retain them. It was finally settled 
 that they should give them up. 
 
 The Americans declared that the point was 
 of trivial importance. They suspected that the 
 Spaniards only wanted to gain time. The Com- 
 missioners argued all the morning- and until late 
 in the afternoon, when an understanding was 
 arrived at. 
 
 The conditions stated were accepted : the 
 Spanish to leave the city with military honors, 
 but surrendering their arms before leaving. 
 
 The Spaniards also agreed to co-operate with 
 the Americans in destroying the mines and torpe- 
 does at the entrance to the harbor and in the bay. 
 
 The agreement was signed in duplicate bv 
 all the Commissioners on each side, and each 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 52Q 
 
 side retained a copy. Before the Spanish Com- 
 missioners signed it Captain-General Blanco sent 
 his approval of the agreement, but added that he 
 must still consult the Government at Madrid. 
 He therefore wanted the matter postponed until 
 he received an answer from Madrid. 
 
 The Americans refused this, but agreed that 
 the signatures should be conditional. 
 
 The ratification of the terms by the Madrid 
 Government soon came, and the surrender was 
 completed. 
 
 Or eat Rejoicings. 
 
 The news of this triumph was received with 
 great rejoicing in the United States, and the fol- 
 lowing messages were promptly sent : 
 
 "Washington, D. C, July 16. 
 "General Shafter, Commanding Front, near Santi- 
 ago, Play a: 
 
 "The President of the United States sends 
 to you and your brave army the profound thanks 
 of the American people for the brilliant achieve- 
 ments at Santiago, resulting in the surrender of 
 the city and all of the Spanish troops and terri- 
 tory under General Toral. 
 
 "Your splendid command has endured not 
 only the hardships and sacrifices incident to cam- 
 paign and battle, but in stress of heat and weather 
 has triumphed over obstacles which would have 
 overcome men less brave and determined. 
 
530 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 " One and all have displayed the most con- 
 spicuous gallantry and earned the gratitude of 
 the nation. 
 
 "The hearts of the people turn with tender 
 sympathy to the sick and wounded. 
 
 "May the Father of Mercies protect and 
 comfort them. William McKinley." 
 
 Also the following : 
 
 "Major-General, Front, near Santiago, Play a : 
 
 "I cannot express in words my gratitude to 
 you and your heroic men. Your work has been 
 done. God bless you all. 
 
 R. A. Alger, Secretary of War." 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 TAKING POSSESSION OF SANTIAGO OCCUPIED WITHOUT 
 
 FORMALITY GOVERNING THE CAPTURED CITY 
 
 TO ENJOY AMERICAN FREEDOM PRIVATE PROP- 
 ERTY RIGHTS RESPECTED THE CAPTURE OF 
 
 NIPE GUANTANAMO SURRENDERS ON TO PORTO 
 
 RICO SPANIARDS TAKEN BY SURPRISE GLOU- 
 CESTER SHELLS THE TOWN CAVALRYMEN DRIVEN 
 
 TO HILLS AMERICANS WELCOMED MORE PRIZE 
 
 TAKING THOUGHT PRIZE WAS RECAPTURED 
 
 SURPRISED SPANISH SAILORS ON TO HAVANA 
 
 IN THE PHILIPPINES TESTED QUALITY OF 
 
 TROOPS NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE THE TERMS 
 
 OFFERED SPAIN CONSIDERS THE TERMS 
 
 COMING TO THE WHITE HOUSE THE PROTOCOL'S 
 
 APPEARANCE JUDGE DAY AND M. CAMBON SIGN 
 
 TEXT OF THE PROTOCOL. 
 
 <f 
 
 HE American flag was formally raised in 
 token of sovereignty over the city of San- 
 tiago de Cuba, at noon of Sunday, July 
 17, 1898. The terms of surrender had been so 
 arranged as to hurt Spanish pride as little as 
 possible. At 9 o'clock General Shafter and his 
 chief officers, with a small escort of cavalry, met 
 General Toral, his staff and a detachment of in- 
 fantry under a tree between the American and 
 Spanish lines. Pleasant greetings exchanged, 
 
 (53i) 
 
532 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 the two cavalcades moved into the city. Mean- 
 while, all the American troops had been drawn 
 up in line along their intrenchments, their colors 
 fluttering in the breeze. 
 
 At noon the second part of the ceremony 
 took place in the Plaza de la Reina. When the 
 cathedral chimes struck 12, Captain McKittrick, 
 of General Shafter's staff, hoisted the Stars and 
 Stripes over the Governor-General's palace, and 
 the 9th Infantry band played "The Star Spangled 
 Banner." The troops had again been drawn up 
 along their intrenchments. Except at the ex- 
 treme right, the staff of the palace could not be 
 seen. A signal, however, was given, and Captain 
 Capron's battery fired a salute from the rifle-pits, 
 where the 7 1 st New York was stationed. A cheer 
 had risen from the troops north of the city. Each 
 regiment took it up in turn to the left, until it had 
 travelled the entire length of the American for- 
 tifications. There was no shouting or yelling, but 
 only three measured cheers, with a tiger, in unison. 
 The voices were deep and strong, and the state- 
 liness of it all will long be remembered by those 
 who heard and saw. 
 
 Occupied -without Formality. 
 
 Only one regiment, the 9th Infantry, was 
 sent into the city. Half the Spaniards were sent 
 out on the hills a mile from the city. The rest 
 remained in their barracks. Their arms were 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 533 
 
 placed in some warehouses. There was no for- 
 mal laying of them down, as military convention 
 prescribes. Indeed, everything was done in a 
 quiet, business-like manner that was so charac- 
 teristically Anglo-Saxon as to astonish the display- 
 loving Spaniards. The lack of gold braid on 
 General Shafter's uniform, the unassuming con- 
 duct of his brigadier-generals and colonels, were 
 subjects of interested comment. The command- 
 ing general stopped to talk with people on the 
 stairs of the Governor's palace quite as if he were 
 a merchant entering his shop. Spanish wonder 
 knew no bounds. 
 
 Governing the Captured City. 
 
 The next day President McKinley issued an 
 order for the government of Santiago, in which 
 he said : 
 
 "The first effect of the military occupation 
 of the enemy's territory is the severance of the 
 former political relations of the inhabitants and 
 the establishment of a new political power. 
 Under this changed condition of things the in- 
 habitants, so long as they perform their duties, 
 are entitled to security in their persons and prop- 
 erty, and in all their private rights and relations. 
 It is my desire that the inhabitants of Cuba 
 should be acquainted with the purpose of the 
 United States to discharge to the fullest extent 
 its obligations in this regard. 
 
534 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Xo Enjoy American Freedom. 
 
 "It will, therefore, be the duty of the com- 
 mander of the army of occupation to announce 
 and proclaim in the most public manner that we 
 come not to make war upon the inhabitants of 
 Cuba, nor upon any party or faction among them 
 but to protect them in their homes, in their em- 
 ployments, and in their personal and religious 
 rights. All persons who, either by active aid or 
 by honest submission, co-operate with the United 
 States in its efforts to give effect to this benefi- 
 cent purpose will receive the reward of its sup- 
 port and protection. Our occupation should be 
 as free from severity as possible. 
 
 "Though the powers of the military occu- 
 pant are absolute and supreme, and immediately 
 operate upon the political condition of the inhabi- 
 tants, the municipal laws of the conquered terri- 
 tory, such as affect private rights of person and 
 property, and provide for the punishment of crime, 
 are considered as continuing in force, so far as 
 they are compatible with the new condition of 
 things, until they are suspended or superseded by 
 the occupying belligerent, and in practice they are 
 not usually abrogated, but are allowed to remain 
 in force and to be administered by the ordinary 
 tribunals, substantially as they were before the 
 occupation. This enlightened practice is, so far as 
 possible, to be adhered to on the present occasion." 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 535 
 
 Private Property Rights Respected. 
 
 "Private property, whether belonging to indi- 
 viduals or corporations, is to be respected, and can 
 be confiscated only as hereafter indicated. Means 
 of transportation, such as telegraph lines and ca- 
 bles, railways and boats may, although they belong 
 to private individuals or corporations, be seized by 
 the military occupant, but, unless destroyed under 
 military necessity, are not to be retained. 
 
 " While it is held to be the right of the con- 
 queror to levy contributions upon the enemy in 
 their seaports, towns or provinces which may be 
 in his military possession by conquest, and to 
 apply the proceeds to defray the expenses of the 
 war, this right is to be exercised within such limi- 
 tations that it may not savor of confiscation. As 
 the result of military occupation the taxes and 
 duties payable by the inhabitants to the former 
 Government become payable to the military occu- 
 pant, unless he sees fit to substitute for them 
 other rates or modes of contribution to the ex- 
 penses of the Government. The moneys so col- 
 lected are to be used for the purpose of paying 
 the expenses of government under the military 
 occupation, such as the salaries of the judges and 
 the police, and for the payment of the expenses 
 of the army. 
 
 " Private property taken for the use of the 
 army is to be paid for when possible in cash at a 
 
536 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 fair valuation, and when payment in cash is not 
 possible receipts are to be given." 
 
 Under such eenerous and humane conditions 
 the American Government was established in 
 Santiago. 
 
 The Capture of Nipe. 
 
 A few days later an American squadron 
 entered the harbor of Nipe, on the northeast 
 coast of the Province of Santiago de Cuba, and 
 captured the place after a furious bombardment. 
 
 The vessels engaged were the gunboats 
 Topeka, Annapolis, Wasp and Leyden. In the 
 course of an hour they silenced three forts, sank 
 the Spanish gunboat Jorge Juan and scattered 
 bodies of Spanish riflemen who had taken part in 
 the engagement. 
 
 Guantanamo Surrenders. 
 
 The Spanish garrison of Guantanamo, seven 
 thousand strong, surrendered on July 25th. 
 About half as many at Palma, Soriano and San 
 Luis also laid down their arms. At first they 
 refused to credit the statement that Santiago had 
 surrendered, but the presence of a Spanish officer, 
 who accompanied Lieutenant Miley, finally con- 
 vinced them, and then they displayed great 
 delight at the prospect of returning to Spain. 
 On to Porto Rico. 
 
 The next important movement was the in- 
 vasion of Porto Rico. This was effected under 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 537 
 
 the leadership of General Nelson A. Miles, the 
 Major-General in command of the United States 
 army. A strong military and naval expedition 
 left Guantanamo Bay on July 21st, and landed 
 successfully at Guanica, on the south coast of 
 Porto Rico, four days later, after a skirmish be- 
 tween a detachment of Spanish troops and a crew 
 of thirty from the launch of the United States 
 auxiliary gunboat Gloucester. Four of the Span- 
 iards were killed and no Americans were hurt. 
 
 Guanica was chosen as the landing place at 
 the last moment, partly because it was well suited 
 to the purpose and partly because the Spaniards 
 were not expecting the landing to be made in that 
 part of the island. Early in the morning the 
 Gloucester, in charge of Lieutenant-Commander 
 Wainwright, formerly of the Maine and one of 
 the heroes of the naval battle off Santiago de 
 Cuba, steamed into Guanica Harbor in order to 
 reconnoitre the place. With the fleet waiting 
 outside, the gallant little fighting yacht Gloucester 
 braved the mines which were supposed to be in 
 this harbor, and upon sounding, found that there 
 were five fathoms of water close in shore. 
 Spaniards Taken by Surprise. 
 
 Guanica Bay is a quiet place, surrounded by 
 cultivated lands. In the rear are high mountains, 
 and close to the beach nestles a village of about 
 twenty houses. 
 
538 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 The Spaniards were completely taken by sur- 
 prise. Almost the first they knew of the ap- 
 proach of the army of invasion was in the an- 
 nouncement contained in the firing of a gun from 
 the Gloucester, saucily demanding that the Span- 
 iards haul down the flag of Spain which was float- 
 ing from a flagstaff in front of a blockhouse 
 standing to the east of the village. The first 
 couple of 3-pounders were fired into the hills 
 right and left of the bay in order to scare the 
 enemy. The fighting yacht purposely avoided 
 firing into the town, lest her projectiles hurt the 
 women and children. 
 
 The Gloucester then hove to within about six 
 hundred yards of the shore and lowered a launch, 
 having on board a Colt rapid-fire gun and thirty 
 men, under the command of Lieutenant Huse. 
 She was sent ashore without encountering any 
 opposition. 
 
 Quartermaster Bock thereupon told Yeoman 
 Lacy to haul down the Spanish flag, which was 
 done, and they then raised on the flagstaff the 
 first United States flag to float over Porto Rican 
 soil. 
 
 Suddenly about thirty Spaniards opened fire 
 with Mauser rifles on the American party. Lieu- 
 tenant Huse and his men responded with great 
 gallantry, the Colt gun doing effective work. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 539 
 
 Gloucester Shells the Town. 
 
 Almost immediately alter the Spaniards fired 
 on the Americans the Gloucester opened fire on 
 the enemy with all her 3-pounders and 6-pounders 
 which could be brought to bear, shelling the town 
 and also dropping shells into the hills, where a 
 number of Spanish cavalry were to be seen has- 
 tening toward where the Americans had landed. 
 
 Lieutenant Huse then threw up a little fort, 
 which he named Fort Wainwright, and laid barbed 
 wire in the street in front of it in order to repel 
 the expected cavalry attack. The lieutenant also 
 mounted the Colt gun and signalled for reinforce- 
 ments, which were sent from the Gloucester. 
 
 While the Mausers were peppering all around 
 Lieutenant-Commander Wainwriefht said to the 
 Associated Press correspondent : 
 
 "They fired on us after their flag was down 
 and ours was up, and after I had spared the town 
 for the sake of the women and children. The 
 next town I strike I will blow up." 
 
 Presently a few of the Spanish cavalry joined 
 those who were fighting in the streets of Guanica, 
 but the Colt barked to a purpose, killing four of 
 them. 
 
 By that time the Gloucester had the range 
 of the town and of the blockhouse, and all her 
 guns were spitting fire, the doctor and the pay- 
 master helping to serve the guns. 
 
54-0 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 Cavalrymen Driven to Hills. 
 
 Soon afterward white-coated galloping caval- 
 rymen were seen climbing the hills to the west- 
 ward and the foot soldiers were scurrying along 
 the fences from the town. By 9.45 o'clock, with 
 the exception of a few guerilla shots, the town 
 was won, and the enemy was driven out of its 
 neighborhood. 
 
 The Red Cross nurses on the Lampasas and 
 a detachment of Regulars were the first to land 
 from the transports. 
 
 After Lieutenant Huse had captured the 
 place he deployed his small force into the su- 
 burbs. He was soon reinforced by the Regulars 
 who were followed by Company G of the 6th 
 Illinois, and then by other troops in quick suc- 
 cession. All the boats of the men-of-war and the 
 transports were used in the work of landing the 
 troops, each steam launch towing four or five 
 boats loaded to the rails with soldiers. 
 Americans Welcome. 
 
 The invading army soon moved forward to 
 Ponce, the chief town on the south coast of the 
 island, and then northward across the island 
 toward San Juan. Little opposition was encoun- 
 tered. On the contrary, the people generally 
 welcomed the American troops. The mayors ot 
 towns came out to meet them with formal ad- 
 dresses of welcome. There was a great demand 
 
fed 
 
.« 
 
 o 
 
 "Ofl 
 
 CO 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 543 
 
 for American flags. Even the Spanish soldiers 
 laid down their arms without a blow, and many 
 asked to be enlisted in the United States army. 
 Colonel San Martin, commanding the garrison at 
 Ponce, evacuated that place without resistance, 
 knowing resistance would be useless. For so 
 doing he was tried by court-martial by the Span- 
 ish commander at San Juan, and shot to death, 
 while Lieutenant-Colonel Puiz, who was next in 
 command, committed suicide to escape the same 
 fate. 
 
 From Ponce the advance was made to 
 Coamo, on the road to San Juan. A delegation 
 of the citzens of Coamo came out to welcome the 
 army and to tender to its commander the freedom 
 of their town. On August 5 General Hains's 
 brigade took Guayama after a slight skirmish in 
 which one Spaniard was killed and two Spaniards 
 and three Americans were wounded. 
 
 Guayama lies about five miles inland from 
 the southern coast of Porto Rico, forty-nine miles 
 from San Juan, and almost directly south of that 
 city. It is the chief town of the judicial district of 
 Guayama, with a population of 4,500, and juris- 
 diction over 12,884 people. The town has tele- 
 phone and telegraph stations, and a post-office. 
 It was founded in 1736. 
 
 Six days later Mayaguez, the third city in 
 importance on the island, was taken after a sharp 
 
 31 
 
544 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 engagement, in which the Spanish suffered heavy- 
 loss. 
 
 More Prize-Taking:. 
 
 Meantime Cuba was not neglected. At the 
 beginning of August operations were pushed for 
 stopping communication between that island and 
 the tributary Isle of Pines. One day the little 
 cruiser Bancroft, accompanied by the converted 
 yacht Eagle, which had been covering the block- 
 ading station around the Isle of Pines, sighted a 
 small Spanish schooner in Sigunea Bay. 
 
 The Bancroft's steam launch, in charge of 
 the Boatswain's Mate Nevis, and one other sea- 
 man, each armed with a rifle, was sent in to take 
 the schooner. This was only a task of minutes, 
 and the pretty launch returned with her prize, 
 which proved to be the schooner Nito — little more 
 than a smack, and with no cargo. Her captain 
 was an American, and with him were his Cuban 
 wife and seven children, all vowing loyalty to the 
 Cuban cause. They pleaded poverty, and that 
 the Nito was their only means of livelihood. 
 
 Commander Clover, of the Bancroft, prom- 
 ised to return here at the proper time. Mean- 
 while he sent Nevis in with her to anchor near the 
 wreck of the Spanish transatlantic liner Santo 
 Domingo, which was sunk by the Eagle a few 
 weeks before. The Bancroft and the Eao-le 
 
 o 
 
 cruised off to Maugle Point, where they happened 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 545 
 
 to be put in communication with the insurgent 
 
 camp. Two hours later they returned. For a time 
 
 nothing could be seen of the launch or the prize. 
 
 Tnouglit Prize -was Recaptured. 
 
 Suddenly Commander Clover, who was scan- 
 ning the waters with his glass, shouted to Captain 
 Sutherland, of the Eao-le : 
 
 " By heavens, they have recaptured my 
 prize ! " 
 
 The little schooner lay near the wrecked 
 steamer, but the Spanish flag was flying from her 
 mast, and, instead of only Nevis and his compan- 
 ion, she was apparently filled with men. 
 
 Meanwhile the gunboat Maple had drawn up 
 and Commander Clover ordered her in to the 
 work of rescue. With guns ready, she steamed 
 toward the schooner, but the sight that greeted 
 her was not what was expected. Nevis and his 
 companion sat at one end of the boat, attempting 
 to navigate her out of the harbor. Each had his 
 rifle across his knee, and was keeping a wary eye 
 on a party of half a dozen Spaniards huddled in 
 the other end of the boat. 
 
 The Maple asked for information, and offered 
 Nevis a tow, but he declined the proffered assist- 
 ance. Then it developed that in going in to anchor 
 he had observed two other small Spanish boats 
 near the wreck of the Santo Domingo, and had 
 resolved to capture them, too. He knew it was 
 
546 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 hazardous work, but "bluff" carried him through. 
 He took the Spanish colors of the schooner, ran 
 them up and boldly sailed in. 
 
 Surprised Spanish Sailors. 
 
 There were six men on the two other boats 
 and they watched the approach of their supposed 
 compatriots with calmness that speedily changed 
 to consternation when Nevis and the other "Jackie" 
 suddenly whipped their rifles to their shoulders 
 and demanded an immediate surrender. The 
 scared Spanish seamen lost no time in complying 
 and had the unique experience of surrendering to 
 their own flag. 
 
 Then scorning all aid, Nevis took them out 
 to his boat and in the most matter-of-fact manner 
 reported his adventure to his astonished com- 
 mander. The capture was no mean one, for the 
 prisoners gave important information to the 
 American ship. 
 
 On to Havana. 
 
 A definite movement against Havana, by 
 way of the south coast, was begun on August 10. 
 On that day an expedition of the Marine Corps 
 set out for the Isle of Pines, the source from which 
 Havana was drawing most of its supplies. The 
 plan was to take possession of that island and thus 
 cut off supplies, and at the same time secure a fine 
 base of operation for an advance across the nar- 
 rowest part of Cuba to take Havana in the rear. 
 
to 
 
 
 'a 
 

 © 
 02 
 
 00 
 
 §• 
 
 BS 
 
 0Q 
 
 6 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 549 
 
 About this time the bulk of the American 
 army at Santiago, which had begun to suffer 
 much from fever and other diseases incident to 
 that climate, was shipped north, to Montauk Point, 
 Long Island, and other places. 
 
 In the Philippines. 
 
 While all these things were going on in the 
 West Indies, other operations were proceeding 
 in the East Indies. Admiral Dewey maintained 
 the blockade of Manila, despite the tendency of 
 the German fleet to meddle in behalf of the 
 Spaniards, and despite the disinclination of the 
 native insurgents to co-operate with him. One 
 after another the military expeditions under Gen- 
 eral Merritt arrived and landed at Cavite, and the 
 arrival of the powerful monitor Monterey on 
 August 4th greatly augmented the strength of 
 the fleet. 
 
 On the night of July 31st, in the midst of a 
 violent tempest, the Spaniards attacked the 
 American camp at Malate, south of Manila. It 
 was just before midnight. The Spaniards, num- 
 bering about twenty-five hundred, opened fire 
 vigorously, under cover of the dense under- 
 growth. Their movements were further hidden 
 by the floods of rain. The Pennsylvanians met 
 the attack with a succession of volleys, covering 
 their right with two companies stationed in the 
 swamp beyond the intrenchments. 
 
550 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 After about three-quarters of an hour, two 
 companies of the 3d Regular Artillery, under 
 Major O'Hara, arrived to relieve the Pennsyl- 
 vanians, whose ammunition was almost exhausted. 
 They soon silenced the enemy's fire. 
 
 The 1 st California, under Colonel Smith, and 
 the 1st Colorado, under Colonel Hale, acted as 
 supports. The affair lasted two hours. But not- 
 withstanding the tremendous fusillade and the 
 heavy shell fire, only ten Americans were killed 
 and forty-six wounded, though there were some 
 casualties among the supports, while, during the 
 advance of the relieving battalions, the only 
 officers wounded were Captain Richter, of the 1st 
 California, wounded seriously in the head, and 
 Captain Hobbs, of the 3d Artillery, wounded 
 slightly in the leg. 
 
 Tested Quality ofTroops. 
 
 Although the engagement scarcely attained 
 the importance of a battle, it thoroughly tested the 
 quality of the United States troops, and had an 
 excellent effect, stimulating their zeal and enthu- 
 siasm and inspiring them with confidence. 
 
 It now became evident that the fall of Manila 
 was at hand, and could be effected whenever the 
 American commander pleased. 
 
 Negotiations for Peace. 
 
 But there was to be little more fighting. 
 Peace was hand. As early as July 26 substantial 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 55 1 
 
 form was given to the varnae rumors afloat at 
 Washington and other capitals that Spain was 
 about to sue for peace with the United States, 
 when M. Jules Cambon, the French Ambassador, 
 charged with the care of Spanish interests in 
 this country, formally advised the President, in a 
 personal interview, that the Madrid Government 
 earnestly desired a speedy termination of the 
 present war. 
 
 President McKinley received the overtures 
 amiably, and supplemented his verbal assurances 
 of his willingness to discuss terms of peace, with 
 a formal note acknowledging the overtures made 
 from Madrid, and outlining the conditions under 
 which negotiations could be seriously begun. 
 The Terms Offered. 
 
 The President's proposition of preliminary 
 terms of peace was as follows : 
 
 "The President does not now put forward 
 any claim for pecuniary indemnity, but requires 
 the relinquishment of all claim of sovereignty over 
 or title to the island of Cuba, as well as the 
 immediate evacuation by Spain of the island ; the 
 cession to the United States and immediate evac- 
 uation of Porto Rico and other islands under 
 Spanish sovereignty in the West Indies, and the 
 like cession of an island in the Ladrones. 
 
 "The United States will occupy and hold the 
 city, bay and harbor of Manila pending the con- 
 
552 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 elusion of a treaty of peace, which shall determine 
 the control, disposition and government of the 
 Philippines. If these are accepted by Spain in 
 their entirety it is stated that commissioners will 
 be named by the United States to meet com- 
 missioners on the part of Spain for the purpose 
 of concluding a treaty of peace on the basis 
 above indicated." 
 
 Spain Considers the Terms. 
 These terms were generally reckoned to be 
 most generous. Indeed many Americans re- 
 garded them as too lenient toward Spain. But 
 Spanish statesmen professed to regard them as 
 harsh and oppressive. Some days were therefore 
 occupied in discussion at Madrid, and in trying, 
 through M. Cambon, to get some modifications 
 of the terms. But the President would not yield 
 an inch. He gave Spain the choice, either to 
 accept the terms as they were and at once, or to 
 have the war go on with a certainty of ultimately 
 having to yield to far less favorable terms. The 
 result was that Spain yielded. The Madrid Gov- 
 ernment telegraphed to M. Cambon authority to 
 sign the protocol. With simplicity in keeping 
 with Republican institutions, the war which had 
 raged between Spain and the United States for a 
 period of three months and twenty-two days was 
 quietly terminated at 4.23 o'clock on the after- 
 noon of Friday, August 12, when Secretary Day, 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 553 
 
 for the United States, and M. Cambon, for Spain, 
 in the presence of President McKinley, signed a 
 protocol which was to form the basis of a defini- 
 tive treaty of peace. 
 
 Coming to the 'White House. 
 
 At the appointed hour a driving rainstorm 
 prevailed, obliging all the parties to resort to car- 
 riages for transportation to the White House. 
 Secretary Day came first with a large portfolio 
 under his arm, inclosing copies of the protocol, 
 of the proclamation to be issued by the President 
 stopping hostilities and some other necessary pa- 
 pers. He was accompanied by Assistant Secre- 
 tary Moore, Second Assistant Secretary Adee 
 and Third Assistant Secretary Cridler. They 
 were shown immediately into the Cabinet Room, 
 where the President sat in waiting. He had in- 
 vited to be present Assistant Secretaries Pruden 
 and Cortelyou and Lieutenant-Colonel Mont- 
 gomery. 
 
 When Ambassador Cambon and his secre- 
 tary, M. Thiebaut, reached the White House, it 
 was just 3.55 o'clock, five minutes in advance of 
 the appointed hour. They went direct to the 
 library, adjoining the Cabinet Room on the upper 
 floor. At 4.05 o'clock they were announced to 
 the waiting party in the Cabinet Room and were 
 ushered into their presence. After an exchange 
 of diplomatic courtesies no unnecessary waste of 
 
554 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 time occurred, and Assistant Secretary of State 
 Cridler on the part of the United States and 
 Secretary Thiebaut, on the part of Spain, retired 
 to a window, where there was a critical formal ex- 
 amination of the protocol. 
 
 The Protocol's Appearance. 
 
 This inspection had all the outward formali- 
 ties due a document of this importance. It was 
 prepared in duplicate at the State Department, 
 one copy to be retained by the United States 
 Government and the other to become the prop- 
 erty of Spain. The text was handsomely en- 
 grossed in a running Old English script. Each 
 copy of the protocol was arranged in double 
 column, French and English standing alongside 
 for easy comparison as to the exactness of the 
 translation. The two copies were alike, except 
 that the one held by this Government had the 
 English text in the first column and the signature 
 of Secretary Day ahead of that of M. Cambon, 
 while the copy transmitted to Spain had French 
 in the first column and the signature of M. Cam 
 bon ahead of that of Secretary Day. 
 
 Judge Day and M. Cambon Sign. 
 
 The examination of the protocol was satis- 
 factory, and the document was handed to M. 
 Cambon first and then to Secretary Day, who 
 affixed their signatures to each side of the two 
 copies. Then the last detail in making the pro- 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 555 
 
 tocol binding was administered by Assistant Sec- 
 retary Cridler, in charge of the chancery work, 
 who attached the seal of the United States. 
 Throughout the ceremony all but the two signers 
 remained standing. M. Cambon, in signing for 
 Spain, occupied the seat which Secretary Long, 
 now away on a vacation, usually occupied. The 
 President stood at the left-hand corner, at the 
 head of the great Cabinet table. Secretary Day, 
 M. Thiebaut and M. Cambon, in the order named, 
 on the left side of the table. The rest of the 
 party were standing in other parts of the room. 
 
 Word was immediately sent to all command- 
 ers of the army and navy, informing them that 
 the protocol was signed and instructing them to 
 suspend at once all hostile operations. 
 Text of the Protocol. 
 
 The full text of the protocol, which thus 
 ended the war, was as follows : 
 
 " His Excellency M. Cambon, Ambassador 
 Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of 
 the French Republic at Washington, and Mr. 
 Wm. R. Day, Secretary of State of the United 
 States, having received respectively to that effect 
 plenary powers from the Spanish Government 
 and the Government of the United States, have 
 established and signed the following articles, 
 which define the terms on which the two Govern- 
 ments have agreed with regard to the questions 
 
.556 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 enumerated below, and of which the object is the 
 establishment of peace between the two countries, 
 namely : 
 
 Article i. Spain will renounce all claim to 
 all sovereignty over and all her rights over the 
 Island of Cuba. 
 
 Article 2. Spain will cede to the United 
 States the Island of Porto Rico and the other 
 islands which are at present under the sovereignty 
 of Spain in the Antilles, as well as an island in 
 Ladrone Archipelago, to be chosen by the United 
 States. 
 
 Article 3. The United States will occupy 
 and retain the City and Bay of Manila and the 
 port of Manila pending the conclusion of a treaty 
 of peace which shall determine the control and 
 form of government of the Philippines. 
 
 Article 4. Spain will immediately evacuate 
 Cuba, Porto Rico and the other islands now under 
 Spanish sovereignty in the Antilles. To this effect 
 each of the two Governments will appoint com- 
 missioners within ten days after the signing of 
 this protocol, and those commissioners shall meet 
 at Havana within thirty days after the signing of 
 this protocol, with the object of coming to an 
 agreement regarding the carrying out of the 
 details of the aforesaid evacuation of Cuba and 
 other adjacent Spanish Islands ; each of the two 
 Governments shall likewise appoint within ten 
 
[, r .'i< a»,.jfc.*'-. 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 559 
 
 days after the signature of this protocol other 
 commissioners, who shall meet at San Juan de 
 Porto Rico within thirty days after the signature 
 of this protocol to agree upon the details of the 
 evacuation of Porto Rico and other islands now 
 under Spanish sovereignty in the Antilles. 
 
 Article 5. Spain and the United States 
 shall appoint to treat for peace five commissioners 
 at the most for either country. The commission- 
 ers shall meet in Paris on October 1, at the 
 latest, to proceed to negotiations and to the con- 
 clusion of a treaty of peace. This treaty shall be 
 ratified in conformity with the Constitutional laws 
 of each of the two countries. 
 
 Article 6. Once this protocol is concluded 
 and signed hostilities shall be suspended, and to 
 that effect in the two countries orders shall be 
 given by either Government to the commanders 
 of its land and sea forces as speedily as possible. 
 
 Done in duplicate at Washington, read in 
 French and in English by the undersigned, who 
 affix at the foot of the document their signatures 
 and seals, August 12, 1898. 
 
 Jules Cambon, 
 William R. Day." 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 AFTER THE PROTOCOL LAND AND NAVAL BATTLE 
 
 OF MANILA ADVANCE OF THE TROOPS END 
 
 OF THE BOMBARDMENT FIGHTING IN THE 
 
 STREETS ASKING FOR TERMS — SURRENDER OF 
 
 THE CITY MORE GERMAN MEDDLING PEACE 
 
 COMMISSIONS ORDERS FOR MANILA THE WAR- 
 SHIPS ON REVIEW. 
 
 (f 1 
 
 HE signing of the protocol was the signal 
 for the ending of the war. But before 
 news of it could be conveyed to all the 
 scenes of conflict, at least one incident of supreme 
 importance occurred. This was nothing less than 
 the capture of Manila. The protocol was signed 
 after four o'clock on Friday afternoon. At that 
 moment it was between five and six o'clock on 
 Saturday morning at Manila. A few hours later 
 the American fleet and army made a combined 
 attack upon the city and captured it, and it was 
 not until the following Monday that news of the 
 signing of the protocol and proclamation of the 
 armistice reached them from Hong Kong. 
 
 The Spanish Government had removed Cap- 
 tain General Augustin and appointed General 
 
 560 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 56 1 
 
 Jaudener in his place. To him on Sunday, Au- 
 gust 7, Admiral Dewey sent an ultimatum, con- 
 veying the warning to the Spaniards to get all 
 their sick and wounded and women and children 
 into places of safety within forty-eight hours, and 
 notifying them that thereafter the Americans 
 would bombard the town whenever they might 
 see fit without further notice. 
 
 This warning was conveyed to the Spanish 
 General by the senior officer of the British squad- 
 ron, Capt. Chichester. 
 
 This ultimatum expired on Tuesday noon, 
 Aug. 9. 
 
 Land and Naval Battle of Manila. 
 
 Shortly after 8.45 o'clock on the morning ol 
 Saturday, the 13th, the fleet got underway and 
 flags were mastheaded. The Olympia led the 
 way, attended by the Raleigh and Petrel, while 
 Lieut. Tappan, in the launch Barcelo, crept close 
 inshore in the heavy breakers. 
 
 Perfect quiet prevailed in the lines on both 
 sides as the ships cleared for action and silently 
 advanced. Sometimes they were quite hidden 
 by the rain squalls. 
 
 The Monterey, Baltimore, Charleston and 
 Boston formed the reserve. 
 
 At 9.35 A. M. a sudden cloud of smoke, 
 gleaming white against the stormy sky, completely 
 hid the Olympia, and a shell screamed across the 
 
562 WAR WJTH SPAIN. 
 
 two miles of turbulent water and burst near Fort 
 San Antonio de Abad at Malate. Then the Petrel, 
 Raleigh and Callao opened with a rapid fire 
 directed toward the shore end of the intrench- 
 ments. In the heavy rain it was difficult to judge 
 the range, and the shots at first fell short, but 
 soon accurate shells rendered the fort untenable, 
 while four guns of the Utah battery made excel- 
 lent practice on the earthworks and the swamp 
 east of the fort. 
 
 The Spaniards replied feebly with a few 
 shells and some infantry fire. 
 
 Advance of the Xroops. 
 
 In less than half an hour after the bombard- 
 ment began Gen. Greene decided that it was pos- 
 sible to advance, although the signals to cease 
 firing were disregarded by the fleet, they being 
 probably invisible on account of the rain. There- 
 upon six companies of the Colorado Regiment 
 leaped over their breastwork and dashed into the 
 swamp and opened with a volley, firing from the 
 partial shelter of low hedges within 300 yards of 
 the Spanish lines. A few minutes later six com- 
 panies moved along the seashore somewhat cov- 
 ered by a sand ridge, and forded the inlet under 
 the outworks of the fort. 
 
 At 1 1 o'clock they occupied this formidable 
 stronghold without loss. Lieutenant-Colonel 
 McCoy hauled down the Spanish flag and raised 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 563 
 
 the Stars and Stripes amid wild cheers along 
 the line. 
 
 End of the Bombardment. 
 
 Meanwhile the fleet, observing the move- 
 ment of the troops along the beach, withheld its 
 fire. The bombardment had lasted exactly an 
 hour and a half. An hour later Gen. Greene and 
 his staff proceeded along the beach, still under a 
 hot infantry fire from the right, where the Eigh- 
 teenth Regulars and the Third Regular Artillery 
 were engaging the enemy, and directed the move- 
 ments for an advance into Malate. The vicinity 
 of the fort was uncomfortable on account of the 
 numbers of sharpshooters in the buildings on 
 both sides and 200 yards distant. The forward 
 movement was therefore hastened, and in a few 
 minutes the outskirts of the suburb were well oc- 
 cupied and the sharpshooters driven away. 
 
 As the Californians under Col. Smith came 
 up the beach their band played the American 
 national air, it being accompanied by the whistling 
 of Mauser bullets, and during the sharpshooting it 
 continued to encourage the men with its inspiring 
 music. Each regiment carried its colors into 
 action. 
 
 Fighting in the Streets. 
 
 There was considerable street-fighting in the 
 suburbs of Malate and Ermita, but a battalion of 
 the Californians pushed into the Luneta, the pop- 
 
 3 2 
 
564 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 ular promenade, within 200 yards of the moat of 
 the citadel. 
 
 Then a white flag was hoisted at the south- 
 west corner of the walled town. Gen. Greene, 
 with a few members of his staff, galloped along 
 the Luneta under a sharp scattering fire from 
 houses near the beach and parleyed with an 
 officer, who directed him along to the gate further 
 east. At this moment the Spanish forces retreat- 
 ing from Santa Ana came into view. They were 
 fully 2,000 strong, and were followed by insur- 
 gents, who had eluded Gen. MacArthur's troops 
 and now opened fire. 
 
 For a brief period the situation was awk- 
 ward, if not critical, both sides being slightly sus- 
 picious of treachery. The Spanish troops lining 
 the citadel ramparts observing the insurgents' 
 action opened fire on the Californians, killing one 
 and wounding three. 
 
 The confusion, however, soon ceased by the 
 advance of the retreating Spaniards to the espla- 
 nade when Gen. Greene ordered them to enter 
 the citadel. 
 
 Asking: for Terms. 
 
 Soon a letter was brought from the Captain- 
 General requesting the commander of the troops 
 to meet him for consultation. Gen. Greene 
 immediately entered with Adjutant Bates. Mean- 
 while, according to arrangement, the moment the 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 565 
 
 white flag was shown, Gen. Merritt, who occupied 
 the steamer Zafiro as a temporary corps head- 
 quarters, sent Flag Lieutenant Brumby ashore to 
 meet the Captain-General and discuss the first 
 plan of capitulation. He was accompanied by Col. 
 Whittier. The latter found the officials much 
 startled by news that the attack was still vigo- 
 rously continuing along the whole line, the 
 American troops even threatening the citadel. 
 
 All the available Spanish troops were imme- 
 diately massed in the vicinity of the palace await- 
 ing the succession of events, concerning which a 
 certain degree of anxiety was evident. 
 Surrender of the City. 
 
 Gen. Merritt entered with his staff at 3 
 o'clock. The situation was then better under- 
 stood, and a conference with Gen. Jaudener was 
 held. The terms agreed on may be briefly 
 outlined as follows ; 
 
 "Agreement for the capitulation of the Philip- 
 pines : Provision is made for the disarming of the 
 men, who will remain organized under the com- 
 mand of their officers, no parole being exacted. 
 Supplies will be furnished from the captured 
 treasury funds, any possible deficiency being made 
 good by the Americans. 
 
 "The safety of life and property of Spanish 
 soldiers and citizens will be guaranteed as far as 
 possible. The question of transporting-the troops 
 
566 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 to Spain will be referred for decision to Washing- 
 ton. That of returning their arms to the soldiers 
 will be left to the discretion of Gen. Merritt. 
 Banks and similar institutions will continue oper- 
 ations under the existing regulations unless these 
 are changed by the United States authorities." 
 
 Thus after more than 300 years the Spanish 
 flag disappeared from the capital of the Philippines 
 and was replaced by the Stars and Stripes. 
 More German Meddling:. 
 
 Mention has already been made of the way 
 in which German warships at Manila meddled 
 with the operations there, in the interest of the 
 Spaniards. They kept it up to the very end. 
 Just before the American capture of the city the 
 former Captain-General, Augustin, was taken 
 aboard one of the German ships, and the latter at 
 once set off at full speed to take him to Hong 
 Kong, to prevent his capture by the Americans 
 as a prisoner of war. This was an unfriendly 
 and unmannerly performance. But the United 
 States decided not to resent it with violence, but 
 to let it pass with silent contempt. 
 
 Peace Commissions. 
 
 Meantime preparations for making permanent 
 peace went on apace. There was some delay in se- 
 lecting the Commissioners who were to negotiate 
 the final treaty. But the Commissioners for super- 
 intending the Spanish evacuation of Cuba and 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 567 
 
 Porto Rico were quickly formed. On August 
 1 6th the President announced them, as follows : 
 
 For Cuba — Major-General James F. Wade, 
 Rear-Admiral William T. Sampson, Major-Gen- 
 eral Matthew C. Butler. 
 
 For Porto Rico — Major-General John R. 
 Brooke, Rear-Admiral Winfield S. Schley, 
 Brigadier-General William W. Gordon. 
 
 A day or two later the Spanish Government 
 decided to appoint General Gonzales Parrado, 
 second in command in Cuba ; Rear-Admiral Luis 
 Pastor Landero, who succeeded Admiral Navarro, 
 the Spanish commander in Cuban waters, and 
 Marquis De Montoro, Minister of Finance in the 
 Insular Cabinet, as the Commission of Evacuation 
 for Cuba, and Generals Macias and Ortega and 
 Admiral Vallarino for Porto Rico. 
 Orders for Manila. 
 
 At the same time the President sent orders 
 to General Merritt as to the conduct of affairs at 
 Manila, as follows. 
 
 "The President directs that there must be no 
 joint occupation with the insurgents. The United 
 States in the possession of Manila City, Manila 
 Bay and harbor, must preserve the peace and 
 protect persons and property within the territory 
 occupied by their military and naval forces. The 
 insurgents and all others must recognize the 
 military occupation and authority of the United 
 
568 WAR WITH SPAIN. 
 
 States, and the cessation of hostilities proclaimed 
 by the President. Use whatever means in your 
 judgment are necessary to this end. All law- 
 abiding people must be treated alike." 
 The "Warships on Review. 
 The end of that week saw one of the most 
 impressive spectacles of the war. By order of 
 the President the great cruisers Brooklyn and 
 New York, and the peerless battleships Oregon, 
 Iowa, Indiana, Massachusetts and Texas, pro- 
 ceeded to the harbor of New York. They 
 reached their rendezvous offTompkinsville, Staten 
 Island, in the early morning of Saturday, August 
 20th. The day had been made a holiday, and 
 three million people lined the shores and crowded 
 all the shipping to greet them. There had been 
 no time for the arrangement of elaborate cere- 
 monies. In three days the simple plans had all to 
 be arranged. The Mayor of the city boarded the 
 flagship New York, and in a brief address to 
 Rear-Admiral Sampson expressed, so far as 
 words could express a feeling so intense, the 
 thanks of the country for the skill and devotion of 
 her sailors. The Rear-Admiral responded briefly, 
 and the warships, which had never come to 
 anchor, continued slowly up the Hudson River 
 until they came opposite the granite pile within 
 which sleeps that immortal of the nation, Ulysses 
 S. Grant. Here the guns of every ship, fresh 
 
WAR WITH SPAIN. 569 
 
 from the victories but just now accomplished, 
 belched forth the national salute to the hero of 
 battlefields over which the tangle of thirty years 
 and more springs heavy and thick. Then slowly 
 and majestically the ships returned to their an- 
 chorage off Tompkins ville. That was all — but in 
 that simple ceremony the great heart of the land 
 beat strong and full. 
 
MAY -0 1343 
 

 
 IHBI