The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-08-04
ON THE INDIANA
Earl Redman Gives his Views on thu
Great Battle.

last summer in Miller, visiting his
grand father Frank Myers, is one OF
TIE Chicago naval reserves, and is
now at work on the Indiana. He
writes the following letter to his
mother in Chicago, and it is publish
ed in the Chicago Sun:
Z. s. Ship Indiana, OF Santiago,
July 5-Dear Mammal Well, we
had great time Saturday and Sun
day. Saturday the forts fred on us,
so we went to our stations and had
some fighting; this was at $50 n.
M, and we STAYED ut our stations
until s o'clock. We battered down
one end of MORO Castle and knock
ed down both OF their flags, but they
have got up another one. We fired
six shots from the forward 12-inch
guns.
Then, Sunday morning, just as we
were leaving quarters and inspection
at $50. we seen some smoke coming
out the channel, so OF course, we
thought that it was the Spanish fleet
we were just through with inspection
when the captain yelled down to us
that the Spanish fleet was coming,
so they sounded general quarters
and we had just got to our stations
when the first ship, the Marie Teresa,
came out under full head OF steam
and firing as she came. She headed
west or to the left of Moro. Then
came the rest OF the fleet, the Cristo-
bal Colon, the Vizcaya, the Oquendo,
the tordedo destroyers Pluton and
Furor. We were the nearest of any
ship in the fleet; we were right in
front OF the channel, so, of course,
we got in n shot at each one as they
came out. The last out were the
torpedo boats. They both sent tor
pedoes at us, but they didn't hit us,
SO we fred a shot at one and it went
clear through her. Then she blew
up, and the explosion tore her right
in half Out OF her crew of sixty only
eight managed to get ashore. This
was the Pluton. Then the Iowa tried
to ram the Furor, but Just as she
got close to her we fred shot into
her and she struck for the beach and
they managed to run her in shore.
During this time some other ship
had run the Vizcaya ashore; then
we closed in on the Marie Teresa and
fired a few shots into her and she
started to sink, but she headed right
straight for us, firing all the time,
but we fired couple more shots at
her and she struck out for the beach.
Shortly after she got ashore she blew
up, but the explosion wasn't great
enough to break her up. During
this time some other ship had RIM
the Oquendo ashore, but the Colon
got past us and the whole fleet struck
out after the Colon, and after
II run Of about sixty miles the Brook
Ign ran her ashore and captured
nearly all OF her men and officers.
We didn't follow them very far, but
turned around and came back, and
when Commodore Schley passed us
he yelled out "Bravo Indiana !"
Then the tug Gloucester came along
side with fifty prisoners, and among
them was the admiral and five Off
GERS, and the Gloucester had orders
to turn the prisoners over to us. but
the Iowa came mp, and as Captain
Evans is Captain Taylor's senior,
and as they had better accommoda-
tions, we turned the admiral over to
them, but we took the others, and a
little later we got some more prison
ers, making 300 in all. Yesterday
morning we transferred all but eight
wounded to the st. Louis and Paris
the wounded were put on the hospi-
tai ship. 1t was IL 40 a. M. when
secure" sounded, or when we left
our quarters. Every time we stopped
firing for few minutes | would run
up on deck and watch the fighting.