The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-12-08

were STARTED to Mantle under the com
mand OF Mai. Cen Merritt and firmly
established within sight OF the capital
which lay helpless before our guns. On
the IN day of May the government was
advised officially Of the victory at Manila,
and at once inquired of the commander
OF our fleet what troops would be requir-
eo: Inc information was received on the
10th day of May and the first army ex-
peditio sailed May % and arrived off
Manila June 80. Other expeditions soon
followed the total force. consisting Of GAL
officers and 25,O58 men.
only reluctance to cause needless loss
OF life and property prevented the early
slsormlng ana capture Of the city, and
Of the. whole group. The insurgents,
meanwhile, had resumed active hostilities
suspended by the unconpleted truce of
December, 1897 Their forces invested
Manila from the northern and eastern
sides. but We're constrained by Admiral
Dewey and Gen. Merritt from attempt
ing an assault. It was fitting that what
ever was done in the way of decisive
operations in that quarter should be ac-
complished by the strong. arm Of the
United States ssone. Obeying the stern
precept Of war, which enjoins the over
coming OF the adversary and the extinc-
ton Of his power wherever assa1lab1e as
the speedy and sure means to win a
Bile. for no partition Of the rights and re-
iSponSibilitieS attending the enforcement
of a just and advantageous peace could
be thought Of.
Operations Of Cuba
Following the comprehensive scheme of
general attack. powerful forces were as
sembled at various points on our coast to
invade Cuba and Porto Rico. Meanwhile
naval demonstration were made at sew
eral exposed points. On May II, the
cruiser Wilmington and torpedo boat
Winslow were unsuccessful in an attempt
to silence the batteries at Cardenas,
against Matanzas, Worth Bagley and
four seamen falling. These greviousS
fatalities were strangely enough among
the very few which occurred during our
naval opera lions in this extraordinary
conflict 5E
Meanwhile the Spanish naval prepara-
a powerful squadron. under ADMIRAL
Cervera, which had assembled at Cape
Verde islands before the outbreak of
cratic movements in the Caribbean sea,
delayed our military operations While
batting the pursuit Of our e @s For aa
Marietta, then nearing home, after. their
lor e -v5yage from San Francisco of over
ies might be SURPRISED by Ad
arrival dispelled these apprehensions and
lent much needed reinforcement. Not IN
flarbor Of Santiago de Cuba, about May
8, was it practicable to plan systematic
military attack upon the Antillean posses
Several demonstrations occurred on the
coasts of Cuba and Porto Rico, in
pGeparati9n for the larger eve do On he My
San Juan de Porto Rico.
On May 80 Commodore Schley's squad
ron bombarded the forts guarding the
mouth of Santiago harbOr. Neither at
tack had any material result. 1t was evil
dent that well-ordered land opera tions
were indispensable to achieve a decided
advantage.
Hobson's Heroic Act.
The next act in the war thrilled not
only the hearts of our countryrnen, but
the world, by its exceptional heroism. On
the night of June Lieut.. SHobson, aided
by seven devoted volunteers, blockaded
the narrow outlet. from Santiago harbor
by sinking the collier Merrirnac in the
channel, under fierce fire from the shore
batteries, escaping with their lives. as by
miracle, but falling into the hands of
the Spaniards. It is a, most gratifying in
cident of the war that the bravery of this
little band Of heroes was cordially appre-
ciated by the Spaniards. who sent a flag
of truce to notify Admiral Sampson of
their safety and to compliment them upon
their daring act. They were subsequently
exchanged. July Z. H.
By June the cutting of the last Cuban
cable isolated the island. Thereafter the
invasion was vigorously prosecuted. On
June 10, under a heavy protecting fire, a
landing of 600 marines from the Oregon.
Marblehead and y ankee was effected in
termined to establish a naval station.
This important and essential port was
taken from the enemy after severe fight
ing by the marines, who were the first or
ganized force of the United States to
land in Cuba. =. 70 5.. + III
The Santiago Campaign.
,a.z The position so won was held despite at
tempts to dislodge our forces. By June Ii
additional forces were landed and strong
ly irtrenched. On June % the advance
of the invading army, under Maj. Gen.
Shafter, landed at Daiquiri, about fifteen
miles east of Santiago. This was accom-
pllshed under great difficulties but with
marvellous dispatch. On June % the move
ment against Santiago was begun. On
June "a the first serious engagement took
place, in which the First and Tenth cav
airy and the First United States volunteer
cavalry, Gen. Young's brigade of Gen.
Wheeler's division, participated losing
heavily. By nightfall however, ground
within five miles of Santiago was won.
The advantage was steadily increased.
On July l a severe battle took place, our
forces gaining the outworks Of Santiago;
on July 2 FL Caney and San Juan were
taken after desperate charge and the
INVESTMENT Ol luS CIty Was 4COmplel6d.
The navy coop Grated by shelling the town
and the coast forts.
On the day following this brilliant
achievement Of our land forces, July 8,
occurred the decisive naval battle of the
war. The Spanish fleet, attempting to
leave the harbor, was met by the Amer1-
can squadron under command of Commo-
dore Sampson; In less than three hours
all the Spanish ships were destroyed, the
two torpedo boats being sunk and the
Marie Teresa, Almirante Oquendo, Viz
caya and CristobOl Colon driven ashore
The Spanish admiral and over 300 men
were taken prisoners, while the enemy's
loss of life was deplorably large, some six
hundred perishing: On our side but one
man was killed, on the Brooklyn, and one
man seriously wounded. Although our
ships were repeatedly struck not one was
seriously injured.
Where all so conspicuously distin-
guisled themselves, from the commanders
to the gunners and the unnamed heroes
in the boiler rooms, each and all contrib
uting toward the achievement of this as
founding victory, for which neither an
Gent nor modern history affords a par
allel in the completeness of the event and
the marvellous disproportion of casualties,
it would be invidious to single out any
one for special honor.