The age-herald., 1898-12-06

| repeatedly struck not one was seriously in- l Jured Where all conspicuously distin- l gulshed themselves from the commanders i to the gunners and the unnamed heroes in
 the boiler rooms, each and all contributed 1 toward the achievement of this astounding l victory, for which neither ancient or mod
 ern history affords a parallel in the com
 pleteness of the event and the marvellous 1 disproportion of casualties. It would be
 invid!ous to single out any for especial 1 honor. Deserved promotion has rewarded
 the more conspicuous actors, but the na-
 tion's profoundest gratitude is due to all l Of those brave men who by their skill and
 devotion in a few short hours crushed the
 sea power of Spain and wrought triumph 1 whose decisfveness and far-reaeh'ng conse- | quences can scarcely be measured Nor
 can we be unmindful of the achievements
 of our builders, mechanics and artisans for
 their skilled construction of our war ships.
 Spain's Sea Power Ends
 With the catastrophe of Santiago, Spains | power on the ocean virtually ceased. A | spasmodc effort toward the end of June in | her Mediterranean fleet under Admiral Ca | mara to relieve Manila was abandoned the | expedition being recalled after it had passed | through the Suez canal.
 l The equalization of Santiago followed.
 The city was closely beseiged by land while
 the entrance of our ships into the harbor | cut off all relief the sea side. After | a truce to allow the removal of non-com- | batants protracted negotiations continued | from July until July 15, under menace of | immediate assault, the prelminaries of sur | render were agreed on On the 17th Gen.
 eral Shafter occupied the city. The cap | itulation embraced the entire eastern end
 of Cuba. The number of Spanish soldiers l surrendered was 22,00O all of whom were | subsequently, conveyed to Spain at the
 charge of the United States. The story of I this successful equalization is told in the re- 1ort 0f tI.- .-sIY l be laid before you.
 The individual va1or of officers and sol- | diers was never more strilxngly shown than | in the several engagements leading to the 1 surrender of Santiago, while the prompt 1 movments and successful successive vcto- l rles upon instant and universal applause. | To those who gained this complete tri- umph which established the aseendency of 1 the United States upon land as the fight of Santiago had fixed our supremacy on the seas, the earnest and lasting gratitude of | the nation is unsparingly due. Nor should we alone remember the gallantry of the | living; the dead claim tears and our l losses by battle and otherwise EXulta- l tfonS at the result teach us to weigh the | awful cost of war, however rightful the cause or signal the victory. With the fall | of Santiago the occupation of Porto Rico 1 became the next strategic necessity. Gen. | eral Miles had previously been assigned to | organize an expedition for that purpose | Fortunately he was already at Santiago, | where he had arrived on the 11th of July | with endorsements for General Shafter's l army. With these troops consisting of 3415 | infantry and artillery, two camps of en- l gineers and one company of the signal | corps. General Miles left Guantanamo on | July 21. having ordered transports conveyed 1 by the fleet under Captain Higgnson with l the Massachusetts Ohe fagship), Dixie, | Gloucester, Columbia and Yale, the two 1 latter carrying troops The troops landed at Guanica July 25, which port was entered 1 with little opposition. Here the fleet was f joined by the Annapolis and the Wasp, | while the Puritan and Amphitrite went to l San Juan and Joined the New Orleans. | which was engaged in blockading that port | The major general commanding was Sub- | sequently reinforced by General Schwan's l brigade of the Third army corps, by Gen. l eral Wilson with part of his division, and l also by General Brooke with part of his | corps, numbering in all 16.973 officers and men.
 | On July 27 he entered Ponce, one of the most important ports in the island. from which he thereafter directed operations for the capture of the island. With the ex- ception of encounters with the enemy at Guayama. Horm' 'guerez, Commi and Yauco and another force landed at Cape San Juan there was no serious resistance. The cam
 paign prosecuted with great vigor and by the 12th of August much of the island was in our possession and the acquisition of the remainder was only matter of a short time. Gratitude for Delivery | At most points our troops were enthus- l fastically welcomed. Protestations of loy- | alty to the flag and gratitude for delivery 1 from Spanish rule met commanders at 1 every stage. As a potent influence toward | peace the outcome of the Porto Rican ex- l petition of great consequence and gen. o6af ic d,1n to 1 participated in it. The last scene of the l war was enacted at Manila, it's starting l place. On August 15, after brief assault
 upon the works by the land forces in which ] the squadron assisted, the capital surren- l dered internationally. The casualties were
 comparatively few. By this conquest of l the Philippine islands virtually accom- l plished when the Spanish capacity for re- 1 sistance was destroyed by Admiral Dewey's
 victory on the 1st of May was formally l sealed. To General Merritt. his officers and | men for their uncomplaining and devoted
 services for their gallantry in action, the nation is sincerely grateful. Their long l voyage was made with singular success and ] the soldierly conduct of the men as to l whom were without previous experience in l the military services deserves unmeasured praise. The total casualties in killed and wounded in the army during the war was | as follows: Officers killed, 23; enlisted men 1 killed. 257; total 2S0. Officers wounded 113; efiiSteu men wounded 1,464; total 15H. l Of the navy: Killed seventeen; wounded l CT: died result of wounds 1; invalided 1 from service 6; total g1.
 :, It will be observed that while our navy 1 was engaged in two great battles and in
 numerous perilous undertakings in the | blockades and bembardments and more l than 5OO00 of our troops were transported
 to distant lands and engaged in assault and | siege and battle and many skirmishes in | unfamiliar territory, we lost in both arms 1 of the service total of 1,66S killed and | wounded; and In the entire campaign by | land and sea we did not lose a gun or i flag or transport ship, and with the 1 exception of the Merrimac not a sailor was l taken prisoner. On August T. the date of | the landing of General Shafter's army in | Cuba and twenty-one days from the sur
 render of Santiago. the United States troops
 commenced authorization for home and our l entire force was returned to the United