The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-29
CAPTAIN coTToN's REPORT.
Hundreds of spaniards Rescued by
the Grew of the Harvard.
AT Sen, on Apares. Cuba. Jaiy :

the crew on the HarVaru.~
ssU S. S Harvard
AT Sea, on Anares. Cuba. July l.
Sir On sunday. the Sd instant. the
Harvard under my command, was at AL
tares, Cuba, disc.aarging the military stores
brought in the ship with the troops from
Newport News. Va. Nearly all the boats
and the majority of the officers of the ship
were employed In this work. Some of the
boats were away from the ship discharging
their loads and others were alongside load
ing.
80 Al 10:45 a. M the T.. S. S. Resolute
passed Altares at considerable distance.
standing TO the eastward, sounding her
whistle vigorously and flying signal which
announced that the Spanish fleet had fed.
With the utmost dispatch r recalled the
boats and officers TO the ship. hoisted the
former, sent the steam launch in shore, got
under way and stood to the westward TO
join YOU The ship was cleared for action.
3. l had previously observed that the
fleet was firing. but supposed that Il was
bombardment of the MORO and the neigh
boring batteries The ships of the fleet had
meantime disappeared TO the westward.
none being in sight when 1 came out from
behind the land where 1 could command
an uninterrupted view of the coast west of
Moro.
A. l soon came up with IT,. wrecks on
shore of two of the smaller vessels and two
of the cruisers of the Spanish fleet and
shortly afterwards with the wreck of a
third cruiser, all of the cruisers burning
fiercely.
.. l had meantime passed the Indiana
and one of our torpedo boats standing to
the eastward in search of the missing Span
ish cruiser, and informed them that large
Spanish battle ship or cruiser was in sight
to the eastward off Baiquirf. They imme-
diately stood on in chase, but the supposed
e ehemy was ascertained later to be the Aus
trian cruiser Maria Teresa.
D.. AT the most westerly of three wrecks
or the Spanish cruisers, the Vizcaya,
! found the battle ship Iowa and communi-
Gated with her. Learning from Captain
Evans that you, in the New York, were in
chase Of the Cristobal Colon and were prob
aply many ma. miles TO the westward | de-
Shortly afterwards the Iowa and the
Harvard stood to the eastward and upon
reaching the wrecks of the Oquendo and
Maria Teresa Captain Evans informed me
that the officers and crews of both vessels
were on shore in great distress and suffering
rescue them-a request with which T. Of
course, Instantly complied, and which would
nave been unnecessary had ! previously
IS. l took the Harvard in as near the
wrecks as / deemed to be prudent and, at
$40 p. m. lowered nine of our boats and
sent them in to the shore to rescue the
survivors. This work continued until Gas
p. M, when the last boatload of Spanish
prisoners came alongside. During the great
er part Of the time the steam cutter of the
Indiana rendered valuable assistance in
towing our boats to and from the shore
We had the good fortune to rescue thirty
five officers and 637 men without accident to
them or to our boats, Notwithstanding the
fact that the landing was through the surf
and dangerous well from tha
SAINT explosion of ammunition both small
and large. The boats were handled with
mand of them who were IGeutenants Beale
Roberts, Davis and Bradshaw, Ensigns
Turner and Cumming and Cadets Noa and
Bruff, whose conduct and that of the boats
crews were commendable. -s
20. Among the rescued were thirty-eight
sick and wounded. At 10 O'Clock ! steamed
on to lejoin The ships off Santiago reaching
them at 1855 p. m. with the junior medical
officer of the Indiana and a lieutenant and
a boats crew of the United States steamer
Gloucester. r~.s
10 The Spanish officers and men re-
ceived every attention that 1t was possible
to hestow upon them for their comfort and
welfare. Some of them came on board who'll
~ nude and many with only shirt or
arrival en- board they were provided with
food and necessary clothing. About three
hundred working suits and many shoes and
canvas hats were issued to them. The sick
and wounded were attended by our own
medical staff assisted by two efl the Span
ish medical officers, who were among those
rescued. ~.
I'll ] transmit herewith a copy of the de-
tailed report of Lieut. Joseph Beale, United
States navy, of the Harvard, who was the
senior officer in charge of the atransporta-
ton of the Spaniards to this shipRand beg
leave to invite your attention to the terms
in which he speaks of the highly commend
able conduct of the officers and men ASSOC
ciated with him In the successful accom-
plishment of an important and humane duty
and one not without exposure to danger N
'12 This forenoon sixteen of the most
severely wounded men were transferred to
the United States hospital ship Solace.
None of the Spanish officers on board this
ship was so seriously wounded as to require
transfer to that vessel.
'13. In conclusion 1 beg to be permitted
the privilege in my own behalf as well rs
that Of the officers and men of the Harvard,
to extend to you and to the people Of the
United States our most hearty and sincere
congra tulations upon the brilliant victory
achieved by you yesterday. which adds an
other page to the imperishable glory and re-
nown of the history of our navy. Very re-
spectfully, G. > COTTON,
ITO the Commander-in-chi United states
~. ~ u Gfof Inn