Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-12-07
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ton, and | recommended formal declara-
ton Of the existence of state of war be-
| tween the United States and Spain. The |
Congress accordingly voted on the same
day that act approved April 25, 1898, de-
| ciaring the existence of such war, from
and including the 2fst day of April, and
re-enacted the provision of the resolution |
of April 20. directing the President to use
all the arTed forces of the nation to carry |
that act into effect
! Due notification of the existence of war |
as aforesaid was given April % by tele-
graph to all the governments with which |
the United States maintains relations. |
| In further fulfillment of international
duty issued April 26 proclamation an
nouncing tie treatment proposed to be
accorded to vessels and their cargoes as
| to blockade. eontraband, the exercise of |
| the right of subjects and the immunity |
| OF neutral flags and neutral goods under |
enemy's flag. A similar proclamation
was made by the Spanish Government.
| Preparations for the War.
| Our country thus after an interval of |
| half century of peace with all nations |
| found itself engaged in deadly conflict |
| with foreign enemy Every nerve was |
| strained to meet the emergency. The |
response to the initial call for 125 900 vol |
| unteers was instant and complete, as was |
also the result of the second call of May |
20 for $4,000 additional! volunteers. The |
| ranks of the regular army were ncreas- |
| ed to the limits provided by the act of |
/, April 26 The enlisted force of the navy |
on the 10th of August, when it reached |
| its maximum, numbered "a, 123 men and |
| apprentices. One hundred and three YES
sells We're added to the navy by purchase,
one was presented to the Government, |
one leased and the four vessels of the In |
| ternational Navigation Company-the St |
| Paul, St Louis, New York and Paris
| were chartered. In addition to these the
| revenue cutters and lighthouse tenders |
were turned over to the Navy Depart |
ment and became temporarily a part of |
| the auxiliary navy.
| Much alarm was felt along our entire |
| Atlantic seaboard lest some attack might |
be made by the enemy. Every precau-
| ton was taken to prevent possible injury |
to our great cities lying along the coast. |
The auxiliary navy patrolled the coast |
and performed the duty of second arm |
| of defense. Under the direction of the |
| chief of engineers submarine mines were
placed at the most exposed points. The |
aggregate number of mines placed was |
| 1,535, at the principal harbors from |
| Maine to California
| The national defense $50, 100000 fund |
| was expended in large part by the army |
and navy, and the objects for which it |
was used are fully shown in the reports |
| of the several secretaries This fund.- be-
| ing Inadequate to the requirements of |
| equipment and for the conduct of the |
/ war, the patric tism of the Congress pro-
| vided the means in the war revenue act |
| of June IL by authorizing a 3 per cent. |
| popular loan not to exceed $400,000,000, |
and by levying additional imposts and |
| taxes.
| Salient Features of the War
1t is not within the province of this |
message to narrate the history of the ex- |
! traordinary war that followed the Span |
| ish declaration of April 21 but a brief |
recital of its more salient features is ap-
| propriate. The first encounter of the war |
| in point of date took place April q, when |
| detachment of the blockading squadron |
made reconnaissance in force at Matan-
zas, shelled the harbor and forts and de- |
| molished several new works In construc- !
| ton
| The next engagement was destined to |
mark a memorable epoch in maritime |
warfare. The Pacific fleet, under Com |
modore George Dewey, had lain for some |
weeks at Hong Kong. Upon the colonial |
proclamation of neutrality being issued |
and the customary twenty-four hours no. |
| tice being given, 1t repaired to Mrs Bay, |
, near Hong Kong, whence it proceeded |
! TO the Philippine Islands under ,ele- |
| graphed orders to capture or destroy the |
| formidable Spanish feet then assembled |
| at Manila. At daybreak on the LIST of |
| May the American force entered Manila |
| Bay, and after a few hours engagement |
| effected the total destruction of the Span
| ish feet, consisting of ten warships and |
| a transport, besides capturing the naval |
| station and forts at Cavite, thus annihil- l
ating the Spanish naval power in the Pa |
| cific Ocean and completely controlling the |
| Bay of Manila, with the ability to take |
| the city at WILL Not life was lost on |
our ships the wounded only numbering |
seven, while not vessel was materially |
| injured.
| The effect of this remarkable victory |
| upon the spirit of our people and upon !
| the fortunes of the war was instant. A |
prestige of invincibility thereby attached |
| to our arms, which continued throughout /
| the struggle. Re-enforcements were hur-
ried to Manila under the command of |
Major General Merritt and firmly estab-
lished within sight of the capital, which |
lay helpless before our guns.
Only reluctance to cause needless loss
of life and property prevented the early |
storming and capture of the city, and |
Herewith the absolute military occupancy
of the whole group. The insurgents mean
while had resumed the active hostiities
suspended by the uncompleted truce of |
Manila from the northern and eastern
side, but were constrained by Admiral
Dewey and General Merritt from at
tempting an assault 1t was fitting that
whatever was TO be done in the way of |
decisive operations in that quarter should
be accomplished by the strong arm of
the United States alone.
Following the comprehensive scheme of
general attack, powerful forces were as
sembled at various points on our coast |
to invade Cuba and Porto Rico. Mean
while naval demonstrations We're made
at several exposed points May II the
cruiser Wilmington and torpedo boat |
Winslow were unsuccessful in an attempt !!
to silence the batteries at Cardenas and
Matanzas, Worth, Bagley and four sea-
men falling.
Meanwhile the Spanish naval prepara-
tons had been pushed with great vigor.
A powerful squadron under Admiral Ger
vera, which had assembled at the Cape
Verde Islands before the outbreak of |
hostilities had crossed the ocean, and by
its erratic movements in the Caribbean
Sea delayed our military operations while
battling the pursuit of our fleets NJ
until Admiral Cervera took refuge In the
harhor of Santiago De Cuba about May
was it practicable to plan systematic /
military attack upon the Antillean pos
sessions of Spain.
Several demonstrations occurred on the
coast of Cuba and Porto Rico in prepara-
ton for the larger event. On May 13 the
North Atlanic squadron shelled San Juan
de Porto Rico. On May 30 Commodore
Schley's squadron bombarded the forts
guarding the mouth of Santiago harbor.
Neither attack had any material result.
Hobson's Iaring Act.
The next act in the war thrilled not |
alone the hearts of our countrymen, but
the world, by its exceptional heroism. On
the night of June Lieutenant Hobson
aided by seven devoted volunteers, block
ed the narrow outlet from Santiago har-
hos by sinking the collier Merrimae in
the channel. under fierce fire from the
shore batteries, escaping witt their lives
as by a miracle, but falling into the
hands of the Spanards. They were sub
sequently exchanged July q.
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, |
landing of 60 marines from the Oregon,
Marbiehead and Yankee. was effected in
Guantanamo Bay, where 1t had been de-
termined to establish naval station.
This important and essential port was
taken from the enemy after severe hight
ing by the marines, who were the first or
ganized force of the United States TO
land in Cuba. The position won was
held despite desperate Attempts &c DIS
lodge our forces. By June IL additional
forces were landed and strongly intrench-
ed. On June %, the advance OF the IN