The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-12-15

army under Major General shafter landed
at Daiquirt, about Is miles east of SAINT
ago. This was accomplished under great
oimculties, but with marvellous dispatch.
IN June ~ the movement against Santiago
was begun.
On the oath the first serious engagement
took place in which the First and Tenth
cavalry and the First volunteer cavalry
General foung's brigade Of General
neeler,s division, participated, losing
neavily. BY nightfall, however, ground
within five miles of Santiago was won.
me advantage was steadily increased.
On July severe battle took place, our
forces gaining the outer works of Santiago.
anu Fl Caney and San Juan were taken
aIler desperate charge and the invest
ment OF the city was completed. The
navy co-operated by Smelling the town
and the coast forts.
Destruction Of the Armada.
On the day following this brilliant
achievement of our land forces July 3.
occurred the decisive naval combat of the
war. The Spanish fleet, attempting to.
leave the harbor, was met by the Ameri-
can squadron under command of Comma
dore Sampson. In less than three hours
all the Spanish ships were destroyed,
Two torpedo-boats were sunk and the Ma
ria Teresa, Almirante Oquendo, Vizcaya
and Cristobal Colon were driven ashore.
The Spanish admiral and over 1900 men
were taken prisoners While the enemy's
loss OF life was deplorably large, some
200 perishing, on our side but one man
was killed and one man seriously wounded.
Although our ships were repeatedly struck,
not one was seriously injured The men
also conspicuously distinguished them
selves, from the commanders to the gum
ners and the unnamed heroes in the
boiler-rooms, each and all contributing
toward the achievement of this astound-
ing victory, for which neither ancient nor
modern history affords parallel in the
completeness of the event and the marvel
Gus disproportion Of casualties. 1t would
be invidious to single out any for special
honor. Deserved promotion has rewarded
the mere conspicuous actors-the nations
profoundest gratitude is due to all of those
brave men who by their skill and devo-
ton in few short hours crushed the sea
power of Spain and wrought a triumph
whose decisiveness and far-reaching eff
fects can scarcely be measured. Nor can
we be unmindful of the achievements of
our builders, mechanics and artisans for
their skill in the construction of our war
ships.
With the catastrophe Of Santiago,
SPANS effort upon the ocean virtually
ceased. A spasmodic effort toward the
end Of June to send her Mediterranean
fleet, under Admiral Camara, to relieve
Manila was abandoned, the expedition be-
ing recalled after it had passed through
the Suez canal.
Surrender of Santiago.
The captulation of Santiago followed.
The city was closely besieged by land,
while the entrance of our ships into the
harbor cut off all relief on that side. After
a truce to allow of the removal OF the
noncombatants, protracted negotiations
continued from July until July Is, when,
under menace of immediate assault, the
preliminaries of surrender were agreed
upon. On the 18th General .Shafter occu-
pied the city. The capitulation embraced
the entire eastern end of Cuba. The num-
Der of Spanish soldiers surrendered was
q, 600, all of whom were subsequently con-
veyed to Spain at the charge OF the
United States. The story Of this success
full campaign is told in the report of the
secretary of war which will be laid be-
fore you.
Invasion of Porto Rico.
With the fall of Santiago, the occupa-
ton of Porto Rico became the next STRAIT
egfc necessity. General Miles had pre-
viously been assigned to organize an ex-
petition for that purpose. Fortunately,
he was already at Santiago; where he had
arrived on the 18th of July with reinforce
ments for General Skaters army. With
these troops, consisting of 34l5 infantry
and artillery two companies of engineers
and one company of the signal corps, Cen
eral Miles left Guantanamo July Il, hav-
ing nine transports conveyed by the fleet
under Captain Higginson, with the Mas
sachusetts (fagship), Dixie, Gloucester.
Columbia and Yale, the two latter carry
ing troops The expedition landed at
Guanica, July rs, which port was entered
with little opposition. Here the fleet was
Joined by the Annapolis and Wasp, while
the Puritan and Amphitrite went to San
Juan and joined the New Orleans, which
was engaged in blockading that port. The
major-general commanding was subse-
uuently reinforced by General Schwann's
brigade of the Third army corps, by Cen
Eeral Wilson with part of his division,
and also by General Brooke, with part
OF his corps numbering in all 1913 officers
and men. On July 27 he entered Ponce,
one of the most important points In the
island, from which he thereafter directed
operations for the capture of the island.
AS a potent influence toward peace. the
outcome of the Porto Rican expedition
is due to those who participated in 1t.
Last Battle Of the War.
The last scene Of the war was enacted
| at Manila, It's starting place. On August
| Is. after a brief assault upon the works
| by the land forces, in which the squadron
assisted, the capital surrendered uncondi-
| tionally. The casualties were compare
| lively few. BY this conquest of the Phil
| ippine islands, virtually accomplished
when the Spanish capacity for resistance
was destroyed by Admiral Deweys vic
| tory of the first of May, the result of the
war was formally sealed. To Genera
| Merritt. his officers and men, for their un.
complaining and devoted services, for theil
gallantry In action. the nation tsssincerely
| grateful Their long voyage was made
with singular success, and the soldierly
conduct Of the men, of whom many were
without previous experience In the mill
! tary service. deserves unmeasured praise
| Total Casualties.
The total casualties In killed and wound
ed in the army during the war was as fol
| lows:
Oficers killed, %; enlisted men killed
Est: total, $50; officers wounded. lib; en-.
listed men wounded, 1854; total, 1871.
/ OF the navy, killed, II; wounded, 81
| died as result OF wounds, 1; invalided from
service, s.; total, 81.
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
| en-. sm,s Oyertures for . Cessat1On Of