Evening star., 1898-12-05
TWO CENTS.

Admiral Sampson of their safety and TO
| compliment them on their daring act They
were subsequently exchanged July eth.
By June 9TH the cutting of the last Cuban
| cable isolated the Island. Thereafter the
invasion was vigorously prosecuted On
June 10th, under heavy protecting fire, a
| landing of 600 marines from the Oregon
| Marblehead and Yankee was effected in
Guantanamo Bay, where it had been de-
termined to establish a naval station.
This important and essential port was
| taken from the enemy efter severe fighting
| by the marines who were the first organ
| lied force of the United States to land in
| Cuba.
The position so won was held despite des-
perate attempts to dislcdge our forces BY
June 16 additional forces were landed and
strongly intrenched. On June % the ad-
vance of the invading army under Mai
Gen. Shafter landed at Daiquiri, about fif-
| teen miles east of Santiago. This was ac-
| complished under great difficulties but with
| marvellous dispatch. On June 23 the move
ment against Santiago was begun. On the
| oath the first serious engagement took
place, in which the First and Tenth Cav
airy and the First United States Volunteer
cavalry, General Young's brigade of Cen
eral WheeIers s division participated, losing
heavily. BY nightfall. however. ground
within miles of Santiago was won The
advantage was steadily increased. On July
| lst severe battle took place. our forces
gaining the outworks of Santiago; on the
I'd FL Caney and San Juan were taken after
a desperate charge, and the investment of
| the city was completed. The navy Cooper
ated by shelIing the town and the coast
| forts.
Destruction of Ceryera's Fleet
On the day following this briIlia:.
achievement of our land forces, the Sd oe
July occurred the decisive naval combat Of
| the war. The Spanish feet, attempting 10
| leave the harbor. was met by the American
squadron under command of Commodore
sampson. In less than three hours all the
| Spanish ships were destroyed. the two tor
pedo boats being sunk, and the Maria Tc-
resa, Almfrante Oquendo Nizcaya and
Crlstobal Colon driven ashore. The Spar
lsh admiral and over 1.300 men were taken
prisoners, While the enemy's loss of life was
deplofabIy large, some 600 perishing On
our side bat 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
~ No4A'pA' upuSis BulSned themselves
from the commanders to the gunners and
the unnamed heroes in the boiler rooms
each and all contributing toward the
achievement Of this astounding victory. for
which neither ancient nor modern history
atordS parallel in the completeness of
th2 event and the marvellous dfsnroDortion
OF casualties, 1t would he invidious to sin
gle out any for especial honor. Deserved
pioliotioh mas rewarded the more conspic-
uous actors-;he nations profoundest graf
ltude Is due to all of these brave mon ul.o
by their skill and devotion in few short
hours crushed the sea power of Spain and
wrought a triumph whose decisiveness and
far-reaching consequences can scarcely he
measured. Nor can be unmindful of The
achleVements of our builders. mechanics
! and artisans for their skill in the constr,,c-
ton of our warships
With the catastrophe of Santiaeo S,,ai,,.s
effort upon the ocean virtually ceased.
spasmodic effort toward the end of June to
send her Mediterranean fleet under Admiral
tamara to relieve Manila was abandoned.
the expedition being recalled after it had
passed through the Suez Canal
Inc capltuIation of Santiago followed
The city was closely besieged by lane
Whlle the entrance of our ships into the
harbor cut of all relief on that side. After
"a truce to allow Of the removal of non-con-
batants protIacted negotiation continued
from July 3d Until July 18th when. undar
menace of immediate assault the prelim-
lrarles OF surrender We're agreed upon On
'hS l'th General Shdfter occupied the CITY
The capItulation embraced the entire east
ern end Of Cuba. The number of Spanish
soldiers surren0ering was - uoa. all of
whom were subsequently conveyed to SPAN
a the charge of be
story OF inns successful campaign is told in
the report of the Secretary of War which
will be laid before YOU. The indfyid,,.I
Valor of officers and soldiers WAS ne,...
more suiklnGy shown than in the several
engagements leading to the surrender ot
santiago, While the prompt movements AMI
successive victories won instant and univer-
sal applause. To those who gained this
complete triumph, which esta blished the
ascehuancy OF the United States upon lanl
as the hgnt of Santiago had fixed our ST.
premacy on the seas, the earnest and last
ms gratitude of the nation is unsparin<, "
due. Nor should we alone remember the
gallantry of the living; the dead claim o,,r
tears, and our losses by battle and disease
must c!oud any exultation at the result and
teach US to weigh the awful cost of war
however rightfuI the cause or signal the
victory.
Occupation of Porto Rico,
WIN the fall of Santiago the occupation
Oh Porto Rico became the next strategic
necessity. General Miles had previously
been assigned to organize an expedition for
that purpose. Fortunately he was already
at Santiago, where he had arrived on the
1lth of July with reinforcements for Cen
eral Skaters army
With these troops, consisting of BALE in
fantry and artillery, two companies of en-
gineers and one company OF the signal
corps, General Miles left Guantanamo on
July II, having nine transports, conyoyed
by the fleet under Captain Higginson. with
the Massachusetts Clagship), Dixie. Glou-
cester, Columbia and Yale the two latter
carrying troops. The expedition landed at |
Guanica July %, which port was entered
with little opposition. Here the feet was
joined by the Annapolis and the Wasp |
while the Puritan and Amphitrite went TO |
San Juan and Joined the New Orleans,
which enRa ged I'm hlockadino bat nor.