The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-07-29
The Hnrvard-Captain Cotton.

U. s. 8. Harvard.
 At sea, off Altares. Cuba, July 4, 1898. Sir-1. On Sunday, the third instant the Harvard, under my command, was at Altares. Cuba, discharging the mil itary stores brought in the ship with | the troops from Newport News. Near | ly all of the boats and a 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.
 3. At 10:46 a. m. the U. S. S. Resolute passed Altares at a considerable dist ance standing to the eastward, shout | ing her whistle vigorously and flying a signal which announced that the Spanish fleet had fled" With the ut most dispatch I recalled the boat and officers to the ship, hoisted the former, sent the steam launch on shore, got un- der way and stood to the westward to i Jplll you. AlG SLID WdS ClGdT6u TOT aC- l tion.
 1 3. I had previously observed that the fleet was firing, but supposed that it was bombardment of Moro and the neighboring batteries The ships of | the fleet had meantime disappeared to the westward, none being in sight when I came out from behind the land where I could command an uninterrupted view of the coast west of Moro 4. soon came up with the wrecks on | shore of two of the smaller vessels and two of the cruisers of the Spanish squadron, and shortly afterward with the wreck of the third cruiser, all of the cruisers burning fiercely.
 ,. Meantime passed the Indiana and one of our torpedo boats standing to the eastward in search of the missing Spanish cruiser and informed them that large Spanish battleship or cruiser was in sight to the eastward of | Altares.
 G. At the most westerly of the three | wrecks of the Spanish cruisers, the Vizcaya, I found the battleship Iowa and communicated with her. Learning from Captain Evans that you in the New York were in chase of the Cristo- bal Colon and were probably many miles to the westward, l decided not to go further in that direction.
 T. Shortly afterward the Iowa and the Harvard stood to the eastward and upon reaching the wrecks of the Oquendo and the Maria Teresa Cap tain Evans informed me that the off, cers and crew of both vessels were on shore in great distress and suffering for want of food, and asked me if I could | rescue them, a request with which I, of course, instantly compiled, and which would have been unnecessary l had I previously known the circum- stances concerning them.
 S. I took the Harvard in as near the wrecks as I deemed to be prudent and at 4:40 p. m. lowered nine of our boats and sent them in to the shore to rescue the survivors. This work continued until 9:45 D. m. when the last boatload of Spanish prisoners came alongside. During the greater part of the time the i steam cutter of the Indiana rendered valuable assistance in towing our boats | to and from shore We had the good l 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 as well from the incessant explosion of ammunition both small and large, as from the surf The boats were handled with skill and judgment by the officers in command of them, who were Lieutenants Bale Roberts, Davis, and Bradshaw En- signs Turner and Cummings, and Ca dets Noa and Bruff, whose conduct and that of the boats crews was commend able.
 g. Among the rescued were thirty eight sick and wounded. At 10 o'clock IT steamed on to rejoin the ships off San- tiago, reaching them at 1O:55 p. m. with the junior medical officer of the Indiana and a lieutenant and a boats crew of the U. s. 5. Gloucester.
 10. The Spanish officers and men re- ceived every attention that it was pos sible to bestow upon them for their comfort and welfare. Some of them came aboard wholly nude and many with only a shirt or trousers. As soon as possible after their arrival on board they were provided with food and nee- essary clothing. About 300 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 of the Spanish medical officers, who were among those rescued.
 il. I transmit herewith copy of the detailed report of Lieutenant Jos eph Scale, U. s. N., of the Harvard who was the senior officer in charge of the work of carrying the Spaniards to his ship apd I beg leave to invite your attention to the terms in which he speaks of the high ly commendable conduct of the officers and men associated with him in the successful accomplishment of an inn portant and humane duty and one not without exposure to danger.
 F. This forenoon six of the most se- verely wounded men were transferred to the hospitak 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 I beg to be permit ted the privilege in my own behalf as well as that of the officers of the liar ward to extend to you and to the | If r6a