Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-05-03

Army Whipped to d Finish, Whole
Navy Destroyed, and Thousands of
Miles of Territory Taken.
Washingt;a correspondence:
1t has been a year since the xar with
Spain began, a war which lasted just I13
days. In that time, however, the United
States land and sea forces DESTROYED two
Spanish fleets, received the surrender of
more than $4,000 soldiers, took by con-
quest the fortified cities Of Santiago de
Cuba, ia Cnba: Ponce, In Porto Rico; and
Manila, on the island Of Luzon, in the
Philippines. and secured control, pending
negotiations for peace of the entire Span
ish possessions III the West Indies. the
philippines and Of Guam, of the Ladrone
islands. IN this conflict the Americans
suffered no loss 0f ships or terrtory, and
but 2I9 killed and i,465 wounded in bat
tie, while the cost to Spain, aside from
prisoners. ships and lost territory, was
2,199 killed and 2.94S wounded.
The formal declaration of war by Con-
gress was made April %, but the resolu-
tion embodying ii stated that war had ex-
listed Stree April 81. whea the Nashville.
: -unooat Of the American navy, COM
manded by Lieut. Washbnrn, captured d
Spanish snip. the Buena Ventura On
the same day. April n, President Me-
Kinley ordered the North Atlantic squad
ron, commanded by Acting Rear Admiral
Sampson, to sail from Key West and
blockade certain ports OF Cuba. April
% President Mckinley issued a call for
l25,OOO volunteers, to re-enforce the regu-
hr standing army. and sent orders TO the
taen Commodore George Dewey, COM
manding the Asiatic squadron of the
American navy, to find and destroy the
Spanish feet" Immediately the work Of
mobilizing an army of citizen soldiers of
the United States began. Spain declared
war April "a, and within two days after
camps of soldiers were forming in every
State. April 81. three of Admiral Samp-
sons ships shelled Matanzas, and on the
next day Cienfuegos was shelled. On the
same day Admiral Cervera of the Spanish
navy, with fleet Of warships, left Spain
for West Indian waters.
Battle In Manila Fay.
Sunday, May l, the first aud greatest
sea battle Of the war was fought. Com
modore George Dewey made himself Rear
Adr liral Dewey and won undying glory
for the navy BY leading his fleet in to the
mined harbor of Manila and destroying
the entire Asiatic feet of Spain. The
Olympia was his flagship and his remain
ing vessels were the Baltimore. the Bos-
ton and the Raleigh, protected cruisers;
the Concord and Petrel, gunboats, and the
McCullagh. With this force he sunk,
burned or blew up eight Spanish cruisers,
six gunboats and three transports. In the
engagement not an American life was
lost, while in killed and drowned the
Spanish loss has been placed between 500
and 900.
In the first week in May the definite di-
vision of the ships of the American navy
in Atlantic and Cuban waters into squad
rons and fleets was made. The flying
squadron, Commodore Schley in COM
mand, was formed at Hampton Roads,
the vessels being the Brooklyn, flagship;
the Massachusetts, the Texas, the Co
lumbia and the Minneapolis. Admiral
Sampson, in the blockade line at Havana,
had with him besides his flagship, the
New York, the battleships Iowa and In
diana, the cruisers Cincinnati and Mar
blehead, and dozen torpedo craft and
gunboats. Matanzas was shelled for the
second time on May Z.
Admiral Sampson appeared before San
Juan, Porto Rico, May II, and lombard
ed the forts for three hours. MORO was
partly reduced. Sampson was in search
of Cervera's fleet when he bore down upon
San Juan. On the following day the
flying squadron put to sea to aid in finding
Cervera. The two fleets cut off Cervera
and, May rs, it was reported that the
Spanish admiral had taken refuge in Sam
tiago bay. Commodore Schley, with the
fying squadron, reached Santiago just in
time to prevent dash by Cervera for
Cienfuegos or Havana. Later Admiral
Sampson arrived and the combined fleets
began their long wait for their prey.
Army of Invasion.
The invasion of the army to cooperate
with the feet at Santiago was planned as
soon as Cervera's whereabouts was
known. President Mckinley issued sec
ond call for $4,000 volunteers May 25. The
demand was instantly met by the men
VINO had failed to secure a place on the
first call.
The first expedition to re-enfnrcs Dewey
at Manila sailed also on Mgy 25. L.-num-
bered 5000 men. Dail5 bombardments
of the forts on Santiago bay continued.
The order was given, June =, to prepare
landing for the army of invasion and on
June 10, Col. Huntington, with force
of marines, landed at Guantanamo and
established Camp l<cCalia. The fleet,
with the aid of the marines, demolished
Fort Caimanera and captured Baiquiri,
which was to be the landing place for
Gen. Skaters army, which left Tampa
on transports June IA
Shafter appeared off Baiquiri June %.
and two days were occupied in landing.
Juragua was captured June "A, and the
advance toward Santiago began. The
Spaniards resisted and Roosevelts rough
riders and the Tenth United States cav
airy, in the van of the American army.
found themselves engaged with supe-
rior body of Spaniards. The enemy was
driven back by the furious charge, but the
loss was 13 killed and 20 wounded. Sa-
vile was occupied Jline 26, and on the
last dag Of June 1900 American troops
were before Santiago, 5000 more on their
way from the coast, with 5000 Cubans
near at hand.
The general assault began July /, Ell
Caney being capth red at severe cost The
last of the outworks was not in the pos.
session of the American army until the
evening Of July 2. while the heights Of
San Juan were still untaken. Gen. Law
tons division assaulted San Juan July 3,
and carried the heights in the greatest
sharge of a great battle. Santiago was
surrounded and Gen Shafter demanded
its surrender. The American loss I'M fha
three days battle was 231 killed, / I,2s3
wounded and 81 missing.
The Madrid authorities ordered Admiral
Ccrvera, July 2. to make dash from the
harbor Of Santiago. He carried out his
orders on the morning OF July 3. Ad-
miral Sampson. with the New York, had
gone TO consult with Gen Shafter when
the Spanish ships were seen coming out
of the harbor. but Commodore Schley,
with the Brooklyn. Oregon. Iowa, Texas
Indiana and Gloucester. was more than
match for the Maria Teresa, Cristobal
Colon. OauendO Nizcaya and fbe deSfs.a q