The suburban citizen., 1901-08-03

ments, which took place during the
bate war with Spain, and was fought
the Both day of June, 1898, in the har-
Dor Of Manzanillo on the southern
coast of Cuba, was but slightly
brought before the public notice on ac-
count of its being so shortly followed
on July Sd by the decisive naval en-
gagement in front of Santiago de
Cuba, which resulted in the complete
destruction of Ceveras formidable
feet, has led the writer to give to the
public a description of the memorable
battle of Manzanillo. l say memora-
BILE, because l am confident it will ever
be remembered by many and especial
w by the crew of the Little Hornet"
Of which by chance it was my fortune
TO be one. AS a volunteer in the
navy, was serving on board the U.
S. S. Hornet formerly Mr. Flaglers
yacht Alecia, under command of Il
brave and able man in the person Of
Lieutenant j. NJ. Helm, U. S. Navy.
During the latter part of June, Admir-
al Sampson learned through Mr.. Dent,
-
vessels were sailing from that port
to Manzanillo, Cuba, carrying provi-
slons probably intended to reach the
Spanish forces at Santiago by an over
land route from the former place; in
order to put a stop to this traffic, the
Admiral Immediately ordered a block
ade established west of Cape Cruz,
and despatched several of the lighter
vessels of his command to this duty;
much to the displeasure of all on
board the Little Hornet she was
ordered 'to proceed to and take up
station on blockade off Cape Cruz
this point being about 100 miles to the
westward of Santiago. This was in
deed much to the displcasure of the
crew Of the Hornet, for they all longed
to remain in front of Santiago in
hopes of being able to have a hand in
the great conflict which took place
there later on, but our likes and dis
likes were not to be taken into consid
Grafton. and the order must be obeyed
so there was nothing left for the Lit
tie Hornet to do but 10 steam off to
the westward, and, if my memory
serves me correctly, and I think it
does, it was on Saturday evening,
June 25, that we reached our station
off Cape Cruz. Early the next morn
ing, as day dawned, we discovered a
twO-masted schooner had succeeded
In passing us under the cover of dark
ness, and was boldly sailing on to-
wards Manzanillo; she was beyond the
reach of our guns, and paid no atten-
tion to one or two shots which we
fired in her direction Owing 10 the
peculiar location of reefs and shoals
in this vicinity, it was unsafe for us
to attempt to steam after her, and
was about to abandon the idea of her
capture when the writer Of this mar
rative vehemently appealed TO the cap
tain to allow him with n volunteer
boats crew undertake the task with a
ten-oared cutter. The captain, realiz-
ing the danger Of being fred on by
Spanieh soldiers from the beach. which
the schooner was hugging closely, Gid
not at first approve Of the idea, and
only with reluctance gave his consent
to the attempt being made. The cut
ter was soon lowered. and the vOlun-
teer crew, armed with rifles, started
I'm pursuit of their prize, and, after
hard and tedious pull Of five hours
against wind and tide. they succeeded
in overhauling the schooner. but not.
however. until they had sent whizzing
through her rigging several rife balls.
the music of which was not corgerial
to the ears of the crew Cf the schoon-
er. She proved to be the "EmaEuel
Roaul," loaded with provisions from
Jamaica for Manzanillo, being one of
the vessels referred to ty Mr.. Dent.
She was held as a prize, and with a
prize crew on board was sent two days
later to Key West in company with the
steamer "BenitO Estenger," which we
captured on the following Gay. Early
in the morning of the Both day Of June,
while we lay alongside of the two
masted schooner "E. T. Nickerson."
which we had held up, and one Of our
officers was overhauling her papers we
discovered smoke on the horizon 70
the southeast. Without waiting to take
on board our officer and boats crew,
which were alongside the schooner we
steamed with all speed in the direction
of this smoke, thinking it. Of course,
another prize, and all jubiant over
the fact that they were coming thick
and fast" and, no doubt, we would all
have n fortune in prize money before
the war was over. This smoke, how
ever, proved to be from the U. s. S.
Hist "a converted yacht. under COM
mand of Lieutenant Lucian Young, Z.
S. ~, accompanied by the L. $. S.
WampRtuck, commanded by Lieuten-
ant Jungen, q. S. y. Lieutenant
Young was bearing a sealed dispatch
addressed to the Senior officer present
ON blockade off Cape Cruz and eI-
pected to find the u. S. S. Dixie but
on learning that the Dixie wGs cruis-
Ing off Cienfuegos, some distance to
the westward, and finding himself to
be the senior officer present, he decid-
ed to open the AdmiraPs cOmmunica-
tion and called Captains Helm and
Jungen, Of the Hornet and Wampa-
tuck, on board the Hist for consulta-