A., the first corps and the Department of
the Gulf.

"Maj.-Gen. W. M. Graham, U. S. Volunteers, the second corps, with
headquarters at Falls Church, Va.

"Maj.-Gen. James M. Wade, U. S. Volunteers, the third corps, reporting to
Major-General Brooke, Chickamauga.

"Maj.-Gen. John J. Coppinger, U. S. Volunteers, the fourth corps, Mobile,
Ala.

"Maj.-Gen. William R. Shafter, U. S. Volunteers, the fifth corps, Tampa,
Fla.

"Maj.-Gen. Elwell S. Otis, U. S. Volunteers, to report to Major-General
Merritt, U. S. A., for duty with troops in the Department of the Pacific.

"Maj.-Gen. James H. Wilson, U. S. Volunteers, the sixth corps,
Chickamauga, reporting to Major-General Brooke.

"Maj.-Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, U. S. Volunteers, the seventh corps, Tampa, Fla.

"Maj.-Gen. Joseph H. Wheeler, U. S. Volunteers, the cavalry division,
Tampa, Fla."

Orders were given by Admiral Sampson to Captain Goodrich of the _St.
Louis_, on May 15th, to take the fleet tender in tow and proceed to
Santiago de Cuba to cut the cables at that point. The grappling implements
were secured from the tug _Wampatuck_ on May 16th, and at eleven P. M. the
expedition, in the small boats, left the cruiser for the entrance of
Santiago. It was then perfectly dark and hazy, but the Santiago light was
burning brightly. Moonrise was not until 3.45 A. M. At three A. M. on May
17th the expedition returned with part of one cable, but it had failed to
find a second cable, which is close under the fort, and was protected by
two patrol-boats. Then a start was made to cut the cable on the other side
of the island. At seven A. M. the _St. Louis_ fired her first gun at the
forts protecting the entrance to Santiago Harbour, and after a little time
the fire was returned by what must have been a 2-pounder.

At eight A. M. the _St. Louis_ was about two miles distant from the fort,
which seemed to be unprovided with modern guns. After three hours
grappling in over five hundred fathoms, the cable had not been found. At
12.15 P. M. the guns of Morro Castle opened fire, followed by the shore
battery on the southerly point, and also the west battery. The _St.
__Louis_ kept up a constant fire from her bow guns, and soon succeeded in
silencing the guns of Morro Castle, the Spaniards running in all
directions.

Most of the shots from the fort fell short of the ship. Shells from the
mortar battery went over the cruiser and exploded in the water quite close
to the _St. Louis_. The