t the Spaniards in Porto Rico, knowing as they must
have, that the war was virtually over, hoped by a show of resistance at
the end to come out with a certain degree of credit, and had resolved to
give up the fight only when they received an order to do so from Madrid.

At all events, the Spanish troops disputed the American advance at
several points. At Fajardo the American forces raised the Stars and
Stripes, but the Spaniards, several hundred in number, pulled it down
and even sought to drive away the landing party that held the
lighthouse on the shore. This attempt was most manifestly absurd, as in
the harbor was a squadron, consisting of the monitor Amphitrite, the
protected cruiser Cincinnati and the Leyden. No time was lost in landing
men to support the lighthouse force, and to open fire from the ships.
The Spaniards were driven back and suffered much from their foolish
temerity.

In the beginning the plan of campaign included an advance along three
lines.

The first division, under General Schwan, was to advance along the
western coast to Aguadilla, in the north-western corner of the island,
and then to push to the east until Arecibo, on the northern coast and
about half-way between Aguadilla and San Juan, was reached. The second
division, under General Henry, was to push directly to the north from
Ponce, forming a union with Schwan at Arecibo. The main advance was to
be along the military road from Ponce to San Juan. As this road runs for
some distance parallel to the southern coast, a division was dispatched
under General Brooke to land at Arroyo and capture Guayama, an important
city on the military road, about forty miles east of Ponce. By this
means, whatever detachments of Spanish troops might be stationed on the
road between these two points were exposed to attack from both front and
rear.

Before any of these movements could be completed, however, came the
armistice and the consequent cessation of hostilities.

Much, though, had been accomplished before this, enough to show what
American arms were capable of.

In the east, General Brooke, after landing at Arroyo, had taken Guayama;
in the centre, General Wilson had advanced on the military road,
occupied Coamo, and had made a demonstration before Aibonito, where
there was a large Spanish force; further to the west, General Henry had
marched to within fifteen miles of Arecibo; in the extreme west, General
Schwan had marched along the coast and take