Dewey destroyed the entire Spanish fleet, with much loss of life,
in Manila Bay, May 1, 1898; seven Americans were wounded, none
killed. Admiral Cervera, with the pride of the Spanish battle-
ships, cruisers, and torpedo-boats, reached Cuban waters from Cape
Verde Islands, and, May 19th, sailed into Santiago Harbor, where
he was blockaded--"bottled up"--by Admirals Sampson and Schley's
fleets. Cervera's fleet, in an attempt to escape, was totally
destroyed, with a loss of above six hundred killed or drowned, and
about two thousand captured, himself included, in two hours, by
our navy under Sampson, on Sunday morning, July 3, 1899, with a
loss of one American killed and one wounded. Other minor naval
affairs occurred, all disastrous to the Spanish. Cervera's entry
into Santiago Harbor caused previous plans for the movement of the
army to be changed.
The bulk of the regular army, under Major-General Wm. R. Shafter,
was assembled at Port Tampa, from whence they were transported to
and landed (June 24th) at Guantanamo Bay, near Santiago. They were
then joined by a body of Cuban troops under General Garcia. Fighting
commenced at once and continued irregularly at Siboney, El Caney,
San Juan Hill, etc., the principal battles being fought on the 1st
and 2d of July. The next day a demand was made on the Spanish
commander (Toral) for the surrender of his army and Santiago. This
was acceded to, after much negotiation, July 17, 1898, including
the province of Santiago and 22,000 troops, in number exceeding
Shafter's entire available force. The display of skill and bravery
by officers and men of our small army (principally regulars) at
Santiago never was excelled. Our loss in the series of battles
there was, killed, 22 officers and 208 men; wounded, 81 officers
and 1203 men. A Porto Rico campaign was then organized. General
Miles wired the War Department, about July 18th, to send me with
my division (then in camp at Miami) to make up his Porto Rico
expedition. His request was not carried out, and it thus happened
that no soldier of a Southern State volunteer organization fired
a hostile shot during the Spanish War. Ponce was taken July 25th,
followed by an invasion of the island from the south. An affair
took place, August 10th, and operations here, as elsewhere, were
terminated by the _protocol_. Manila was surrendered August 13th,
the day after the protocol was signed. This was the last offensive
land operat
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