Hobson with seven picked men in the
early morning of June 3 took the big coal hulk _Merrimac_ in to the
narrowest part of the harbor entrance and there sunk it with a torpedo,
hoping thus to block the passage and prevent Cervera's ships from coming
out. The exploit was not entirely successful, the vessel not being sunk
at quite the right point, though it did make exit much more difficult.
Hobson and his comrades were taken prisoners by the Spaniards, but were
treated with distinguished courtesy and consideration in recognition of
their daring exploit. Thereafter the blockading fleet kept close watch
day and night upon the harbor mouth, brilliantly illuminating it with
searchlights all night, to prevent the escape of the Spanish fleet.

Meanwhile General Nelson A. Miles, commander of the United States army,
was preparing for an invasion of the island. The Fifth Army Corps was
organized at Tampa, Florida, under the command of Major-General William
R. Shafter, and on June 14 was embarked on a fleet of 37 transports.
This fleet sailed around Cape Maysi to the southern coast of Cuba, and
on June 21 was off Santiago. General Shafter and Admiral Sampson went
ashore to confer with General Calixto Garcia at his camp at Acerradero,
and found the situation by no means as encouraging as they had hoped.
Garcia had only about 3,500 Cubans in his force, and they were not all
well armed, and there were 1,000 more at Guantanamo. General Shafter's
army numbered fewer than 16,000 men. Against these the Spaniards under
General Linares numbered about 40,000.

Averse as the Cubans had been to the landing of American troops, General
Garcia accepted the inevitable, and promptly offered to place all his
men under General Shafter's command. General Shafter accepted the offer,
though he reminded General Garcia that he could exercise no control
over the troops beyond what he, Garcia, authorized. He of course saw to
it that they were abundantly supplied with arms and ammunition, Garcia's
troops were then employed very effectively in protecting the landing of
the American troops, at Daiquiri; 6,000 of them being put ashore on June
22 and the remainder in the next two days. General Henry W. Lawton
promptly led the advance to Siboney, from which the Spaniards were
driven, being pursued after their evacuation by the Cubans under General
Castillo.

[Illustration: OLD FORT AT EL CANEY, WRECKED BY FIGHTING OF JULY, 1898]

The next attack was made upon