Cuba's fight for freedom, and the War with Spain; a history of the Spanish kingdom and its latest and fairest colony; the long struggle of Cuba for freedom and independence; the intervention of the United States and the fierce war with Spain that followed

m

TWO GREAT BOOKS IN ONE VOLUME,

\ Comprehensive, Accurate and Thrilling History of the Spanish

Kingdom and its latest and fairest Colony; the long

Struggle of Cuba for Freedom and Independence;

the Intervention of the United States

and the Fierce War with Spain

that followed.

A Record of Oppression and Patriotism, of Cruelty and of Valor,

and above all of the triumph of the

Stars and Stripes.

PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED

WRITTEN AND EDITED
BY

Henry Houghton Beck,

Author of *« Famous Battles,"
"The Greco =Turkish War," etc., etc.

PUBLISHED BY

Globe Bible Publishing Co.-

Philade'

F"fl8S

Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year i898,

By D. B. SHEPP,

In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C

All rights reserved

ijy .L^CixtUltf©

JUL 20 1929- cp

American University °l >

HP

^N

wes« or
ALFRED M. SLOCUM CO.
PHILADA. j

(f»

PREFACE.

HE HISTORY of the world is largely a
history of wars. Whether or not it is
true that civilization gets forward upon a
powder-cart, it is undeniable that the powder-cart
keeps well up with the procession. The present
work is a record of two wars, closely associated
together, and both making especially direct appeal
to the sympathies of the American people.

It was in a war that our own freedom and in-
dependence were won. We cannot, then, regard
with indifference the much longer and not less
heroic struggles of Cuba for the same great bless-
ings. They have been conducted almost within
sight of our own shores, and have materially
affected our own interests. They cannot be
forgotten while liberty is loved or valor appre-
ciated. Neither can the story of them, told as it
is in this volume, in hot blood, directly from the
field of suffering and strife and triumph, be other
than fascinating to the student or to the patriot.

It had been the lot of this country to wage
three great wars before the present. The first
was for independence. The second was for sov-

(3)

f) VI ;t

4 PREFACE.

ereign rights in equality with all other nations.
The third was for the preservation of the Union.
All three were gloriously successful, both in the
triumph of our arms and in the establishment of
the principles for which they were waged.

, The latest of our wars was for a different
purpose. It was a missionary war. It was the
act of a great nation that, having won for itself
the blessings of freedom and popular government
and made itself secure, was generous enough and
brave enough to take up the gage of battle in be-
half of another people struggling to be free. The
record of our wars for self-interest is known to
all. Here is the story of our championship of
the interests of others. It forms a new and novel
chapter in our nation's annals and one not less
glorious than any earlier one.

This record, made largely by those who saw
the events narrated and were themselves a large
part of them, is likewise to be commended to the
reader, whether for study or for entertainment or
for the exaltation of patriotic sentiment. It is
instructive and inspiring, and fills a worthy place
in the literature of "Freedom's battle, oft begun."

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

BOOK I.
Cuba's Fight for Freedom.

Map of Cuba and the World. Frontispiece.

i. Panorama of Havana 19

2. Mono Castle, Havana 20

3. Boat Landing, Havana 37

4. Palace of the Captain-General, Havana 38

5. The Cathedral, Havana 55

6. Columbus Memorial Chapel, Havana ...... 56

7. The Indian Statue on the Prado, Havana .... 73

8. Obispo Street, Havana 74

9. Royal Lottery Ticket Seller, Havana 91

10. Bull Fight, Havana 92

11. Avenue of Royal Palms, Havana 109

12. Cuban Family at Home no

13. Sugar Plantation, Cuba 127

14. The "Virginius" Outrage — Shooting of the Four

Prominent Cuban Patriots 128

15. The Butchery of the Crew of the "Virginius" —

Scene at the Slaughter-house the Moment before
the Execution. Captain Frey bidding his
Companions Farewell 145

16. The "Virginius" Butchery — Spanish Horsemen

Trampling the Dead and the Dying Victims
into the Slaughter-house Trench at Santiago de

Cuba . . 146

(5)

^ f ~

6 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

17. After the Shooting of the Crew of the " Virginius "

Negroes of the Chain-gang Tumbling the Dead

Bodies of the Victims into Mule-carts .... 163

18. Ex-Captain General D. Valeriano Weyler .... 164

19. Papal Benediction of the Spanish Troops leaving

Vittoria for Cuba 181

20. Spanish Troops leaving Barcelona, Spain 182

21. Captain-General Blanco 199

22. Battalion of Spanish Troops before the Governor-

General's Palace, Havana 200

23. Maximo Gomez, the Chief of the Insurrection . . 217

24. General Calixto Garcia 218

25. Cuban Staff Officers 235

26. Cubans Attacking a Spanish Regiment 236

27. Cubans Burning a Deserted Village 253

28. An Insurgent Attack near Vueltas 254

29. Cubans Fighting from the Tree-tops 271

30. Spaniards Surrounded by Cubans 272

31. Battleship "Maine" 289

32. Destruction of the Battleship " Maine " 290

BOOK II.

The War with Spain.

33. Wreck of the Battleship "Maine" 307

34. William McKinley, President of the United States . 308

35. Queen Regent and Alphonso XIII 325

36. Opening the Spanish Cortez 326

37. Puerto de Sol, Madrid, Spain 343

38. General Fitzhugh Lee 344

39. Betore the Blockade of Havana, Cuba 361

40. Prominent Officers of the United States Army and

Navy 36z

/

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 7

41. Rear Admiral Sampson • • 379

42. Rear Admiral Dewey 380

43. Commodore Schley 397

44. Captain Sigsbee 398

45. Cruiser "New York" 415

46. Battleship "Indiana" 416

47. Battleship "Massachusetts" 433

48. Battleship "Oregon" 434

49. Battleship "Iowa" 451

50. Watching the Searchlights at Havana during the

Blockade 452

5 1 . Firing Six Pounders 469

52. Action on a Battleship 470

53. Action on a Monitor 487

54. Land Battery — Revolving Gun 488

55. Spanish Troops in San Juan, Porto Rico 505

56. Climbing the Mast to Man the Turret Guns .... 506

57. Map of Manila Bay and Forts 523

58. Panorama of Manila Harbor 524

59. Battle of Manila 541

60. United States Troops going to the Front 542

61. United States Troops in Camp 547

62. United States Troops Storming San Juan Hill, Cuba, 548

63. Bird's-eye View of Santiago City, Harbor and

Fortifications 557

64. Naval Battle off Santiago de Cuba 558

BOOK I.
Cuba's Fight For Freedom,

TABLE OF CONTENTS,

CHAPTER I.

Columbus in Cuba — The Second Visit — A Chiefs Ex-
hortation— Settlement and Slaughter — Las Casas
and His Work — Extinction of the Natives — De Soto
— The British Conquest — Progress and Prosperity. . 21

CHAPTER II.

1 General View of the Island — The Lay of the Land —
The Climate — Mineral Resources — Animal Life —
Vegetable Life — Cuban Scenery 35

CHAPTER III.

The Industries of Cuba — A Coffee Plantation — Preparing
Coffee for Market — Havana Cigars — A Cigar Fac-
tory— Sugar Plantations and Mills — How Sugar is
Made — Cathedral and Custom House — The Danse
du Ventre in Cuba— The Bull Ring— The Tomb
of Columbus — Among the Pawn Shops — A Hard
Bargain — Matanzas — A Wonderful Cave 48

CHAPTER IV.
How the Island is Governed — The Captain-General —
Freedom of the Press — Local Governments — Elec-
toral Trickery — "No Cubans Need Apply" — The
Spanish Senate — Discrimination Against Cubans —
Carpet-Baggers to the Fore — In the Local Offices —

(9)

IO CONTENTS.

Squeezing the Orange — The Awful Burden of Debt
— Treatment of Native Industry — Bad Commercial
Laws — Cuba Ruined for the Sake of Spain — Salaried
Carpet Baggers — Industries Driven to Bankruptcy —
No Public Instruction — Early Discontent — Lopez

and His Raids — The Killing of Pinto 81

CHAPTER V.
Outbreak of the Ten Years' War in 1868— The Declara-
tion of Independence — The Spanish Reply — War in
Earnest — Proclamation of Freedom — Regular Gov-
ernment Formed — Valmaseda's Bloody Orders —
American Sympathy Expressed — A Special Message. 117

CHAPTER VI.

Savage Methods of Spanish Soldiers — Spanish Testimony
— Meagre News in Havana — A Reign of Cruelty —
Character of the War — Safety of Havana — The
Spanish Mistake — Strength of the Patriots — Effects
of the War upon the Island — Ruined Towns — Little
Fighting — Much Destruction — Tactics of the Two
Armies — The Spaniards Half-Hearted — Slaughter in
the Five Towns — Outrages upon Women — Atrocities
of Camp Followers 132

CHAPTER VII.

Arrogant Conduct of the Spanish toward Americans and
English — The "Virginius" Outrage — Shooting
Four Cuban Patriots — American Citizens Murdered
in Cold Blood — Wild Demonstrations of Joy —
Surrender of the "Virginius" — The Formal Trans-
fer— How an English Captain Prevented a Massacre. 166

CHAPTER VIII.
Close of the Ten-Years' War — General Campos' Own
Story — Communication with the Insurgents — Rebel
Dissensions — Suspending Warfare — Progress toward

CONTENTS. 1 1

Peace — Coming to the Point — Campos' Motives —
Interview with Garcia — An Anxious Moment — At
Zanjon — The Terms Accepted — The End at Last —
A Review of the Situation — What the War Meant —
How the End was Reached — Campos' Appeal for
Justice — The Cost of the War 185

CHAPTER IX.

Beginning of the Revolution of 1895 — Where the Plot
Hatched — Famous Men who Organized the Rebel-
lion— Arrival of the Leaders in Cuba — How Gomez
Reached Cuba — Callejas' Attempts to Secure Peace
by Heroic Measures — The First Skirmishes — Ironical
Gratitude — Spread of the Rebellion 213

CHAPTER X.
The Patriots too much for Campos — Attitude of Other
Countries — The Insurgents Organize — Who the
Leaders Were — Battle of Sao del Indio — Battle of
Peralejo — A Spanish Force Wiped Out 228

CHAPTER XI.

The News in Cuba — The New Commander — Weyler's
Arrival — First Words to Cuba — No Neutrality —
Non-Combatants Menaced — Call for Surrender — To
End the War in Thirty Days — The Telegraph Lines
— Weyler's Proclamations — Must Praise Spain —
Passports and Credentials — Stores to be Seized —
Fate of Prisoners — More Troops for Weyler — The
Massacre of Guatao — Prisoners Killed — Very Near
Havana — The Towns Deserted — Weyler Calls a
Halt — Powers of Life and Death — More Proclama-
tions— For Extermination — Fifteen Days' Grace —
Threats — Offer of Amnesty — To Report on the
Suspects — Appeal for Recognition — A Long Debate
— Action by Congress 240

12 CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XII.

Latest Operations — The "Competitor" Case — Weyler
Forced to take the Field — Death of Osgood, the
American — Weyler goes out again^Attitude of the
Washington Government — The Death of Maceo —
Spain's Implacable Foe — Maceo' s Great Raid — The
Hero's Last Campaign — The Final Tragedy — The
Demand for Recognition 273

CHAPTER XIII.

The Murder o. Canovas — Sagasta in; Weyler out —
Marshal Blanco — McKinley's Words — No Americans
in Arrest Now — Offers of Autonomy — Objections to
the Scheme — Ruiz and Aranguren — The De Lome
Incident — Destruction of the Maine — A Survivor's
Story — Effects of the Disaster . . . 291

BOOK II,

The War with Spain0

CHAPTER XIV.

Beginning of our War with Spain — Appealing to the
Powers — General Lee Leaves Cuba — No European
Meddling — A Bogus Armistice — The President's
Message — Grounds for Intervention — The Time for
Action Come — Action of Congress — Spanish De-
fiance— General Woodford Leaves Madrid — War
and Blockade — The Challenge Accepted — European
Views — Causes of the War — A Striking Contrast —
Spain Reaping what She Sowed — Spain's Low
Estate — Important Step in American Politics. . . . 309

A

CONTENTS. 1 3

CHAPTER XV.

The Story of Spain — Roman Days in Spain — Pelayo —
Rise of Spanish Power — The Modern Tiberius — The
Decline of Spain — Ferdinand's Bad Reign — The
Carlist Revolt — The Latest Chapter — Porto Rico
— Character of the Island — The Capital — An Ancient
Walled City — The Philippines — Spanish Settlement
in 1565 — Invaded by Other Nations — Greatly Op-
pressed and Taxed — Some Natives Unsubdued —
Natives Mild and Amiable — Trade of the Islands —
Foreign Commerce Begins 334

CHAPTER XVI.

Resources of the Two Combatants Compared — Armies
and Navies — The Spanish Navy — United States
Ships — North Atlantic Squadron — Flying Squadron
— Pacific Station — Asiatic Station — Unassigned —
Special Service — Monitors — Training Ships — Auxil-
iary Fleet — The Spanish Soldier — The Cigarette
his Solace — Bullied, Ill-treated and Robbed — The
Army in Cuba — Spanish Pronunciation — West
Indian Geographical Names — Cuban Proper Names
— Spanish Geographical Names — Spanish Proper
Names — Names of Spanish Ships 360

CHAPTER XVII.

Blockading Havana — The First Prize — Taking the Pedro
— Shots from Morro Castle — In Havana — More
Prizes — A False Alarm — Adventures of a Press
Boat — A Smart Capture — Work of a Monitor — A
Privileged French Steamer 392

14 CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XVIII.
The War in the Far East — The Opposing Fleets — Panic
at Manila — Entering Manila Bay — The Battle of
Manila — The Spaniards Brave but Beaten — A Halt
for Breaktast — Finishing the Job — An Unrivalled
Performance — Telling the News — The President
Thanks Dewey — Dewey's Record — Taking Posses-
sion of the Philippines 411

CHAPTER XIX.
With the Blockading Fleet — Shelling Matanzas — Other
Ships Join in — Getting Closer to the Mark — " Cease
Firing ' ' — Aboard Ship — Scenes on the New York
— The Men at the Guns — Sick Men wanted to be
in it — Blanco's Mule Story — Cavalry Against Navy
— The Admiral Teaches another Lesson — The Car-
denas Tragedy — Helpless Under Fire — The Fatal
Shot — Damage to the Enemy — Ensign Worth Bag-
ley — The Gussie's Failure — Bombarding San Juan —
The Battle of Santiago de Cuba — Spaniards on the
Run — Line Cut off Mole St. Nicolas 431

CHAPTER XX.

The Voyage of the Oregon — No Thought of War — Fine
Work at Sea — In the Straits of Magellan — Good-by
to the Slow Vessels — End of the Great Voyage — A
Remarkable Speed Record — Her Size and Her
Armament — The Oregon's Commander 459

CHAPTER XXI.

The Spanish Cape Verd Fleet — Seeking the Spaniards —
News at Last — Santiago de Cuba — The First Attack
— A Peep into the Harbor — Firing Big Guns —
Results of the Shooting— "Sealing the Cork"— The
Search for the Survivors — Waiting for Hobson's
Return — What Hobson Did 474

CONTENTS. 15

CHAPTER XXII.

The Seventh Regiment — Two Big Camps — The Second
Call — General Shafter — For the Philippines — Pre-
paring to Invade Cuba — The Trip to Cuba — Opera-
tions at Guantanamo — Raiding a Spanish Camp —
Spaniards Rush for the Bushes — The Dolphin
Throws Shells 490

CHAPTER XXIII.
Battle of La Quasina — Captain Capron's Heroic Death
— The General Advance — Skill and Valor of Cubans
— Work of the Fleet — Spain's Banner Falls — Cer-
vera's Startling Move — Cervera's Ship Opens the
Fight — The Texas in the Thick of it. — The Oregon
and Iowa to the Front — End of the Destroyers —
"Don't Cheer; the Poor Devils are Dying" —
Greatest Chase of Modern Times — Down Came the
Colon's Flag — It was Schley's Victory — Not Likely
that the Colon can be Saved — Admiral Cervera
Wounded — Surrender of Santiago — Discussing Terms
— Great Rejoicings 503

CHAPTER XXIV.
Taking Possession of Santiago — Occupied without For-
mality— Governing the Captured City — To Enjoy
American Freedom — Private Property Rights Re-
spected— The Capture of Nipe — Guantanamo Sur-
renders— On to Porto Rico — Spaniards Taken by
Surprise — Gloucester Shells the Town — Cavalrymen
Driven to Hills — Americans Welcomed — More
Prize Taking — Thought Prize was Recaptured —
Surprised Spanish Sailors — On to Havana — In the
Philippines — Tested Quality of Troops — Negotia-
tions for Peace — The Terms Offered — Spain Con-

1 6 CONTENTS.

siders the Terms — Coming to the White House —
The Protocol's Appearance — Judge Day and M.
Cambon Sign — Text of the Protocol 531

CHAPTER XXV.
After the Protocol— Land and Naval Battle of Manila-
Advance of the Troops — End of the Bombardment —
Fighting in the Streets — Asking for Terms — Surren-
der of the City — More German Meddling — Peace
Commissions— Orders for Manila — The Warships on
Review 560

BOOK I.
Cuba's Fight For Freedom

CHAPTER I.

COLUMBUS IN CUBA — THE SECOND VISIT A CHIEF S

EXHORTATION— SETTLEMENT AND SLAUGHTER

LAS CALAS AND HIS WORK EXTINCTION OF THE

NATIVES DE SOTO THE BRITISH CONQUEST

PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY.

<f*

HE HISTORY of Cuba begins with the
discovery of the western world by
Christopher Columbus. It was on Sep-
tember 25, 1492, that Martin Alonzo Pinzon,
standing on the high quarter deck of the Admi-
ral's ship, shouted "Land! land! Senor, I claim
the reward!" It was on October 12 that land
was actully reached. And it was on October 28
that Cuba was discovered. Columbus, as we
know, was in quest of the fabled Cipango, the
golden land of the East Indies, where Kublai
Khan reigned. What he actually first reached
was one of the Bahamas, called by the natives
Guanahani. Columbus called it San Salvador,
and the British have since named it Cat Island.

Columbus soon discovered the land he had
reached to be a small island, and accordingly
set sail for the main land, which he reckoned
2 (21)

22 CUBA.

to be somewhere near. He passed many beauti-
ful islands, visiting three of them, and was enrap-
tured with their loveliness. "1 know not," he
wrote in his diary, "where first to go. Neither
are my eyes ever weary of gazing upon the beau-
tiful verdure. The song of the birds is so sweet
that it seems as if one would never desire to
depart hence. There are flocks of parrots that
obscure the sun, and other birds of many kinds,
large and small. There are majestic trees of a
thousand species, each having its particular fruit,
and all of marvelous flavor."

These, however, were mere islands. Nor
did he find on them the gold and gems and
spices of which he was in quest. But the natives
told him of a great land lying to the south, which
they called Cuba. It was, they said, rich in gold
and pearls and other precious things, and Colum-
bus felt sure it was the country of the Great
Khan, of which Marco Polo had written. So he
pressed on toward it, and on October 28th came
to its shores. On that day he wrote in his diary:
"This is the most beautiful land ever beheld by
human eyes."

Columbus in Cuba.

As he approached the island he believed it
was the main land. He noted with admiration
its lofty mountains, its deep, clear rivers, its fine
harbors, and the attractive appearance of all the

CUBA. 23

country. Then he cast anchor in the bay of a
river just west of Nuevitas del Principe, and went
ashore, taking formal possession of the land in
the name of Spain. He spent many days in
exploring the coast, landing here and there and
visiting the native villages. The inhabitants
were a race of Indians of gentle demeanor.
They lived in a state of happy tranquillity among
themselves, and possessed a religion devoid
of rites and ceremonies, but inculcating a belief
in the existence of a great and beneficent Deity
•and in the immortality of the soul.

Columbus went along the coast toward the
northwest, until he reached a great headland
which he called the Cape of Palms. Beyond
this he was told there was a river up which it was
only four days' journey to " Cubanacan." By
this the natives meant merely the interior of the
island. But Columbus thought they meant the
land of Kublai Khan, and was thus convinced
that he was at last on the main land of Asia, near
the rich realms of Cathay. He accordingly sent
an embassy into the interior, to visit the Prince
who ruled over those regions. The embassadors
returned to the ship, however, after going inland
twelve leagues, and reported that they had found
no city and no prince and nothing but Indian
villages. Neither did they find any gold. But
they observed that the natives practiced a curious

24 CUBA.

habit, of rolling up the dried leaves of a certain
herb, setting fire to one end of the roll, putting
the other end in their mouths, and alternately
inhaling and puffing out the smoke. Such a roll
they called a tobacco. The Spaniards were
astonished at this strange practice, but soon
found it pleasant and themselves adopted it,
calling the plant from which the rolls were made
by the name which the Indians gave to the roll
itself.

The explorer was disappointed in not finding
the Court of Kublai Khan, and now turned to the
east and south, and after some days sailing he
reached the end of the island, now known as
Cape Maysi. Supposing it to be the extreme
end of the Asian continent, he called it Alpha and
Omega, the Beginning and the End, and then set
sail for Hayti.

The Second Visit.

Columbus's second voyage was directed to
the further exploration of Cuba, which he still
believed to be the Asian continent. He reached
Cape Maysi on April 29, 1494, and proceeded
along the southern coast. Here and there he
put in at harbors, and inquired of the natives for
the land of gold. They all directed him to the
southwest, telling him another great land lay
there, rich in gold and gems. Doubtless they
meant the South American continent. So, on

CUBA. 25

May 3, Columbus turned thither, but discovered
nothing but the Island of Jamaica, and on May 18
he returned to Cuba. He arrived at a great cape,
to which he gave the name of Cabo de la Cruz or
Cape of the Cross, by which it is still known.
Then he ran into a beautiful archipelago and
called it the Queen's Garden. Every day re-
vealed new beauties of land and sea. The delighted
voyager believed that he had surely reached
"Summer Isles of Eden, lying in dark purple
spheres of sea."

League after league he sailed along the coast
toward the west, more and more convinced that
he had found the land of the Great Khan. He
proposed to keep on and circumnavigate the
globe, returning by way of Africa. But his ships
were out of repair and his crews weary, so at last
he had reluctantly to turn back. Before he did
so he had every one of his officers and men sign
a declaration of their belief that Cuba was the
western extremity of the continent of Asia. This
was done while the ships lay in the Bay of Cortes,
or Bay of Phillipina. If only some one had taken
the trouble at that time to climb to the mast-head,
he might have seen the open sea to the northward
of the island and thus have discovered that Cuba
was nothing but an island. Or had Columbus
kept on for two or three days more, he would
have reached the western end of the island and

26 CUBA.

thus have learned what it really was. Instead,
he returned to Spain still cherishing his delusion.

A Chiefs Exhortation.

His last landing was made in Cuba on July 7.
At the mouth of a fine river he set up a cross
and had the service of the Mass performed.
Among the Indians who looked on at this cere-
mony in mute amazement was one venerable chief
who at the end of the ceremony said to Colum-
bus: "I am told that you have come to this
country with a mighty force and have subdued
many lands, spreading great fear among the
people. But do not therefore be vainglorious.
Remember that, according to our belief, the souls
of men have two journeys to perform after they
have departed from the body. One is to a place
that is dismal, foul, and covered with darkness,
prepared for those who have been unjust and
cruel to their fellow-men. The other is to a place
full of delight and beauty, for those who have
promoted peace on earth. Therefore if you are
mortal and expect to die, see to it that you hurt
no man wrongfully nor do harm to those who
have done no harm to you."

A third short visit was made by Columbus
to the southern shores of Cuba at the end of May,
1 503, and that concluded his adventures in that
island. In 151 1 his son, Diego Columbus, for the
purpose of colonizing the island, fitted out an

CUBA. 27

expedition, consisting of more than three hun-
dred men, under Diego Velasquez, who had
accompanied his father on his second voyage.
Their first settlement was Baracoa, and in 15 14
they founded Santiago and Trinidad. In July,
1 5 15, was planted a town called San Cristoval de
la Havana, which was in 15 19 named Batabano,
and its original title transferred to the present
capital of the island. The island itself, by the
way, was first named by Columbus Juana, in
honor of Prince John, son of Ferdinand and Isa-
bella. After Ferdinand's death it was re-named
Fernandina. Next it was designated Santiago,
for the patron saint of Spain. Still later it was
called Ave Maria, in honor of the Holy Virgin.
Finally it was called Cuba, that being the name
by which it was known among the natives at the
time of its discovery.

Settlement and Slaughter.

As we have said the conquest of the island
was seriously undertaken in 15.11. The expedi-
tion was organized in San Domingo, under the
command of Diego Velasquez and numbered
more than three hundred men. Among them was
Hernando Cortez, the future conqueror of Mexico.
There also was the celebrated Bartolome Las
Casas, known as the Apostle to the Indies.

The harsh and brutal treatment imposed by
the Spaniards upon the Indians in San Domingo

28 CUBA.

had caused many of the latter to cross over to
Cuba, where they expected to live in security and
peace. Among these was the famous chief,
Hatuey, whose name stands upon the pages of
history as a monument of courage and patriotism
in the face of Spanish ferocity and cruelty. As
soon as he learned that the Spaniards had landed
in Cuba, Hatuey collected his warriors and pro-
ceeded to oppose the invaders. But the struggle
was a useless one and hopeless from the outset.
The weapons of the Indians consisted of arrows
pointed with fishbones and of clubs, the ends of
which were hardened by fire, while the Spaniards,
besides protecting their bodies with heavy cloth-
ing which the weak points of the Indian arrows
could scarcely penetrate, were provided with ex-
cellent swords, powerful cross-bows, some fire-
arms and a few horses. After several encounters
Hatuey fell into the hands of the Spaniards and
was condemned by Velasquez to be burned at
the stake. When he was already tied to the
stake, and the fagots were about to be lighted,
the chief was approached by a priest who began
to pray that his soul might be taken to heaven.
Hearing this, Hatuey asked to which of the two
places the Spaniards would go when they died.
He was told that they would all certainly go to
heaven. "Then," he exclaimed, resolutely, "let
me go to hell !"

CUBA. 29

I<as Casas and His Work.

Las Casas, whom we have already mentioned,
was the son of one of the companions of Colum-
bus on his first voyage of discovery to the new
world. In 1498 he accompanied his father in an
expedition under Columbus to the West Indies,
and in 1502 he went to Hayti, where he was
admitted to priestly orders, being the first person
to receive such consecration in the new world.
In 151 1, the conquest of Cuba having been re-
solved on, he went to that island to take part in
the work of "population and pacification." He
witnessed and vainly tried to check the terrible
massacres of Indians which Velasquez soon per-
petrated. A year or two later there was assigned
to him a large village in the neighborhood of
Xagua, inhabited by many Indians, as his share
of the new colony. Here, like the rest of his
countrymen, he sought to make the most of his
opportunity of growing rich, though he continued
occasionally to preach and celebrate Mass. Soon,
however, having become deeply convinced of the
injustice and other moral evils of the system of
rule adopted by the Spaniards, he began to
preach against it, at the same time giving up his
own slaves. Then he went to Spain to speak in
behalf of the oppressed natives, and the result
of his representations was that in 15 16 Cardinal
Jimenez sent over a commission for the reform

30 CUBA.

of abuses — Las Casas himself, with a salary and
the title of " Protector of the Indians," being ap-
pointed a member of it. He soon found, how-
ever, that the other members of the commission
were altogether indifferent to the cause which he
had so much at heart and he accordingly returned
to Spain where he developed his scheme for the
complete liberation of the Indians. This scheme
not only included facilities for emigration from
Spain, but was intended to give to each Spanish
resident in the colonies the right of importing
twelve negro slaves. The emigration movement
proved a failure, and Las Casas lived long enough
to express his sorrow and shame for having been
so slow to perceive that the African negroes were
as much entitled to the rights of man as were the
American Indians.

Extinction of the Hatives.
Velasquez was thus the founder of Indian slav-
ery, and Las Casas of negro slavery, in America.
The Indians who were not distributed among the
Spaniards as slaves were compelled to pay a
tribute in gold dust, and as gold never abounded
in Cuba this was a difficult thing to do. Although
the Indians were physically well developed, they
were not accustomed to continuous and hard
labor. The tasks imposed upon them by their
ruthless Spanish masters caused so great a mor-
tality that in about half a century the whole native

CUBA. 31

population of the island had disappeared. Some
of the estimates placed the number of inhabitants
of the country originally at 800,000. Others
place it at no more than 400,000. But even tak-
ing the latter figure as correct, what a frightful
destruction of human life there was in a few
years !

The discovery and conquest of Mexico and
Peru, with their immense wealth, caused the
Spanish to look upon Cuba with indifference, and
for nearly 300 years it was almost forgotten.
Nothing but the geographical position of Havana
saved the island from utter neglect and oblivion
in Spain. It was a convenient stopping-place for
ships plying between Spain and the American
continent, but so little was known in Spain about
Cuba that not infrequently, even as late as the
latter part of the last century, official dispatches
were addressed to the Island of Havana. Even
after the country was yielding to the Spanish
treasury millions of dollars of revenue every
year, the Spaniards remained so ignorant about
Cuban matters that in the laws enacted for Cuba
at Madrid in 1856 a reward was offered for the
killing of "foxes, ferrets, wolves and other wild
beasts of prey." Of such animals not a trace had
ever been discovered in the island. The only
wolves and other wild beasts of prey known to
the Cubans have been the Spanish office-holders.

32

CUBA.

De Soto.

Havana was frequently attacked by the ships
of powers hostile to Spain. In 1538 it was
almost entirely destroyed by a French privateer.
To prevent a similar disaster in future the Castillo
de la Fuerza, a fortress which still exists, was
built by Fernando de Soto, who was then Gover-
nor of Cuba. This was the same de Soto who
afterward became famous for his explorations in
the southern and western regions of the United
States and for the discovery of the Mississippi
River. When he went on his last expedition to
North America, on which he lost his life, he left
his wife and family behind him at Havana, where
his wife died of a broken heart three days after
receiving news of his death.

The British Conquest.

Despite this fortress, in 1554, the French
again attacked and partly destroyed Havana. The
early settlers of Cuba devoted themselves chiefly
to the rearing of cattle, but about 1580 the
cultivation of tobacco and the sugar cane was
commenced, and this led to a vast development
of the system of negro slavery. Previous to
1600 two more forts were built for the defence of
Havana. These were the Punta and the Morro
Castle, which are still in existence. For a century
and a half after this date the island was kept in a
state of almost perpetual fear of invasion from the

CUBA. 33

French, English, Dutch, and other raiders. It
also suffered much from the pirates and freeboot-
ers who infested those seas. About 1665 the
building of strong walls around the city was
commenced. In 1 762 Havana was captured after
a desperate struggle by an English fleet and army
under Lord Albemarle. The fleet consisted of
more than two hundred vessels of all classes
manned by more than fourteen thousand men,
while the Spanish army of defense numbered
more than twenty-seven thousand. The assault
began on June 6th. On July 30th Morro Castle
was surrendered, and on August 14th the city
itself capitulated. The spoil divided among the
conquerors amounted to more than $3,600,000.
By a treaty concluded at Paris in the following
year Cuba was restored to the Spaniards and
thereafter its progress was rapid. Indeed, that
was the beginning of the island's real importance
and prosperity.

Progress and Prosperity.
Another Las Casas arrived in 1 790 as Cap-
tain-General of the island and his administration
was a brilliant time in the history of Cuba. He
promoted with indefatigable perseverance a great
and useful series of public works. He also intro-
duced the culture of indigo, which became an
important industry. He extended the commer-
cial importance of the island by removing as far

34

CUBA.

as possible the trammels imposed upon it by the
old system of monopoly, and also made noble
efforts for the emancipation of the slaves. It was
owing to his wise administration that the island
remained peaceful during the time of the revolu-
tion in Hayti, although the latter was closely
watched by the negroes in Cuba and a con-
spiracy for revolt was actually formed among
them by French agents. Many of the French
who were driven out of Hayti by the negro revo-
lutionists came to Cuba in 1795 and settled there.
The news that Napoleon had deposed the
royal family of Spain reached Cuba in July, 1808.
It caused great excitement and aroused much
patriotic enthusiasm. All the officers of the
island at once took oath to preserve Cuba for the
deposed sovereign and declared war against
Napoleon. It was partly from this fact, and
partly from the fact that it remained loyal to Spain
when, a dozen years later, all the South American
colonies revolted, that Cuba received the name of
"The Ever Faithful Isle."

CHAPTER II.

GENERAL VIEW OF THE ISLAND THE LAY OF THE

LAND THE CLIMATE MINERAL RESOURCES

ANIMAL LIFE VEGETABLE LIFE CUBAN SCE-
NERY.

UBA EXTENDS from Cape Maysi, on
the east, to Cape St. Antonio, on the
west, in a curved line of 790 miles. It
lies between 190 and 230 north latitude, and 740
and 850 west longitude. It is 117 miles wide in
the broadest part ; from Cape Maternillos point
on the north, to the western point of Mota
Cove, on the south twenty-one miles east of
Cape Cruz — the Cape of the Cross.

The narrowest part of the Island is twenty-
two miles, from the mouth of Bahia del Mariel,
on the north of Cove of Mavana on the south.
From Havana to^Batabano, it is twenty-eight
miles ; near the centre of the Island, the breadth
north and south is about seventy-five miles.
The periphery of the Island, following a line the
less tortuous and cutting the bays, parts and
coasts at their mouths, is 1,719 miles, of which

(35)

36

CUBA.

816 are on the north and 903 on the south. Its
area is about 55,000 square miles ; and taking
into the estimate the adjacent islands, or keys
which belong to it, it is 64,000 square miles. The
form of the Island is exceedingly irregular, ap-
proaching that of a long, narrow crescent, the
convex portion of which looks toward the Arctic
pole. Her situation in regard to that pole is
nearly from east by south to west by north-
west. It is the most westerly of the West India
Islands, and the western part is placed advantage-
ously in the mouth of the Mexican gulf, leaving
two spacious entrances ; the one of the north-
west, 124 miles wide, between Point Hicacos, the
most northerly of the Island, and Point Tancha,
or Cape Sable, the most southerly of East
Florida. The other entrance into the Gulf to
the southwest, is 97 miles in its narrowest part,
between Cape St. Antonio, of Cuba, and Cape
Catoche, the most salient extremity of the Penin-
sula of Yucatan ; from Cape Mola, or St. Nicho-
las, in the Island of St. Domingo, the eastern
extremity of Cuba, or Maysi Point, is separated
by a channel forty-two miles wide. From Maysi
to Great Enagua, the nearest of the Lucayas, or
Bahama Islands, the distance to the northeast is
forty-five miles. From Point Lucrecia, in Cuba,
the most easterly point of the great bank of
Bahama, in the old Bahama Channel, called St.

Jr

' ■;„; »"

10

: i

i

fcff

Bill 7 ^Aita

His. >.

:j ! j

pH^Mk^ft *

;"

-V__

CUBA. 39

Domingo's key, thirty-four miles. From Punto
del Ingles, on the South of Cuba, to the nearest
point of the northern coast of Jamaica, the dis-
tance is seventy five miles.

Cuba contains the following ports on the
North, viz. : Guardiana, Bahia Honda, Cabana,
Mariel, Havana, Matanzas, Cardenas, Sagua la
Grande, San Juan de los Remedios, Guanaja,
Nuevitas, Nuevas Grandes, Manati Puerto del
Padre, Puerto del Mangle, Jibara, Jururu, Bariai,
Vita, Naranjo, Salma Banes, Nipe, Leviza Cabo-
nico, Tanamo, Cebollas, Zaquaneque, Zaragua,
Taco, Cuyaguaneque Navas, Maravi, Baracoa and
Manta — thirty-seven in all. On the South, Bati-
queri, Puerto Escondido, Guantanamo, Santiago
de Cuba, Mota, Manzanillo, Santa Cruz, Ver-
tientes, Masio, Casilda, Jagua, Ensenada de Cor-
tez and Ensenada de Cochinos — thirteen in all.
The Lay of the Land.

Low as the coast lands are, the island is
plentifully supplied with hills and mountains.
The highest part of the island is in the southeast
portion, the loftiest peaks here reaching a height
of more than 7,600 feet. From these mountains
a ridge of somewhat less general elevation follows
closely to the central line of the island westward,
rising to a height of 2,530 feet at the extreme
west. A considerable group of hills also rises
immediately behind the harbor of Trinidad, near
3

4Q

CUBA.

the centre of the southern coast. The summits
of the mountains are mostly rocky and naked,
though occasionally smooth and covered with soil
and vegetation. The internal structures of the
mountains consist of chalk, limestone, sandstone,
and gypsum. There are also numerous masses
of serpentine and syenitic rocks. In some places
petroleum is found in considerable quantities
among the serpentine, and abundant springs of
the same oil are also found in the eastern part of
the island.

The rivers of Cuba are necessarily short, and
their course is generally toward the north or
south. The largest is the Cauto, which is about
150 miles long, and navigable for sixty miles.
Several others are navigable for from five to fifteen
miles each. At the northeast of Guantanamo is
the hill of Moa, in which is a huge cavern, and in
that cavern the river Moa descends in a superb
cascade more than 300 feet high.
The Climate.

Cuba lies near the northern edge of the
tropical zone and its climate is therefore largely
torrid. On the high ground of the interior, how-
ever, it is fairly temperate. As in other tropical
and semi-tropical countries, the year is divided
into two seasons, known as the wet and the dry,
the former being the hotter of the two. The wet
season extends from May to October, although

CUBA. 41

rain falls in every month of the year. Spring
begins in May, and thenceforward thunder storms
are of almost daily occurrence until fall. Almost
every day is exceedingly warm except on the
mountain-tops. From November to April is the
dry season, when the temperature is somewhat
more moderate. The average rainfall at Havana
in the wet season is about 27 8-10 inches and in
the dry season 12 7-10 inches, making a total of
40 5-10 inches for the year. At Havana in July
and August the average temperature is 820 Fah-
renheit, varying between a maximum of 88° and
a minimum of 760. In December and January
the maximum is 780 and the minimum 580, the
average being 720. The average temperature at
Havana the year round is yy°. In the interior of
the Island, at elevations more than 300 feet above
the sea, the mercury occasionally falls to the
freezing point in winter. Light frosts are not
uncommon and thin ice is sometimes formed.
Snow, however, is never known to fall in the
Island The prevailing wind is from the east, but
from November to February the north wind occa-
sionally blows for not more than two days at a
time, especially in the western part of the island.
As a rule the hottest hours in the day are from
ten o'clock to noon. In the afternoon a refresh-
ing breeze almost always sets in from the sea.
From August to October is the hurricane season.

42

CUBA.

These storms are sometimes extremely severe
and destructive, though not so much so as in other
West Indian Islands. Sometimes five or six years
pass without a single hurricane. Earthquake
shocks are occasionally felt, but are seldom so
severe as to be destructive.

No serious diseases are known to be in-
digenous to the island. Yellow fever, which
rages every year on all the coast lands, was im-
ported many years ago by vessels engaged in
the slave trade. It is probable that its contin-
uance and annual recurrence has been due to the
indescribably foul condition of the harbors, espec-
ially that of Havana. This plague causes great
loss of life every year, especially among visitors
and naturalized residents of the island. It attacks
comparatively few of the natives and its ravages
are exclusively confined to the lowlands along
the coast.

Mineral Resources.

The mineral resources of the island have not
yet been developed nor even explored to any
considerable extent. Gold and silver have, un-
doubtedly, been found on the island in various
places, but never in quantities sufficient to pay
for the working of mines. The early settlers
sent gold to Spain from the island, but they
obtained it from the aborigines who had accu-
mulated it for centuries and had probably im-

CUBA. 43

ported it from other islands and from Mexico and
the South American continent. Traces of orold-
bearing sand are found in several of the rivers,
and attempts have been made at two or three
places to secure the metal in paying quantities,
but without success. Early in the present cen-
tury silver and copper were discovered in the
Province of Villa Clara, and some of the first ores
found yielded no less than seven ounces of pure
silver to the quintal, a quintal being 107^
pounds. The mines have never been properly
worked, however, and thus have been regarded
as unprofitable. Near Santiago, in the eastern
part of the island, are some copper mines of
great extent and richness. A considerable town
has grown up about them and a railroad has
been built to carry their product to the sea.
More than fifty tons of very rich ore have been
taken out daily, the best of it being shipped direct
to Europe for reduction. The poorer part of it
is retained and smelted on the island. These
mines were worked with considerable success
during the seventeenth century, but during the
eighteenth century were entirely neglected.

Coal is found in almost inexhaustible quanti-
ties. It is of a highly bituminous character, giv-
ing out much heat, and leaving very little ashes
or cinders. In some places it degenerates into
semi-liquid form, resembling asphaltum, and in

44

CUBA.

some places naphtha or petroleum. There are ex-
cellent quarries of slate near Havana, the product
of which is used for floors and pavements. In
many parts of the island of Cuba, and more par-
ticularly in the Isle of Pines, marble and jasper,
of various colors and fine quality, are found. Iron
is believed to exist in considerable quantities, es-
pecially among the highest mountain peaks, but
because of the difficulty of access, the scarcity of
fuel, the want of capital, and perhaps, above all,
lack of enterprise and energy, no considerable
mining operations have ever been undertaken.
Animal I*ife.

The aboriginal animal life of Cuba varied but
little from that of other islands. Savage wild
beasts were unknown. The only quadruped pe-
culiar to the island is the hutia. This is an
animal somewhat resembling a rat in form, and
from twelve to eighteen inches in length, exclusive
of the tail. It is pure black in color, lives among
trees, and feeds on leaves and fruit. Its flesh is
sometimes used as an article of diet. A few deer
have been found in various parts of the island,
but they are supposed to have been introduced
from Florida. Plenty of wild dogs and cats are
found in the woods, but they are merely the de-
generate descendants of tame creatures.

The chief domestic animals are the ox, the
horse, and the pig, and these form a large pro-

CUBA. 45

portion of the wealth of the island. Sheep, goats
and mules are less numerous. The manatee is
found along the coasts, but no attempt has ever
been made to domesticate it. Domestic fowls in-
clude geese, turkeys, peacocks and pigeons. The
wild birds are notable for the beauty of their
plumage, and more than 200 different species are
found on the island. There are very few birds of
prey. The principal ones are the vulture and the
turkey buzzard, and these are protected from
destruction by law, on account of their services
as scavengers. The waters in and about the
island are plentifully supplied with fish. Oysters
and other shell fish also abound, but are of infe-
rior quality. Numerous turtles are found on the
coast and reefs, some of them attaining enormous
size. They and their eggs form an important
article of diet. Crocodiles and enormous lizards
are common. Land-crabs are frequently seen in
large numbers. These cross the island from north
to south every spring, at the beginning of the
rainy season. There are comparatively few snakes.
The largest is the maja, which attains a length of
twelve or fourteen feet, but is quite harmless.
The most venomous snake is the juba, which
grows to a length of about six feet.

Among the insect life of Cuba the most no-
table creature is the firefly. These flies are very
large and luminous and exist in enormous num-

46 CUBA.

bers. They are much used among the poorer
people instead of lamps or candles. A dozen or
more of them confined in a bottle or even an
empty gourd pierced with holes will serve to illu-
minate a room fairly well. Bees are exceedingly
abundant throughout the island. The poisonous
insects are the jigger, one species of ant, the
mosquito, the sandfly, the scorpion, and spiders.
Vegetable I«ife.

A considerable portion of the area of Cuba
is covered with forests, some of them being so
dense as to be almost impenetrable. It was
estimated a few years ago that of nearly 20,000,-
000 acres of land still remaining wild and uncul-
tivated, about 13,000,000 were covered with
uncleared forest. Among the valuable woods
are mahogany, ebony, cedar and grandilla.
These are valuable for manufactures, cabinet
work and ship-building, and form a considerable
article of export. The most valuable tree on the
island, however, is the palm, which abounds
everywhere.

The fruits and vegetables of Cuba are such
as are found elsewhere in the tropics. Most
esteemed of all are the banana and plantain, the
pineapple, the orange and the cocoa. The sweet-
and-bitter cassava, the sweet potato, or yam, and
other farinaceous roots are common, and Indian
corn and rice are extensively cultivated.

CUBA. 47

Cuban Scenery.

Travelers coming to Cuba for the first time
usually see what they have expected to see, and
fall temporarily into ecstasies over tropical scen-
ery and semi-saracenic architectural effects. It is
imagination fired by overheated books of travel
that lends to the view greater enchantment than
distance in a foreign land. When the eye becomes
accustomed to the contrasts with familiar scenes
offered in town and country, disenchantment
quickly follows. Then the truth is discerned that
the woods, foliage, plants, flowers, landscape ef-
fects and suburban drives are incomparably more
beautiful in the temperate zone than in the tropics.
Raptures over Cuban scenery are transitory va-
garies in Havana. The harbor, with a long line
of high-bastioned fortifications flanking the low
peninsula upon which the city stands, is an impos-
ing pageant, especially under a moonlit sky ; but
the country about the city is flat and unimpressive.
A railway ride across the island from Batabano,
or westward to Matanzas, discloses vistas of
undulating levels and moors under poor cultiva-
tion, relieved only by sentinel palms of the royal
guard, or by encampments of palmettos, or by
straggling cabins with palm-leaf roofs. The plazas
have an ill-nourished and stunted look. The
Bishop's Garden in Tulipan was once a lovely re-
treat, but it is now neglected ground.

CHAPTER III.

THE INDUSTRIES OF CUBA A COFFEE PLANTATION

PREPARING COFFEE FOR MARKET HAVANA

CIGARS A CIGAR FACTORY SUGAR PLANTA-
TIONS AND MILLS HOW SUGAR IS MADE

CATHEDRAL AND CUSTOM HOUSE THE DANSE

DU VENTRE IN CUBA THE BULL RING THE

TOMB OF COLUMBUS AMONG THE PAWN-SHOPS

A HARD BARGAIN MATANZAS A WONDER-
FUL CAVE.

dp

HE PRINCIPAL agricultural products
of Cuba are sugar, coffee and tobacco.
In former years indigo was extensively
cultivated, but that industry has greatly declined.
The sugar industry has also been injured by the
development of beet sugar production in various
other countries. Still, the sugar plantations and
mills, which include both refineries and distilleries
for the production of rum, are the most important
industrial establishments of the island. The bulk
of the sugar is shipped to the United States.
Next in importance is the coffee industry, which
was established in 1748, the seeds having been
brought from San Domingo. Tobacco is indig-
enous to Cuba, and is famous over the world for
its fine quality. Hundreds of millions of cigars
are exported every year, beside many million
pounds of leaf tobacco.

(48)

CUBA. 49

The other industries of Cuba comprise
cattle farms, cotton plantations, fruit and vege-
table farms, chocolate plantations, and bee farms,
devoted to the production of honey and wax.
Generally speaking, it may be said that these
industries have been conducted in a rather slip-
shod manner. The best establishments are now
those conducted by Americans, largely with
Chinese labor. At the same time, contact with
American progress has considerably improved
the character and disposition of the natives, and
under a proper government the industrial condi-
tion of the island would be vastly improved, and
would contain a considerable measure of that
prosperity for which nature evidently designed
it. The saying that " if you tickle the earth with
a hoe it laughs with a harvest" is to no country
more applicable than to Cuba.

Four centuries have been nearly rounded out
since the discoveries of Columbus, yet Cuba to-day
is, with the single exception of Brazil, the least-
developed country in the New World. Out of a
total area of 43,000 square miles barely more
than one-tenth is under cultivation. At the west-
ern end of the island there is a population exceed-
ing 1,000,000, but the remaining districts, of which
Puerto Principe and Santiago are the capitals, are
practically unsettled, having between them less
than 500,000 whites, negroes and Chinese. Only

50 CUBA.

within five years has iron-mining begun in earnest.
The forest areas are unexplored. There are vast
tracts of unreclaimed lands available for future in-
dustry. There are broad savannas, now aban-
doned to tropical thickets, where sugar, tobacco
and corn could be cultivated. If there are now
1 500 sugar plantations, large and small, on the
island, there could be 15,000. If there are 15,000
tobacco-planters of every degree, the number
might be multiplied. If coffee-farming has de-
clined and is now restricted mainly to the moun-
tain slopes of Guantanamo, it could be restored
to its old-time efficiency and prosperity. A trans-
formation of administration and economic condi-
tions are needed in order that there may be a new
and reinvigorated Cuba. Spanish rule has been
like the wild Indian fig of the island that winds
about the monarch trees of the forest and para-
lyzes and kills them with its serpentine embrace.
The destroying fig must first be uprooted before
the tree can have soil, light, air and moisture
needed for its normal growth.

A Coffee Plantation.
Any person desiring to make a coffee estate
chooses for his plaza, or plantation, high and
steep ground, if possible facing east and west ;
altitude above sea-level from 1,000 to 3,000 feet.
Experience has proven that ground lower than
1,000 feet is too apt in the dry season to parch

CUBA. 5 I

and give the plant insufficient moisture, whereas
on the mountain side in the altitude mentioned
the dews are always heavier, and the morning
fogs settle longer and give the soil time to absorb
the moisture it needs to sustain the plant during
the hot hours of the day. For these reasons, and
also to avoid the direct rays of the noonday sun,
steep hillsides are chosen, facing east and west,
as said above, if possible. As a general thing the
planter, never having studied the chemical proper-
ties of coffee-producing land, looks for ground
where lance-wood, redwood and olive-wood grow
as a never failing proof that the land is adapted
for the cultivation of coffee. The land must be
virgin soil. On this the planter puts his laborers
to the work of clearing. The larger trees are
burned out and the smaller trees and brush
chopped down with ax and machete. The cost
of clearing the land is about $500, Spanish, per
caballeria (thirty-three and one-third acres).

The land is lined out, the lines running from
the top to the bottom of the hill, four feet apart.
In these lines five or six coffee berries, three and
one-half feet from each other and two inches from
the surface, are planted. In other words, one cabel-
leria contains, where the whole space can be util-
ized, 100,000 plants. The coffee is planted during
the rainy season — in March or September. In
thirty-five or forty days the seeds begin to sprout.

52

CUBA.

These sprouts are allowed to grow for six months,
after which the healthiest alone are left, the others
being pulled out. The remaining sprout is left
growing for eighteen or twenty months. In the
meanwhile the planter, desiring that his land shall
yield something, plants corn, plantains, and all
kinds of vegetables ; also, at intervals between
the rows, cacao, which, however, does not yield a
full crop until the coffee plant is exhausted, say,
in ten or twelve years. As soon as the coffee
plant reaches a height of four feet it is stunted
and trimmed, all young sprouts thereon being
killed off in order to force all the strength into
the fruit. For the first two years the plant pro-
duces nothing ; the third year it yields a half crop ;
on the fourth year a full crop, which runs from
10,000 to 60,000 pounds of coffee, ready for the
market, according to the condition of the soil, per
cabelleria of thirty-three and one-third acres.
This production continues for ten or more years,
and the planter can gather his crop of cacao,
planted as above.

The coffee plant blooms in January to April,
then the berry forms and is ripe for picking from
August to December. The negro is paid for
picking and delivering the berry at the "seca-
dero" (a large platform made of stone, covered
and smoothed with cement) fifty cents per bag.
It is calculated that one hundred pounds of

CUBA. 53

berries yield fifteen pounds of marketable coffee,
Each bag of berries delivered at the "secadero"
must contain 200 to 300 pounds, and a good
workman can pick three bags per day.

Preparing: Coffee for Market.

The berry is then spread on the "secadero"
and exposed to the sun to dry. How long this
takes depends wholly on the weather — under
ordinary circumstances, say seventy-two hours.
The berries while drying are repeatedly raked or
turned over to quicken the process. During this
process great watchfulness is required, as the
slightest rain would ruin the berry. To prevent
this covers are always ready for the "secadero."
These are cone-shaped, and when the berries are
raked into heaps these covers completely protect
them from rain and dew.

When the berries are completely dried they
are put into the "molina de pilar," which is a
circular trough, usually cemented, in which a
heavy wheel made of hard wood, the rim plated
with metal, revolves. This wheel crushes the
berry and leaves the bean. Ox or mule power is
employed. The bean is then put into the blower
to remove all particles of the outside shell.
When the coffee is clean it is again put into the
"molina de pilar" to receive a polish. If the
color is too light a little charcoal is put into the
trough with the coffee.

54

CUBA.

The coffee, after this process, is ready to be
put into bags and conveyed to market, which is
done on mule-back.

Another process, not so much in use now,
owing to the fact that the coffee is exported, is
washing. The berry, as it comes from the playa,
is put into a crusher to press out the bean. The
bean falling into a stone basin is left therein over
night to rid it of the gum adhering to it. The
next morning the basin is filled with water and
the bean washed. This process is repeated two
or three times, when the coffee is spread out on
the "secadero" to dry.

The coffee is conveyed to market on mule-
back, in bags of about 102 pounds each, a mule
carrying two bags and traveling ten leagues per
day. The cost of carrying to market in this man-
ner runs from 75 cents to $1 per load.
Havana Cigars.

There is a popular theory that since the
choicest cigars come from Cuba, Havana is the
best place in the world to buy them. American
visitors when they come here expect to revel in the
luxury of smoking the most delicate brands and
of paying very little for them. Cigars are cheap,
but not so good, in Havana. " I have sampled
all brands in various stores," says an American
traveler, "and have not found anything better
than an ordinary Key West cigar that is sold in

1

o

s

to
S

cuba. 57

New York. Exception must be made in favor of
a handful which I received at a cigar factory as a
present. These were very good. The cigars
sold over the counter even in the best restaurants
are not worth buying. The visitor who wants a
fine brand cannot do better than to visit one of
the best factories and make his purchases there,
throwing himself upon the mercy of the pro-
prietors and paying well for them.

"The truth is that the world smokes too
much to enjoy any longer the luxury of the pure
Havana of other days. The district where the
choicest leaf is produced in the Vuelta de Abajo
is of limited area. It is surrounded by belts in
which leaf of excellent color, but lacking in
delicacy of aroma, is produced. It is soil rather
than climate that regulates the quality of tobacco,
and while the plant grows readily throughout
Western Cuba, and in certain districts near
Matanzas, Cienfuegos and Santiago, it is only
from a comparatively small area that the best leaf
can be obtained, and then only when the plants
are trimmed after budding. The demand for
well-known brands is very great, and it has to 'be
met in some way. I was told in Santiago and
Cienfuegos that much of the tobacco raised there
was sent to Havana and made up as cigars pass-
ing under the best names. The depreciation in
the quality of Cuban cigars imported into the
4

58 CUBA.

New York market during recent years is un-
doubtedly to be accounted for by the artificial
widening of the Vuelta de Abajo preserves so as
to include various "hot" tobaccos, similar in
color, but inferior in aroma. Heavy fertilizing,
moreover, while increasing the productiveness of
the land, injures the quality of the leaf.
A Cigfar Factory.
" No visitor ouaht to neglect to visit at least
one of the many large cigar factories of the city. I
saw at the Corona works a force of 800 men, women
and children employed in the various processes of
grouping wrappers according to color, making
cigars by hand, putting paper labels on them,
sorting cigars and manufacturing cigarettes. This
force is increased to 2000 in busy times. This fac-
tory produces many millions of cigars in the course
of a year, and about 2,000,000 cigarettes every
forty-eight hours. The expense of cigarette-
making is greatly reduced by ingenious machinery
for filling and packing the paper-holders with to-
bacco, closing them at both ends and finally emp-
tying the trays in which the shells were placed
before the delicate mechanism was brought to
bear upon them. This machinery enables six
men to do the work of 300, and turns out 600,000
cigarettes a day. Apparently there is some ap-
prehension felt lest this intricate mechanism may
be reproduced in detail in the United States, for

CUBA. 59

the inventor, whose rights are controlled by the
Corona, will not allow any visitor with a camera
to enter the room. Wonderful as the improvement
in machinery for tobacco-working has been, it has
not emancipated children from this unhealthy and
laborious employment.

"In one of the departments I saw groups of
sallow-faced children under ten years making
cheroots and leaf-cigarettes. One was a little
thing, with a pale, wizened face, bending over the
table, with strained eyes, and working nervously
with her tiny fingers as rapidly as the two strong
women between whom she was sitting. Rarely
have I seen a more pathetic figure than this child,
so preoccupied with her work that she could not
spend time to look at the visitors pausing before
her with pitying eyes. I asked her age. She was
barely six years old, and could make 3000 of these
cheroots a day — almost as many as her mother.
American visitors will do well to avoid that corner
of the Corona. Cigars may never have the same
flavor for them again if they see a child of six
bending and straining over a work-table in order
to make them for the pleasure of the grand cabal-
leros of the gay world."

Sugar Plantations and Mills.

Matanzas is one of the largest sugar-pro-
ducing centres in Cuba. Last year it exported
about 160,000 tons to the United States and 60,000

60 CUBA.

tons of molasses. More molasses is made here
than in Cienfuegos, but there is never anything
wasted by the Cuban planters anywhere by any
process of the manufacture of sugar. The cen-
trifugating machines separate the syrup into
sugar and molasses, each of the first grade. This
molasses is then worked over a second time with
more syrup, and the centrifugators divide the
combination into sugar and molasses, each of the
second grade. This second grade of molasses
is carried through a distillery and converted into
rum of various grades. In these hard times
sugar-planters cannot afford to lose anything at
all sweetish that comes from the cane. They sell
their sugar, molasses and prime rum in New
York, and their worst rum is worked off in the
Mexican trade. The refuse cane makes the
engines go.

The processes and machinery employed here
closely resemble those found elsewhere. There
is one plantation, owned by the Count de Ybanex,
which is operated differently. The cane instead
of being ground by milling machinery is cut up
into small sections and the sugar is worked out
of it by water, by a process of diffusion similar to
that employed in the manufacture of beet sugar.
This method has been tested with satisfactory
results during the last year at this plantation,
and has been adopted tentatively at one other

CUBA. 6 1

Cuban factory. More labor is required and coal
is necessary, but it is asserted that the increased
expense is more than made up by the larger per-
centage of sugar obtained from the cane. One
of the most prominent planters here has furnished
me with a table showing the percentage obtained
by seven processes of diffusion by water, the
aggregate result being the extraction of over 992
parts of the thousand. The proportion is twelve
to ten in favor of the diffusion against the or-
dinary milling process. About 143 tons a day
are produced by diffusion on the plantation to
which I have referred, and this is done with
machinery which has not been perfected.

It would be a singular result if the diffusion
process by which the cultivation of European
beet sugar has been largely developed and en-
abled to crowd out cane sugar were adopted
generally in Cuba as a means of cheapening and
enlarging the product. One manufacturer, who
has made sugar by the grinding method for many
years, believes that this will happen. He admits
that the change of method will involve the aban-
donment of an extensive plant and the substitu-
tion of much new machinery ; but he contends
that a revolution in the current processes of making
cane sugar is impending. The Spanish Govern-
ment now blocks the way by imposing a duty of
one to two dollars a ton on coal. The diffusion

62 CUBA.

process involves the necessity of using coal, and
the duty materially increases the cost of pro-
duction. This is an apt illustration of the burdens
imposed upon Cuba by a tariff system which does
not protect any of its industrial and productive

interests.

How Sugar is MaOe.

Soledad has the reputation of being the best
managed sugar plantation in Cuba. It produced
last year 12,000,000 pounds of sugar, and this
year it will probably send to market 14,000,000
pounds. Other plantations largely exceed it in
cultivated area and mechanical resources, Con-
stancia having a product of 40,000,000 pounds,
but Soledad is conducted on scientific principles
and with American thoroughness, system, and or-
ganization, so that there is the greatest saving in
the cost of production and the largest margin for
profit on the investment. All the improved ma-
chinery is here ; every time-saving and labor-
dispensing device is employed, and the maximum
amount of sugar is obtained from the cane at the
lowest possible cost. Soledad is largely owned
by Americans.

Soledad lies near a picturesque little river
flowing into the bay of Cienfuegos. It is reached
from the town after a delightful sail on a steam
yacht across the bay and up the river, and a short
railway ride from the wharf to the sugar works

CUBA. 63

and plantation house. When the train draws up
before the door the manager is at hand with genial
smile and graceful hospitality to welcome his
guests, and to conduct them personally over the
works. With his explanations the intricate pro-
cesses of converting cane into sugar are speedily
revealed. Then follows a plantation breakfast
served in the airy dining-room of his house with
lavish hospitality and refinement of courtesy.
The dining-room adjoins the parlor or reception
room, which is furnished in characteristic Cuban
style with cane settees and rocking-chairs — a
spacious, high-studded room on the second floor,
with windows overlooking the sugar works, and
a lovely plantation garden. The floors are bare,
carpets never being used on the island, but no
Yankee housewife with a mania for sweeping,
dusting, and polishing can have a more scrupu-
lously neat parlor than what the manager face-
tiously describes as the bachelor's hall of Soledad. ■
An afternoon passed in a planter's house is some-
thing to be treasured in memory as one of the de-
lightful experiences of a lifetime.

The first sugar plantation in Cuba was
established about a hundred years after the dis-
covery of the island. For three centuries the
chief industry of the island has been the cultiva-
tion of cane and its conversion into sugar. For
a long period the processes of manufacture were

64 CUBA.

crude, inexpensive and wasteful, oxen being
employed in grinding cane, and the machinery
being of the roughest and simplest design. It is
no longer either practicable or profitable to raise
cane, and make sugar on a small scale. Steam
has taken the place of the ox and mule, not only
in the grinding mills, but to a large extent in the
fields. At Soledad the cane is carried to the
works by long trains running on narrow-gauge
railways through the estate. It is unloaded from
the cars by negroes and thrown upon a broad
carrier traveling up a long incline to the rollers
of the first mill. As many as fifteen men are
employed in handling this moving mass of cane.
When it reaches the first mill it is ground by
rollers weighing fifteen tons and set close to-
gether. The cane is broken up and about sixty
per cent, of the liquor which it contains is drawn
off underneath the mill. Under the old process
there was only one grinding and much of the
liquor was wasted. Now the cane is ground
twice and an additional fifteen per cent, of
the juice is obtained. Streams of liquor from
the vats of the two mills unite and pass through
a strainer, one workman being employed in rak-
ing off floating refuse and preventing obstruc-
tions. The liquor is then ready to be pumped
into the boiling works.

The refuse of the cane after the two grind-

CUBA. 65

ings is the only fuel used in the works. It is
carried by moving conductors to the furnaces and
dumped automatically, being dried by the intense
heat and consumed as rapidly as it is fed. Wood
was used as fuel when the steam engine was
introduced in sugar works, and subsequently
bagasse, or refuse cane, was put with it. Boilers
have been invented to facilitate the employment
of bagasse as fuel. Those used here are the
Porcupine boilers of the Stillwater pattern.
Ordinarily, when the furnaces are fed with
bagasse, a force of eighty laborers is constantly
occupied in transferring it from the mills to the
boiler-house. At Soledad two men do the work
of eighty ; or, to speak more accurately, the
automatic action of the mechanical conductors
dispenses with the labor of seventy-eight men.
Indeed, a close approach is made here to the
solution of the old problem of perpetual motion.
The cane, when fed to the conductors, serves to
keep all the complex machinery of the works in
operation; the broken and crushed fragments of
bagasse are carried to the furnaces and furnish
the power by which not only the grinding, but
also the pumping and boiling are done ; all that
is not juice, but sheer waste, goes into the pro-
duction of force by which the mills are kept
grinding and the liquor clarified, boiled and crys-
tallized into sugar.

66 CUBA.

Cathedral and Custom House.

Some 300 years ago, when Spain held
dominion over the greater part of the New
World, and the city of Havana was rising up as a
central station and key to these possessions, a
magnificent cathedral was erected, fronting the
sea, inside of the beautiful bay which now forms
the harbor, and just about the centre of the front
of the walled city. This cathedral was said to be
the finest in the New World, and was held in great
veneration. When Havana was captured by the
British in 1762, a considerable force was landed
to garrison the place, a part of which was cavalry
with little regard for the sacredness of the edifice,
the conquerors used the cathedral as a stable for
their horses. A year later the city was restored
to Spain by the treaty of peace signed at Paris,
and the cathedral was restored to its rightful
owners. In consideration of the use to which it
had been put by the British, it was declared to
be defiled and desecrated and entrance to
it was strictly forbidden. For a period of 100
years the stately building was condemned to
be closely shut up in darkness. When that
period had elapsed, the building was reopened
but never again was used as a place of wor-
ship. It was converted into a custom house
and devoted to the secular purposes of the Gov-
ernment.

CUBA. 6 J

The Danae du Ventre in Cuba.

"I attended," says a recent visitor, "a dra-
matic performance at the Alhambra one night.
Three zarzuelas, or short one-act plays, are pre-
sented, and after each one a baile, or dance resem-
bling the Cancan, is performed (in this instance)
by three women and three men. The dancers
are very graceful, and although the tempo of the
music is disconcerting to my ear, they manage to
keep perfect time, which is perhaps the most re-
markable feature of it.

"But the dance of the evening is given by a
slender and rather pretty Spanish girl, very
modestly costumed and accompanied by soft,
voluptuous music. She is assisted by a nimble
male dancer, who circles about her with simple,
yet graceful steps, advancing wildly toward her
at intervals as if about to embrace her ; she
escapes him, however, and he himself seems to
think better of it on reflection, retiring discreetly
to the back of the stage where he gesticulates
madly to some mysterious personage in the flies,
appearing to give up the whole business as a bad
job. The dance of la senorita has so far been
similar to that given by Carmencita, but now her
movements become nothing more than a series
of wriggles and contortions of the abdomen and
hips — it is, in fact, the danse du ventre exactly as
seen in the Midway Plaisance, only more suggest-

6S CUBA.

ive and indecent than the Chicago article and
infinitely more graceful.

"Amid a final discordant crash on the part of
the orchestra and howls of delight from the
audience, the curtain descends, when the Ameri-
can visitor betakes himself to the cafe to escape
the inevitable encore and to enjoy his cigarette
and lemonade in peace."

The Bull Ring.

The most famous popular amusement in
Havana is, however, bull-fighting, especially on
Sundays.

As early as 2 o'clock the people begin to
gather at the ring, although the sport will not be-
gin until 4. In the meantime a vast quantity of
lemonade, water sweetened with panales, cheap
wine and cognac, is disposed of by the hot and
thirsty crowd. In the palcos (boxes) many senoras
are to be seen with fan and mantilla, attended by
dandies smoking cigarettes or big black cigars.

Everybody is talking, the band plays gay
music and occasionally you hear the bulls bellow-
ing in their pens outside the ring.

The latter is about eighty feet in diameter
and surrounded by a board fence some four feet
high, over which the fighters vault when hard
pressed by the bull. At 4 o'clock exactly the
president enters his palco, signals with his hand-
kerchief for the slaughter to begin, and from the

CUBA. 69

opposite side the bull-fighters enter the enclosure,
marching in pairs across to the president, whom
they salute before taking their several positions
about the arena.

The trumpet sounds and as the bull bounds
into the ring, a rosette of colored paper fastened
to a sharp piece of metal is driven into his shoulder.
This is unpleasant for the bull, and, snorting with
anger, he charges on an offensive partisan, called
a capeador, who gently waves a red cloak before
him. Just as the animal reaches him, he steps
nimbly aside, escaping by a hair's-breadth.

For ten or fifteen minutes the bull is teased
in this manner by the gentlemen with gaudy cloaks,
when at another signal from the president the
trumpet sounds again and a banderillero enters
armed with banderillas — short sticks ornamented
with colored paper, having wicked-looking barbs
or darts in the ends.

The banderillero, taking one of these pleasant
toys in either hand, approaches his enemy, raising
himself on tiptoe and waving his arms up and
down. The eyes of the bull have a dangerous
gleam, as he faces the fighter, pawing the ground
and bellowing with rage. Suddenly he lowers his
head and rushes straight at the banderillero, who
calmly awaits the onset, until the bull is within
three feet of him, when, like lightning, he hurls
the darts into the animal's neck and escapes with

JO CUBA.

nothing- worse than a tumble. Sometimes these
banderillas have bombs affixed to them, which
explode under the bull's skin, causing him to
feel very ill, and amusing the audience beyond
expression. This act, when cleverly executed,
calls forth rapturous applause and showers of
silver coin and cigars, while some throw their
hats into the ring- — wearing old ones there for
the purpose.

El Toro, who up to this time has been fight-
ing with great courage, is streaming with blood
and begins to lose confidence in his " rushes."
The people, too, are impatient and clamor for the
deathstroke, and at a final signal from the presi-
dential box the matador, carrying a red flag and a
long, slender sword, makes a salute and takes his
position. The business of the other fighters now
is to tease and madden the bull while endeavoring
to direct his attention to the matador. The latter
waves his red banner, advances, retreats, while
the audience yells and the band plays. The poor
victim is fairly blind with rage by this time, and
steadying himself for a moment for a last mighty
effort, makes a dash toward the matador, who,
with a deft and vigorous stroke, pierces the heart
of the bull and the butchery is finished.

A brutal sport, you say ? Well, it may be
so ; yet, as a Cuban friend puts it, how much
more refined and elevating is it to see two per-

CUBA. 7 1

fectly developed human animals beat each other's
heads to a jelly with two-ounce gloves ?
The Tomb of Columbus.

One of the first conventional duties which
an American visitor feels called upon to perform
is to pay his tribute to the discoverer of America
by visiting the Cathedral and reading the Spanish
doggerel inscription near an altar with porphyry
pillars. If he be uncertain whether it was the
great Christopher who was really buried there,
and not Brother Diego, who was disinterred in
Santo Domingo and brought over by mistake, he
needs to hasten back to the hotel and not to
make a short detour in order to glance at the
wretched little Columbus Chapel erected where
the discoverer is reputed to have attended the
first Mass ever celebrated in Havana — one of the
most bare-faced fictions ever repeated by priest
or layman. Before going more than three, blocks
he will be in the centre of one of the most inter-
esting trading-places of Havana. In Compostela
and adjoining streets he will be among the pawn-
shops, where the best bargains in the West
Indies are to be made. These shops are stocked
with old furniture, plate, china, jewelry, clocks,
watches, firearms, fans, laces, medals and orna-
ments, with everything of value on which bank-
rupt or spendthrift planters, soldiers and gamblers
have been able to borrow money. Three months

72 CUBA.

only are allowed for the redemption of the
goods. Long ago the time expired and now
everything is at the disposal of the Yankee pur-
chasers eager to obtain curios or anything that is
very old and at the same time very cheap.
Among; the Pawn-Shops.
There is no more unerring sign of the ex-
haustion of Cuban resources than the revelations
of these pawn-shops, which monopolize the trade
of foreign visitors. In these shops are to be
found heirlooms that were handed down from
one generation to another ; medals of honor for
bravery in the field; engagement rings, neck-
laces, diamonds, antique lace that has been worn
by heiresses, and costly fans behind which have
shone the dark eyes of the belles of Havana ;
furniture of the colonial period, of which the New
England stock was long ago exhausted by the
demands of curiosity-hunters, and silver and
china of antiquated patterns, which would be
marked up to the highest figures in fashionable
New York stores. The pressure of hard times
caused by the losses of the patriotic war and by
the stupendous folly and supreme selfishness of
Spanish economic law have brought all this wealth
of bric-a-brac into the cheapest of cheap markets.
The pawnbroker names his price, and it is a low
one ; but if he be offered one-half or one-third as
much, he will drive a bargain rather than see an

O

o

cuba. 75

American customer with gold in hand leave the

shop.

A Hard Bargain.

It may be well to warn American travelers
against venturing into this quarter until the sights
of the town have been "done," the drives taken,
and the excursions made ; for otherwise they may
leave Havana without seeing anything except the
railway station, their hotel, and the pawn-shops.
A New Yorker and his charming wife got into
the pawn-shops soon after their arrival, and they
remained tTiere almost continuously until the
Tampa steamer was ready to sail. The husband
started out early each morning for Compostela
Street ; in the afternoon his wife accompanied him
to temper his ardor, and in the evening he
returned alone to clinch the bargains. Sunday
brought with it some scruples of conscience, and the
wife succeeded in carrying him off to high Mass at
the Cathedral ; but after the noon-breakfast he was
overpowered by the fatal fascination and crept
back to the pawn-shops for more bargains, re-
turning with a guilty conscience, but laden with
booty.

On the following day the interpreter was fairly
compelled to drive him out of the pawn-shops in
order to get him on board the steamer before the
sailing hour. Retribution for Sabbath-breaking
met him on deck in the person of the medical
5

y6 CUBA.

officer employed by the United States authorities
to protect the health of Florida.

This stern official refused to allow a tall
colonial clock, which had been bought at a pawn-
shop, boxed and carried like a coffin to the ship
to be received as private baggage. He remarked
sententiously that it was an old clock, and might
have germs of yellow fever concealed under its
antique dial-plate. A long parley proved ineffect-
ual, and the suspected clock was sent ashore to
the medical officer's house to be quarantined.
Two days afterwards it was sent to Florida by the
next steamer. What precautions had been taken
to disinfect the clock, and to render its shipment
safe is not known ; but there was a fee of two
dollars paid for the quarantine. Private baggage
containing fabrics which might more reasonably
be supposed to be disease carriers was not over-
hauled ; but Florida was protected with inflexible
purpose against the risks of contagion through an
old clock.

Matanzas.

The decadence of a once prosperous and
beautiful city is a melancholy spectacle. Matan-
zas in its best days was a luxurious centre of
wealth and fashion, as well of profitable industry
and commerce. Surrounded with sugar, coffee
and tobacco plantations, it ranked after Havana as
the busiest hive in flowering Cuba. All the indus-

CUBA.

77

tries of the island were carried on with success
on the verdant hillsides and undulating plains
encircling its spacious and picturesque harbor.
The Yumuri Valley was dotted with country
seats, where rich planters entertained their
guests with prodigal hospitality. Their massive
town houses were miniature palaces built with
showy colonnades and stone verandas, and fur-
nished with lavish expense. On the coast were
their summer cottages, where their families could
enjoy the refreshing northern sea-breeze in
seasons of inclement heat. The San Carlos
Paseo was blocked with carriages in the after-
noon, and the evenings were filled with gayety
and sumptuous entertainment. All is now
changed. Emancipation and the insurrection
impoverished the rich planters. Many of the
finest estates passed into the hands of Spanish
immigrants and adventurers, who have been con-
demned to maintain an exhausting- and ruinous
struggle against a system grounded upon viola-
tions of economic law. Planters who have
escaped confiscation and conformed to the con-
ditions of free labor have witnessed the gradual
shrinkage of the profits of their industries and the
collapse of their fortunes. Costly residences which
were once valued at $150000 are now offered,
without purchasers, at $25,000. Depreciation of
values is even greater here than in Havana.

78 CUBA.

Country seats which were conspicuous for ele-
gance and social festivity are now bare, silent
and fallen to decay. The seaside villas are
shabby and tenantless. The famous San Carlos
drive is a neglected and unfrequented road.
Matanzas is a centre of unremunerative, labor-
ious and unsatisfactory commerce, a city haunted
with memories of its former prosperity.

All is changed save the beauty of the land-
scape setting of the city and the unrivalled
splendor of the marine views from hillside and
headland. No grander prospect can be had in
Cuba than that which opens from the Chapel of
Monserrate back of the town. The Yumuri
flows through a gorge four miles in length, which
is walled off to the right and left by abrupt and
picturesque hillsides. There is a wide-reaching
vista beyond with plantations of sugar, coffee and
tobacco, groves of palmettos, pineapples, cocoa-
nuts and orange trees, thickets of almond trees
and limes, fields of corn and patches of potatoes,
and here and there a stately royal palm. From
one of the highest coigns of vantage near the
city may be seen plantations and farms on which
every fruit and product known in Cuba is under
cultivation ; and the landscape is fringed with
dense woods, wherein ebony, mahogany, cedar
and even rosewood, flourish. From Monserrate
it is a short drive to the Plaza de Armas, with its

cuba. 79

fine display of tropical flowers, to the Govern-
ment buildings and club houses and the water
front ; but it is on a moonlit evening that the bay
roads offer superior scenic attractions. The vivid
sunlight lays bare mercilessly the faded glories of
the town and the ravages of commercial ruin.
By moonlight, one needs to be told of the
neglected condition of these once famous drives
and promenades ; and the pathos of faded gran-
deur and exhausted fortunes makes only a transi-
tory impression upon a sympathetic mind. San
Severino Castle and the ruined fortifications are
enveloped with silvery radiance. The San Juan
River, with its dingy lines of crumbling ware-
houses, is softened and transfigured. The broad
bay, with its sparkling shipping lights and the
ocean beyond, foaming upon a coral ledge, are
silhouettes to be seen and never forgotten.
A Wonderful Cave.
The visitor has also at Matanzas a natural
phenomenon which cannot be rivalled in Cuba.
This is the subterranean passage through a for-
mation of carbonate of lime, known as the caves
of Bellamar. The road follows the shore of the
bay and then over the rocky hillside for a distance
of five miles. The old-fashioned volante, a vehicle
which has been displaced in Havana by the
Victoria, is here required. It has two great
wheels, on which rest the thills, with seats for

80 CUBA.

three above them suspended by straps. The
pony between the thills is accompanied and
partly preceded by another, which the driver rides
like a postilion. It is a hard, jolting drive to the
caves, and a laborious descent by steps, bridges,
and cavernous passages underground. Guides
are in advance with long bees-wax tapers, which
light up here and there recesses and corners of
the high-vaulted chambers. The ceiling is hung
with crystals, and the sides are buttressed with
stalactites and stalagmites of bewildering beauty
and lustre. The passage underground is many
hundred feet in length and offers a succession of
spectral lace-work combinations of crystal archi-
tecture in amber, pink, and gray. The largest of
the chambers is fancifully named the Gothic
Temple, and is provided with a jeweled altar,
near which hangs the Virgin's cloak, embroidered
with resplendent lace, and heavy with glistening
pendants. The garrulous guides see all these
wonders if the visitors do not, and photographs
are available at the entrance, if doubts are
to be removed. The tapers furnish streaks
of light that are utterly inadequate to illumine
these wonderful caves.

CHAPTER IV.

HOW THE ISLAND IS GOVERNED — THE CAPTAIN-
GENERAL FREEDOM OF THE PRESS LOCAL

GOVERNMENTS ELECTORAL TRICKERY "NO

CUBANS NEED APPLY" THE SPANISH SENATE

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CUBANS CARPET-BAG-
GERS TO THE FORE IN THE LOCAL OFFICES

SQUEEZING THE ORANGE THE AWFUL BURDEN

OF DEBT TREATMENT OF NATIVE INDUSTRY

BAD COMMERCIAL LAWS CUBA RUINED FOR THE

SAKE OF SPAIN SALARIED CARPET-BAGGERS

INDUSTRIES DRIVEN TO BANKRUPTY NO PUBLIC

INSTRUCTION EARLY DISCONTENT LOPEZ AND

HIS RAIDS THE KILLING OF PINTO.

iORRUPT and incapable administration
has always been a Spanish character-
istic. Cuba has been reduced to its
present extremities largely through the rapacity
of the governing class in former years. If there
has been a marked improvement during recent
years so that the Captain-General now expects to
return to Spain only with what he has saved from
his salary, and the burden of direct taxation has
been decreased rather than increased, it is be-
cause the industrial resources of the island have

(8t)

82 CUBA.

been exhausted through old-time methods of
plundering the population and systematic viola-
tion of the economic laws of exchange. The
orange has been pressed dry ; even Spanish ad-
ministration does not attempt to squeeze the
seeds remaining on the spongy pulp. For this
reason sugar planters and tobacco farmers are
now frank in admitting that the direct taxes on
their land and industries are not unduly high.
It is the burden of indirect taxation by which the
cost of living and of production is heavily in-
creased and the exchangeable value of sugar and
tobacco correspondingly reduced that is over-
whelming this wonderfully fertile island with ruin.
The country is poor and impoverished ; the
palaces of the nobles are deserted ; there has
been an extraordinary shrinkage of real estate
valuations ; the treasury is exhausted with ex-
travagant payments for an inefficient and corupt
civil service and the interest on the war debt,
which is held in Spain ; and the municipalities are
without means for ordinary public improvements
and enforcing sanitary regulations. Havana is
capable of becoming what Humboldt found it in
his day — one of the most brilliant and imposing
capitals of the world. The old city was well
built of enduring stone, which only grows harder
with the lapse of time. The Cathedral, churches
and public buildings were fashioned at a time

CUBA. 83

when severe and simple architecture without
meretricious ornamentation was in vogue in
Spain. Even the great prison, which is the most
prominent object from the harbor, is not without
good lines. The newer portions of the town are
well laid out with broad shaded avenues, fre-
quent squares and breathing places, a spacious
alameda and a fine botanical garden adjoining
the Captain-General's country seat. Even in its
ruined estate, where public grounds are neglected,
street pavements in great need of repair, and
the whole town fairly perishing for lack of fresh
paint, poor, faded Havana has an air of distinction
and even grandeur.

With good administration the city could be
transformed in a decade. A canal constructed so
as to let the tides into the back bay would flush
out a harbor that is now a cesspool and restore
the healthfulness of the town. Moderate expen-
ditures could restore the crumbling plaster of the
public buildings, replace the broken lines of
shade trees in the avenues, and restore the bright-
ness and glory of the Cuban capital. Havana
now awaits, like a queen in tattered, patched and
soiled robes, the turn of the wheel which shall re-
invest her with the dignity of her prosperous days
of power and wealth. So long as Spanish ad-
ministration and a ruinous economic policy con-
tinue in force, it is a lottery with blanks.

84 CUBA.

The Captain-General.

The chief of the Cuban Government is a
Captain-General, the representative of the Crown,
appointed by the home Government and account-
able only to that body. By a royal edict issued June
9th, 1878, his prerogatives are defined as follows:
He is the commander of the army and navy, as
well as the highest authority in Cuba, and is em-
powered to overrule any decision at a meeting of
the superior authorities, including the courts of
judicature under his presidency, and also to with-
hold the execution of any order, resolution or law
issued by the home Government whenever he
deems it advisable to do so. Practically, he has
the powers of life and death in his hands and is
as absolute as a Czar.

As a rule, this office is highly coveted by
Spaniards, and, generally speaking, after a short
rule, which rarely exceeds a term of three or four
years, the majority of its incumbents return home
to enjoy the fruits of the harvest, as the emolu-
ments are considerable. The Captain-General
has a salary of $50,000 a year, a winter palace
and a country-seat, horses, carriages, attendants,
a retinue of servants, and almost everything, pro-
vided for him at the expense of the Government.
It is a military office, usually filled by distin-
guished generals, who have won their laurels in
the Spanish army.

CUBA. 85

Next in rank to the Captain-General is the
General of Marine or Admiral of the Port, who
occupies a handsome palace, also provided by
the Government, and who has carriages, horses
and attendants from the same source. Then
follows the Segundo Cabo, who is Captain-
General pro tern, during the absence of that
functionary from the capital. The Civil-Governor
has charge of the civil administration of Havana.
The generals of artillery, cavalry, engineers,
infantry and gendarmes are also provided with
quarters suitable to their ranks.

The Commandant of the Navy Yard is next in
rank to the Admiral of the Port, and he has a
handsome residence at his post. From twelve to
twenty men-of-war are stationed in the waters of
Cuba, and the standing army on the island usually
numbers 22,866 officers and men. Besides these
military rulers there are the Governor of the
Morro, of La Cabana, El Principe and other
strongholds.

The chief of police of Havana is an officer of
the regular army, and the divisions and subdivi-
sions under his control consist of commissaries,
aladores, constables and sergeants, who are civil-
ians ; the police force of Havana numbers j6j
menj. taken from the ranks of the regular army,
soldiers of orden publico (public order) and guar-
dia civiles (gendarmes}.

86 CUBA.

Freedom of the Press.

At the close of the rebellion, or so-called
Cuban insurrection in 1878, freedom of the preus
was established, as well as freedom of speech,
but in 1 88 1 this freedom was modified by an
edict requiring every editor or manager of a
newspaper to send, duly signed, two copies to
Government headquarters and submit two others
to the District-Attorney as soon as printed, who
shall determine whether they contain any objec-
tionable matter. By the press law the royal
family and the form of government under the
Spanish Constitution are tabooed subjects. Ed-
itors are often fined and the publications of their
journals is suspended for going beyond the cir-
cumscribed limits.

By a royal edict issued June 9, 1878, Cuba is
entitled to elect to the Spanish Cortes one repre-
sentative for every 40,000 white and colored
inhabitants. By another decree, issued shortly
after, the island was divided into six provinces.
Still another, issued June 21, 1878, provided
municipal laws, supplemented with requisite elec-
tion laws. In each province the administration
of affairs is committed to an Assembly, elected
by the people, and a Governor sent out from
Spain, the incumbent being an officer of the
Spanish army. The province is entitled to three
representatives for every one of its judicial dis-

CUBA. 87

tricts, except that no province shall elect more than
twenty or less than twelve representatives. As
soon as the provincial representatives are elected
they meet and nominate by ballot three candidates
from among themselves, one of whom is chosen
president by the Captain-General, who may, in
accordance to the same law, discard their candi-
date and choose another to preside over it. The
Provincial Governor selects five Assemblymen as
members of the Provincial Committee and submits
their names to the Captain -General for ratification.
This committee serves as arbiter or counsellor
when called on in reference to any municipal
election, and performs various duties during the
recess. The vice-president of this committee is
appointed from among the members by the
Captain-General, at the suggestion of the Pro-
vincial Governor, who, when it suits him, may
preside over any sitting, with the right to vote.

Local Governments.

Provincial representatives are elected for
four years, but one-half are replaced every two
years by new ones. Their biennial election
occurs during the first fortnight of September.
The assemblies meet at the capital ol their pro-
vinces on the first working day of the fifth and
tenth months of the fiscal year. If during that
period anything should happen to render discus-
sions or debates dangerous, the Provincial Gov-

88 CUBA.

ernor is obliged to prorogue the Assembly and
advise the Captain-General of that fact imme-
diately. He is likewise authorized to suspend
any Provincial Assembly in a body when the
preservation of public order may so require.

According to the municipal law, the smallest
number of inhabitants entitled to self-government
is 500, who may elect five Aldermen, at every
meeting of whom the Provincial Governor is
entitled to preside. The board levies municipal
taxes.

Cuba possesses two judicial divisions, those
of Puerto Principe, with jurisdiction over the
adjoining province of Santiago de Cuba, and of
Havana, with jurisdiction over the remainder.
First comes the high court, called Tribunal Su-
premo ; then provincial courts, "Audiencias
Territoriales"; country magistrates, "Tribunales
de Partido"; court of first instance, "Juggado de
Instruccion"; municipal courts, Tribunales Muni-
cipales, and justices of the peace, "Jueces de
Paz." By a decree issued in January, 1891, the
civil and criminal courts are incorporated into
one, and this measure has been highly displeas-
ing to Cubans.

Electoral Trickery.

In order to render the native Cuban power-
less in his own country, Spain, legislating for
Cuba without restriction, as it does, and only to

CUBA. 89

give him an electoral law so artfully framed as to
accomplish two objects : First, to reduce the num-
ber of voters ; second, to give always a majority
to the Spaniards, that is, to the European colo-
nists, notwithstanding that the latter represent
only nine and three-tenths per cent, of the total
population of Cuba. To this effect it made the
electoral right dependent on the payment of a
very high poll tax, which proved the more burden-
some as the war had ruined the larger number of
Cuban proprietors. In this way it succeeded in
restricting the right of suffrage to only 53,000 in-
habitants in an island which has a population of
1,600,000 ; that is to say, to the derisive propor-
tion of three per cent, of the total number of in-
habitants.

In order to give a decided preponderance
to the Spanish-European element, the electoral
law has ignored the practice generally observed
in those countries where the right to vote depends
on the payment of a poll tax, and has afforded all
the facilities to acquire the electoral privilege to
industry, commerce, and public officials, to the
detriment of the territorial property (the owner-
ship of real estate). To accomplish this, while
the rate of the territorial tax is reduced to two
per cent., an indispensable measure, in view of
the ruinous condition of the land-owners, the ex-
orbitant contribution of $25 is required from those

90 CUBA.

who would be electors as freeholders. The law
has, moreover, thrown the doors wide open for the
perpetration of fraud by providing that the simple
declaration of the head of a commercial house is
sufficient to consider all its employees as partners,
having, therefore, the right to vote. This has
given us firms with thirty or more partners. By
this simple scheme almost all the Spaniards re-
siding in Cuba are turned into electors, despite
the explicit provisions of the law. Thus it comes
to pass that the municipal district of Guines, with
a population of 1 3,000 inhabitants, only 500 of
which are Spaniards and Canary Islanders, shows
on its electoral list the names of thirty-two native
Cubans and of four hundred Spaniards — only
0.25 per cent, of the Cuban to 80 per cent, of
the Spanish population.

No Cubans Need Apply.

But, as if this were not enough, a so-called
Permanent Commission of Provincial Deputations
decides every controversy that may arise as to
who is to be included in or excluded from the
list of electors, and the members of this Commis-
sion are appointed by the Governor-General.
It is unnecessary to say that its majority has
always been devoted to the government. In
case any elector considers himself wronged by
the decision of the Permanent Commission, he
can appeal to the "Audiencia" (higher court) of

CUBA. 93

the district; but the "Audiencias" are almost en-
tirely made up of European magistrates ; they
are subject to the authority of the Governor-
General, being mere political tools in his hands.
As a conclusive instance of the manner in which
those tribunals do justice to the claims of Cuban
electors, it will be sufficient to cite a case which
occurred in Santa Clara in 1892, where 1,000
fully qualified liberal electors were excluded at
one time, for the simple omission to state their
names at the end of the act presented by the
elector who headed the claim. In more than one
case has the same "Audiencia" applied two dif-
ferent criteria to identical cases. The "Au-
diencia" of Havana, in 1887, ignoring the explicit
provisions of the law, excused the employees
from the condition of residence, a condition that
the same tribunal exacted before. The same
"Audiencia" in 1885 declared that the contribu-
tions to the State and to the Municipality were
accumulative, and in 1887 decided the opposite.
This inconsistency had for its object to sponge
from the lists hundreds of Cuban electors. In
this way the Spanish Government and tribunals
have endeavored to teach respect for the law and
for the practice of wholesome electoral customs
to the Cuban colonists !

It will be easily understood now why on
some occasions the Cuban representation in the

6

94 CUBA.

Spanish Parliament has been made up of only
three deputies, and in the most favorable epochs
the numbei of Cuban representatives has not
exceeded six. Three deputies in a body of 430
members ! The genuine representation of Cuba
has not reached sometimes 0.96 per cent, of the
total number of members of the Spanish Con-
gress. The great majority of the Cuban depu-
tation has always consisted of Spanish Peninsu-
lars. Tn this manner, the ministers of "Ultramar"
(ministers of the Colonies), whenever they have
thought necessary to give an honest or decent
appearance to their legislative acts by an alleged
majority of Cuban votes, could always command
the latter, that is, the Peninsulars.

Tbe Spanish Senate.
As regards the representation in the Senate,
the operation has been more simple still. The
qualifications required to be a Senator have proved
to be an almost absolute prohibition to the Cubans.
In fact, to take a seat in the higher house, it is
necessary to have been president of that body or of
Congress, or a minister of the crown, or a bishop,
or a grandee of Spain, a lieutenant-general, a vice-
admiral, ambassador, minister plenipotentiary,
counsellor of State, judge or attorney-general of
the Supreme Court, of the Court of Accounts,
etc. No Cuban has ever filled any of the above
positions, and scarcely two or three are grandees.

CUBA. 95

The only natives of Cuba who can be Senators
are those who have been deputies in three differ-
ent Congresses, or who are professors and have
held for four years a university chair, provided
that they have an income of $1500 ; or those who
have a title of nobility, or have deputies, provin-
cial deputies, or mayors in towns of over 20,000
inhabitants, if they have in addition an income of
$4000, or pay a direct contribution of $800 to the
treasury. This will increase to one or two dozen
the number of Cubans qualified to be Senators.

In this manner has legislative work, as far as
Cuba is concerned, turned out to be a farce. The
various governments have legislated for the
island as they pleased. The representatives of
the peninsular provinces did not even take the
trouble of attending the sessions of the Cortes
when Cuban affairs were to be dealt with ; and
there was an instance when the estimates (budget)
for the Great Antilles were discussed in the pres-
ence of less than thirty deputies, and a single one
of the ministers, the minister of "Ultramar,"
(session of April 3, 1880).

Discrimination Against Cubans.

Through the contrivance of the law, as well
as through the irregularities committed and con-
sented in its application, have the Cubans been
deprived also of representation in the local cor-
porations to which they were entitled, and in

96 CUBA.

many cases they have been entirely excluded from
them. When, despite the legalized obstacles and
the partiality of those in power, they have
obtained some temporary majority, the Govern-
ment has always endeavored and succeeded in
making their triumph null and void. Only once
did the home-rule party obtain a majority in the
Provincial deputation of Havana,, and then the
Governor-General appointed from among the
Spaniards a majority of the members of the Per-
manent Commission. Until that time this
Commission has been of the same political com-
plexion as the majority of the Deputation. By
such proceedings have the Cubans been gradually
expelled, even from the municipal bodies. Suffice
it to say that the law provides that the derramas
(assessments) be excluded from the computation
of the tributary quotas, notwithstanding that they
constitute the heaviest burden upon the municipal
taxpayer. And the majorities, consisting of
Spaniards, take good care to make this burden
fall with heavier weight upon the Cuban pro-
prietor. Thus the latter has to bear a heavier
taxation with less representation.

This is the reason why the scandalous case
has occurred lately of not a single Cuban having
a seat in the "Ayuntamiento " (Board of Alder-
men) of Havana. In 1891 the Spaniards pre-
dominated in thirty-one out of thirty-six "Ayunta-

CUBA. 97

mientos " in the province of Havana. In that of
Guines, with a population of 12,500 Cuban inhab-
itants, not a single one of the latter was found
among its councillors. In the same epoch there
were only three Cubans deputies in the Provincial
Deputation of Havana ; two in that of Matanzas,
and three in that of Santa Clara. And these are
the most populous regions in the island of Cuba.
Carpet-Baggers to the Fore.

As, on the other hand, the government of
the Metropolis appoints the officials of the colony,
all the lucrative, influential and representative of-
ficers are secured to the Spaniards from Europe.
The Governor-General, the regional and the pro-
vincial governors, the "intendentes," comptrollers,
auditors, treasurers, chiefs of communications,
chiefs of the custom-houses, chiefs of administra-
tion, presidents and vice-presidents of the Spanish
bank, secretaries of the government, presiding
judges of the "Audiencia," presidents of tribu-
nal, magistrates, attorneys-general, archbishops,
bishops, canons, pastors of rich parishes, all, with
very rare exceptions, are Spaniards from Spain.
The Cubans are found only as minor clerks in the
government offices, doing all the work and re-
ceiving- the smallest salaries.

From 1878 to this date there have been
twenty governors in the province of Matanzas.
Eighteen were Spaniards and two Cubans. But

9 8 CUBA.

one of these, Brigadier-General Acosta, was an
army officer in the service of Spain, who had
fought against his countrymen ; and the other
Senor Gonzales Munoz, is a bureaucrat. During
the same period there has been only one native
Cuban acting as governor in the province of
Havana, Senor Rodriguez Batisa, who spent all
his life in Spain, where he made his administrative
career. In the other provinces there has never
probably been a single governor born in the
country.

In 1887 there was created a council or board
of Ultramar under the Minister of the Colonies.
Not a single Cuban has ever been found among
its members. On the other hand, such men as
Generals Arminan and Pando have held positions
in it.

In the L,ocal Offices.

The predominance of the government goes
further still. It weighs with all its might upon
the local corporations. There are deputations in
the provinces, and not only are their powers re-
stricted and their resources scanty, but the
Governor-General appoints their presidents and
all the members of trie permanent commissions.
There are " Ayuntamientos" elected in accord-
ance with the reactionary law of 1877, restricted
and curtailed as applied to Cuba by Senor Cano-
vas. But the Governor-General appoints the

CUBA. 99

mayors, who may not belong to the corporation,
and the governor of the province appoints the
secretaries. The government reserves moreover
the right to remove the mayors, of replacing
them, and of suspending the councillors and the
" Ayuntamientos," partly or in a body. It has
frequently made use of this right, for electoral
purposes, to the detriment always of the Cubans.
As may be seen, the crafty policy of Spain
has closed every avenue through which redress
might be obtained. (All the powers are centered
in the government of Madrid and its delegates
in the Colony ; and in order to give her despotism
a slight varnish of a representative regime, she
has contrived with her laws to secure complaisant
majorities in the pseudo-elective bodies. To
accomplish this purpose she has relied upon the
European immigrants, who have always sup-
ported the government of the Metropolis, in
exchange for lasting privileges. (The existence
of a Spanish party, as that of an English party
at one time in Canada, has been the foundation
of Spanish rule in Cuba. \Thus, through the
instrumentality of the laws and the government
a regime of castes has been enthroned there,
with its outcome of monopolies, corruption, im-
morality and hatred. The political contest there,
far from being the fruitful clash of opposite ideas,
or the opposition of men representing different

mi

IOO CUBA.

tendencies, but all seeking a social improvement,
has been only a struggle between hostile factions,
the conflict between infuriated foes, which pre-
cedes an open war. The Spanish resident has
always seen a threat in the most timid protest of
the Cuban — an attack upon the privileged posi-
tion on which his fortune, his influence and his
power are grounded ; and he is always willing to
stifle it with insult and persecution.
Squeezing: the Orange.

What use the Spanish Government has made
of this power is apparent in the three-fold spolia-
tion to which it has submitted the island of Cuba.
Spain has not, in fact, a colonial policy. In the dis-
tant lands she has subdued by force, Spain has
sought nothing- but immediate riches, and these it
has wrung by might from the compulsory labor
of the natives. For this reason Spain to-day in
Cuba is only a parasite. Spain exploits the island
of Cuba through its fiscal regime, through its
commercial regime and through its bureatic
regime. These are the three forms of official
spoliation ; but they are not the only forms of
spoliation.

When the war of 1878 came to an end, two-
thirds of the island were completely ruined. The
other third, the population of which had remained
peaceful, was abundantly productive ; but it had
to face the great economical change involved in

CUBA. IOI

the impending abolition of slavery. Slavery had
received its death-blow at the hands of the insur-
rection, and Cuban insurrectionists succeeded at
the close of the war in securing its eventful aboli-
tion.) Evidently it would have been a provident
policy to lighten the fiscal burdens of a country in
such a condition. Spain was only bent on making
Cuba pay the cost of the way. The Metropolis
overwhelmed the colony with enormous budgets,
reaching as high a figure as $46,000,000, and this
only to cover the obligations of the State ; or,
rather, to fill up the unfathomable gulf left by the
wastefulness and plunder of the civil and military
administration during the years of war, and to
meet the expenses of the military occupation of
the country. Here follow a few figures : The
budget for the fiscal year of 1878 to 1879 amounted
to $46,594,000; that of 1879 to 1880 to an equal
sum; that of 1882 to 1883, to $35,860,000 ; that of
1883 to 1884, to 34,180,000; that of 1884 to 1885
to the same sum ; that of 1885 to 1886, to $34,-
169,000. For the remaining years, to the present
time, the amount of the budget has been about
$26,000,000, this being the figure for 1893 to
1894, and to be the same by prorogation for the
current fiscal year.

The gradual reduction that may be noted was
not the result of a desire to reduce the over-
whelming burdens that weigh upon the country ;

102 CUBA.

it was imposed by necessity. Cuba was not able
by far to meet such a monstrous exaction. It was
a continuous and threatening deficit that imposed
these reductions. In the first of the above-named
years the revenue was $8,000,000 short of the
budget or appropriations. In the second year the
deficit reached the sum of $20,000,000. In 1883
it was nearly $ 1 0,000,000. In the following years,
the deficits averaged nearly $4,500,000. At pres-
ent the accumulated amount of all these deficits
reaches the sum of $100,000,000.

The Awful Burden of Debt.

As a consequence of such a reckless and
senseless financial course, the debt of Cuba has
been increased to a fabulous sum. In 1868 it
owed $25,000,000. When the present war broke
out the debt, it was calculated, reached the net
sum of $190,000,000. On the 31st of July, 1895,
the Island of Cuba was reckoned to owe $295,-
707,264 in bulk. Considering its population, the
debt of Cuba exceeds that of all the other Ameri-
can countries, including the United States. The
interest on this debt imposes a burden of $9.79
on each inhabitant. The French people, the most
overburdened in this respect, owe only $6.30 per
inhabitant.

This enormous debt, contracted and saddled
upon the country without its knowledge; this
heavy load that grinds it and does not permit its

CUBA. IO3

people to capitalize their income, to foster its
improvements, or even to entertain its industries,
constitutes one of the most iniquitous forms of
spoliation the island has to bear. In it are in-
cluded a debt of Spain to the United States ; the
expenses incurred by Spain when she occupied
San Domingo ; those for the invasion of Mexico
in alliance with France and England ; the expen-
ditures for her hostilities against Peru ; the money
advanced to the Spanish Treasury during its
recent Carlist wars ; and all that Spain has spent
to uphold its domination in Cuba and to cover
the lavish expenditures of its administration since
1868. Not a cent of this enormous sum has
been spent in Cuba to advance the work of im-
provement and civilization. It has not contributed
to build a single kilometre of highway or of rail-
road, nor to erect a single light-house, or deepen
a single port ; it has not built one asylum or
opened one public school. Such a heavy burden
has been left to the future generations, without a
single compensation or benefit.

Treatment of Native Industry.
Let us see now what Spain has done to per-
mit at least the development of natural wealth
and the industry of a country impoverished by
this fiscal regime, the work of cupidity, incompe-
tency and immorality. Let us see whether that
nation has left at least some vitality to Cuba, in

1 04 CUBA.

order to continue exploiting it with some profit.
This economical organization of Cuba is of the
simplest kind. It produces to export, and imports
almost everything it consumes. In view of this it
is evident that all that Cuba required from the
State was that it should not hamper its work with
excessive burdens, nor hinder its commercial rela-
tions ; so that it could buy cheap where it suited
her and sell her products with profit. Spain
has done all the contrary. She has treated to-
bacco as an enemy. She has loaded sugar with
excessive imposts ; she has shackled with excess-
ive and abusive excise duties the cattle-raising
industry ; and, with her legislative doings and un-
doings, she has thrown obstacles in the way of
the mining industry. And to cap the climax, she
has tightly bound Cuba in the network of a mon-
strous tariff and a commercial legislation which
subjects the colony, at the end of the nineteenth
century, to the ruinous monopoly of the producers
and merchants of certain regions of Spain, as in
the halcyon days of the colonial compact.

The district which produces the best tobacco
in the world, the famous Vuelta Abajo, lacks
every means of transportation afforded by civili-
zation, to foster and increase the value of its pro-
ducts. No roads, no bridges, or even ports are
found there. The State in Cuba collects the
taxes, but does not invest them for the benefit of

CUBA. I05

any industry. On the other hand, those foreign
countries, desirous of acquiring the rich tobacco-
raising industry, have closed their markets to this
privileged product, by imposing upon it excessive
import duties while the Spanish government bur-
dens its exportation from Cuban ports with a duty
of $1.80 on every thousand cigars. Is this not a
stroke of actual insanity ?

Bad Commercial Laws.
Everybody is aware of the tremendous crisis
through which the sugar industry has been pass-
ing for some years, owing to the rapid develop-
ment of the production of this article everywhere.
Every government has hastened to protect its
own by more or less empirical measures. This
is not the place to judge them. What is impor-
tant is to recall the fact that they have endeavored
to place the threatened industry in the best con-
dition to withstand the competition. What has
Spain done in order, if not to maintain the strong
position held before by Cuba, at least to enable the
Colony to carry on the competition with its every
day more formidable rivals ? Spain pays bounties
to the sugar produced within its own territory,
and closes its markets to the Cuban sugar, by im-
posing upon it an import duty of $6.20 per hun-
dred kilograms. It has been calculated that a
hundredweight of Cuban sugar is overburdened
when reaching the Barcelona market with 1 43 per

106 CUBA.

cent, of its value. The Spanish government op-
presses the Cuba producer with every kind of ex-
actions ; taxes the introduction of the machinery
that is indispensable for the production of sugar,
obstructs its transportation by imposing heavy
taxes on the railroads, and winds up the work by
exacting another contribution called industrial
duty, and still another for loading or shipping,
which is equivalent to an export duty.

Cuba Ruined for the Sake of Spain.

Still, if Spain was a flourishing industrial
country and produced the principal articles re-
quired by Cuba for the consumption of its people,
or for developing and fostering its industries, the
evil, though always great, would be a lesser one.
But everybody knows the backwardness of the
Spanish industries, and the inability of Spain to
supply Cuba with the products she requires for
her consumption and industries. The Cubans
have to consume or use foreign goods. The
Spanish merchants have found, moreover, a new
source of fraud in the application of these anti-
quated and iniquitous laws ; it consists in nation-
alizing foreign products for importation into
Cuba.

As the mainspring of this senseless com-
mercial policy is to support the monopoly of
Spanish commerce, when Spain has been com-
pelled to deviate from it to a certain extent by an

CUBA. I07

international treaty, it has done so reluctantly and
in the anxious expectation of an opportunity to
nullify its own promises. This explains the acci-
dental history of the Reciprocity Treaty with the
United States, which was received with joy by
Cuba, obstructed by the Spanish administration
and prematurely abolished by the Spanish Govern-
ment as soon as it saw an opportunity.

The injury done to Cuba, and the evil effects
produced by this commercial legislation are be-
yond calculation ; its effects have been material
losses, which have engendered profound discon-
tent. The " Circulo de Hacendados y Agricul-
tores," the wealthiest corporation of the island,
in 1894 passed judgment on these commercial
laws in the following severe terms :

"It would be impossible to explain, should
the attempt be made, what is the signification of
the present commercial laws, as regards any eco-
nomical or political plan or system ; because,
economically, they aim at the destruction of public
wealth, and politically they are the cause of inex-
tinguishable discontent, and contain the germs of
grave dissensions!'

Salaried Carpet-Baggers.

But Spain has not taken heed of this ; her
only care has been to keep the producers and
merchants of such rebellious provinces as Cata-
lonia contented.

108 CUBA.

Industries Driven to Bankruptcy.

Despite the prodigious efforts made by pri-
vate individuals to extend the cultivation of the
sugar cane and to raise the sugar-making industry
to the plane it has reached, both the colonists and
the proprietors of the sugar plantations and the
sugar mills (centrales) are on the brink of bank-
ruptcy and ruin. In selling the output they knew
that they would not get sufficient means to cover
the cost of keeping and repairing their colonies
and sugar mills. There is not a single agricultu-
ral bank in Cuba. The "hacendado" (planter,
land-owner) had to recur to usurious loans and to
pay eighteen and twenty per cent, for the sums
which they borrowed. Not long ago there existed
in Havana the Spanish Bank, the Bank of Com-
merce, the Industrial Bank, the Bank of St. Joseph,
the Bank of the Alliance, the Bank of Maritime
Insurances and the Savings Bank. Of these there
remain to-day only the Spanish Bank, which has
been converted into a vast State office, and the
Bank of Commerce, which owes its existence to
the railways and warehouses it possesses. None
of these gives any aid to the sugar industry.

The cigar-making industry, which was in
such flourishing condition a short time ago, has
fallen so low that fears are entertained that it
may emigrate entirely from Cuba. The weekly
" El Tobacco " came to the conclusion that the

Avenue of Royal Palms, Havana

CUBA. 1 1 I

exportation of cigars from Cuba would cease
entirely within six years. From 1889 to 1894 the
exportation from the port of Havana had de-
creased by 116,200,000 cigars.

City real estate has fallen to one-half and in
some cases to one-third the value it had before
1884. A building in Havana which was erected
at a cost of $600,000 was sold for $120,000.

Stocks and bonds tell the same story.
Almost all of them are quoted in Havana with
heavy discounts.

At the outbreak of the present war, Spain
found that, although the appropriations since 1878
amounted to nearly $500,000,000, not a single
military road had been built, no fortifications, no
hospitals, and there was no material of war. The
State has not provided even for its own defence.
In view of this fact nobody will be surprised to
hear that a country 670 kilometres long, with an
area of 118,833 square kilometres, has only
246}^ lineal kilometres of high-roads, and these
almost exclusively in the Province of Havana. In
that of Santiago de Cuba there are 9 kilometres ;
in Puerto Principe and Las Villas not a single one.
Cuba has 3,506 kilometres of sea-shore and fifty
four ports ; only fifteen of those are open to com-
merce. In the labyrinth of keys, sand banks and
breakers adjacent to our coasts there are only
nineteen lighthouses of all classes. Many of our
7

I 1 2 CUBA.

ports, some of the best among them, are filling
up. The coasting steamers can hardly pass the
bars at the entrance of the ports of Nuevitas,
Gibara, Baracoa and Santiago de Cuba. Private
parties have sometimes been willing to remedy
these evils ; but then the central administration
has interfered, and after years of red tape, things
have remained worse than before. In the course
of twenty-eight years only 139 kilometres of
high-roads were built in Cuba ; two first-class
light-houses were erected, three second-class, one
of the fourth-class, three beacon lights and two
port lights ; 246 metres of wharf were built, and
a few ports were superficially cleaned and their
shoals marked. This was all. On the other
hand the department of public works consumes
unlimited millions in enormous salaries and in
repairs.

The neglect of public hygiene in Cuba is pro-
verbial. The technical commission sent by the
United States to Havana to study the yellow
fever, declared that the port of the capital of
Cuba, owing to its inconceivable filth, is a perma-
nent source of infection, against which it is neces-
sary to take precautions. There is in Havana,
however, a " Junta de Puerto " (board of port-
wardens) which collects dues and spends them
with the same munificence as the other bureau-
cratic centres.

CUBA. 113

No Public Instruction.

Does the government favor Cuba more in
the matter of education ? It will suffice to state
that only $128,000 are assigned to public instruc-
tion in the budget. And it may be proved that
the University of Havana is a source of pecuniary
profit to the State. On the other hand, this in-
stitution is without laboratories, instruments and
even without water to carry on experiments. All
the countries of America, excepting Bolivia, all of
them, including Hayti, Jamaica, Trinidad, and
Guadalupe, where the colored race predominates,
spend a great deal more than the Cuban govern-
ment for the education of the people.
Early Discontent.

In the early part of the present century Cuba
began to grow restless under the rule of Spain.
Simon Bolivar, the liberator of South America,
aimed to include Cuba, also, in his work, and
make it independent. The project met with
little encouragement, however, and Cubans say
that its failure was due to the opposition, open or
secret, of the United States Government at that
time. That Government made it plain to Bolivar
that it would not be pleased if he extended his
operations north of Panama.

The fire of insurrection broke out fiercely
about twenty years afterward, and from 1848 to

114 CUBA.

1854 numerous small insurrections occurred.
These were mostly organized by the slaves, and
were more attempts to obtain freedom for the
slaves than to obtain independence for the island.
A few of these rebellions showed plans of a
widespread conspiracy, however, and these were
countenanced, if not assisted, by the Southern
States of this country. There was for some
time among Southern statesmen, a definite pro-
ject looking to the annexation of Cuba to the
Union, and its division into four States. These
would, of course, have been slave States and thus
would have added greatly to the power of the
slave party in Congress. Their eight senators
and at least sixteen representatives would have
given the balance of power to the South for a
long time.

The first serious uprising was that of the
''Black Eagle" bands in 1829, which was really
incited by the example of Bolivar and the South-
American republics. It was readily suppressed
by the Spanish Government with great severity
and cruelty. A considerable insurrection of the
slaves occurred in 1844 and the province of
Matanzas was placed for a time under purely
military rule. Under the ordinary method of
examination no incriminating evidence was ob-
tainable against the prisoners taken. The Court,
therefore, went back to the horrible practices of

CUBA. I I 5

the Inquisition, and tortured the prisoners in a
manner worthy of the days of Torquemada. As
a result, many wretched prisoners testified falsely
and accused innocent persons, in vain hope of
thus securing their own release from torment.
This hope was soon dispelled. The ruthless
judges generally put their witnesses to death after
torturing them. In all, nearly two thousand
persons were sentenced to death, to banishment,
and to imprisonment at hard labor for various
terms, against not one of whom was there any
real evidence.

Lopez and His Raids.
A formidable attack upon Spanish rule was
that led by Narcisso Lopez in 1848. He organ-
ized a band of 600 men in the United States, and,
evading the neutrality laws, made a landing upon
the Cuban coast, where he was joined by a con-
siderable number of Cubans, both white and col-
ored. He was soon driven out of the island by
the Spaniards, but returned a second time, and
again a third time in 1851. The last landing
proved fatal to him. He was captured by the
Spaniards and put to death, with a number of his
followers. Another American, Crittenden, who was
in league with him, remained on the coast, and,
hearing of the capture of Lopez, attempted to
escape by taking to the sea in a boat. He*
too, was captured, with fifty of his men, and

Il6 CUBA.

they were all put to death in Havana in a most
brutal manner.

The Killing: of Pinto.

Thereafter the island was quiet for a few
years, but, in 1854, Pinto, a Spaniard of revolu-
tionist tendencies, again raised the standard of
revolt. He was soon captured and put to death.

After Pinto came Estrampes and Aguero,
who aimed both at freeing the slaves and throw-
ing off the Spanish yoke. They were both cap-
tured after a brief struggle and put to death.
After them, there were no more serious uprisings
until the great war in 1868.

CHAPTER V.

OUTBREAK OF THE TEN YEARS' WAR IN 1 868

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE THE

SPANISH REPLY WAR IN EARNEST PROCLA-
MATION OF FREEDOM REGULAR GOVERNMENT

FORMED VALMASEDa's BLOODY ORDERS

AMERICAN SYMPATHY EXPRESSED A SPECIAL

MESSAGE.

HAT APPEARED to be at last the
dawn of deliverance for Cuba came
in 1868. On October ioth of that
year the illustrious patriot Cespedes raised the
five-barred and single-starred flag of Cuba at
Yara in the District of Bayamo and, with his
associates, made public a declaration of inde-
pendence. The advance party in Cuba at once
cast in their lot with him, and the insurrection
quickly assumed formidable dimensions in the
Eastern portion of the island. Cespedes was a
native Cuban of distinguished ancestry and high
culture. He was a lawyer by profession, but
owned a considerable estate. He began his
work for Cuba by giving his two hundred slaves
their liberty, whereupon to a man they enlisted
under the banner of the Cuban Republic and

I I 8 CUBA.

followed him faithfully through many battler
The chief leader of the Cuban armies at that time
and during the years that followed was Maximo
Gomez, who is now Commander-in-Chief of the
Revolutionary army.

The Declaration of Independence.

The patriots who thus took up arms for
Cuba were proud to call themselves laboring men.
They were, in fact, known as the " Junta of the
Laborers." The following is the proclamation
which they made to the public :

"The laborers, animated by the love for
their native land, aspire to the hope of seeing
Cuba happy and prosperous by virtue of its own
power, and demand the inviolability of individuals,
their homes, their families, and the fruits of their
labor, which it will have guaranteed by the liberty
of conscience, of speech, of the press, by peace-
ful meetings ; in fact, they demand a Government
of the country for and by the country, free from
an army of parasites and soldiers that only serve
to consume it and oppress it. And, as nothing
of that kind can be obtained from Spain, they
intend to fight it with all available means, and
drive and uproot its dominion on the face of Cuba.
Respecting above all and before all the dignity
of man, the association declares that it will not
accept slavery as a forced inheritance of the past ;
however, instead of abolishing it as an arm by

CUBA. I 1-9

which to sink the island into barbarity, as threat-
ened by the Government of Spain, they view
abolition as a means of improving the moral and
material condition of the workingman, and thereby
to place property and wealth in a more just and
safe position.

" Sons of their times, baptized in the vivid
stream of civilization and therefore above pre-
occupation of nationality, the laborers will respect
the neutrality of Spaniards, but among Cubans
will distinguish only friends and foes, those that
are with them or against them. To the former
they offer peace, fraternity and concord ; to the
latter, hostility and war — war and hostility that
will be more implacable to the traitors in Cuba
where they first saw the day, who turn their arms
against them, or offer any asylum or refuge to
their tyrants. We, the laborers, ignore the
value of nationality, but at the present moment
consider it of secondary moment. Before nation-
ality stands liberty, the indisputable condition of
existence. We must be a people before becom-
ing a nation. When the Cubans constitute a free
people they will receive the nationality that be-
comes them. Now they have none."

The Declaration of Independence was made
on October ioth. Eight days later the town of
Bayamo was captured by the insurgents, and ten
days after that the whole district of Holguin rose

120 CUBA.

in arms. Early in November the insurgents
defeated a Spanish force which had been sent
against them from Santiago, and soon after this
most of the Spanish American Republics of South
America recognized the Cubans as belligerents.
The Marquis of Santa Lucia, the present Pres-
ident of the provisional government, quickly
identified himself with the patriot cause and
brought it many recruits. In December, General
Ouesada landed in Cuba with an expedition from
Nassau, bringing a considerable consignment of
arms and ammunition. So rapidly did the cause
prosper that by April ioth, 1869, it was possible
to organize a regular government with an elected
House of Assembly. Cespedes was President of
the government, and General Quesada was made
Commander-in-Chief of the army.

The Spanish Reply.

The Spanish Captain-General at Havana real-
ized the seriousness of the situation, and strove to
stem the tide of patriotic enthusiasm by issuing a
proclamation to the people of Cuba, promising all
sorts of things if they would only remain loyal to
Spain. He said :

"I will brave every danger, accept every
responsibility for your welfare. The Revolution
has swept away the Bourbon dynasty, tearing up
the roots, a plant so poisonous that it putrefied
the air we breathed. To the citizen shall be

CUBA. 12 1

returned his rights, to man his dignity. You
will receive all the reforms which you require.
Cubans and Spaniards are all brothers. From
this day Cuba will be considered as a province of
Spain. Freedom of the press, the right of meet-
ing in public, and representation in the national
Cortes, the three fundamental principles of true
liberty, are granted you.

" Cubans and Spaniards! Speaking in the
name of our mother, Spain, I adjure you to forget
the past, hope for the future, and establish union
and fraternity."

This proclamation had no effect whatever
upon the Cubans except to excite their contempt
and derision for its bombastic hypocrisy, and to
make them all the more resolved to set their
country free from the Spanish yoke.
War in Earnest.

Seeing that the patriots were resolute, the
Captain-General called for troops from Spain and
they were quickly sent in large numbers. The
freedom of the press throughout the island was
summarily abolished and martial law was pro-
claimed everywhere. The citizens of Havana
were ordered to contribute the sum of $25,000,-
000 for the use of the Government.

By February, 1869, heavy fighting began.
The first important victory for the patriots oc-
curred at San Cristoval, twenty-two leagues

122 CUBA.

west from Havana. Another battle took
place at Quanajay, eleven leagues from
Havana on the north coast. Nothing but the
timely arrival of reinforcements from Count Val-
maseda prevented the patriots from capturing
Santiago. Havana was soon practically in a
state of siege. The telegraph was destroyed and
the mails stopped at Trinidad. The Spanish
troops on February 7th, burned the town of San
Miguel. The Insurgents adopted the method of
warfare which they are now again pursuing,
namely, to keep moving from one point to
another, baffling pursuit and tiring out their
enemies. To make the progress of the Spanish
armies more difficult they also destroyed bridges
and railroads in many places.

Tens of thousands of troops were hurried to
the island from Spain and the Commander every-
where gave orders that the war should be pur-
sued in the most ruthless manner, no quarter
being given and no prisoners taken. Yet the
Spanish army was able to do no more than to
hold its own. They defended the cities and large
towns and fortified camps, but the vast bulk of
the country had to be surrendered to the Insur-
gents. Early in March a considerable battle was
fought near Puerto Principe in which the loss of
the Insurgents was nearly 1,000 killed and
wounded. At this time the entire strength of

CUBA. 123

the Insurgent forces under Gen. Quesada was
not more than 7,000. The Spanish army was
three or four times as large. But by clever
strategy the Patriots were able not only to main-
tain their position, but actually to take the field
aggressively against their foes.

Proclamation of Freedom.

The patriot government in March, 1869,
formally decreed the absolute abolition of slavery.
It was arranged that the patriots should be in-
demnified for the loss of their slaves, while the
freedmen might become soldiers or farmers,
according to their pleasure.

An address was sent on March 1st by Ces-
pedes to the President of the United States,
explaining the purpose of the insurrection and
the causes that led to it and setting forth the
reasons why the United States should accord to
the Cubans belligerent rights and recognition of
their independence. This was an eloquent and
impressive document, which strongly appealed to
the sympathies of President Grant and of the whole
American people. At the same time the magni-
tude of the Revolution and the stability of the
new Government did not yet appear such as
would warrant the recognition asked for.
Regular Government Forms.

About a month later representatives from
all parts of Cuba met and formed a national

124 CUBA.

Congress at Guaimaro, a small town in the
central part of the island. Gen. Cespedes re-
signed to it his provisional authority as Chief of
the Government, but was immediately and unan-
imously elected Constitutional President of the
Republic. Thereupon he issued the following
inaugural address to the people of Cuba :

" Compatriots : The establishment of a free
Government in Cuba, on the basis of Democratic
principles, was the most fervent wish of my
heart. The effective realization of this wish
was, therefore, enough to satisfy my aspirations
and amply repay the services which, jointly with
you, I may have been able to devote to the cause
of Cuban independence. But the will of my
compatriots has gone far beyond this, by invest-
ing me with the most honored of all duties, the
supreme magistracy of the Republic.

" I am not blind to the great labors required
in the exercise of the high functions which you
have placed in my charge in these critical
moments, notwithstanding the aid that may be
derived from the other powers of the State. I
am not ignorant of the grave responsibility which
I assume in accepting the Presidency of our new-
born Republic. I know that my weak powers
would be far from being equal to the demand if
left to themselves alone. But this will not occur,
and that conviction fills me with faith in the future.

CUBA. 125

"In the act of beginning the struggle with
the oppressors, Cuba has assumed the solemn
duty to consummate her independence or perish
in the attempt ; and in giving herself a Demo-
cratic Government she obligates herself to become
a Republic. This double obligation, contracted
in the presence of free America, before the lib-
eral world, and, what is more, before our own
conscience, signifies our determination to be
heroic and to be virtuous. On your heroism I
rely for the consummation of our independence,
and on your virtue I count to consolidate the
Republic."

Two days afterward there appeared a pro-
clamation issued to the army by Gen. Quesada,
the Commander-in-Chief. It urged the Cubans
to wage brave and vigorous warfare against their
oppressors and reminded them of the ferocious
character of the Spanish leaders. He said :

"I implore you, sons of Cuba, to recollect
at all hours the proclamation of Valmaseda. That
document will shorten the time necessary for the
triumph of our cause. That document is an ad-
ditional proof of the character of our enemies.
Those beings appear deprived even of those gifts
which Nature has conceded to the irrational — the
instinct of foresight and of warning. We have to
struggle with tyrants, always such — the very same
ones of the Inquisition, of the conquest, and of

126 CUBA.

Spanish domination in America. We have to
combat with the assassins of women and children,
with the mutilators of the dead, with the idola-
ters of gold. If you womd save your honor and
that of your families, if you would conquer for-
ever your liberty — be soldiers."

Valmaseda's Bloody Orders.

The proclamation of Valmaseda, referred to
by General Ouesada, was indeed a most infamous
document. It was issued by him on April 4th,
1869, and reads as follows :

"Inhabitants of the country ! The reinforce-
ments of troops that I have been waiting for
have arrived ; with them I shall give protection
to the good, and punish promptly those that still
remain in rebellion against the government of the
metropolis.

" You know that I have pardoned those who
have fought us with arms ; that your wives,
mothers, and sisters have found in me the unex-
pected protection that you have refused them.
You know, also, that many of those we have par-
doned have turned against us again.

" Before such ingratitude, such villany, it is
not possible for me to be the man that I have been ;
there is no longer a place for a falsified neutrality ;
he that is not for me is against me ; and that my
soldiers may know how to distinguish, you hear
the order they carry :

• '(^'"xi*:1. ".■■■,-.

,»*;.. •*.;

'hv

.ifef'

CUBA. I2q

" i st. Every man, from the age of fifteen
years upward, found away from his habitation
(finca), and who does not prove a justified motive
therefor, will be shot.

" 2d. Every habitation unoccupied will be
burned by the troops.

" 3d. Every habitation from which does not
float a white flag, as a signal that its occupants
desire peace, will be reduced to ashes.

"Women that are not living at their own
homes, or at the houses of their relatives, will
collect in the town of Jiguani, or Bayamo, where
maintenance will be provided. Those who do
not present themselves will be conducted forcibly.

"The foregoing determinations will com-
mence to take effect on the 14th of the present
month."

In what manner this order was executed, we
shall presently see.

American Sympathy Expressed.

Numerous expeditions of men and cargoes
of arms and ammunition were soon conveyed to
Cuba from the United States, and many American
citizens did admirable work in the patriot army.
A number of severe battles were fought during
1869, in which the patriots generally were vic-
torious. In October there was an epidemic of
cholera which, in a few days, carried off thousands
of the Spanish troops, while the Cubans, who
8

^3° CUBA.

were not attacked by the disease at all, spent
their time in drilling and preparing for further
operations. The burning of sugar plantations
became general. More than 160 large plantations
belonging to Cubans were confiscated by the
Spaniards, who hoped to get much money out of
the crops. To prevent this, the insurgents raided
these plantations and destroyed the cane by fire.

In November the Cuban Junta in the United
States was reorganized at New York, and began
doing excellent service for the patriot cause.
The sympathy of the American people with the
Cubans was very strong and well-nigh universal.
It was openly expressed by President Grant in
his message to Congress in December. He took,
however, the ground that " the contest had at no
time assumed the conditions which amount to a
war in the sense of international war, or which
would show the existence of a political organiza-
tion of the Insurgents sufficient to justify a recog-
nition of belligerency.

A Special Message.

Six months later, in June, 1870, President
Grant deemed the matter of such importance as
to require discussion in a special message to Con-
gress in which he said : "During the six months
which have passed the condition of the insurgents
has not improved, and the insurrection itself,
although not subdued, exhibits no signs of advance,

CUBA. 1 3 g

but seems to be confined to an irregular system
of hostilities, carried on by small and illy-armed
bands of men, roaming without concentration
through the woods and the sparsely populated
regions of the island, attacking from ambush
convoys and small bands of troops, burning plan-
tations and the estates of those not sympathizing
with their cause.

" But, if the insurrection has not gained
ground, it is equally true that Spain has not sup-
pressed it. Climate, disease, and the occasional
bullet have worked destruction among the sol-
diers of Spain ; and, although the Spanish author-
ities have possession of every seaport and every
town on the island, they have not been able to
subdue the hostile feeling which has driven a con-
siderable number of the native inhabitants of the
island to armed resistance against Spain, and still
leads them to endure the dangers and privations
of the roaming life of a guerrilla."

CHAPTER VI.

SAVAGE METHODS OF SPANISH SOLDIERS — SPANISH

TESTIMONY MEAGRE NEWS IN HAVANA A

REIGN OF CRUELTY CHARACTER OF THE WAR

SAFETY OF HAVANA THE SPANISH MISTAKE

STRENGTH OF THE PATRIOTS EFFECTS OF THE

WAR UPON THE ISLAND RUINED TOWNS LITTLE

FIGHTING MUCH DESTRUCTION TACTICS OF

THE TWO ARMIES THE SPANIARDS HALF-
HEARTED SLAUGHTFR IN THE FIVE TOWNS

OUTRAGES UPON WOMEN ATROCITIES OF CAMP

FOLLOWERS.

@P

HE LETTER and spirit of Valmaseda's
proclamation, which we quoted in the
preceding chapter, were more than ful-
filled. There is in all history no chapter more
horrible than that which records the doings of that
inhuman monster and his subordinates in Cuba
during the Ten Years' War. Neither sex nor age
was respected. The honor and lives of the popu-
lation were at the mercy of the Spanish soldiery,
and that soldiery included thousands of the vilest
criminals that could be recruited from the prisons
of the Old Country. One brigade of the Spanish
army consisted exclusively of negroes of the most
brutal character, and became famous, or rather

032)

CUBA. I33

infamous, as the " Black Brigade," this name
being given to it not merely on account of the
color of the men's faces, but still more because of
the horrible nature of their deeds.

Humanity and common decency forbid any-
thing like a detailed account of the crimes com-
mitted by Valmaseda and his chief assistant,
Weyler, the present leader of the Spanish forces
in Cuba.

Spanish Testimony.

Let us take the testimony of the Spanish
officers themselves, as given in their letters.
One of them, Jesus Rivocoba, wrote on Septem-
ber 4, 1869 :

" We captured seventeen, thirteen of whom
were shot outright : on dying they shouted,
'Hurrah for free Cuba! hurrah for independence!'
A mulatto said, 'Hurrah for Cespedes !' On the
following day we killed a Cuban officer and
another man. Among the thirteen that we shot
the first day were found three sons and their
father ; the father witnessed the execution of his
sons without even changing color, and when his
turn came he said he died for the independence
of his country. On coming back we brought
along with us three carts filled with women and
children, the families of those we had shot ; and
they asked us to shoot them, because they would
rather die than live among Spaniards."

134 CUBA.

Pedro Fardon, another officer, writes on
September 22, 1869:

" Not a single Cuban will remain in this
island, because we shoot all those we find in the
fields, on the farms, and in every hovel."

And again, on the same day, the same
officer sends the following to his father :

" We do not leave a creature alive where we
pass, be it man or animal."

Meagre News in Havana.

A shrewd and judicious observer of the war
in 1873, savs :

" We are indebted to the Diario de la Marina
for reminding us that we are in a state of insur-
rection. There is a civil war raging somewhere
in Cuba. This is the depth of winter, a fact which,
with the weather glass at 830 in the shade, we are
rather apt to forget ; it is the only season in the
year propitious to military operations. The troops
are in full march, and official bulletins reporting
th^ir progress are forwarded from headquarters
and find their way intc the daily papers. Such a
commanding officer with certain battalions has
come up with an insurgent band far away in
some spot above Guantanamo in the district of
Santiago de Cuba, in the southeastern extremity
of the island. To attack the rebels and com-
pletely to rout them was for the heroic Spanish
troops one and the same thing. They killed many

CUBA. I35

of them, wounded many more and took fourteen
horses and one rifle." In another report we hear
there were "three rebels killed, seven prisoners,
one of these latter wounded ; three muskets were
taken, and fifteen small arms ; two able-bodied
men surrendered." In another encounter the
trophies were " six prisoners and a mule." And
again, two prisoners and three fire-arms, with the
surrender of forty between women and children
personas defamilia. These monotonous and some-
what meagre accounts constitute the annals of
the war. The bulletins are almost stereotyped,
one seemingly a transcript of the other. By the
people here they are read with a sneer and a
shrug of the shoulders. Not that the reports need
be altogether disbelieved, or that more credit
should be given to the counter-statements circu-
lating in whispers among the disaffected, by
which the alleged encounters are celebrated as
rebel victories. To hear these, the rebels' horses
cannot have been taken in open fight, as the in-
surgents have no horses, but from the inoffensive
and defenceless peasantry upon whom the troops
wreak the vengeance of their defeats. As to the
killed and wounded, the prisoners, the women
and children who surrendered, they are the ill-
fated owners of the horses, who are treated as
rebels if they venture to raise any complaint
about the loss of their property. It little matters

13^ CUBA.

to which of the conflicting versions we listen, for
in point of "imaginative" powers there is not a
doit to choose between Creoles and Peninsulars.
The phenomenon is that such skirmishing should
go on from day to day for four years without
more decisive results, and that, while both parties
are at the trouble of inventing, they should task
our credulity to no greater lengths.
A Reigrn of Cruelty.
"All allowance being made for gross exag-
geration on both sides, there can be little doubt
about the ruthless character of these Cuban
hostilities. So long as I only read printed reports
I might be loth to believe that "women and
children have been murdered after nameless out-
rages ; whole families hacked to pieces, prisoners
invariably killed after horrible tortures — roasted
alive, or their bodies mutilaced with grotesque
indecency ;" but a closer approach to the scene
of action has made me somewhat less skeptic,
and at all events there can be no doubt that there
is a vast deal of shooting in cold blood, as is freely
admitted, not without much boasting, on either
side. And property fares no better than human
life in belligerents' hands. I know from the very
best authority that in the district of Trinidad de
Cuba, one of the oldest settlements in the central
department of the island, about two-thirds of the
sugar and coffee estates, and of the potreros, or

CUBA.

137

grazing farms, were either destroyed or aband-
oned, and thrown out of cultivation before the
end of 1 87 1. That magnificent valley was turned
into a state of desolation from which it is now
with difficulty struggling to recover. The same
has been the fate of many of these old settlements
in the central districts. Of late the movement
has taken an easterly direction ; the insurgent
bands are more frequently heard of in the neigh-
borhood of Puerto Principe, Santiago, and
Guantanamo, beyond the Trocha or military
cordon, which the Spanish troops have estab-
lished at Moron.

Character of tlie War.
"The nature of this war was determined
partly by the conditions of the country and partly
by the nature of the combatants. The island of
Cuba is divided into three main departments, the
Western, of which Havana is the capital, and
which, so far as we can depend on the results of
the census had, in 1872, 1,034,616 inhabitants;
the Central, capital Puerto Principe, with only
75,725 inhabitants; the Eastern, capital Santiago
de Cuba, with 249,096. The Western Depart-
ment is the smallest, mostly level, and narrowest
from sea to sea; it is in a great measure settled
and prosperous, and here are the large sugar fac-
tories and the tobacco plantations which constitute
the enormous wealth of the island. In the Central

138 CUBA.

Department, out of the 75,725 inhabitants 30,585
live in the capital, Puerto Principe. If we allow
only a few thousands for each of the towns of
the department — Trinidad, Sagua la Grande,
Villa Clara, San Juan de los Remedios, etc. — we
must conclude that its rural districts are a mere
desert, a large portion of the territory consisting
of savannas which are deemed irreclaimable, and
of dense forests or mere brushwood which is also
looked upon as doomed to unmitigated barrenness.
Of whatever was available and broueht into culti-
vation, not a little has succumbed to the havoc of
the civil war. On the eastern side, which boasted
the oldest colonies, Santiago, Baracoa, Bayamo,
Guantanamo, etc., the valleys up to a certain
height had been made fruitful, and the mountains
were covered with flourishing coffee estates, but
not a little of the interior was left in a state of
nature, and the vast tracts are marked, even in
recent maps, as 'waste and uninhabited moun-
tains,' or 'uncultivated and unexplored regions.'
{Monies desiertos e incultos ; terrenos inhabitados e
inadtos.) The Sierra Maestra, or main chain,
running along the whole southern coast from Cabo
Cruz to Punta de Mayzi, rises to a height of 8000
feet, i. e., on a level with the loftiest Apennines.
What culture there was in this region is rapidly
disappearing. Many of the land-owners, with
such wealth as they were able to save from

cuba. 1 39

the wreck of their estates, have migrated to
the United States, to Jamaica or other British
possessions ; others have sold their slaves and
cattle to the planters of the western or Havana
department; and even in those districts from
which, out of sheer exhaustion, the scourge of
war has been removed, agriculture and industry
find it difficult to revive, owing to the want of
public confidence, as well as to the utter absence
of capital and labor.

Safety of Havana.
"The Western Department has remained
untouched throughout the struggle. Havana has
little reason to distress itself about Cuban insur-
rection. This prosperous, pleasure-loving city
can afford to make itself as easy about Cespedes
and his rebels as New York ever was as to the
skirmishes with the Modoc or other Red Indians
on the borders of the remotest territories, or
Milan with respect to Pallavicini's attacks on the
brigand fastnesses in the Basilicate. Indeed,
as I have before hinted, the Havana people have
had not only nothing to lose, but simply too much
to gain from the calamities by which two-thirds of
the island have been laid desolate. Havana is
the centre of an extensive net of railways —
about iooo miles as I learn from the " Guide" —
opening an easy and tolerably safe communication
with Matanzas, Cardenas, and Sagua la Grande

1 40 CUBA.

on the northern coast, with Villa Clara in the
centre and with Batabano and Cienfuegos on the
southern coast. Havana has also a regular
weekly steam-packet intercourse on the north
with Matanzas, Cardenas, Sagua, Caibarien,
Nuevitas, Jibara, and Baracoa ; and, on the south
with Batabano, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Las Tunas,
Santa Cruz, Manzanillo, Santiago, and Guantan-
amo. But away from the wastes, and beyond
the lines of railway, there is a vast debatable
ground in which the insurrection can run riot,
threatening now one, now another district, shifting
its quarters according as it can hope to find means
of subsistence, avoiding encounters, and escap-
ing pursuit by withdrawing to its recesses of im-
pervious forests or inaccessible mountains.

" The war which the troops attempt to wage
against the insurgent bands, owing to the extreme
heat and unhealthiness of the climate, is only
practicable in the winter months, between No-
vember and May. Even in the immediate neigh-
borhood of the cities, say half a mile from Ha-
vana itself, the roads are abominable — mere
tracks with deep ruts and holes, without the least
attempt at macadamization ; such highways as
hardly any country in Europe, the Spanish Penin-
sula alone excepted, can any longer show. The
troops at the opening of the campaign are con-
veyed either by land or by sea to the localities

CUBA. I4I

where the railway or the steamer can bring them
nearest to the suspected haunts of the insurgents ;
and thence, after a few miles, they plunge into
the forest, drawn up in two, three or more col-
umns, each column cutting its way through the
thick of the wood as it advances, until it falls in
with the enemy, who, after a few shots from the
vantage ground of his ambush, seeks safety in a
precipitate retreat to still more tangled thickets
and still more arduous mountain fastnesses. In
frequent instances the troops, which are but indif-
ferently served by spies and which by reason of
the nature of the ground and their own paucity
of numbers are incapable of deploying, investing
or surrounding the enemy, wander for days and
weeks without seeing a rebel; and a commissioner
of the ' New York Herald ' who, anxious ' to
see the fun ' as he said, asked and obtained per-
mission to follow one of the columns in an attack
on a mountain gorge near Guantanamo, had to
come back after a very fatiguing ride which
turned out a mere wild-goose chase, the gorge
being as silent and solitary as it may have been
before it was first trodden by mortal footsteps.
The insurrection which first broke out at Yara
in the territory of Bayamo, the native place of
Cespedes, in the eastern department, spread at
first into the central districts and ravaged the
territory of the ' Cinco Villas,' threatening each

I42 CUBA.

of them, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, etc., by turns ;
but routed at many points, it again shifted its
ground to the eastern department, to that region
of ' Montes Desiertos e Terrenos Incultos,' where
the troops can make no headway against it. Once
only, in the whole course of four years, did the
insurrection show any disposition to abandon its
defensive attitude, and this was when, by a coup
de main, it swooped down upon Holquin, an
inland town above Jibara. But even then the
insurgents only held the town for a few hours,
and withdrew without awaiting an encounter with
the troops, after plundering the helpless inhabit-
ants. From other towns the volunteers have
hitherto at all times been sufficiently strong to
ward off rebel attacks.

The Spanish Mistake.
"It is the opinion of competent persons that
had the Madrid Government been able and
willing to send a force of 30,000 or 40,000 men,
choosing its best troops, and at once setting them
to carve wide military roads through the bush,
sweeping the whole rebel region as if by a grand
battle on a well-laid and comprehensive plan, the
disturbance would long since have been at an
end ; for the fighting powers of the insurgents are
absolutely below contempt. But the Spanish
Government has always sent its forces by mere
driblets — at the utmost 4,000 or 5,000 at a time ;

CUBA. H3

it has sent, not unfrequently, volunteer battalions
from the cities, raw and unseasoned recruits — in
a recent instance 1,000 Carlist prisoners, mere
undisciplined and ill-conditioned bandits — and it
has limited its efforts to guerrilla operations ; a
wayward and desultory mode of warfare in which
its opponents were fully able to meet it with
equal weapons. Of late the Government has
had recourse to a strategy of Trochas, or military
cordons, intended not to suppress the insur-
rection, but only to hem it in if possible within
certain limits. A line of that description has, as
I said, been drawn from Moron all across the
country to the southern coast ; thereby acknow-
ledging the impotence of the troops to occupy
and thoroughly subdue the interior of at least
one-half of the island. Upon this footing it is
reckoned the war has already led to the destruc-
tion of 150,000 human lives; though the men
actually slain in battle may perhaps be counted
by hundreds, while thousands on the part of
the insurgents have fallen victims to execu-
tions after capture, and on the part of the
soldiers to fever and cholera, the consequence of
prolonged hardships, bad and scanty food, un-
sheltered quarters, and the insalubrity of the
climate. Competent military authorities have
no great opinion of the tactics by which the
Spanish generals now hope to shut in and en-

144 CUBA.

compass the rebels by their cordons, so as to
isolate and localize the war. The scheme, they
think, is a mere delusion ; for on the one hand
the whole Spanish fleet would be insufficient to
blockade the many little bays and inlets with
which the extensive coasts of the island are
everywhere indented, protected as they are by
their numberless cayos, or coral reefs covered
with verdure which form a perfect shoal of islets
stretching far out to sea and perplexing naviga-
tion by their endless maze of intricate channels ;
and, on the other hand, the forests in these
regions are not only impenetrable, but, as ex-
experience has proved, actually indestructible by
fire, and their growth is so rapid that the
tracks made in the winter are almost utterly
obliterated before the summer is over, while
the mountain ridges, rising one behind the
other, enable the guerrilla bands to cross from
vale to vale and from glen to glen with a be-
wildering rapidity which seems to multiply their
forces and invest them with the gift of ubiquity.
Strength of the Patriots.
" There is a bare possibility that the insur-
rection may end in the utter extermination of the
insurgents by breaking open and laying bare all
their forest lairs and mountain haunts, and inter-
secting the most savage districts with nets of roads
and railroads, such as neither Cuba nor Spain her-

CUBA. 1 47

self can boast. But an enterprise of that nature
would require heroic, gigantic and, above all, sus-
tained and unremitting exertions. It could not be
achieved by fits and starts — not by a five or six
months' campaign, nor by any series of them. As
to any possibility of starving, or wearying or dis-
heartening the insurgents, that seems out of the
question. They appear to be well supplied with
arms and money ; they live on the wild fruits of
the earth, on the yams, bananas, cocoanuts, and
other productions which they, or their families, or
the many free negroes enlisted in their ranks,
cultivate the small patches of the uninvaded dis-
tricts. They have also abundance of game, and
they feast especially on a wild rat of a peculiar
kind, as large as a cat and as tender as a kid,
the flavor of which they prefer to that of any
other meat.

" They rely for recruits, or anything else they
may want, on the sympathies of the Creole or na-
tive population throughout the island, and in Hav-
ana itself; and where the goodwill of their friends
fails, the greed and avarice of their enemies come
to their aid ; for there are men in Havana and
other cities — Spaniards and others — who, where
there is anything to be gained, are as little scru-
pulous about dealing with the one as with the
other belligerent, and who, while supplying the
soldiers, would sell their very souls to the insur-

9

1 48 CUBA.

gents, if these latter had any occasion for such
a commodity, and could afford to pay for it.
Nay, more ! I have been assured, though I have
great reluctance in believing it, that some of the
colonels and other officers in command of the
columns of regular troops, manage to prolong
hostilities either by ignoring the enemy when
they have him in their toils and could compel
him to give battle, or by showing great slowness
and remissness in the pursuit when they have
routed and put him to flight. Their dishonorable
conduct seems to be actuated either by a desire
to perpetuate a struggle which leads to speedy
promotion, or by some other consideration of a
baser and more sordid consideration.

Effects of the War upon the Island.
" No country in the world was intended for
a finer, richer or happier abode of man than this
"Pearl of the Antilles," nor could better have
withstood the ravages of a four-years' civil war.
Yet the results of that civil war begin to tell, at
least on the central and eastern departments of
the island where the beauty and fertility are more
conspicuous. The port of Manzanillo, said the
English Consul to me, was visited yearly before
the insurrection by thirty to forty British vessels ;
since then their number has dwindled down to
eight or ten. And the same tale may be told of
every harbor in the island, Havana alone, and

CUBA. 1 49

perhaps Matanzas and Cardenas excepted. Man-
zanillo, like Cienfuegos, is a comparatively new
town. Its level territory, for a distance of ten to
twelve leagues from the Sierra Maestra, was cut
up into sugar estates, many of which have been
burned or abandoned, while the others simply exist
at the insurgents' discretion. No man can ven-
ture half a league out of town at night; no man
can travel even by day to Bayamo, a few leagues
off, without an escort of at least sixty well-armed
men. Yet the little seaport itself is considered
safe from a coup de main, as it has been hastily
surrounded with petty forts ; it boasts a force of
400 volunteers, besides 200 bomberos, or firemen,
all staunch in their loyalty ; and it has, besides,
regular troops everywhere quartered in the envi-
rons. Every place in these districts, however in-
significant, is thus virtually an encampment. At
Santiago, where is the chief command of the east-
ern department, life and property are somewhat
safer ; yet the beautiful coffee plantations estab-
lished there and at Guantanamo by French fugi-
tives from the negro insurrection of Hayti at the
close of the last century have in a great measure
disappeared ; and what cultivation still survives
depends for safety on the immediate protection of
the troops — a protection precarious at the best of
times, and in return for which the wants of the
soldiers have to be supplied and their comforts

i5o

CUBA.

attended to ; for it is only by cheerfully submitting
to be plundered by friends that the proprietor
may hope to escape being pillaged by enemies.
And even when no immediate danger arises from
the approach of the insurgents, the military au-
thorities compel the planter either to maintain a
large garrison at his own cost for his defense — the
ordinary number is sixty men, volunteers or reg-
ulars— or else to remove all his movable prop-
erty ; to gut and unroof his house, lest it should
afford shelter and become a stronghold to the
rebels.

Ruined Towns.

"The prosperity of which Havana and the
Western Department of the island show such
splendid symptoms, contrasts very sadly with the
distress and misery which meet the traveler as
he proceeds eastward. You see young towns
like Cienfuegos, Manzanillo, Sagua and others,
which only ten years ago were rising in import-
ance and were laying out promenades, building
theatres, concert halls, and casinos, and so
ministering to the only luxuries of Spanish life,
suddenly stunted in their growth and, as it were,
death-stricken. The population of Santiago has
indeed increased, but merely by becoming the
refuge of the land-owners and of the rural popu-
lation whom the Civil War has driven from their
homes, At this rate, homestead after home-

CUBA. I 5 T

stead, district after district, and eventually a large
portion of the island will be dying off surely and
not slowly ; and already the United States, the
Spanish Republics of Central America and the
British colonies swarm with Cuban fugitives.
There is a ' Little Cuba ' in Jamaica. From
1,500 to 2,000 exiles have sought a shelter, and
many of them have made themselves at home,
there. Some have brought capital, with what-
ever they were able to scrape together out of the
wreck of their fortunes. They have purchased
land — one of them an estate worth $7,000, and
have become naturalized British subjects, although
the law in Jamaica allows aliens to possess real
estate. They are now pursuing their former
vocations as sugar, tobacco and coffee planters
with a success which not only bids fair to retrieve
their losses, but which has even the effect of stir-
ring the somewhat dormant energies of the
British Creoles in Jamaica, and thereby contri-
buting to the general improvement of that
unfortunate island, of which cheering symptoms
have been apparent for the last seven or eight
years. It is not without great astonishment that
these new Cuban settlers become familiar with
some of the peculiarities of English law in their
new home. One of them was lately involved in
a law-suit about the title deeds of an estate he
had purchased, against no less a person than the

152 CUBA.

Queen of England, as owner of the Crown
domains in her good island of Jamaica. The
Cuban, with great misgiving, brought his action
into Court at the earnest suggestion of his
lawyer. The case was tried, and the Cuban —
won the suit ! Think of the Government ever
allowing itself to be beaten by a private subject,
and he an alien, in Spain or in her colonies!
Uttle Fighting: , Much Destruction.
" It is painful to think what a mere ' ha'p'orth '
of fipfhtine goes to all this ' intolerable deal ' of
ravage and destruction. I traveled from Santiago
to San Luis, a distance of thirty-two kilometres,
by rail. The line is cut through a deep gorge of
the Sierra Maestra, and is flanked all along by
little wooden towers, mere huts guarded by de-
tachments of regular Spanish troops, each little
garrison from five to fifty men strong. All along
the railway line, and beyond it, all the way to
Puerto Principe, the headquarters of the Central
Department, and to Havana, there are telegraph
wires which run across the island throughout the
whole insurgent district. These wires are also
under the protection of detached military posts ;
and so utterly incapable or powerless are the
insurgent chiefs, Cespedes, Agramonte, the broth-
ers Garcia, Modesto Diaz, Maximo Gomez, and
the rest, that any interruption, either to railway
trains or telegraphic messages, is an extremely

CUBA. 153

rare occurrence. The insurgents, if we are to
believe the military authorities here, do not muster
more than 3,000 effective combatants. But by the
estimate of impartial men their number is estimated
at 8,000, most of them well armed. Can it be con-
ceived that so strong a force, divided into almost
ubiquitous bands, and favored by high mountains
and dense forests, should find it so difficult either
to stop the railway traffic or to prevent telegraphic
intercourse ? A few mounted men with half the
spirit of the Prussian Uhlans, or a picked band with
some of the dash and determination of Garibaldi's
' thousand,' would long ago have burned half the
towers of the Spanish soldiers and overpowered
their feeble garrisons ; they would have beaten up
the quarters of the volunteers of the town by
a coup de main ; at all events they would have dis-
tinguished themselves by exploits more heroic than
the mere attack on some lonely plantation and the
plunder of its contents. To fight, however, even
with the odds on their side, to take the initiative
against the troops, or even to await their attacks,
seems not, at least for the present, to enter into
the plans of the insurgents. On the other hand
the troops, whenever they come to any knowledge
of the position of the insurgents, have to plunge
in single file into the thick of pathless forests ;
they grope up blindly till warned by a few random
shots of the presence of the insurgents, and they

154

CUBA.

fire wildly into the bush without aim, till the
silence of the enemy's fire assures them that the
rebels have decamped, when they take possession
of the abandoned field, sing out 'Victory,' and
bring back a mule or a couple of naked negro
children as spoils and trophies.

Tactics of the Two Armies.
"The real truth is that both parties are, from
different reasons, interested in avoiding encoun-
ters and prolonging the strife. The Cubans are
confident that time is fighting their battles. They
think, not without reason, that they must in the
long run tire out, dishearten and demoralize the
troops at present arrayed against them ; and they
rely on the incessant and incurable disorders of
Spain for a gradual diminution and final cessation
of yearly reinforcements. Already this year, they
say, not more than 2000 men, and of these many
worthless adventurers, have been landed at Nue-
vitas. The republic has hardly troops enough to
confront the Carlists in Navarre and the Alphon-
sists in Catalonia ; hardly troops enough to hold
its own in Madrid, even supposing that those
troops are bent on supporting it. For months, or
perhaps years, anarchical Spain can hardly be-
stow a serious thought upon Cuba ; and the com-
manding officers here, seeing themselves aban-
doned to their own scanty resources, are only
anxious to give up the game and resign their

CUBA. 155

office. General Morales, who was in command of
the Eastern Department while I was in Santiago,
left that city for Havana and Spain early in
March, and Cevallor, who was Captain-General
and Governor of the whole island, followed a few
weeks later. Even those who are not eagerly
soliciting their recall have neither the means nor
the mind for extensive operations, and limit their
efforts to that objectless desultory warfare which
has hitherto led, and which can lead to no other
result than to perpetuate the struggle. Owing
either to false view of economy in the payment
of spies or to the disaffection of the people, the
Spanish officers are absolutely in the dark as to
the movements of their adversaries ; while the
insurgents, sure of the sympathy of the Creoles
in town and country, keep up a regular inter-
course with every part of the island. They have
secret committees at work for them here at San-
tiago, at Manzanillo, at Puerto Principe, and
everywhere else ; and through them communi-
cate with Key West, in Florida, with Jamaica and
with any point from which arms, ammunition,
provisions and fresh auxiliaries may be sent to
them. I have alluded to the beauty of the coast
of Cuba and of the inlets with which it is indented ;
but all along both north and south there are laby-
rinths of what are here called cayos, coral reefs
and banks covered with bright verdure, still and

I56 CUBA.

solitary, through which smugglers of every de-
scription can thread their way with perfect impu-
nity, dodging the coastguards from islet to islet,
and choosing their own time and spot to land their
cargo. The Spanish cruisers might as well hope
to scoop out the Gulf of Mexico with a teaspoon
as to put any check upon the Cuban contraband
of war.

The Spaniards Half-Hearted.

" But in reality both the land and sea forces
of Spain are only half-hearted in the work ; the
soldiers especially are so ill paid, so ill-fed and
exposed to such sufferings from the climate that
desertions to the enemy are becoming of frequent
occurrence, even among the non-commissioned
officers, some of whom are to be heard of now
among the most skillful and adventurous insur-
gent leaders. For their own part, the Spanish
commanding officers, anxious to fill vacancies in
the ranks, enlist adventurers of every description,
and even the despised Chinese coolies are
occasionally to be seen clad in Spanish uniforms ;
but in the ranks immediately below the supreme
commanders there are men, as I have said, to
whom the war insures comparatively easy work
with exceptionally speedy promotion ; these find
their advantage in the indefinite prolongation of
hostilities and have means to prolong them at
their own discretion. Military men, like other

CUBA. 157

officials, have been for centuries, and still are,
sent to this unfortunate colony only to make
money ; and as they hate both the land and the
people, and are over-anxious to accomplish their
rDbject and be off, they go to work with a bold-
ness and recklessness that know no limits,
and which have thoroughly vitiated every rank of
the rulers, as well as every class of the subjects.
"Robamos todos " — we are all thieves — is the

motto.

Slaughter in the "Five Towns."

"In the region of the Five Towns the Span-
iards went to work upon the principle that 'pre-
vention is better than cure.' They took the
disaffection for granted and determined that it
should never ripen into open rebellion. Not only
did they shoot all the insurgents whom they
caught with arms in their hands, but they slew
without mercy many of the unarmed fugitives
whom terror of their approach had driven into
the woods, and they doomed to the same fate
others who had remained quietly at home, but
who were suspected of sympathy with the rebel
cause. One of the first men who fell into their
hands was my Creole host ; the gentleman, who
as I said, had incurred their displeasure by pre-
suming to employ none but free laborers in his
plantations ; the Volunteers of the petty towns in
the neighborhood invaded and ravaged his es-

158 CUBA.

tate and denounced him to the soldiers, who
arrested him, shot two of his foremen and several
inoffensive countrymen before his eyes in cold
blood and without even the pretence of a trial,
kept him in a condemned cell for three days,
threatening him with the same fate, the officer in
command meeting all his protests and remon-
strances with the cool remark, ' All I know is
that if I shoot you I shall be promoted a step.'
The prisoner slipped through his hands, never-
theless, and upon clearing himself of all imputa-
tions before the Captain-General at Havana,
he was reassured as to his personal safety ; but
the General at the same time advised him, ' as a
friend,' to say nothing about damages for his
destroyed property, as, ' under the circumstances,
he ought to be only too thankful to have escaped
with his life.'

"It could not, of course, be expected that
the insurgents on their own side should abstain
from fearful reprisals. The practice with them
when a prisoner, and especially an officer, falls
into their hands, is to tie his feet up to a tree, and
to pile up fuel under the dangling head ; thus
burning their enemy alive with a slow fire.
Indeed, it would not be easy to ascertain on
which side the atrocities first began, or are carried
to greater lengths. The rule is that all prisoners
be shot without discrimination. Nay, the con-

cuba. 1 59

querors even grudge their powder and shot, and
the victims are usually despatched with machetes,
a kind of long chopping-knife or cutlass peculiar
to a cane-growing country, and to be almost in-
variably seen at the side of every combatant as
well as in every laborer's hand. Some of the
soldiers and Volunteers have acquired such skill
in the use of this weapon that they cut off a man's
head with all the mastery of a professional exe-
cutioner. These men march in the rear of their
detachments ; and upon any suspected person
being apprehended, the officer in command, after
a brief examination, orders the prisoner ' to the
rear,' where he is immediately hacked to pieces
by the inexorable Macheteros. As a rule also the
bodies of the slain are left unburied on the spot
where they fall. The turkey-buzzards swarming
everywhere in the island, and whose life is pro-
tected by law on account of their usefulness as
public scavengers, fatten on the rotting human
carcasses ; and it is not without a shudder that
one sees these foul birds hovering everywhere in
the air, and poising themselves on their wings
above the forests where the remnants of their
hideous feasts in every stage of decomposition
still attract them.

Outrages Upon Women.
Women fare as badly in the hands of the com-
batants as men ; unless their personal attractions

l6o CUBA.

recommend them to a temporary reprieve and
put off their execution till they have endured all
conceivable outrages. Houses where scores of
young women were hiding have been entered by
a licentious soldiery with officers at their head, by
whom every woman was first violated, then killed.
The Havana and Madrid authorities have before
them evidence of some of the most shocking cases
of this description in which the crime was both
proved and punished; but how many more might
be mentioned, in which it was impossible to bring
the offenders to justice ! There have been fre-
quent instances of wives whose husbands were
either killed before their very eyes or driven to
the bush in sheer despair, and who presently
made friends with the officer who had widowed
them, consenting to live with them on any terms.
Of this fact I was equally assured by my Creole
host and by the Spanish officer who sat with us
at the same hospitable board ; with this difference,
however, that the latter quoted it as evidence of
the innate baseness and depravity of the Creole
women, while the former contended that these
women, in consenting to live with their captors,
did so from a vindictive design to deal with them
after the manner of Delilahs — a design which was
often carried into execution, the women acting as
spies on the movements of their new lovers and
leading them into insurgent ambushes. People

CUBA. l6l

living in the ' Five Towns ' grow very eloquent
when they relate the exploits of a handsome girl
whom they call 'The Maid of Las Tunas.' This
fair adventuress used to ride in arms, Amazon-
like, as a scout to the insurgents, with all the zeal
and intrepidity of Garibaldi's young Countess at
Varese. She fell three times into the hands of
the Spaniards, to whom she had become well
known. Twice did her charms redeem her from
the hands of the officers, but in the third instance
she came into the power of a less susceptible
warrior, who delivered her over to the brutality of
his soldiers, after which he doomed her to the fate
of Joan of Arc.

Atrocities of Camp Followers.
" As happens in all wars, and especially civil
wars, the combatants on either side are not al-
ways answerable for the worst deeds perpetrated
in their name. The disturbed districts are over-
run by camp followers, Bandoleros, and marauders
of the worst description, who, hoisting now one
flag, now the other, really make war on their own
account, and whose hand is against every man,
These, when caught, are with great impartiality
immediately shot by both parties ; but no readi-
ness or activity of summary justice seems greatly
to effect their number or to check their audacity.
It is mainly on account of them that a ride from one
to the other of the five towns, and especially from

1 62 CUBA.

Villa Clara to Trinidad or San Juan de los Reme-
dios, cannot be safely undertaken without an escort.
To what extent war and its consequences have
ravaged these districts may be inferred from the
fact already mentioned, that the population of the
Central Department, embracing a whole third of
the island, is, according to the official statistics,
reduced to 75,000 souls, whites and blacks in-
cluded. Besides massacres, proscriptions and
banishments, mere administrative stupidity con-
tributed to turn the country into a desert. By a
decree of Cabellero de Rodas, in July, 1869, the
whole population of the rural districts was concen-
trated— that is, huddled together — in the little town
of St. Espiritu, with a view to having it under
strict guard and control, where, owing to want of
proper accommodation and wholesome food, and
indeed of air to breathe, they were soon invaded
by cholera, small pox and other deseases, to
which, in some cases, one to ten, and in other
cases, one to three, rapidly succumbed, the rav-
age soon extending to the soldiers and volunteers
set to watch over them. I have known families
belonging to St. Espiritu who were on that occa-
sion driven from the town by that awful mortality,
and whom nothing in the world would now induce
to go back to their homes, unable as they are to
overcome the bare recollection of the sufferings
they have witnessed. While the population thus

&■

General D. Valerian o Weyler,
Ex-Captain-General and Spanish Commander-in-Chief in Cuba.

CUBA.

165

perished, the troops achieved a thorough devas-
tation of the country, burning the crops, slaugh-
tering the cattle, gutting the houses, hoping thus,
as their commander said in his order of the day,
'to starve out the rebellion.'

" By such means a great portion of the
Central Department has been brought into sub-
jection, and ' order ' reigns there. It is not
impossible that the application of the same
remedy may effect the cure of rebellion in the
Eastern districts ; though it must be observed
that the region of the Five Towns, from Matanzas
to Cienfuegos and Villa Clara, and all along the
southern coast, is almost a dead level, where a
few sugar plantations are scattered like vast
islands on a surface still encumbered with unfilled
savannas and scrubby forests, or, as the natives
call them Montes. But beyond Trinidad and
throughout the territory of Puerto Principe and
Santiago are real Montanas — hilly ridges covered
with thick woods, where the insurgents may
offer an obstinate resistance, and where, in the
opinion of most men, the Civil War may be
perpetuated. But even in the districts where
every spark of the insurrection has been trodden
down, that hatred which prompted it is far from
subsiding; it smoulders, on the contrary, more
sullenly than ever, and it finds vent in passionate
outbursts and in strong appeals to the stranger.

CHAPTER VII.

ARROGANT CONDUCT OF THE SPANISH TOWARD

AMERICANS AND ENGLISH THE " VIRGINIUS "

OUTRAGE SHOOTING FOUR CUBAN PATRIOTS

AMERICAN CITIZENS MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD

WILD DEMONSTRATIONS OF JOY SURRENDER

OF THE " VIRGINIUS " THE FORMAL TRANSFER

HOW AN ENGLISH CAPTAIN PREVENTED ONE

MASSACRE.

©Y

LL THROUGH the Ten Years' War the
Spanish authorities acted in a particu-
larly arrogant manner toward Ameri-
cans and Englishmen, and indeed toward all
foreigners who were suspected of sympathy with
the insurgents. Ships were stopped by Spanish
cruisers and searched in the most arbitrary
fashion. If anything in the nature of arms or
ammunition were found aboard it was confiscated,
and the captain of the ship was lucky if he was
not hanged at his own yard-arm.

The " Virjf inius " Outrage.

These outrages culminated in the famous

"Virginius" affair, which came very near to

causing war between the United States and

Spain. The " Virginius" was a small side-wheel

(166)

CUBA. 167

steamer, flying the American flag, commanded
by Capt. Frey, of New Orleans, an American
citizen and a veteran of our civil war, and
manned in part by American and British sailors.
The " Virginius " slipped in and out of Cuban har-
bors with wonderful success, carrying arms and
re-enforcements to the patriot army.

At last, on October 31, 1873, she was cap-
tured with all on board by the Spanish gunboat
"Tornado." She had 170 passengers and crew,
who with the vessel and cargo were taken to
Santiago de Cuba. The "Tornado," which had
been searching for the "Virginius" since her
attempted landing on the south coast of Cuba,
came in sight of her at 2.30 p. m. on the 31st,
and immediately gave chase. The filibuster put
on all steam and made for Jamaica, hoping to
find refuge in British waters. In her flight she
threw overboard several horses, and used a
portion of her cargo for fuel. But the "Tornado "
caught up with her at 10 p. m. near the Jamaica
coast, and she surrendered with all on board, not
one of whom escaped.

Shooting: Four Cuban Patriots.

Among the prisoners were Bernabe Varona,
alias Bembetta, Pedro Cespedes, Jesus del Sol,
and Gen. Ryan. The tribunal at Santiago de
Cuba, before which the prisoners were taken,
condemned these four to death. Although

1 68 CUBA.

instructions were sent from the Government at
Madrid to await orders from the Home Govern-
ment before inflicting penalties on the passengers
or men of the " Virginius," the order was probably
received too late to be respected. The four
prisoners were shot at the place made famous by
previous executions and in the usual manner,
kneeling close to the slaughter-house wall. All
marched to the spot with firmness. Bembetta
and Ryan showed marked courage, although the
former was slightly affected toward the last. The
two others quite broke down before they were
bandaged, but Ryan kept up to the last, never
flinched a moment, and died without fear or regret.
Bembetta and Ryan were killed at the first dis-
charge. They were in irons when they were
marched against the low, square structure of
adobe. Fifteen feet above them the red tile roof
projected. At their feet there was a ditch to
catch raindrops. They were made to kneel,
facing the wall. The wall above them was pitted
deep with the bullets that flew over their heads.
As they fell into the ditch the cavalry rode over
the warm bodies, and military wagons crunched
and slipped on the bodies. Negroes cut off the
heads and carried them on spikes .through the
city, and the mutilated bodies were dumped into
a pit of quicklime, and the entire affair was soon
forgotten by its perpetrators.

CUBA. 169

American Citizens Murdered in Cold Blood.

On November 7, the captain of the "Vir-
ginius" and thirty-six of the crew were put to
death in the same fashion, and on the next day
twelve more of the Cuban volunteers on the
vessel were shot. Franchi Alfaro, who was
among the latter number, offered the Spanish
authorities $1,000,000 if they would spare his
life. Captain Frey and thirty-six of his men
were taken ashore on the morning of the 7th,
and taken to the prison, to remain there until
their execution, which was ordered for that after-
noon. Capt. Frey, a noble-looking old man,
fully a head taller than the rest of the crew, when
he met his men on the wharf, previous to the
march to the prison, saluted them all. The salute
was returned with affection. At 4.45 p. m. they
were publicly shot, despite the protest of all the
competent foreign authorities. The marines were
seven minutes killing the wretched prisoners. It
seemed as though they would never finish. At
last the sailors marched off, and the troops filed
past the long row of corpses. Then the dead
carts were hurried up and loaded indiscriminately
with the mangled remains. The American Con-
sul did all that could have been done to prevent
the massacre. Indeed it was threatened that his
exequatur would be withdrawn for his exertions
in behalf of the prisoners. In an interview with

170

CUBA.

Gen. Burriel, that officer yelled at him and other-
wise treated him disrespectfully. The British
Consul also made an ineffectual protest against
the execution. Sixteen of the victims were
British subjects.

Of the crew who were not killed by the Span-
iards at Santiago de Cuba, four were condemned
to the chain-gang for life, three to eight years'
imprisonment, eight to four years' imprisonment,
and three were set at liberty.

Wild Demonstrations of Joy.

On Wednesday, Nov. 5, the tidings of the
execution of Gen. Varona, Pedro Cespedes, Jesus
del Sol and Gen. Ryan reached Havana, and the
inhabitants immediately relinquished all business
pursuits and gave themselves up to the wildest
demonstrations of joy. Bonfires were kindled,
public and private buildings were illuminated, the
larger streets were festooned with Chinese lan-
terns and even the less important localities were
not exempt from the manifestations of joy.
Later in the evening the whole population
seemed to pour out into the streets and the
volunteers paraded through the city. Torchlight
processions were numerous, and bands of music
inspired new enthusiasm in the breasts of the
impulsive Spaniards. The project of raising
subscriptions and presenting some testimonial to
the officers of the "Tornado," to whom the cap-

CUBA. I *j i

ture of the "Virginius" was due, met with gen-
eral approval, and these officers were regarded
with universal gratitude. On the following
morning (Thursday, Nov. 6) the general hilarity
was renewed, and toward evening another grand
demonstration took place. The palace of the
Governor was brilliantly illuminated, the public
buildings and private residences were extensively
decorated, and flags and banners waved above
the volunteers, who paraded the streets in full
force. The Captain-General and General of the
Marine were the recipients of unusual honors,
and the serenades which they received were par-
ticipated in by hundreds. The city was again
given over to general rejoicing, and grand ban-
quets were held in many sections of the city. At
that time the enthusiasm was at its height. The
outburst of joy occasioned by the reception of
the strange tidings was naturally followed by a
reaction, and in the few succeeding days the city
gradually regained its former composure. The
Cuban revolutionists in the city could of course
only look on in terror at the demonstrations
above described. Many concealed themselves as
well as they could, and none dared to express
their opinions in public.

The North American continent thrilled with
indignation in view of this outrage. The press
voiced the demand of the people for apology.

172 CUBA.

indemnity, revenge, and the recognition of the
Cubans, unorganized as they were, as belligerents.
The government seemed to share the popular
feeling to a considerable degree. War between
Spain and the United States seemed to be immi-
nent and unavoidable.

Our poor little navy, consisting of wooden
vessels of antiquated models and of iron-clads
dusty from disuse, was patched up as quickly as
possible arid ordered to rendezvous at Key West,
whence it might descend upon Cuba in a night.

But a half bluff is worse than no bluff at all.
It was soon apparent that the government at
Washington did not mean business any further
than requiring the surrender of the " Virginius,"
and of the surviving members of her crew, and
an indemnity, trivial in amount, for the blood of
those American citizens whose nationality could
be proved beyond peradventure. The State
Department did not share the belligerent disposi-
tion of the Navy Department. Secretary Fish
was able, patriotic and incorruptible, but some-
how or other the legal representatives of the
Spanish Government managed to block the way,
and Spanish diplomacy, then as now, was plausi-
ble and resourceful.

Whatever the cause, the naval display at Key
West was feeble and ineffective. Our flagship,
at least, like the British flagship, should have

CUBA. 173

gone to Havana. As a matter of fact, Admiral
Scott had to make an excuse and get express
authority to send over a dispatch boat, and was
dependent upon the newspaper correspondents, or
one of them, for news of what was going on in
his immediate front.

Weeks of diplomatic negotiation and naval
bluster ensued, and at last the Spanish Govern-
ment agreed to surrender the " Virginius" to the
United States authorities, and to salute the
American flag. How ungraciously this was done
has been well told by Major Handy, the well
known correspondent.

Surrender ofttae " Virginius."

''The race between the correspondents for
news was very hot, Every man as the repre-
sentative of his newspaper was on his mettle and
enterprise was at a premium. McGahan had the
advantage of being ward-room guest on a man-
of-war. Fox was paymaster's yeoman on the
' Pinta,' the fastest boat in the navy. When we
learned that the ' Virginius ' was to be surren-
dered we all realized that that event would end
the campaign. The point then was to be in at the
death and to obtain the best if not the exclusive
story of the ceremony and attendant circum-
stances. The lips of the government officials
were sealed as to the time and place appointed.
In fact the programme was arranged at Washing-

1 74 CUBA.

ton by the Secretary of State and the Spanish
Minister and communicated confidentially to
Admiral Scott. However, I managed to get at
the secret, and, thus armed, 'stowed away' on
the ' Despatch,' which was the vessel appointed to
receive the surrender. Capt. Rogers commanded
the ' Despatch,' but the receiving officer was Capt.
Whiting. The fleet captain and the other officers
of the detail were Lieut. Adolph Marix, Master
George A. Calhoun and Assistant Engineer
N. H. Lambdin. With them were thirty-nine
sailor men from the ' Pawnee,' who were to man
the surrendered vessel as a prize crew. All of
these people except Capt. Whiting were ignorant
of their instructions, not even knowing their des-
tination, and the pilot taken aboard before leaving
Key West had sealed orders.

"We left Key West on Sunday night at 10
o'clock. We were in the open sea before I ven-
tured to make my appearance on deck, present
myself to the officers, declare myself a stowaway,
. and verify my information as to their mission.
The next morning at 10 o'clock the blue hills of
the Cuban coast rose above the horizon and the
bow of the 'Despatch' was directed toward
Bahia Honda, the obscure little port selected for
the function. It was about noon when we passed
an old fort called Murillo, commanding the en-
trance to the harbor. Speed was then slackened,

CUBA. I75

and the vessel crept cautiously along the narrow,
but clearly marked channel which leads to the
smooth water where the ' Virginius ' was sup-
posed to be lying.

" As soon as the ' Despatch ' was sighted
from shore, the Spanish flag, bearing the crown,
notwithstanding the republic abolishing that
monarchical emblem, was flung to the breeze.
We discovered a black side-wheel steamship lying
about a mile beyond the fort. It was the ' Vir-
ginius.' No other craft, except two or three
coasting steamers, or fishing smacks, was then
visible, and it was not until we were about to
come to anchor that we discerned a Spanish sloop-
of-war lying close under the shore, about two and
a haK miles away.

"Very soon a boat from the Spanish man-of-
war came alongside of the ' Virginius,' and
immediately the Stars and Stripes were raised by
Spanish hands, and again floated over the vessel
which carried Ryan and his unfortunate comrades
to their death At the same moment we saw by
the aid of field-glasses, another boat let down
from the Spanish vessel. It proved to be the
captain's gig, and brought to the ' Despatch'
a naval officer in full uniform, who proved to be
Senor de la Camera, of the Spanish sloop-of-war
' Favorita.' He stepped briskly forward, and
was met at the gangway by Capt. Rogers and

I76 CUBA.

Capt. Whiting. After an exchange of courteous
salutations, Commander de la Camera remarked
that he had received a copy of the protocol pro-
viding for the surrender of the ' Virginius,' and
that the surrender might now be considered to
have taken place. Captain Whiting replied that
under his instructions the following day was
named for the surrender, and that he could not
receive it until that time. Meanwhile he would
thank the Spanish officer to continue in posses-
sion. Nine o'clock on Tuesday morning was then
agreed upon as the hour, and after informing the
American officer that there was coal enough on
board of the ' Virginius ' to last six days, salutes
were exchanged and the Spanish officer retired.

"The next morning, half an hour ahead of
time, the gig of the 'Favorita' came over to the
' Virginius.' It contained oarsmen and a single
officer. As the latter stepped on deck a petty
officer and a half dozen men, who had stood
watch on the ' Virginius ' during the night, went
over the side and remained in a dingy awaiting
orders. At 9 precisely by the bells the American
flag again flew to the flagstaff of the ' Virginius,'
and at the same moment a boat containing Capt.
Whiting and Lieut. Marix put away from the
'Despatch.' As they ascended the accommoda-
tion ladder of the ' Virginius ' the single man on
deck, who proved to be Senor de la Camera,

CUBA. 177

advanced and made a courteous salute. The. offi-
cers then read their respective instructions, and
Capt. de la Camera remarked that in obedience
to the requirements of the government and in
execution of the provisions of the protocol, he
had the honor to turn over the steamer ' Virgin-
ius ' to the American authorities. Capt. Whiting
accepted, and learning that a receipt was required,
gave one in due form. A word or two more
were spoken and the Spaniard stepped over the
side, signalled to his oarsmen, and in ten minut@«
was again upon the deck of his own vessel. Be-
side the surrendering and receipting officers, I
was the only witness of the ceremony.
The Formal Transfer.
"While the Spanish officer was courtesy
itself, we were all impressed with the fact that
the ceremony was lacking in dignity and that the
Spaniards had purposely made that lack as con-
spicuous as they dared. It appeared that the
' Virginius ' was towed to Havana by the first-
class man-of-war ' Isabella la Catholica,' the
commander of which retired immediately and
left the surrender to be made by the commander
of the ' Favorita,' which had been in the vicinity of
Bahia Honda for several months engaged in sur-
veying duty. The surrender should have taken
place either at Santiago de Cuba or at Havana,
and a Spanish officer of like rank with Cap-

I j8 CUBA.

tain Whiting should have discharged the duty.
A quick survey by our officers showed the
' Virginius ' to be in a most filthy condition. She
was stripped of almost everything moveable save
a few vermin, which haunted the mattresses and
cushions in cabin and staterooms, and half a dozen
casks of water. The decks were caked with dirt,
and nuisances recently committed, combined with
mold and decomposition, caused a foul stench in
the forecastle and below the hatches. In the
cabin, however, the odor of carbolic acid ^ave
evidence that an attempt had been made to make
that part of the vessel habitable for the temporary
custodians of the ship. Our officers were reluc-
tant to put the men into the dirty forecastle and
stowed them away into hardly more agreeable
quarters afforded by the staterooms of Ryan and
his butchered companions. Some attempt seemed
to have been made, as shown by the engineering
survey, to repair the machinery, but a few hours'
work put the engines in workable order. The
ship was leaking considerably and the pumps had
to be kept going constantly to keep the water
down. After a few hours of hard work we pfot
under way, but had only gone 200 yards when
the engine suddenly refused to do duty, and it
became necessary for the ' Despatch' to take us in
tow. As we passed the fort at the entrance to
the harbor the Spanish flag was rather defiantly

CUBA. 179

displayed by that antiquated apology for a forti-
fication, and there was no salute for the American
flag, either from the fort or the surrendering
sloop of war.

"We had a hard time that night — those of
us who were aboard the 'Virginius.' It seemed
hardly possible that we could keep afloat until
morning. During the night the navy tug 'Fortune,'
from Key West, met us and remained with the
convoy. At noon the next day, when we were
about thirty miles south-southeast of Dry Tor-
tugas, the vessels separated, the 'Virginius' and
'Despatch' going to Tortugas and the 'Fortune'
returning, with me as a solitary passenger, to Key
West, whence I had the honor of reporting the
news to the Admiral and of sending an exclusive
report of the surrender.

"It was the general opinion among the naval
officers that the ' Sania ' had endeavored to be-
little the whole proceeding by smuggling the
' Virginius ' out of Havana, by selecting an ob-
scure harbor not a port of entry as the place of
surrender and by turning the duty of surrender
over to a surveying sloop, while the 'Tornado,'
which made the capture, lay in the harbor of Ha-
vana and the 'Isabella la Catholica,' which had
been selected as convoy, steamed back to Havana
under cover of the night. The American officers
and American residents in Cuba and Key West

l8o CUBA,

agreed that our government ought to have re-
quired that the ' Virginius ' should be surrend-
ered with all the released prisoners on board
either at Santiago de Cuba, where the 'Tornado'
brought in her ill-gotten prey and where the in-
human butcheries were committed, or in Havana
where she was afterward taken in triumph and
greeted with the cheers of the excited Spaniards
over the humiliation of the Americans.

" An attempt was made to take the 'Virgin-
ius ' to some northern port, but the old hulk was
not equal to the journey. On the way no pump-
ing or caulking could stop her leaks, and she
foundered in mid-ocean. The government had
been puzzled to know what disposition to make
of her, and there was great relief in official circles
to know that she was out of the way.

"The surrender of the surviving prisoners
of the massacre took place in course of time at
Santiago, owing more to British insistence than
to our feeble representations. As to the fifty-
three who were killed, Spain never gave us any
real satisfaction. For a long time the Madrid
government unblushingly denied that there had
been any killing, and when forced to acknowledge
the fact they put us off with preposterous excuses.
' Butcher Burriel,' by whose orders the outrage
was perpetrated, was considered at Madrid to
have been justified by circumstances. It was

Spanish Troops leaving Barcelona, Spain,

CUBA. ^3

pretended that orders to suspend the execution
of Ryan and his associates were ' unfortunately'
received too late, owing to interruption of tele-
graph lines by the insurgents to whose broad and
bleeding shoulders an attempt was thus made to
shift the responsibility. There was a nominal
repudiation of Burriel's act and a promise was
made to inflict punishment upon ' those who have
offended ;' but no punishment was inflicted upon
anybody. The Spanish Government, with
characteristic double dealing resorted to pro-
crastination, prevarication and trickery, and thus
gained time until new issues effaced in the
American mind the memory of old wrongs
unavenged. Instead of being degraded Burriel
was promoted. Never to this day has there been
any adequate atonement by Spain."

How an English Captain Prevented
One Massacre.

There is no doubt that all the rest of the
" Virginius'" prisoners would have been butch-
ered, had it not been for the prompt and decisive
conduct of a British naval officer. This was Sir
Lambton Lorraine, commander of the man-of-
war " Niobe." As soon as he heard of the cap-
ture of the " Virginius " he hastened with his ship
to Santiago. He found that fifty-three men had
already been put to death, and that the rest were
in danger of a like fate. Immediately he had an
ii

1 84 CUBA.

interview with the Spanish commander and told
him the butchery must stop.

"But, Senor," protested the Spaniard, "what
affair is it of yours ? There are no countrymen
of yours among them. They are all dogs of
Americans."

That was a lie. There were Englishmen
among them, though Sir Lambton Lorraine did
not know it. But that made no difference to the
gallant British captain.

" I don't know whether there are any English-
men among them or not," he said, "and I don't
care. I forbid you to put another one of them
to death."

"But, Senor," returned the Spaniard, "permit
me to observe that I take my orders from the
Captain-General, and not from you."

"Very good," replied the Britisher; "permit
me also to observe, and to beg you to observe,
that the 'Niobe' is lying in this harbor, with her
guns double-shotted, and I am her commander.
And, so help me God ! if you so much as harm
a hair on the head of one of those prisoners, I
will lay your town in ruins ! "

That was his ultimatum, and he went back to
his ship. The Spaniard looked at the " Niobe,"
and saw the big black muzzles of her guns
trained squarely upon the city, and — there were
no more prisoners massacred in Santiago.

CHAPTER VIII.

close of the ten-years' war general campos'

own story communication with the in-
surgents rebel dissensions suspending

warfare progress toward peace coming

to the point campos* motives interview

with garcia an anxious moment at zan-

jon the terms accepted the end at

last a review of the situation what

the war meant how the end was reached

campos' appeal for justice — the cost of

THE WAR.

(f'

EN years of fighting practically exhausted
the Cubans. When General Martinez
de Campos^a humane and merciful
man and a man of integrity and honor, came to
them with offers of peace, amnesty and reform,
they attentively listened to and finally decided to
accept his terms\ A treaty was signed, by which
certain liberties were granted by Spain to the
Cubans, reforms in their administration prom-
ised, and the freedom recognized of all the slaves
who had fought in the Cuban army. This treaty
was concluded by General Campos himself after
considerable negotiations, and was undoubtedly
effected because of the faith the Cubans had

08S)

1 86 CUBA.

in that officer and their belief that his prom-
ises would be fulfilled. General Campos' own
account of the manner in which the negotiations
were conducted and brought to a successful ter-
mination may be found in the official report which
he made to the King of Spain, from which the
following passages are taken :

General Campos' Own Story.

"Finding myself on the 18th of December
in the Sierra Maestra of Cuba, inspecting the
encampments there, which have been so fatal to
the fourth brigade of that division, on account of
its hygienic conditions, I received a telegram from
General D. Manuel Cassola, in which he informed
me that the prisoner D. Esteban Duque de
Estrada, some time ago liberated, had manifested
to him the desire of some important leaders, and
some members of the congress, to enter into
negotiations with a view to peace.

"Although at some distance from Cuba, I
embarked that very night for Santa Cruz in order
to speak with Estrada, to communicate with Cas-
sola, to decide on the spot and for myself what
would be proper.

" I have reported the doings of Mr. Pope in
the month of May, the distrust with which he
inspired me, and my persuasion that he was an
unprincipled adventurer. In spite of this I per-
mitted him to go to the enemy's camp, because I

CUBA.

I87

was confident that with all his untrustworthiness,
he would serve to open for us a way to relations
which, if leading to nothing immediately, would
bear fruit later. I was not mistaken in my reckon-
ing ; those unofficial relations procured us the
surrender of Don Estiban de Varona, with the
permission, as he told me, of the then president,
D. Tomas Estrada and the capture of the latter s
kinsman, Duque de Estrada.

Communicating; -with the Insurgents.

"The moment Varona reached Manzanillo he
put himself in communication with the leaders of
those bands discouraged by fatigue, and at times
by hunger, without resources, and who, desiring
peace, did not dare to surrender, not only through
fear of the treatment they might receive from us,
but through distrust of each other. A few inter-
views and an armistice, which in a narrow neutral
ground permitted our soldiers to mix with the in-
surgents, and the discovery by the latter in our
troops not only the generous character of the
Spanish army, but also how well the country peo-
ple were treated in the towns, at last broke their
resolution, and the desire of peace made itself so
manifest that the leaders agreed to send a com-
mittee to their government to try for it.

"This committee obtained some guarantees
from the president, but the irreconcilables were
too strong for the government, and the committee

1 88 CUBA.

were subjected to the law which imposed the
penalty of death on all who should treat with us
except on the basis of independence.

' 'In spite of the assurances which Varona
gave me, I cherished no hope of result with
Camuguey, that I believed that it was not yet
time, that his presumption was not sufficiently
humbled, but that I was confident that the greater
part of the guerrilla parties of Manzanillo, and
perhaps of Bayamo, would disband.
Rebel Dissensions.

"In spite of the obstacles which arose in the
business, the result answered my expectations,
though I will not conceal that the government of
the insurgents, by its treatment of the committee,
contributed not a little to deepen the dissensions
that existed among them. But that act of brute
violence met with a prompt chastisement in the
capture of the president of the executive council,
and the death of the speaker of the congress,
which delayed more than forty days a meeting for
the choice of a new one, and the very active pur-
suit to which they were exposed, in spite of the
rains which lasted longer than usual. The idea
of peace introduced into their camp, which
they had the baseness to attribute to me,
though they asserted that I proposed it through
weakness, began to take root among the masses,
and the impulse from below upward reached the

CUBA.

189

head, a natural result of assertions disproved by
our pursuit.

" This was the state of things when, on the
2 1 st of December, I talked with Duque de
Estrada, and not trusting in the method, although
I had no private or official letter to authorize my
conduct, and even feared that another assassina-
tion would make the negotiations abortive, I
ordered operations to be suspended between the
sea, the river Sevilla, and the roads from Santa
Cruz to Hato Petrero, and from that point to
Brazo ; that is a seventh part of the Center.
This was a serious measure. I was conscious of
the objections to it; nothing positive authorized
me to give assurances that this neutrality would
be respected. I knew that it would give an
opportunity for attacks (on me) by many ; but if
I wished to arrive at an understanding it was
necessary to run the risk ; and I believe that,
holding such a position and command as mine, it
behooves not to consider the personal annoyances
which may result from failure, but the benefit
which may redound to our country from success.
The loss would be all my own ; all the advantage
my country's.

Suspending- "Warfare.

" Concert and meeting and consequently
agreement were impossible if our troops contin-
ued operations. I fixed no period, but limited

190

CUBA.

myself to declaring that the termination (of the
armistice) should be announced three days be-
forehand. I reserved to myself the right of
lengthening or shortening it, because to keep
fixing periods and then extending them is, in my
opinion, discreditable and a kind of higgling un-
worthy of soldiers.

" I will not deny that I then expected that at
the end of a few days they would tell me that
they wished to treat on inadmissible terms. I
labored at that time under two mistakes : I be-
lieved their number smaller and their presump-
tion greater than it was. I had studied the pro
and the con, as is commonly said. I was not
neutralizing more than a small part of the war
(three-hundredths), and it was accordingly prose-
cuted with the greatest activity when the matter
began to improve, and the soldiers to come out
of the hospitals. In the neutralized territory the
contract of the insurgents with our soldiers was
most advantageous for us, because the meeting
of the weak with the strong, of the hungry with
him who has resources, of the naked with the
clothed, of him who has no place of shelter, with
him who has camps and sutlers' shops, cannot
but weaken the resolution of the former. The
courteous treatment which had been ordered was
sure to underline the officers ; the news of the
suspension of hostilities where the congress was,

CUBA.

191

and the negotiations with it, must have a decided
influence in other departments.

F rogress toward Peace.

"What was lost, in case these conferences
were broken off? On the part of the country
nothing, and this is proved by the great number
of surrenders which took place at this time.
Much was gained for the future by dividing them ;
the three tendencies of the hostile camp, peace,
autonomy and independence, defined themselves;
for in moments of danger the most opposite wishes
unite, and if a respite is given, they reappear
again in greater strength.

" So it happened here. In Sancti Spiritus
some begged that the decision of the congress
might be waited for, and I granted them a place
of meeting, where I furnished them with supplies,
and in that encampment cheers were given for
peace and for Spain, and they embraced our
officers. In Bayamo whole bands surrendered
together ; in Holguin and in Tunas they avoided
any fighting ; and in Cuba, Maceo made super-
human efforts to raise their spirits, summoning all
to the last soldier, and attacking with an energy
and success worthy of a better cause ; but even
in the midst of this desperate effort he did not
wish to shut the door of the future, and, what he
had not done for ten years, after a bloody advan-
tage in which he kept possession of the field, he

192 CUBA.

buries the dead, praises their valor, and sends
back to us a few wounded, and prisoners who
escaped the fury of the combat.

"The desire to treat having been excited,
and having told Estrada my own opinion concern-
ing the island, and what I believed that of the
government to be, judging by the private corres-
pondence which was going on between me and the
Minister of Ultramar, I went to Havana to in-
form General Jovellar, to put myself in accord
with him, and to hear his valuable counsels. That
officer was, as he had been since the war began,
in full agreement with me, and explained to me
the embarrassed state of the treasury, the arrears
of pay continually increasing, and the difficulties
we should find ourselves in if the war was not
ended before June. I made a tour of inspection
through Las Villas and Sancti Spiritus, to see for
myself the execution of my orders, and was satis-
fied that nothing more could be asked of the
army. Pancho Jimenez had attempted an effective
stroke, but as he had not the means, the destruc-
tion of part of his band, and the dispersion of
the rest were the consequence.

Coming: to the Point.

" I returned to Principe to bring matters to a
head, and because I thought there had been time
to come to an understanding and to pass from a
purely confidential character to a semi-official one,

CUBA. I93

and having had an interview at Chorrillo with
Messrs. Lauces and Roa, commissioned from the
so-called commander-in-chief of the Centre, Goyo
Benitez, to General Cassola, who by my orders
had announced to him the renewal of hostilities
on the 20th, I was able to satisfy myself of the
well-nigh general desire to come to a definite
result, and of the impossibility of it by reason of
the dispersion of the bands, and above all because
it was not yet known whether Vincente Garcia
would accept the presidency, nor what his aspira-
tions and projects were. Believing in their good
faith, I appointed the ioth of February as the
day before which terms must be proposed, and
permitted a commissioner to start for Sancti
Spiritus and another in search of Vincente Gar-
cia, but I reduced the neutralized territory to
about eight leagues square on the banks of the
Sevilla, setting a cordon of posts and sentinels all
around it.

"Infixing on the ioth of February, I was
thinking of the meeting of the Cortes on the
15th, and wished to give definite news to the
government of His Majesty, so that they could
in the royal message parry the attacks of the op-
position, and if they did not approve of my con-
duct they could remove me from command, since
I had neither consulted them nor given an account
of the steps I had taken.

1 94 CUBA.

Campos' Motives.

" The reasons I had for acting thus are
three: Not to solicit from the government an au-
thorization which could not be understandingly
given at so great a distance ; second, to assume
all responsibility myself, leaving them in entire
freedom ; and third, not to give rise in Spain to
hopes that might prove illusions.

" Some time before the first steps had been
taken toward a conference between Vincente
Garcia and General Prendergast, but since the
former had been chosen president of the execu-
tive council, he thought that he could not be pres-
ent at it, and sent his commissioners to Banchuelo
(Tunas), to which place the General came. There,
after lone debates, I beino- in direct communica-
tion by telegraph, I answered all questions, and
fixed as a limit the terms which I reported the
same day, 30th of January, neutralizing the road
between Tunas and the camp of the congress, so
that messages and reports might pass, because we
had unfortunately severely wounded their com-
missioner, who bore my safe conduct, which pre-
vented the order for meeting from reaching
Vicente Garcia in time.

Interview with Garcia.

<( On the 5 th he asked for an interview with
me, which could not take place on the 6th at San
Fernando owing to a mistake ; and on the 7th he

CUBA. I95

came to see me, with seven other leaders and
some of his officers, at Chorrilla. He presented
himself in a very proper way, and I received him
kindly, Generals Prendergast and Cassola being
present at the conversation, which lasted- seven
hours. Those who took part in it manifested
their desire for peace ; they agreed that though
they might prolong the war it would be the ruin
of the country (Cuba) ; that in their present con-
dition they could not conquer ; that the happiness
of Cuba was possible under the government of
Spain ; that the terms were not ample enough ;
and, above all, that the oath they had taken not
to treat except on the basis of independence
rendered all agreement null ; that there was no
provision in their constitution for such a case, and
it was necessary to appeal to the people. All
our arguments were unable to convince them.

" Vincente Garcia told me that, in order to
facilitate a prompt pacification, he had that day
come and taken the oath of office. The result was
that I answered them that I did not make the
terms more liberal because they had already
received the sanction of the government ; that I
could not extend the period without receiving at
least a moral guarantee that, in case those of the
East and of Villas did not agree, the majority of
Camaguey would accept ; and we parted with the
greatest courtesy.

I96 CUBA.

An Anxious Moment.

"I cannot express the anxiety in which I
was left. My presumption was that they were to
be trusted ; that the reserve they had shown was
due to the character of the natives of this country,
and to their want of confidence in Spain, which
cannot easily be effaced ; at the same time recog-
nizing as one cause the oath they had taken, and
the desire not to be accused of treachery by their
companions, who still stood to their arms.

" But these were nothing more than my pre-
sumptions ; nothing more than my knowledge of
the unfortunate state in which they were. There
was the conviction that hatred of Spain was
rapidly disappearing ; there was the certainty that
the favorable movement came from below up-
wards with a terrible pressure ; but after all there
was nothing but conviction and faith in myself;
there was not a proof nor a material fact to con-
firm these ; and when I entered on this line of
thought doubt took possession of my mind.

" The question was most serious. Should
they persist in their choice of a new government
by popular election, and I in not conceding a
longer delay, then the pacification would be post-
poned, the war continued with the fury of
despair, and I become an accomplice in the
failure of-peace. If, in virtue of my convictions,
I conceded what they asked, a change of ideas

CUBA.

197

might take place in the mass (of insurgents), and
I should have lost a month and a half of opera-
tions in the best season of the year, equivalent to
more than three months in the rainy season, to
3,000 soldiers killed, to $6,000,000 more spent,
and to another effort on the part of Spain.
At jganjon.
" On the morning of the 9th I removed to
Zanjon, the point nearest the enemy's camp, and
at twelve next day Messrs. Rosa and Lauces
presented themselves with a letter from Vincente
Garcia accrediting them in their mission. These
eentlemen stated to me that the executive and
congress having met, had informed themselves of
the result of the interview we had held on the
7th, and after a long discussion had agreed on
the impolicy of continuing the war, and on the im-
possibility of treating in which they found them-
selves, because they were not empowered to do
so, and it would be illegal ; that they were bound
to give an account of the whole to the people ;
but that, considering the pressure of circum-
stances, they would resign and appeal to the
people and troops gathered there ; that this took
place, and that a committee of seven persons (five
of them irreconcilables) was chosen by popular
election in order that negotiations might go on.
The committee discussed and modified my terms,
and submitted the result to the people, who

I98 CUBA.

accepted it unanimously under condition that the
States of the East and Center should be heard.
The people being asked if they were for peace,
answered almost unanimously in the affirmative.
Asked afterward if the war should be continued
in case Orienteor Villars would not accept peace,
three-quarters were in favor of peace even then,
and the other fourth for war.

" In view of this I went on to discuss the
questions, and, there being no difficulty except
about the first, I consulted General Jovellar by
telegraph, in the presence of the commissioners,
and had the satisfaction of letting them see the
identity of opinion of the two authorities. There
remained the question of time to be allowed,
which I proposed to leave to the government of
his Majesty, and they returned to their camp to
submit the modifications..

The Terms Accepted.

" While they were absent I reflected ma-
turely, and resolved on my part to concede a
delay until the end of the month. The consider-
ations which moved me to this were my not wish-
ing to compromise General Jovellar, because if,
contrary to all appearances, there were a change,
he would remain disposable to relieve me in com-
mand if the government disapproved of my con-
duct, or the opposition and public opinion pro-
nounced against me in case of failure. I am not

Captain-General Blanco,

Battalion of Spanish Troops before the Governor-
General's Palace, Havana.

CUBA. 20 I

considering- as such the continuance in the field
of Maceo, as I was then inclined to do, having
heard of the capture of the convoy of Florida,
with 12,000 percussion caps, a case of medicines,
and some loads of tinned meat, with a loss to us
of one officer and twenty-eight soldiers killed and
five wounded, and of the defeat of a column of
200 men of the regiments of Madrid and Asturias
in Juan Mulato, with the loss, as was then be-
lieved, of 100 men, though I know now it was
not above fifty, and of the commander, Lieutenant-
Colonel Cabezas.

" The commissioners returned in the after-
noon of the 10th with definite terms, which I ac-
cepted, and a copy of which I enclose, and I at
once granted the delay, and then to facilitate
matters, without their asking it, I ordered the
generals in command to suspend offensive hostili-
ties in the whole territory of the war.

"The insurgents desire peace so sincerely
that the commissioners elected for each state are
the most influential and intelligent persons in it :
For Cuba, Major-General Maximo Gomez, Brig-
adier-General Rafael Rodriquez, Major Enrique
Callazo ; for Bayamo, Major Augustin Castel
lanos, Ensign Jose Badraque ; for Las Villas, the
deputies Spoturno and Marcos Garcia, Colonel
Enrique Mola and Don Ramon Perez Trujillo;
for Tunas and Holguin, Vincente Garcia.

202 CUBA.

"These elections are guarantees of good
faith. Concerning Sancti Spiritus and Villas, with
the exception of the thirty men of Cecilio Gon-
zalez, I harbor no doubt, only an outlaw or two
and the runaway negroes will be left in the field,
isolated, without flag and without arms; in
Principe, possibly, a gathering or so of what are
called planteados, who obey no one, and whom
the very insurgents have almost exterminated.
The End at Last.

"In Bayamo the leaders who remain have
given assurances that they will consult with the
commissioners and are calling in their scattered
followers. In Tunas and Holguin, Vincente Garcia
has every kind of influence. In Cuba, Maceo
respects only Maximo Gomez, and all affirm that
he will obey the dispositions of his government.
I am not confident but he will be left reduced to
the last extremity without the bands of Edwardo
Marinol, Limbano Sanchez, Martinez Freire, and
Leite Vidal, and only a part of the people of his
brother Antonio Maceo, Guellermon, and Crom-
bet will follow him. In any event parties of
banditti will remain in those mountains.

"This is, in conclusion, a loose narrative of
what has happened and of my present impressions
and hopes. It only remains to set before you a
sketch of the motives of my policy, and the reasons
on which I have based my conduct in these sixteen

CUBA. 203

months. T have not always been right, but I have
tried to correct my mistakes the moment I became
aware of them.

A Review of tlie Situation.

"Since the year 1869, when I landed on this
island with the first reinforcements, I was preoc-
cupied with the idea that the insurrection here,
though acknowledging as its cause the hatred of
Spain, yet that this hatred was due to the causes
that have separated our colonies from the mother
country, augmented in the present case by the
promises made to the Antilles at different times
(1812-37 and '45), promises which not only have
not been fulfilled, but, as I understand, have not
been permitted to be so by the Cortes when at
different times their execution had been begun.

"While the island had no great development,
its aspirations were confined by love of nation-
ality and respect for authority; but when one day
after another passed without hopes being satisfied,
but, on the contrary, the greater freedom per-
mitted now and then by a governor were more
than cancelled by his successor; when they were
convinced that the colony went on in the same
way; when bad officials and a worse administration
of justice more and more aggravated difficulties;
when the provincial governorships, continually
growing worse, fell at last into the hands of men
without training or education, petty tyrants who

204 CUBA.

could practice their thefts and sometimes their
oppressions, because of the distance at which they
resided from the supreme authority, public opinion,
until then restrained, began vehemently to desire
those liberties which, if they bring much good,
contain also some evil, and especially when applied
to countries that have so peculiar a life of their
own, and are without preparation for them. A
people sometimes vehemently desires what is not
best for it — the unknown — and when everything
is denied, aspires to everything. So it happened
here. I do not blame the captains-general nor
the government of that epoch. They thought
they were acting for the best ; but they were sep-
arated from the people, and had about them only
partisans of the status quo, and very few of
progress, and even these, persons of heated imag-
ination, but cautious, did not make manifest their
ideas, and even applauded acts which were carry-
ing the ship on the reef, like those inhabitants of
England who kindled bonfires to attract ships.
What the War Meant.
"The ioth of October, 1868, came to open
men's eyes ; the eruption of the volcano in which
so many passions, so many hatreds, just and un-
just, had been heaped up, was terrible, and almost
at the outset the independence of Cuba was pro-
claimed. The concessions which General Ler-
sandi then made were of no avail ; the triumph

CUBA. 205

of Bayamo was not deadened by the heroic resis-
tance of the garrisons of Tunas and Holguin ;
the army was very small, and they believed vic-
tory easy. Many Spaniards believed that auton-
omy should be granted ; and who knows what
might have followed if those masses had been
well led, and had not quarreled with the natives
of the Peninsula?

"The certainty of triumph blinded them.
In its turn public sentiment and patriotism were
awakened in us, and the country was divided into
two irreconcilable bands, extreme from the first,
confiding the triumph of their cause to extermi-
nation and the torch ; and although in these nine
years there have been attempts at more humane
systems, they have been of short duration. Pub-
lic opinion was too strong for governments of
whatever politics. Hardly was a governor-gen-
eral appointed when they weakened his authority
by allowing the press to speak of his dismissal ;
and these officers, not feeling themselves sustained
by the government, tried to find some support in
a public opinion continually more and more over-
excited, and there were times when the war was
on the point of being victoriously ended, when a
change of commander came to undo all that had
been gained to make the insurgents understand
that their constancy would save them ; and a seri-
ous succession of feats of arms raised their spirits,

206 CUBA.

and by the advantage of ground and their familiar-
ity with it, they defeated large columns with hardly
a battalion of men. Hunger in the villages swelled
the ranks of the enemy. They almost put us on
the defensive, and as we had to guard an im-
mense property, the mission of the army became
very difficult.

"The instability of governments in Spain,
the cantonal war first, and the civil war afterward,
encouraged our enemies, who began to doubt in
proportion as the throne of Don Alfonso became
firm, and when they found themselves shut up in
villas and unable to carry out their project of
extending the war to Matanzas and Cardenas.
But public spirit had decayed, and the invasion of
Spiritus and Villas marked a fatal period. It was
our fortune that the military man who commanded
against them had not, because a foreigner and
because of his character, in spite of his courage,
the sympathy of his subordinates, and that the
battle of Palma Sola subdued his energy. But
the war went on languidly for want of forces,
public sentiment growing weaker, and the army
remembering too well its reverses. The principal
of authority was strengthened, and I believe that,
with more resources, we should have triumphed
in 1875 and 1876.

"The insignificant affairs of the railway of
Spiritus, the attack on Villa Clara, Ciego de Avila,

CUBA.

207

and Moron made a great impression on public
opinion, which saw in everything, with frightful
exaggeration, to be sure, grave and irremediable
evils, and the unfortunate carelessness at Victoria
de las Tunas came to stamp the position of affairs
at the very time when reinforcements and help
were expected from the mother country. General
Jovellar was the victim of events, and when per-
haps he was about to grasp the laurel of his toils
the government decided that I should come.

"These, roughly sketched, are in my concep-
tion the facts from 1868 to the end of 1876.
How the End was Reached.

" I have come now by slow stages to the
question of the day, and perhaps some will ask
how I offered the terms which I reported on the
30th of January, and will add that better might
have been obtained.

"At present, I suppose so, but I understand
by advantageous terms for the government what
contributes to satisfy the desires and aspirations
of the people ; I proposed the first condition, be-
cause I believe they must fulfill it. I wish that
the municipal law, the law of provincial assem-
blies, and representation in the Cortes, should be
established. For the present we will make use of
the laws now in force, and then with the assistance
of the deputies, modifications and arrangements
can be made to complete them. Technical details

208 CUBA.

will be considered which are beyond my com-
petence. The law of labor is to be settled, the
question of labor supply, the necessary changes
of property are to be studied, the fearful and un-
sustainable problem of slavery is to be studied
before foreign nations impose a solution of it upon
us, the penal code is to be studied and the pro-
vince of the courts defined, the form of contribu-
tions and assessment of taxes determined, and
some attention paid to schools and public works.
All these problems whose solution concerns the
people must be solved after hearing their repre-
sentatives, not by the reports of Juntas, chosen
through favoritism or for political reasons. They
cannot be left to the will of the captain-general,
the head of a department, or the colonial minis-
ter, who generally, however competent, does not
know the country.

Campos' Appeal for Justice.

"I do not wish to make a momentary peace.
I desire that this peace be the beginning of a
bond of common interests between Spain and her
Cuban provinces, and that this bond be drawn
continually closer by the identity of aspirations,
and the good faith of both.

" Let not the Cubans be considered as pa-
riahs or minors, but put on an equality with other
Spaniards in everything not inconsistent with
their present condition.

CUBA. 209

" It was on the other hand impossible, accord-
ing to my judgment and conscience, not to grant
the first condition ; not to do it was to postpone
indefinitely the fulfilment of a promise made in
our present constitution. It was not possible that
this island, richer, more populous, and more ad-
vanced morally amd materially than her sister,
Porto Rico, should remain without the advantages
and liberties long ago planted in the latter with
good results, and the spirit of the age, and the
decision of the country gradually to assimilate the
colonies to the Peninsula, made it necessary to
grant the promised reforms, which would have
been already established and surely more amply
if the abnormal state of things had not concen-
trated all the attention of government on the
extirpation of the evil which was devouring this
rich province.

" I did not make the last constitution ; I had
no part in the discussion of it. It is now the
law, and as such I respect it, and as such
endeavor to apply it. But there was in it
something conditional, which I think a danger,
a motive of distrust, and I have wished that it
might disappear. Nothing assures me that the
present ministry will continue in power, and I
do not know whether that which replaces it
would believe the fit moment to have arrived
for fulfilling the precept of the constitution.

2IO CUBA.

" I desire the peace of Spain, and tnis will
not be firm while there is war or disturbance
in the richest jewel of her crown. Perhaps the
insurgents would have accepted promises less
liberal and more vague than those set forth in this
condition ; but even had this been done, it would
have been but a brief postponement, because
those liberties are destined to come for the
reasons already given, with the difference that
Spain now shows herself generous and magnani-
mous, satisfying just aspirations which she might
deny, and a little later, probably very soon, would
have been obliged to grant them, compelled by
the force of ideas and of the age.

" Moreover, she has promised over and over
again to enter on the path of assimilation, and
if the promise were more vague, even though
the fulfillment of this promise were begun,
these people would have the right to doubt
our good faith and to show a distrust unfor-
tunately warranted by the failings of human
nature itself.

"The not adding another 100,000 to the
100,000 families that mourn their sons slain in
this pitiless war, and the cry of peace that will re-
sound in the hearts of the 80,000 mothers who
have sons in Cuba, or liable to conscription,
would be a full equivalent for the payment of a
debt of justice."

CUBA. 2 1 1

Tlie Cost of tlie War.

What the ten years of war cost the island
and cost Spain can never be fully reckoned. In
a debate on Cuban affairs in the Spanish Cortes
in November, 1876, it was officially stated that in
eight years Spain had sent to Cuba 145,000 sol-
diers under the command of her ablest generals.
The war is known to have cost Cuba more than
45,000 lives. A considerable proportion of these
were lost on the field of battle, but the majority
of them were murdered in cold blood in prison.
More than 13,000 estates belonging to Cubans
were confiscated by the Spanish Government.
Of these about 1000 belonged to women, whose
only crime was that they sympathized with their
struggling countrymen. The cost of the war in
money has been estimated at nearly $1,000,-
000,000.

During the entire war a professor of lan-
guages in Havana, who was an American of
Cuban birth, systematically kept a record of the
Cuban losses reported in the authorized publica-
tions in Havana. He made it in great detail,
giving the place and date of each engagement, the
number of men on each side, and the Cuban
losses in killed, wounded, prisoners, and horses.
At the end of the war his totals were as follows :
Cuban losses, 395,856 killed, 726,490 wounded,
451,100 prisoners, and a little more than 800,000

2 I 2 CUBA.

horses killed or captured. Considering that the
entire population of the island was only 1,250,000,
the ability of the Spanish at lying was certainly
extraordinary. According to their figures more
Cubans were killed, wounded and captured
than there were persons of all classes on the
island.

In curious contrast with this are the Spanish
figures of their own losses. According- to official
records they lost 81,098 men, of whom only 6488
died in battle or from wounds. In other words,
according to their own statements, ninety-two per
cent, of the Spanish losses were from fever,
cholera and other diseases. There never was a
time during the whole ten years when less than
fourteen per cent, of the whole Spanish army was
in hospitals. These Spanish figures, however,
are known to be very much too low, though per-
haps not as much too low as their statements of
Cuban losses are too high.

CHAPTER IX.

BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTION OF 1 895 — WHERE
THE PLOT HATCHED FAMOUS MEN WHO ORGAN-
IZED THE REBELLION — ARRIVAL OF THE LEADERS

IN CUBA HOW GOMEZ REACHED CUBA CALLE-

JAS' ATTEMPTS TO SECURE PEACE BY HEROIC MEAS-
URES THE FIRST SKIRMISHES IRONICAL GRAT-
ITUDE SPREAD OF THE REBELLION.

|N FEBRUARY 24th, 1895, the flag of
the Cuban Republic was raised in the
mountains of the province of Santiago
in the eastern end of the island.

This was the signal for the beginning of the
sixth insurrection that has broken out in Cuba in
the present century.

The ten years' civil war in the island from
1868 to 1878 was ended by Marshal Martinez
Campos promising a number of reforms. These
promises were not kept, and naturally widespread
discontent ensued.

During the last few years, three parties
played important parts in the politics of the island.
First, the Conservatives, or party of the Con-
stitutional Union, who professed themselves satis-

(2I3)

214

CUBA.

fied with the existing state of things ; secondly,
the Autonomists, or Liberal Reform party, having
a Home Rule program ; and thirdly, the Republi-
cans, or Separatists.

Both the Conservatives and Home Rulers had
been anxious to maintain the Spanish connection,
fearing that Cuban independence would have one
of two results, either that the island would be ex-
ploited by American adventurers, or that, if left
to itself, it would run the risk of becoming another
Hayti, coming under the rule of the negroes, half-
breeds and mulattoes, who form a large part of
Cuba's population.

So strong was this feeling, that had the
Spanish Government kept its promises and had
it made some concessions in the direction of home
rule, it is highly probable that the revolution of
1895 would never have taken place.

But the local authorities, by imprisoning
Autonomist leaders, drove many of the party into
more or less active sympathy with insurgent
patriots.

Cuba's earlier revolutions were properly
termed insurrections, for in many cases they were
without the sympathy of the masses, and hence —
hopeless from the start. 1 But, in 1895, the native
Cubans allied themselves with the Liberal wino- of
the Spanish residents to make common cause
against the domination of the Spanish monarchy.

CUBA. 2 1 5

This union of the Autonomists and Republi-
cans was an association of two powerful parties,
whose one aim was to free Cuba from the tyranny
of a government that had made that unhappy
country the fairest of promises and had broken
those promises without the slightest regard for
truth or honor.

The united parties desired to make Cuba a
Liberal Republic, which should make its own laws
and treaties to suit its economic conditions, and
to establish a government "of the people, by the
people and for the people."

Where the Plot was Hatched.

While the Autonomist and Republican forces
in Cuba were being drawn together and amalga-
mated by the power of a common wrong and a
common spirit of patriotism, friends of Cuba
Libre, in New York, were planning the initial
steps of organized rebellion.

Meetings were held, funds were raised and
plans of campaign formulated in various cities of
the United States, but it was in New York that
the leaders of the revolution most often met, it
was in New York that the Cuban Junta had its
headquarters, and the order which led to the
raising of the five-barred patriot flag in the
mountains of Santiago was sent from New York.

Cuban leaders in the United States, in
league with sympathizers in Mexico and South

2 1 6 CUBA.

America and with the revolutionists in the island

itself, had long been preparing for the events

which resulted in the now celebrated flag-raising.

Famous Men who Organized the Rebellion.

The names of Marti and Gomez are indis-
solubly connected with the beginning of the
revolution.

Jose Marti, who was made president of the
party, was then about forty years old. His life
history reads like that of some hero in fiction.

At the time of the breaking out of the Ten
Years' War, although he was then merely a boy
of fifteen, he was sent to Spain for conspiring
against the government. There he was kept
confined in a dungeon until he was at the point
of death, and was finally set free only on con-
dition that he would remain in Spain for the rest
of his life. He studied at Saragossa, and by the
time he was twenty-one years old had received
the highest degrees the University could bestow.
When the Spanish Republic was proclaimed he
left the country by the way of France and
returned to the United States. The Cuban war
was then nearly over. Nevertheless he went to
Mexico and there prepared an expedition to aid
his countrymen. It was a failure, but he escaped
the clutches of the Spaniards and went to Central
America as a University professor.

After the restoration of peace in 1878 he

0

Maximo Gomez, the Chief of the Insurrection.

General Calixto Garcia.

CUBA. 219

returned to Cuba and was permitted to remain
there for a time. The Spanish authorities pres-
ently suspected him, however, of arousing the
patriotic spirit of the Cubans, and accordingly-
sent him back to Spain. Again he escaped from
the country and came to New York, where he
attempted to organize, with Calixto Garcia,
another revolt in 1879. That attempt was also a
failure, but it did not discourage him. Since that
time he has worked unceasingly for the cause. He
was an author, a poet, and a newspaper man of
high attainments. In 1891 he served as the rep-
resentative of Uruguay at the International Mone-
tary Conference at Washington. He also served
as Consul at New York for various South Ameri-
can countries, but when Spain complained that he
was using his position to promote disaffection in
Cuba, he resigned his office and devoted himself
more exclusively to the Cuban cause.

The treasurer of the Revolutionary party was
Benjamin Guerra, a cigar manufacturer, who had
been a Cuban patriot ever since his childhood.

The secretary was Gonzales de Quesada, who
had lived in New York since he was sixteen years
old, and was a graduate of Columbia College.

Maximo Gomez, of whom we shall hear
much more, had been the commander of the
eastern wing of the Cuban army in the revolution
of 1868.

x3

2 20 CUBA.

Arrival of ttie Leaders in Cuba.

During the first month of the rebellion of
1895, tne success of the movement was by no
means assured. In fact, its continuance was due
solely to the firmness, resolution and courage of
the leaders in the field, notably Bartolome Masso
and William Moncada. Although these men saw
that the people did not respond to the call to
arms as quickly as it had been thought they would,
none of them would listen to any propositions
favoring the abandonment of revolutionary plans.

At the beginning of the war Moncada had
charge of the forces in the eastern section of the
island, including Guantanamo.

Major-General Julio Sanguilly was in com-
mand of the insurgent forces at Matanzas, near
Ybarra, about sixty-six miles east of Havana, on
the west end of the island.

Soon after the first dispatches were received
from Cuba announcing an uprising in Ybarra.
other despatches arrived telling of trouble in
Guantanamo. The fact that simultaneous insur-
gent action occurred in parts of the island so
widely separated as are these two points, proved
conclusively tc all thoughtful people that Cuba
was on the brink of another revolution. Still
there were many who doubted the success ofv the
movement.

On March 31st Gen. Antonio Maceo and his

CUBA. - 2 2 1

brother Jose, with twenty-two others, landed at
Duaba, near Baracoa, and as soon as they were
able to join others already in arms, and the news
of their arrival reached Santiago and other cities,
the aspect of things began to change, and men
who until then had hesitated to support the move-
ment began to join the little army.

On April 1 1 General Maximo Gomez and
Jose Marti with two friends landed at the south-
eastern extremity of Cuba, and having joined
Maceo, a general plan was arranged whereby
General Maceo was to remain in the Province of
Santiago, and General Gomez was to proceed to
Camaguey as General-in-Chief of the army.

Before the landing of Generals Maceo and
Gomez, the majority of those in arms were ne-
groes, but immediately after the proportion of
whites began to increase, and although in the
Province of Santiago the negro element always
preponderated in the rank and file, the great ma-
jority of the officers were whites, while in Cama-
guey, on the contrary, the army under Gomez,
from the beginning, was composed chiefly of
white men.

How Gomez Reached Cuba.

Captain Ronald Lamont, of the steamship
"Indianapolis," from Central American waters,
brought the first authentic account of the landing
of General Gomez and party on the Cuban coast.

2 2 2 CUBA,

From authorities at the island of Inagua the
Captain learned that Gomez and three other in-
surgent leaders reached Cuba from this country
by a round-about course, by way of Inagua,
Jamaica and Hayti. At Inagua they purchased
a fourteen-foot, four-oared keel boat, and, em-
barking on the German steamer "Nostrand," slung
their boat from the davits. Just at daybreak on
April 10, when the steamer was two miles off
Cape Maysi, General Gomez and the others of
his party dropped their boat into the water and
quietly landed on the Cuban coast. Thence they
made their way through the bush to the interior,
where they reached the main body of insurgents.
It was known at Inagrua that General Gomez had
with him fully $50,000 in American gold.

The insurgents knew the time and place of
Maximo Gomez's landing, and Perequito Perez,
at the head of 600 Cubans, met him soon after
disembarkation at Rio Sabana la Mar, about
thirty miles east of Guantanamo, on the south
coast. The ' 'Conde de Venadito' ' failed to intercept
the insurgents on the sea, and 1,000 Spanish
troops failed to head them off on the land.

Particulars about the sinking of a British
schooner off the coast of Cuba by the Spanish
warship "Conde de Venadito" were also gathered
by Captain Lamont from the Inaguan authorities.
It appears that twenty-five Cuban insurgent

CUBA. 2 23

sympathizers, exiled in Central America, took
passage on the Atlas steamer "Adirondack" for
Long Key, on Fortune Island. At Long Key
they succeeded through the American consular
agent, Mr. Farrington, in buying a small schooner
for $1,500. One of the conditions of the pur-
chase was that Mr. Farrington should allow his
crew and officers to remain on board, their wages
to be the same as those paid by Mr. Farrington.
The new owners cleared for Inagua. Instead oi
allowing the captain to proceed to Inagua, they
compelled him to steer for Cuba, and they landed
at a point on the Cuban coast near Baracoa.
Then they told the captain to return to Inagua,
or wherever he cared to go.

Calleja's Attempts to Secure Peace by Heroic
Measures.

When the insurrection began, the Governor
of the island was General Calleja, a Spaniard, who
had been in Cuba since 1873. He is said to have
been in favor of conciliation, but was hope-
lessly hampered by Spanish officials at Havana.

It was originally planned to raise the Cuban
flag on the twenty-second of February, the anni-
versary of Washington's birthday, being deemed
a fitting occasion for the actual beginning of the
insurrection. Owing to various delays and dis-
appointments, however, the raising of the stand-
ard was postponed till February twenty-fourth.

2 24 * CUBA.

As soon as news of the uprising reached
Governor-General Calleja, he issued a proclama-
tion suspending constitutional guarantees. He
also put in effect the " Public Order Law," a law
which provides for the immediate punishment of
anybody taken in a seditious act.

At a special cabinet meeting, called to con-
sider Cuban affairs, on the evening of February
twenty-fifth, in Madrid, Senor Abarzuza, Spain's
Minister of Colonies, authorized Calleja to pro-
claim martial law in Cuba.

The forces at Calleja's disposal were six
regiments of infantry, three of cavalry, two
battalions of garrison artillery, and a mountain
battery. These numbered nearly 20,000 men,
besides some 14,000 local militia, or over 30,000
men in all. But it is only fair to Calleja to add
that when he returned to Madrid in May he
declared that half the regular forces existed only
on paper, and that the militia were not reliable.
He was weak in artillery, but that did not so
much matter, as the insurgents had none. He
had the great advantage of holding all the large
coast towns, with the help of forts, some of them
dating from early Spanish days, but all of them
strong enough to resist an irregular attack. He
had also a squadron of five cruisers and six
gunboats with which to further protect the coast
towns, cut off-supplies coming to the rebels from

CUBA. 22 5

abroad, and secure the safe transport of his
troops to any point on the long coast line that
might be chosen as a base of operations. With
all these advantages it might have been expected
that with even 10,000 regulars he would have
been able to deal with an insurrection in one
corner of the island. But he failed to crush, or,
rather, hunt down the bands in the Santiago
province, and early in March he reported to
Madrid that he could not hold his own unless
both the army and navy were largely reinforced.
The First Skirmishes.
The first encounter between the Spanish
army and the Cuban forces took place in the
Province of Santiago, at Los Negros. The
Cubans were led by Jesus Rabi, now a Brigadier-
General. In this battle the Cubans, although
very poorly armed, routed the Spanish forces.
The second encounter was at El Guanabano, the
Spaniards being commanded by Santocildes and
the Cubans by Gen. Masso. The Spaniards were
again routed, with the loss of 206 men. The
Cuban loss was thirty-five. The next important
move made by the Cubans was the simultaneous
attacks on the villages El Cristo and El Caney
and on a railroad train carrying arms and
ammunition. Both villages were captured by the
Cubans and the barracks were destroyed. The
train was also captured, together with 200 rifles

2 26 CUBA.

and 40,000 cartridges. These operations were
directed by Gen. Maceo. Next came the attack
on and capture of the fort of Ramon de las
Yaguas, where the Cubans took possession of
150 rifles and 30,000 cartridges. Shortly after
they attacked and captured the small port of
Campechuela, which they held for two or three
days.

On March 27, the Queen Regent of Spain
received the resignation of General Calleja. A
Cabinet meeting was called to consider the situa-
tion ; the Queen Regent presided. Martinez
Campos was selected as Calleja's successor and
he accepted the commission to go to Cuba at the
head of reinforcements. He declared that as
soon as he landed on the island he would pro-
ceed with operations designed to put down the
revolt at once. Subsequent events proved that
his intentions were better than his powers of ful-
filment.

Ironical Gratitude.

On April 15 the former Governor-General
of Cuba, General Calleja, received from Madrid
an official dispatch in which the Queen Regent
and her Government tendered him their thanks
for "the activity, zeal and ability with which he
had directed military operations." Warm thanks
were also extended for the bravery displayed by
the army, the navy and the volunteers.

CUBA.. 227

At the same time, Calleja was ordered to
return home on the first steamer sailing from
Havana after General Martinez Campos' arrival
there. The abruptness of his recall caused much
comment. It was understood that the Govern-
ment held him to blame for allowing the insur-
gents to organize so effectively, but they did not
choose to admit publicly that he had weakened
their position by his incompetency, hence the
dispatch of thanks, which presented so forcible a
contradiction to the natural inferences drawn
from his hasty recall.

While these events were taking place in
governmental circles, news of fresh insurgent
victories were being received daily.

Spread of the Rebellion.

On April 14th there was a large uprising in
the province of Puerto Principe. Laborers, sugar-
field hands and others took up arms for the cause.

But a month earlier than this two important
battles had been fought, one at Bayamo and one
at Holguin. Colonel Santacildes was in com-
mand of the Spanish forces, and Masso of the
Cuban, at the former place ; and at the latter,
Garrich was in command of the Spanish, and
Mario of the Cuban force. The insurgents were
successful, and had not reinforcements arrived,
the Spanish leader and his troops would have
fallen into their hands.

CHAPTER X.

THE PATRIOTS TOO MUCH FOR CAMPOS ATTITUDE

OF OTHER COUNTRIES THE INSURGENTS ORGAN-
IZE WHO THE LEADERS WERE BATTLE OF SAO

DEL INDIO BATTLE OF PERALEJO A SPANISH

FORCE WIPED OUT.

ARLY IN MAY, 1895, the insurgent
leaders began to feel greatly elated
over the progress of the insurrection.

More had been accomplished in the one
preceding month than in the first five years of the
war of 1868.

The patriots in Puerto Principe had more
men, more arms, more horses and better facilities
for obtaining subsistence than they had at any
time in the ten years' war.

They had forests in their rear, impenetrable
to the Spanish troops, and they had mountain re-
treats where 100 men could hold their own
against 1,000. Maceo's plan was not to risk
open battle, but to fall on the Spaniards from
ambush, or exhaust them with forced marches.
All the efforts of the Spaniards to deliver a telling
blow at the head of the rebellion here were futile,
and the number of insurgents in the field had

(228)

CUBA. 2 29

doubled in three weeks. When Martinez Campos
arrived from Spain there were about 3,000 in-
surgents under arms. There were now over
6,000, and the latest acquisitions had a larger
proportion of white men than was the case
at first.

Attitude of Other Countries.

In other countries the neutrality laws were
being closely followed.

Great Britain issued imperative orders that
the strictest neutrality should be observed. In all
West Indian ports the closest watch was kept.
Captains of British men-of-war were on the look-
out for expeditions.

The United States Government issued simi-
lar orders. Nevertheless expedition after ex-
pedition was organized, many of which reached
Cuba in safety. In one case, a report came from
a trustworthy source that while the Spanish ship
"Infanta Isabel " was detained in quarantine, at
Tampa, Florida, a filibustering expedition left
Key West for Cuba.

The Insurgents Organize.

On October 1st, it became generally known
that the insurgents had taken a most important
step in the foundation of a provisional govern-
ment. The independence of the island of Cuba
was solemnly declared on September 19th, at
Anton, Puerto Principe province.

23O CUBA.

A revolutionary government was organized
and the fundamental laws of the republic of Cuba
were formally proclaimed.

The government was constituted in the fol-
lowing manner :

President, Salvador Cisneros Betancourt, of
Puerto Principe ; Vice-President, Bartolome Maso,
of Manzanillo ; Secretary of War, Carlos Roloff,
of Santa Clara ; Vice-Secretary of War, Mario
Menocal, of Matanzas ; Secretary of Foreign
Relations, Rafael Portuondo y Tamayo, of Santi-
ago de Cuba ; Vice-Secretary of Foreign Rela-
tions, Fermin Valdis Dominguez, of Havana ;
Secretary of Finance, Severo Pina, of Sancti
Spiritus ; Vice-Secretary of Finance, Joaquin
Castillo Duany, of Santiago de Cuba ; Secretary
of the Interior, Santiago Canizares, of Rem-
edios ; Vice-Secretary of the Interior, Carlos
Du Bois, of Baracoa ; General-in-Chief, Maximo
Gomez ; Lieutenant-General, Antonio Maceo.

Jose Maceo, Maso, Capote, Serafin Sanchez
and Rodrigues were appointed majors-general.
Jose Maceo to lead the operations in Baracoa,
Guantanamo, Mayari and Santiago de Cuba ;
Maso in Manzanillo, Bayamo and Holguin ; San-
chez in the Villas, and Rodriguez in Camaguey.

The headquarters of the new government
were established in Puerto Principe province, and
a systematic government was to be maintained.

CUBA. 23I

Who the Leaders Were.

The Spanish Government had taken great
pains to convince the world, and especially the
people of this country, that the Cuban revolution-
ary forces consisted only of some ignorant ne-
groes, a few white people of the lowest class of
society, some bandits and a few foreign adven-
turers. That such was not the case, that it was
not a movement in which only the lower classes
of the Cuban people were taking an active part,
but an uprising supported by the whole Cuban
population, a few facts will show.

The President was the ex-Marquis of Santa
Lucia of Puerto Principe, a member of one of the
most distinguished families of the island for social
rank, wealth and talents. During the last seventy-
five years you will find more than one Cisneros
and more than one Betancourt who has attained
distinction as lawyer, journalist, civil engineer,
botanist and also in other departments of science
and art. The ex-Marquis of Santa Lucia, now
President of the Republic, formally renounced his
title of nobility when he joined the revolution in
1868, and lost his estates, which were then con-
fiscated by the Spanish Government. An insig-
nificant part of them was turned over to him after
the peace of 1878.

Bartolome Maso, the vice-president, a native
of Manzanillo, was a tried patriot, who has

232 CUBA.

rendered valuable services to the cause. A sin-
cere republican, he has always been highly
respected and esteemed for his liberal ideas and
his sterling character.

Gen. Carlos Roloff, Secretary of War, was
born in Poland, but came to Cuba when a mere
youth and established himself at Cienfuegos,
where he attained quite a distinguished position
for his intelligence, industry and integrity. In
1869, at the head of quite a number of young
men from the most prominent families of the
city, he joined the revolution, and until the end
of the war in 1878 occupied the first rank, both
for his bravery and his military talents.

The Assistant Secretary of War,' Mario
Menocal, belonged to one of the best families of
Matanzas, and is a relative of one of the mem-
bers of the Corps of Civil Engineers of the
United States whose name is so well known in
connection with the Nicaragua Canal.

Rafael Portuondo y Tamayo, Secretary of
Foreign Affairs, was a distinguished member of
one of the most prominent families of Santiago de
Cuba, both for social rank and wealth, no less
than for the talents of some of the individuals be-
longing to it, who have distinguished themselves
in the liberal professions.

Fermin Valdes Dominguez, Assistant Sec-
retary of Foreign Affairs, was a well-known

CUBA. 233

physician of Havana, who, when the students of
the university of that city, his companions, were
butchered by the volunteers, was sent to the
penal colony of Ceuta, and was set at liberty
after the peace.

Severo Pina, Secretary of the Treasury, was
a prominent citizen of Sancti Spiritus. He be-
longed to an old and wealthy family. Joaquin
Castillo Duany, Assistant Secretary of the Treas-
ury, was a gentleman not unknown in this coun-
try, having been one of the physicians who took
part in the Jeannette Relief Expedition to the
North Pole. No names stand higher in Santiago
de Cuba for wealth and respectability than those
of Duany and Castillo. Santiago Canizares,
Secretary of the Interior, was a prominent citizen
of Remedios.

The General-in-Chief, Maximo Gomez, al-
though born in Santo Domingo, was as much a
Cuban in feelings, ideas, and aspirations as the
best of them. As to his military talents we need
say nothing, for they are too well known.

Antonio Maceo, the Lieutenant-General,
was a colored man ; a perfect gentleman, and a
man of more than common attainments, which he
owed to his own efforts. He was in the fullest
sense of the term a self-made man of uncommon
intellectual powers and of most sterling character.
He fought during the ten years' war, and was

234 CUBA.

successively promoted for his bravery and remark-
able military abilities from a common soldier to a
Major-General. As a proof of the former he can
show in his body twenty-one wounds by bullet and
by sword, while in support of the latter he can
refer to the many times that he has routed the
Spanish troops, even under the command of Gen.
Martinez Campos himself, and to the testimony
of this latter and of Gen. Mella, who have been
compelled to acknowledge the merit of Maceo as
a tactician.

Battle of Sao del Indio.

Thus about this time came accounts of an
important action which had taken place in August
at a place known as Sao del Indio, half way
between Santiago and Guantanamo. Colonel
Canellas, with a force of 850 men, attacked the
camp of Jose Maceo, where the latter had been
stationed with about 2000 insurgents for the past
two months. Approaching the insurgent camp,
Colonel Canellas sent forward a reconnoitering
party of twenty-four cavalry. The centre was
under the charge of the commanding officer —
Captain Garrido, with 300 men, being detailed to
attack the enemy's position — whilst the command
of the rear guard was in the hands of Lieutenant-
Colonel Segura. The reconnoitering party came
suddenly on the insurgent outposts, and a well
directed volley from the rebels killed all the horses

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CUBA. 237

but one, and wounded six of the men. The party
at once formed up on foot and opened a return
fire, the main body of the troops meanwhile mov-
ing up with all speed.

After desultory firing for some time, a light
field-gun was brought into action and threw
twenty-four shells into the insurgent encampment,
creating considerable confusion. Captain Garrido
then moved forward and assaulted the positions
held by the insurgents to the left and rear of the
camp, and after severe resistance forced the
rebels to retreat. While this was going on the
insurgent cavalry made a detour and charged the
Spanish rear-guard, approaching within twenty
yards of the troops, but were driven back by the
heavy musketry fire. Seeing the enemy dis-
lodged from their positions to the left and rear of
the camp, Colonel Canellas ordered the centre to
fix bayonets and charge up to the camp. This
was successfully carried, but an officer and several
men were killed by the explosion of a mine before
the camp was reached. The insurgents then re-
treated, leaving thirty-six men dead on the field,
whilst Colonel Canellas reported they carried
away not less than eighty wounded. The losses
on the Spanish side were severe. They were
officially returned as one lieutenant and eleven
men killed, and four captains, four lieutenants,
and thirty-nine non-commissioned officers and

14

238 CUBA.

men wounded. Colonel Canellas was slightly
wounded in the left foot, and had his horse killed
under him, whilst his chief of staff also lost his
horse. The artillery officer, Captain Gonzalez Go-
mez, was severely wounded when changing the po*
sition of his guns towards the close of the action,
and he died from the effects of his wound. Lieu-
tenant Ruiz, another of the wounded officers,
suffered amputation of the right leg.
Battle of Peralejo.

Another important encounter was that oi
Yuraguanas, where the Spaniards were routed,
leaving on the field seventy-seven dead and much
arms, ammunition and baggage. After some
other minor encounters the important battle of
Peralejo was fought. The Spaniards were com-
manded by General Campos himself and the
Cubans by General Maceo. The former were
utterly routed, losing over 400 men, among them
one of their generals. Martinez Campos himself
came very near falling into the hands of the
Cubans. Next came the capture of Baire by the
Cubans, afterwards the battle of Decanso del
Muerto, the Spaniards suffering heavily and aban-
doned their arms, ammunition and baggage.

The accessions during August and Septem-
ber to the army under Gomez in Camaguey and
to that in Santa Clara, commanded by Roloff,
Sanchez and Rodriguez, encouraged General

CUBA.

239

Gomez to plan an important movement toward
the west. He announced that by Christmas he
would be with his army near Matanzas and Ha-
vana. At the same time he issued an order to
all the planters of Santa Clara, Matanzas and
Havana that they must not grind sugar-cane this
year. General Martinez Campos replied that the
sugar crop would certainly be harvested this year,
and that he would see to it, promising that by
December there would not be a single rebel left
in Santa Clara province.

A Spanish Force "Wiped Out.
A terrible combat took place on December
9th, at Minas, in Puerto Principe, between eighty
Spanish troops, under Gruesa, and a party of
rebels numbering 500 men commanded by Lopez
Recio and Rodriguez. The struggle was a
sanguinary one, the rebels using machetes with
terrible effect. The supenor force of the enemy
rendered a victory for the troops impossible. Of
the Spanish force twenty-three were killed, eight
wounded, eighteen were taken prisoners and
fourteen missing. Among the rebels killed were
Oscar Primelles, Eugenio Recio and Angel Espi-
nosa. Commandante Caballeros was wounded.
After the combat Lopez Recio sent the mounted
troops to the Senado plantation. On the day fol-
lowing the fight the Spanish prisoners were set
at liberty by their captors.

CHAPTER XI.

THE NEWS IN CUBA THE NEW COMMANDER

WEYLER's ARRIVAL — FIRST WORDS TO CUBA

NO NEUTRALITY NON-COMBATANTS MENACED

CALL FOR SURRENDER TO END THE WAR IN

THIRTY DAYS THE TELEGRAPH LINES WEY-

LER'S PROCLAMATIONS — MUST PRAISE SPAIN

PASSPORTS AND CREDENTIALS STORES TO BE

SEIZED FATE OF PRISONERS MORE TROOPS FOR

WEYLER THE MASSACRE OF GUATAO PRIS

ONERS KILLED — VERY NEAR HAVANA THE

TOWNS DESERTED WEYLER CALLS A HALT

POWERS OF LIFE AND DEATH — MORE PROCLAM-
ATIONS— FOR EXTERMINATION FIFTEEN DAYS'

GRACE THREATS OFFER OF AMNESTY TO RE-
PORT ON THE SUSPECTS APPEAL FOR RECOGNI-
TION A LONG DEBATE ACTION OF CONGRESS.

w

HE NEWS that the Spanish Government
had decided to withdraw General Campos
from Cuba was announced in a telegram
from Madrid, on January 17th, 1896. It said:

"Independently of the military action, the Gov-
ernment has authorized Marshal Campos to re-
sign his command to General Marin and return
to Spain, in consequence of the conduct of the
political parties of Cuba, contrary to the policy of
the Commander-in-Chief, asking a change in the
system of conducting the war."

(240}

CUBA.

24I

This news aroused much interest both in
this country and in Cuba. At Havana a meeting
of generals was immediately held at the palace of
the Captain-General, at which Marshal Campos
announced that he had telegraphed to the govern-
ment at Madrid stating the result of his con-
ference with the leaders of the political parties,
and signifying his intention to abide loyally by
any decision the Cabinet might make in the matter.
To this dispatch, he said, he had received a reply
advising him, in view of the conditions existing, to
turn over the civil and military government of
the island to Generals Marin and Pando. This
he had done so far as was possible, General
Pando being in Santiago de Cuba. General
Marin had taken over the government tempo-
rarily, and his responsibility would be shared by
General Pando shortly.

The News in Cuba.

The news that Marshal Campos had
practically been relieved of his command caused
little excitement in the city. The matter was
discussed in the cafes, restaurants and hotel
lobbies, where people gather at night, but there
were no signs of alarm displayed. There were
many Spaniards who believed that General Cam-
pos had been altogether too lenient in his treat-
ment of the rebels, and they clamored for a more
vigorous policy. The men who were to have

242 CUBA.

temporary charge of the civil and military
branches of the Government were known to
believe in policy that would give no mercy to
those who were in arms against the Kingf, and it
was expected that vigorous measures would be
taken to suppress the insurrection.

The New Commander,

The successor of General Campos chosen by
the Spanish Government was General Weyler,
who had been known in the Ten Years' War as
"Valmaceda's assistant butcher." He had a rep-
utation for the utmost cruelty and ferocity, and
his appointment was interpreted as meaning that
a reign of terror would forthwith be established
in Cuba. "Most men," says Mr. Rappleye, a
newspaper correspondent who met him in Havana,
" resemble their reputations, and if a life famously
spent is in the mind of one who visits a character
of world-wide repute, he quite naturally discovers
peculiarities of facial expression and physique
which appear to account for the individuality of
the man — fighter, philosopher, criminal, reformer
or whatever he may be. All this is true of Gen.
Weyler. He is one of those men who create a
first impression, the first sight of whom never can
be effaced from the mind, by whose presence the
most careless observer is impressed instantly, and
yet, taken altogether, he is a man in whom the
elements of greatness are concealed -under a

CUBA.

243

cloak of impenetrable obscurity. Inferior phys-
ically, unsoldierly in bearing, exhibiting no trace
of refined sensibilities nor pleasure in the gentle
associations that others live for, or at least seek as
diversions, he is nevertheless the embodiment of
mental acuteness, crafty, unscrupulous, fearless
and of indomitable perseverance.
Weyler's Arrival.

Weyler arrived at Havana on February 10,
1896. The Spanish cruiser Alfonso XIII. arrived
off Morro Castle at 9 that morning, and at 10
entered the harbor. She was saluted by the
Morro guns, and by thunders of artillery from
the Cabanas fortress, and the flags of the ships
in the harbor dipped a welcome. With the new
Captain-General came Gens. Barges, Arolas and
the Marquis de Ahumada, who had been des-
ignated second in command. When Weyler
disembarked about noon, the civil and military
officials escorted him to the palace through streets
lined with people and the city was decorated with
flags, flowers and red blankets.

Gen. Weyler went on foot to the palace.
He took the oath of office, and then he received
the leading citizens, some grandees of Spain,
heads of commercial bodies, leaders of political
parties and the foreign consuls. The Plaza de
Armas, near the palace, was packed with men,
women and children, who shouted, while bands of

244 CUBA.

music played. The weather was delightful and
the populace delighted — apparently. It is a great
day — for Weyler.

The prospect for the new commander-in-chief
of the Spanish army in Cuba fulfilling the destiny
which had been manufactured for him in Spain
was, however, worse than at any time since the
war for independence began. The fiasco of the
Captain-General pro tern, in his ten days' expedi-
tion undertaken with the avowed object of run-
ning down Gomez was complete and abject.
Gen. Marin got back to Havana the day before
Weyler landed. His little campaign had been a
complete failure. It had, indeed, been marked
by more disasters than the Spanish army had
suffered during an equal number of days since
the war be^an.

First Words to Cuba.

On landing Weyler made a brief address to
the soldiers about him, saying significantly, "You
know me, and my record. Well, I propose to live
up to my record." The next day he issued a
formal address to the Spanish army in Cuba, in
which he said the following :

"The addresses which I made, at the
moment of my disembarking, to the volunteers
and men of the army and navy, will give you
an idea of the spirit and policy animating your
Governor-General, and similarly the direction of

CUBA.

245

general opinion in Spain favoring the bringing of
all necessary means to bear upon the suppression
of the insurrection. Knowing these and knowing
my character, I would add nothing else to recom-
mend the line of conduct which you may follow.

" But I think it convenient to add some
instructions at present, and to state that the in-
surrection and the recent march of the principal
leaders thereof without its being possible for the
Spanish columns to prevent it, indicates indiffer-
ence on the part of the inhabitants and also fear
and discouragement. I cannot understand their
inactivity while their property is being destroyed.
Spaniards cannot sympathize with insurgents.
It is necessary, at any cost, to oppose this state
of things and reanimate the spirit of the inhabi-
tants.

No Neutrality.

"I have come disposed to help all loyal citizens.
I am at the same time disposed to make use of
all the rigor of the law against those who in any
form help the enemy, speak well of them or dis-
credit the prestige of Spain, of its army or vol-
unteers. All who are with our side must demon-
strate the fact with acts, and leave in their attitude
no place for doubt in proving that they are
Spaniards. Because the defense of the country
demands sacrifices, it is necessary that towns
should establish their own defenses. They

246 CUBA.

should not fail to provide guides for the army,
and to give news of the enemy when they are in
the vicinity.

" The case should not be repeated that the
enemy be better informed than ourselves. The
enemy and the vigor which they employ should
serve as an example to show us the line of con-
duct which we must follow in all circumstances.
Non-Combatants Menaced.

" You will detain and put at my disposal, or
submit to the tribunals, those who, in any way
I have described, show help or sympathy for the
rebels. I promise myself that you, by fulfilling
these instructions, will give valuable help to the
good of the Spanish cause."

Call for Surrender.

In the proclamation to the inhabitants of
Cuba Gen. Weyler said :

"I take charge with the confidence which
never abandons the cause of preserving the
island for Spain. I shall be always generous
with those who surrender, but will have the de-
cision and energy to punish rigorously those who
in any way help the enemy.

"Without having in mind any political mis-
sion, I would not oppose the government of his
Majesty when in its wisdom, having peace in
Cuba, it should think it convenient to give
this country reforms with the same spirit of

CUBA. 247

love in which a mother gives all thino-s to her
children.

" Inhabitants of the island of Cuba, lend
me your help. So you will defend your interests,
which are the interests of the country."

To End the War in Thirty Days.

General Weyler announced, and perhaps ex-
pected, that he would end the war in thirty days.
On February 15, he told a delegation of sugar-
planters who called upon him that by March 15
he would have order and peace restored, so that
the planters could begin grinding cane in safety.
If successful, thirty days' grinding would be pos-
sible, and with the improved machinery generally
in use all the cane standing could be saved. As
the rebels had burned 20 per cent, of the crop,
General Weyler's promise was practically that
$45,000,000 worth of sugar was to be saved, and
that prosperity was to return to Cuba at the end
of one more month.

Gomez and Maceo meantime announced
their intention of remaining in the vicinity of
Havana all summer. The wet season had no
terrors for them. The other provinces outside of
Havana were entirely under control, and the new
government was established everywhere except
in the few cities held by the Spanish. The seat
of operations naturally was near Havana, and the
insurgent forces were so near the city that one •

248 CUBA.

morning a detachment of twenty took a position
on the main road leading into Havana from the
west, only three miles from the city, and held up
the milkmen coming in. They were carrying
"food and comfort to the Spanish," as the insur-
gent leader expressed it as he dumped the cargoes
into the ditch. The victims were perhaps for-
tunate to escape with their lives, as the penalty
for supplying food to a town held by the Spanish
was the destruction of the farmer's property, or,
if he had had several warnings previously, he was
likely to be shot.

The significance of this occurrence was that
it was only three miles from Havana. General
Weyler's thirty days' war, therefore would have
to begin close to the gates of the city and com-
prise the subjugation of the island in that time.
The Telegraph Unes.

Every telegraph line between Havana and
the rest of the island was cut off on February
14th. A line to Rincon, ten miles out, was the
extent of communication with the rest of Cuba.
The rebels controlled absolutely the telegraph
lines of the whole island, and all efforts of the
Spanish to preserve communication with the in-
terior were unavailing.

"Weyler's Proclamations.

Instead of going out to fight, General Weyler
began issuing proclamations. On February 16th

CUBA.

249

he published three of them. The first defined
the offenders who were made subject to military
jurisdiction and trial by court martial as follows :

First — Those who invent or circulate by any
means whatever news or information directly or
indirectly favorable to the rebellion will be con-
sidered guilty of acts against the security ol the
country, as defined by Article 223 of the military
code, as they thereby facilitate the operations of
the enemy.

Second — Those who destroy or damage rail-
roads, telegraphs or telephones, or interrupt the
operations of the same.

Third — Those who are guilty of arson.

Fourth — Those who sell, carry or deliver
arms or ammunition to the enemy or in any other
way facilitate their introduction through the cus-
tom houses. Parties failing to cause the seizure
of such arms or ammunition will incur criminal
responsibility.

Fifth — Telegraph operators delivering war
messages to other persons than the proper
officials.

Must Praise Spain.

Sixth — Those who by word of mouth, through
the medium of the press or in any other manner,
shall belittle the prestige of Spain, the army, vol-
unteers, firemen, or any other forces operating
with the army.

250

CUBA.

Seventh — Those who by the same means
shall praise the enemy.

Eighth — Those who shall furnish the enemy
with horses or other resources of warfare.

Ninth — Those who act as spies will be pun-
ished to the fullest extent of the law.

Tenth — Those who shall act as guides to the
enemy and fail to surrender themselves immedi-
ately, and give proof of their loyalty and report
the strength of the force employed by the enemy.

Eleventh — Those who shall adulterate the
food of the army or alter the prices of provisions.

Twelfth — Those using explosives in violation
of the decree of October 17th, 1895.

Thirteenth — Those who shall use pigeons,
rockets or signals to convey news to the enemy.

Fourteenth — The offenses above mentioned
are punishable by the penalty of death or life im-
prisonment, the judges to take summary proceed-
ings.

Fifteenth — All orders conflicting with the
foregoing are hereby revoked.

Passports and Credentials.

The second proclamation was as follows :

First — All the inhabitants of the country
within the jurisdiction of Sancti Spiritus and the
provinces of Puerto Principe and Santiago will
present themselves at the headquarters of a
division, brigade or column of the army, and pro-

CUBA. 251

vide themselves with a document proving their
identity inside of eight days from the publication
of this order in their respective townships.

Second — To go into the country within the
radius of the column's operating therein it is now
necessary to obtain a pass from the Mayor or
military commander. Those failing to comply
with this requirement will be detained and sent to
Havana, subject to my orders. In case of doubts
as to the genuineness of a pass, or if there are
reasons to suppose a party to have sympathy with
the rebels or giving aid, responsibility for the same
will be placed upon the officer issuing the pass.
Stores to be Seized.

Third — All stores in the country districts
must be vacated at once by their owners. Chiefs
of columns must also decide as to the disposition
of such property, which, while being unproductive
to the country, may at the same time serve as a
habitation or hiding place for the enemy.

Fourth — All passes issued prior to this date
are hereby canceled.

Fate of Prisoners.

In the third proclamation Gen. Weyler dele-
gated full powers to proceed with military trials
to the commanders of the First and Second Army
Corps and the commander of the Third Division.

Prisoners taken in action were to be subiect
to summary court martial.

252 CUBA.

More Troops for Weyler.

General Weyler soon began to ask for more
troops. His first reinforcements arrived on
February 26. He at the same time seized one-
tenth of all the horses in Havana for the use of
his army.

The insurgents were not at all frightened by
his fierce words, however. At the very time when
the new Spanish troops were landing, a band of
rebels made a raid on the stores on the outskirts
of Cardenas. The storekeepers were mostly
volunteers, and as such had been furnished arms
and ammunition by the Government. The rebels
seized the rifles and cartridges and then decamped.
They met with no resistance.

The Massacre of Guatao.

A dreadful event of the beginning of Wey-
ler's administration was the massacre at Guatao,
which occurred on February 2 2d. It followed im-
mediately upon the retreat of a small body of
rebels, certainly not over forty, who had met a
considerable Spanish force at Punta Brara, and
had retired after some firing, which both sides
admit, had no serious results. The insurgents
withdrew along the road to Guatao, only a mile
away, but separated before they reached that
place and disappeared in the surrounding country.

The Spaniards, however, following along the
road, marched straight into Guatao, and, without

Cubans Burning a Deserted Village.

An Insurgent attack near Vueltas.

CUBA.

255

waiting to find any armed men, immediately be-
gan firing promiscuously, shooting down unarmed
and peaceful citizens in all directions. Then they
proceeded to massacre the few inhabitants with-
out mercy. A milkman, who was shot at while
pursuing his vocation, and fled into his house, was
followed and ruthlessly shot down within doors. The
town is very small, of only some two-score houses
of inferior quality, and was easily run through by
the murderous Spaniards. The people started
for the woods in terror, knowing that if they met
any insurgents they would be well treated, and
trusting to conceal themselves ; but men running
away were shot in the street. Several men who
could not run were killed where they stood.

The troops entered the houses and shot quiet
men who were doing nothing. They raided bed
rooms, and a man confined to his bed by erysip-
elas was killed as he lay there. In one case a
woman came to the door of her house and pleaded
with the soldiers for the life of her husband, who
lay ill in bed. Their respond was the crash of
the butt of a musket in the woman's head. They
then broke down a door and shot the husband in
bed.

Prisoners Killed.

The previous fight had resulted in the capture
of five Cubans by the Spaniards. These five were
shot dead in the fields. These, with thirteen dead
15

256 CUBA.

found by Red Cross physicians who went to
Guatao, make eighteen altogether. There were
no wounded, all who did not escape to the woods
being made sure of.

Of three cigar-makers of Havana, named
Chaves, who ran down to Guatao that afternoon
to see their mother, one was killed and the others
made prisoners. Every one of the dead in Guatao
is recognized as a peaceful non-combatant.

It is credibly asserted that when the troops
went back to Mariano, whence reinforcements
had been sent, bringing their prisoners with them,
the soldiers were drunk. Examination of the
houses in Guatao proves that the assertion of the
authorities that the insurgent troops took refuge
in them and fired on the Spaniards is untrue.
Very Near Havana.

These terrible scenes took place within a
dozen miles from Havana, and the ignorance which
Gen. Weyler professed of the actual facts was
manifestly not to be believed.

Troops brought the bodies of the dead from
the houses and fields and placed them on the
ground in front of the main store. The prisoners
who were captured in houses and fields without
arms were pinioned and compelled to walk to
Mariano. They were bruised and ill-treated on
the way, and required medical attendance upon
their arrival.

CUBA.

2S7

Among the dead was the gravedigger,
making it necessary to obtain a negro to dig the
graves.

The facts above related are verified by per-
sons who went to Punta Brara and Guatao.
The Towns Deserted.

The towns of Guatao and Punta Brara were
soon deserted. The residents fled to Havana in
fear of their lives. Of 1,710 people in the latter
town only fourteen remained. The action of the
troops so close to Havana created an intense
sensation there.

The only official notice taken by the govern-
ment was a telegram of congratulation sent
Marquis De Cervera, Alcalde of Mariano. This
was in response to his message to Weyler, in
which he said: " They have done to-day what your
Excellency so gloriously did at Jaina, Santo
Domingo, thirty years ago."

Weyler Calls a Halt.

Arrests of civilians under the sweeping pro-
visions of General Weyler's proclamations of
February 16 had been made at such a rate and
in many cases with so little evidence of guilt that
General Weyler was soon compelled to issue
instructions to his officers to be more careful, as
he required more proof than verbal denunciation.
He issued on March 8th a circular in which he
stated that absolute proof must be furnished by

258 CUBA.

other than interested persons before accused
men would be deported, and warning com-
manders that they would be held responsible for
false answers.

Without doubt General Weyler had in view
the effect of this order abroad, for the manner in
which Cubans who had never borne arms against
Spain were dragged from their homes and
thrown into prisons with felons, and after a few
days' delay placed on board ship for what is
probably the vilest penal colony on the face of
the earth, had become a shame which cried aloud
for redress. General Weyler, on his arrival, set
at liberty a number of these civilian prisoners
whom General Pando had taken from their daily
occupations. The only evidence against these
men was a paper purporting to be a list of the
people who were aiding and communicating with
the enemy. It was made up by a Spaniard.
Powers of I^ife and Death.

Said a correspondent writing from Havana
on March 9 :

" General Weyler has removed the alcaldes
of all towns in whom he had not absolute confi-
dence, and has appointed the ranking military
officers of regular troops of volunteers alcaldes
or mayors. These men possess arbitrary powers.
Under the proclamation the life or death of any
man, woman or child in their zone is in their

CUBA. 259

hands. A large proportion of these commanders
believe Weyler to be a man who will quickly
approve any extreme act on their part. They
look for no punishment for summary executions
of Cubans who sympathize with the insurgents.
They expect praise and promotion for shooting
prisoners as soon as taken. General Canella was
sent back to Spain by Weyler either for having
shot down seventeen prisoners, or for having re-
ported 'seventeen bodies were found afterward
in another part of the field'; but the man who
confessed to his friends here, and probably to
General Weyler, to having killed seventeen
people in cold blood received no more severe
punishment than being deprived of his command.
" When the horrible story of the butchery of
eighteen peaceable citizens in the little hamlet of
Guatao was published in the United States, and
telegraphed back here, General Weyler announced
that he would make a thorough examination and
would severely punish those responsible for the
outrage if one had been committed. Two weeks
have gone by since the affair occurred, and no
official has lost his stripes. Guatao was so near
Havana that American correspondents succeeded
in demonstrating the absolute truth of the story.
Dozens of reports of affairs in which unarmed
citizens are killed by Spanish troops have been
received here, but the authorities have placed

26o CUBA.

such obstacles in the way of correspondents that
it is impossible to visit the localities and establish
the facts. In a dozen cases refugees from towns
where fights have occurred state that after the
rebels were driven away citizens who took no part
were shot down, and counted in the official reports
as dead insurgents. The government officials deny
these stories, and while it is common talk in
Havana that certain affairs were butcheries, the
correspondents are in most cases obliged to
accept the Government version."

More Proclamations.

Among the various manifestos published by
Weyler on March 8, were the following:

" I have promulgated an order that the teach-
ers of divinity of the Provinces of Matanzas, Santa
Clara, Puerto Principe and Santiago de Cuba, who,
confessedly, have taken part in the movements of
the rebels, shall be pardoned on making their
submission, surrendering their arms and placing
themselves under the surveillance of the lawful
authority, provided they have not committed
other crimes since the issuance of my last pro-
clamation.

"The teachers of divinity who, without arms,
shall come in under the same circumstances will
be immediately transferred to the encampments,
forts and towns, where they may be under the
immediate vigilance of the troops, and all the

CUBA. 26l

teachers shall be under the control of the com-
mandants in whatever jurisdiction they may be
assigned. A record of those so attached to each
column, encampment or fort will be kept, and
their superiors will make a report every fifteen
days concerning the conduct of the teachers, and
will determine the time at which they will be per-
mitted to reside in whatever place it may be
deemed advisable to conduct them, placing them
under the supervision of the local authorities, or
making any other disposition of them which may
be considered proper. In the meantime they will
become permanently attached to the military
forces, and will give their attention to the dying,
and will be entitled to such rations as troops in
the field or traveling.

"These directions will not go into effect in
the Provinces of Pinar del Rio and Havana until
these provinces have extended to them the pre-
vailing law in the case of those who deliver
themselves up to the authorities."
For Extermination.

The following proclamation was also issued :
" I make known to our harassed troops and
to those who attempt to demoralize them as they
pursue eastward rebel parties more numerous
than those whom they leave in the Provinces of
Pinar del Rio and Havana that the time has
arrived to pursue with the greatest activity and

262 CUBA.

rigor the little bands, more of outlaws than in-
surgents, who have remained in the said provinces,
and to adopt whatever measures are necessary
for the proper and immediate carrying out of
that intention. I hereby order :

"(i) — That the troops be divided into col-
umns to operate in both provinces and that the
guardia civil be re-established on the lines of
that now existing in Pinar del Rio and in a part
of Puerto Principe, and that in Havana and a
part of the Province of Santiago de Cuba they
occupy only the places remote from the present
pacified or tranquilized districts until they are
able to occupy the positions which they held be-
fore (in the districts now in revolt).

"(2) — The commander of each zone, or the
corresponding official who may be otherwise
characterized in each place, shall be the com-
mander of the native army.

"(3) — Each community seeking to do so,
and applying to the general staff of the army,
may arm a section of volunteers or guerrillas of
thirty men, equipped as infantry soldiers, which
force will defend the country and in every case
operate under orders of the military authorities
of the locality.

"(4) — Those who are in possession of arms
must be placed in a state of complete defense
and enabled to avoid a surprise.

CUBA.

263

Fifteen Days* Grace.

"(5) — The military governors of Havana
a.nd Pinar del Rio will present reports to the
Captain-General.

"(6) — The authorities of the villages who will
show themselves friendly within a term of ten
days, and those of the vicinity of the same, and
all those within its limits that are engaged in the
insurrection, are warned to surrender themselves
within the space of fifteen days from the publica-
tion of this proclamation, otherwise they will be
subject to arrest ; and well-disposed persons will
be held to their civil responsibilities, and to effect'
this it will be proposed to the Governor-General
to nominate a body which will see to carrying
this out.

"(7) — If, in the case of insurgent parties who
have sacked, robbed, burned or committed other
outrages during the rebellion, any one will give
information as to the participation that such per-
sons may have had in them, not only those who
may have been in the rebel ranks, but also those
who have succored them, or who have not
remained in their homes, they will be fittingly
punished; and, moreover, if any town or other
place where robberies have been effected is
known to them, they will be required to make
identification that proper responsibility may be
fixed.

264 CUBA.

Threats.

"(8) — Rebels, who may not be responsible
for any other crime, who, within the term of
fifteen days, present themselves to the nearest
military authority in both provinces and who will
assist in the apprehension of any one guilty of
the foregoing offenses, will not be molested, but
will be placed at my disposal. Those who have
presented themselves at an earlier time will be
pardoned; those who may have committed any
other crimes, or who obstructed any public cargo
proceeding to its destination will be judged
according- to the antecedents, and their case will
be withheld for final determination. He who
presents himself and surrenders arms, and, in a
greater degree, if there be a collective presenta-
tion, will have his case determined by me. All
who present themselves after the time mentioned
in this warning will be placed at my disposal.

"(9) — All the authorities or civil function-
aries, of whatsoever kind, and who do not hold a
license for attendance upon the sick, and who
are not found at their posts, after the end of
eight days, in boch provinces will be named to
the Governor-General as ceasing to act for the
local authorities.

"(10) — The planters, manufacturers and
other persons who, within the territory of the
provinces warned, shall periodically facilitate, or

CUBA. 265

even for a single time shall give money of any
kind soever to the insurgents, save and except
in the case of their being obliged to yield to
superior force, a circumstance which will have to
be examined in a most searching manner, will be
regarded as disloyal through helping the rebellion.

•'(11) — For the repair of roads, railways,
telegraphs, etc., the personal co-operation of the
inhabitants of the villages will be required, and
in the case of the destruction of any kind of prop-
erty, the occupants of convenient habitations will
be held responsible if they do not immediately
inform the nearest authority of such occurrences."
Offer of Amnesty.

He also issued this proclamation, offering
amnesty to rebels :

" I have deemed it proper to direct that per-
sons presenting themselves in the provinces of
Matanzas, Santa Clara, Puerto Principe, and San-
tiago de Cuba, and who confessedly have been
with the rebels will be pardoned, provided they
surrender themselves with their arms, and have
been guilty of no other crimes. In such cases,
however, they will remain under the surveillance
of the authorities until further orders from me.
Should they surrender themselves in considerable
bodies that fact will recommend them to greater
consideration. Those who present themselves
under similar conditions, but without arms, will

266 CUBA. ,

be assigned to detachments in towns or forts or
elsewhere, where they may be subjected to the
vigilance of troops. A record of all such persons
shall be kept by the commander of arms of the
jurisdiction to which they belong, and he shall note
upon such record the names of those persons as-
signed to each column, detachment or fort.
To Report on the Suspects.

"The chiefs of such detachments or forts
will then give a fortnightly report of the behavior
of such surrendered persons as are under their
charge, and acting upon these reports I will
determine the localities where they may be per-
mitted to reside, or whether they shall be con-
ducted elsewhere to be left under the surveillance
of the local authorities, or to be disposed of as I
may deem proper. While such persons remain
with the troops they shall be served with daily
rations, which the chief to whom they are detailed
will note in his statement. These conditions
shall be void in any province as soon as the
special edict made applicable to the provinces of
Havana and Pinar del Rio governing the sur-
render of rebels shall also be, made similarly
applicable to it."

Appeal for Recognition.

Efforts were made during the winter of
1895-6 to induce the United States Government

CUBA. 267

to recognize the Cubans as belligerents and
extend to them belligerent rights. Some sincere
friends of Cuba doubted the wisdom of this
course, but a vast majority of the American
people seemed to favor it.

On January 29th the Senate committee on
Foreign Relations decided to take some definite
action. Two sentiments had divided the com-
mittee from the beginning. On the one hand
there had been a general desire to grant the
recognition which the revolutionists desired, and
thus put an end at once to the highly annoying
and embarrassing conditions under which inter-
course between the United States and Cuba had
been maintained for the last ten months. With
a recognition of the Cuban Revolutionary
Government as a belligerent Power, it had been
assumed that the annoyances of the neutrality
policy would be to a great extent removed, or at
least insensibly diminished. On the other hand,
there had been an unmistakable feeling that the
United States could not with propriety and
justice proclaim the belligerency of the insurgent
forces on the military showing so far made by
them. The precedent set by Secretary Fish in
the last Cuban rebellion was felt to have bound
this country to a policy of extreme caution in
dealing with the present uprising against the
Spanish Government.

268 CUBA.

A r,ongr Debate.

Similar resolutions were introduced in the
House of Representatives, and then a long
debate ensued, not only in Congress, but in the
public press and throughout the country at large.
Senor Palma, the Cuban Delegate, addressed a
long letter on the subject to Secretary Olney,
which- was communicated to the Senate and
formed the basis of its action.

Sefior Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish Minister
at Washington, took a hand in this debate through
the newspapers — an unusual thing for a Minister
to do. He especially protested against some
statements made in the Senate concerning the
way in which, the Spaniards were conducting the
war in Cuba. He said :

"I read with the deepest regret the state-
ments made in the Senate by some of the most
influential Senators of the United States, knowing
that the facts which were stated by them were
incorrect ; that their good faith, of which I have
no doubt, had been imposed upon, and that it
would be very easy for me to prove in a little
time that the Senators had been misinformed by
persons interested in bringing about a misunder-
standing between the two countries.

" I cannot understand how all rules of war
that have been given by all civilized nations are
so criminal, so cruel and so tyrannical when they

CUBA.

269

are applied in Cuba. I have before my eyes a
summary of charges of inhumanity in connection
with the war of the rebellion in the United States
against both sides, taken from American history.
I am sure that many of them are false, most of
them exaggerated, some of them necessary and
others unavoidable, but, taking only as an illus-
tration and for the sake of argument what I see
in that list, I cannot understand how people who
are familiar with those necessary evils of war
have been able to use such harsh, unjust and
offensive language against Spain.

" Nothing is now done in Cuba that has not
been done and has not been deemed necessary
in other countries when at war. It would be pos-
sible and easy for me to quote many facts not
different from those which now arouse public sen-
timent against Spain. I will only ask persons
wanting an impartial and honest opinion to read
what the commanders-in-chief of the American
armies of both sides and what the armies of
France and Germany have deemed necessary for
the protection of their soldiers and the carrying
out of war."

To this a vigorous reply was made by some
of the Senators, and also by Senor Quesada, of
the Cuban legation, who made a damning revela-
tion of the numerous atrocities and horrors of
Spanish warfare.

2 JO CUBA.

i

Action toy Congress.

Both Houses of Congress finally adopted
their resolutions by overwhelming majorities.
But the resolutions were not identical. Therefore
Conference committees were appointed, and fur-
ther delay and debate ensued. At last, on March
26, both Houses practically agreed upon identical
resolutions, as follows :

"Resolved by the Senate, (the House con-
curring therein), That in the opinion of Congress
a condition of public war exists between the
Government of Spain and the Government pro-
claimed and for some time maintained by force of
arms by the people of Cuba, and that the United
States of America should maintain a strict neu-
trality between the contending Powers, according
to each all the rights of belligerents in the ports
and territories of the United States.

" Resolved, further, That the friendly offices
of the United States should be offered by the
President to the Spanish Government for the
recognition of the independence of Cuba."

These resolutions were ultimately adopted
in the midst of great enthusiasm by an over-
whelming majority on April 6, and sent to the
President for his consideration and action. Being
concurrent in form, they were not mandatory
upon him, and he was not compelled to do any-
thing at all with them.

Cubans Fighting /row. the Tree-Tops.

CHAPTER XII.

LATEST OPERATIONS THE "COMPETITOR" CASE — WEY-

LER FORCED TO TAKE THE FIELD DEATH OF

OSGOOD, THE AMERICAN WEYLER GOES OUT

AGAIN ATTITUDE OF THE WASHINGTON GOV-
ERNMENT THE DEATH OF MACEO SPAIN'S

IMPLACABLE FOE MACEO's GREAT RAID THE

HERO'S LAST CAMPAIGN THE FINAL TRAGEDY

THE DEMAND FOR RECOGNITION.

kURING THE summer and early fall of
1896 no important changes occurred in
the situation of affairs in Cuba. The
insurgents fully held their ground, controlling
most of the island outside of a score of garrison
towns. General Weyler remained in Havana,
talking of the great things he would do, but doing
nothing. Forty thousand new troops were
received from Spain, bringing the total in the
island up to about 200,000, or four or five times
as many as those of the insurgents. The latter
were divided into two principal bands. The larger
of them was in the east-central part of the island,

16 (273)

274 CUBA.

under the command of the General-in-Chief, Max-
imo Gomez. The other was in Pinar del Rio,
under the dashing Lieutenant-General, Antonio
Maceo. The latter gave the Spanish by far the
more trouble. Frequent raids and forays men-
aced even Havana itself. Weyler constructed
another trocha across the island, west of Havana,
which, he boasted, would keep Maceo and his men
shut up in Pinar del Rio until they were starved
into submission. But this boast was vain. The
rich province furnished ample supplies for the
maintenance of the patriot army for an indefinite
time, while arms and ammunition were easily
smuggled in by small, fleet vessels from the
United States, Mexico and elsewhere. Moreover,
more than a few successful attacks were made
upon the trocha itself, and patriot bands suc-
ceeded in crossing and recrossing it almost at

will.

The "Competitor" Case.

In April the "Competitor," a small schooner
of American registry, eluded the vigilance of the
Federal authorities, took on board men and
supplies, presumably intended to aid the Cuban
insurgents, and reached the coast of that island
near San Cayetano. Being discovered by the
Spanish coast guard, a conflict ensued, resulting
in the capture of a number of those on board,
as well as the seizure of the vessel. The prison-

CUBA.

275

ers, among them several American citizens, were

subjected to a summary military trial, which,

although conducted by an Admiralty Court,

alleged to be competent, appeared to have lacked

the essential safeguards of procedure stipulated

by the existing conventions between the United

States and Spain. The Government promptly

intervened to secure for its implicated citizens all

the rights to which they were clearly entitled,

including appeal from the pronounced sentence

of death. Their cases were subsequently carried

to the higher tribunal at Madrid, which has set

the conviction aside and remanded the cases for

retrial.

Weyler Forced to take tlie Field.

In the month of October more active opera-
tions were resumed. The Spanish Government
became dissatisfied with Weyler's dilatory tactics,
and peremptorily directed him to take the field in
person and strike a decisive blow; otherwise, it was
intimated, he would be recalled and another put
in his place. The reasons for this urgency were
evident. The Sranish Treasury was empty, and
it was found impossible to raise a loan in any of
the money markets of Europe. The only resort
was, then, to appeal to the patriotism of the
Spanish people themselves for a domestic loan ;
and to arouse their patriotic zeal and make the
loan a success there must at least be a show of

276 CUBA.

action in Cuba. So Weyler, with 60,000 troops,
marched out of Havana toward the hills where
lay Maceo with less than 20,000. Next day the
loan was asked for, and the Spanish people, in
an outburst of enthusiasm, subscribed not only
the $50,000,000 asked for, but more than twice
that sum.

Death of Osgood, the American.
Weyler did not succeed in striking the blow
He had boasted. He did not himself come any-
where near the enemy. But a brigade of his
advance guard, pressing forward, came into con-
flict with the insurgents. A sharp engagement
followed, in which the Spanish were defeated and
driven back with great slaughter. The Cubans
suffered little loss, except in the death of one
man. This was Winchester Dana Osgood, a
young American officer. He had had a brilliant
career as a scholar at Cornell University and the
University of Pennsylvania, and was also a noted
athlete, being one of the ablest foot-ball players
of the day. He had gone to Cuba to assist the
insurgents through pure love of liberty, and had
done them valuable service as an artillery officer.
In his last engagement he was personally direct-
ing the working of a field-gun with admirable
effect. The Spaniards were retreating, and the
victory was won. Suddenly he was struck
squarely in the centre of the forehead with a

CUBA. 277

heavy rifle-bullet. He staggered back, exclaimed
"Well!" and fell dead.

Weyler Goes Out Again.

A few days later Weyler returned to Ha-
vana, without having fought one serious battle.
But the Spanish Government quickly ordered
him out again. This time it was for the sake of
political effect in the United States. Congress
was about to meet, and the President would send
in his annual message. American sympathy
with the insurgents was known to be strong, and
it was feared by Spain that the United States
Government would recognize the independence
of the Cubans, and perhaps intervene in their
behalf. The best way to prevent this, the Span-
ish thought, was to make a show of action, as if
to prove Spain's ability to crush the rebellion.
So Weyler went out and encamped at a safe
distance from Maceo, and by a judicious manipu-
lation of all news sent out from the island made
it appear that he was at last subduing the insur-
gents. As a matter of fact, he carefully avoided
battle, while the Cubans were constantly on the
aggressive. A detachment of the Cuban army
crossed the trocha, passed clear around Weyler's
entire army, and stormed and burned a town in
the outskirts of Havana. The firing was heard
and the flames were seen in the very heart of the
city, and the greatest alarm prevailed. And

278 CUBA.

again Weyler hurried back, without striking the
long-promised blow.

Attitude of the Washington Government.

At the beginning of December the United
States Congress met. The President's message
paid much attention to Cuba. "The insurrection
in Cuba," said Mr. Cleveland, "still continues
with all its perplexities. It is difficult to perceive
that any progress has thus far been made toward
the pacification of the island or that the situation
of affairs as depicted in my last annual message
has in the least improved.

In addition to the President's message, Mr.
Olney, the Secretary of State, issued an elaborate
report on the state of Cuba, in which he said :
"Its efrict upon the personal security of our
citizens in Cuba is not the only alarming feature
of the reign of arbitrary anarchy in that island.
Its influence upon the fortunes of those who
have invested their capital and enterprise there,
on the assumed assurance of respect for law and
treaty rights, is no less in point. In the nature of
things, and having regard to the normal produc-
tions and trade of the island, most of these ven-
tures have been made in the sugar and tobacco
growing and stock-raising districts now given
over to civil war. Exact statistics of the amount
of such investments are not readily attainable,
but an approximate statement shows that Ameri-
can interests in actual property in the district of

CUBA. 279

Cienfuegos reach some $12,000,000; in the
Province of Matanzas, some $9,000,000 ; in Sagua,
for estates and crops alone, not less than $9,229,-
000, while in Santiago the investments in mining
operations probably exceed $15,000,000. For
Pinar del Rio, Santa Clara, and other interior
districts tabulated statements are wanting, and so
also with regard to commercial and manufacturing
establishments, railway enterprises, and the like.
A gross estimate of $50,000,000 would be more
likely to fall under than over the mark. A large
proportion of these investments is now exposed
to the exceptional vicissitudes of the war.
Estates have been desolated and crops destroyed
by the insurgents and Spaniards alike. Upon
those not actually ravaged, operations have been
compulsorily suspended, owing to the warnings
served by the revolutionists or the withdrawal of
protection by the Spanish authorities.
The Death of Maceo.

Following closely upon this came the heaviest
blow the patriot cause had yet suffered, in the
death of the Lieutenant-General, Antonio Maceo.
He was betrayed by a traitor in his own camp,
into falling into an ambush at Punta Brava, on
Dec. 7, and was massacred with nearly all his
staff, the treacherous physician who had led him
to his death going over to the Spaniards in safety,
and receiving his reward.

Antonio Maceo had been quite the Prince

280 CUBA.

Rupert, the legendary chief, of two Cuban insur-
rections, and had played an even more conspicu-
ous part in the present war than in the ten years'
struggle of 1 868-1 878, in which he rose from the
rank of volunteer to that of a commander second
only to Cespedes, Maximo Gomez, Calixte Garcia,
and other veterans, though he was only thirty
years of age in 1878. He was born at Guan-
tanamo, in the Province of Santiago de Cuba, in
1848. In his early youth he earned his living on
the wharves, helping to load and unload cargoes.
He was an illiterate mulatto workman when the
insurrection broke out in 1868, and he imme-
diately joined one of the first bands under Donato
Marmal. During the war he found time to learn
to read and write. He soon distinguished him-
self, and became popular, especially among the
colored inhabitants, who have ever since looked
up to him as their favorite leader. He drew his
old father and four brothers into the rebellion,
and his youngest brother, Jose, who became a
famous chief, was killed in the present rising
whilst conducting an attack upon the Spanish post
of Santa Cruz, in the district of Santiago.
Spain's Implacable Foe.
When the great rebellion came to an end,
and Marshal Campos induced most of the remain-
ing rebel leaders to sign the Peace Treaty of
Zanjon, on February 10, 1878, Maceo refused to

CUBA. 251

submit. He held out for several months, and
gave much trouble in the Eastern provinces of
the island. At last, in August, 1878, he em-
barked for Kingston, Jamaica. He led after-
wards a roving life of refugee and conspirator.
He went to Honduras, where he became a Gen-
eral and Governor of Puerto Cortes, until he
shared the fall of President Soto. In 1879 he
again tried to raise bands in Cuba, but was made
a prisoner and sent to Merhon Citadel by Gen-
eral Blanca. He was soon released, and returned
to America. Later on, he reappeared several
times at Havana, putting up at one of the best
hotels. There he was openly visited and wel-
comed by all the well-known Separatists and by
many Autonomists. He made tours in the whole
island, and played his cards warily enough to give
no pretext for severity at the hands of several
Governors-General. He was all the time pre-
paring treason. He suddenly went to Santiago
de Cuba, to start the "small insurrection," Insur-
rection chica, in 1891. He was confronted by a
stern and able General, Polavieja, the present
Governor-General of the Philippine Islands, and
successor to Marshal Blanco at Manila, who
promptly took such measures as were sufficient
to nip the rising in the bud. Maceo fled again to
Central America and the States, to prepare more
slowly and successfully the present rebellion

2 82 CUBA.

with Marti, Estrada, Betances young Cespedes,
Gomez and Aldama.

Antonio Maceo was one of tne first exiles
who landed in the province of Santiago de Cuba,
after the flag of the Solitary Star La Estrella
Solitaria had been once more unfurled in the
dark forests and mountains of Cuba, " La Mani-
gua," at the end of February, 1895. His follow-
ing, on disembarking from a filibustering brig,
consisted of thirty refugees, soon hotly pursued
by Spanish forces from Santiago, Holguin, and
Guantanamo. The mulattoes and negroes of
this province had kept such recollections of their
old leader that he was promptly joined by several
thousand volunteers, and many men who had
been Cuban officers in the previous rising. His
system was purely that of a guerillero, like the
famous guerilleros who had given Napoleon I. so
much to do in the Peninsular War, and like the
Mexicans who harassed Bazaine and the Imperial
troops of Napoleon III. and Maximilian.
Maceo's Great Raid.

Maceo boldly prophesied, and no less boldly
fulfilled the prediction, " that he would ride from
the Camaguey to the gates of Havana and to
Cape San Antonio, in Pinar del Rio, in less than
three months." Away galloped the dark troopers,
mounted on the hardy and active Cuban horses,
lightly attired with no impediment but their am-

CUBA. 28 X

munition, their American rifles, and the.r terrible
" machetes " — short swords, or cutlasses, which a
Cuban handles from his boyhood as easily as he
rides horses without saddles. The raiders went
over Puerto Principe territory, across the Trocha
del Yucaro and Moron, across the rich and fertile
provinces of Santa Clara, Las Villas, and Matan-
zas, dodging past the Spanish columns, dashing
at outposts, burning plantations, destroying mills,
laying waste every field and crop, blowing up rail-
ways, cutting telegraphs, punishing and black-
mailing the Loyalist planters, terrorizing the
rural population, spreading alarm even in gar-
risoned towns and ports. At last they met the
brave old Marshal Campos, and Maceo out-
manoeuvred, out-witted, out-marched him so com-
pletely in Santa Clara and Matanzas, that the
Spanish Kingmaker and Restorer of the Bourbon
Monarchy had only just enough time to return by
sea to the province of Havana before Maceo him-
self appeared close to the capital of the island,
carrying fire and sword into the wealthiest and
most loyal territory of Cuba. Maceo had thus
not only carried out his threat, but also hastened
the resignation and disgrace of Marshal Campos.
General Weyler succeeded Marshal Campos, and
the subsequent history of the war consists of a
succession of dashing raids by Maceo, and of
futile attempts by the commander of the Span-

284 CUBA.

ish forces to get to close quarters with him.
Latterly, after many manoeuvres and counter-
manoeuvres, General Weyler began a systematic
advance of the Spanish forces from Havana into
the province of Pinar del Rio, driving every one
before him and devastating the country, without,
however, meeting traces of Maceo and the main
body of the insurgents, until he heard that the
bands had reappeared in Las Lomas, and close to
the Trocha of Mariel Artemisa.

The Hero's Last Campaign.
Maceo had been requested, it appears, by
the Revolutionary Junta in New York to do
something startling about the time when the
American Congress would meet at Washington.
He was led to believe that the rebel bands in the
provinces of Havana and Matanzas were numer-
ous enough to be of use for a bold raid. He was
even induced to expect that Maximo Gomez, the
Generalissimo, had enough organized forces to
advance by the provinces of Santa Clara and
Matanzas to co-operate in some striking, if not
successful, demonstration whilst Weyler was hun-
dreds of miles off seeking for him in Pinar del
Rio. Maceo was always ready to attempt daring
attacks, and on this occasion he was bent upon
again riding at the head of his cavalry to the vil-
lages in sight of Havana. Taking with him some
of his black troopers, he made for the Trocha at

CUBA. 285

the end of November, and a night attack upon
Artemisa proved to him that General Arolas was
on his guard, and not likely to let him pass with-
out fierce resistance. He explored the whole
length of the lines across the island, thirty-one
miles from Artemisa to Mariel. Everywhere he
found the Spaniards on the alert, and he hid in
the nearest Lomas on the Mariel side, near the
coast, keenly disappointed to find that he could
not dash across with his veterans. He seems to
have felt for the first time misgivings and some
hesitation ; but his instructions were clear, and he
had sent word to Brigadier Aguirre and other
Cuban leaders to gather on the Havana side of
the Trocha. On a dark night a boat was used to
carry by sea the Cuban chief and about forty of
his officers and orderlies, including a doctor and
the young son of Maximo Gomez. They found
guides to take them to the Havana bands. Maceo
had not taken into account that the Spanish
generals had much improved their Intelligence
Service, and had begun to find more support
lately among the rural population. In this way
they had been informed of the approach of
Maceo and of the gathering of the rebels. Gen-
eral Ahumada instantly sent out the picked
troops he had in Havana — cavalry, artillery, and
battalions seasoned by more than a year's stay in
Cuba. Three columns went forward, exploring

286 CUBA.

the country between Havana and the Trocha on
the Mariel side, under General Figueron and two
colonels. Maceo had only been three days in the
province of Havana, and the Madrid Government
was much displeased when it heard that he had
passed the Trocha and that for forty-eight hours
the news had been kept secret from their Gen-
eral.

The Final Tragedy.

It would have gone hard with General Wey-
ler if Maceo had succeeded even in making only
a rapid dash to the suburbs of the capital, as he
intended. The fortune of war favored the
Governor-General of Cuba. As he was hurry-
ing back post-haste with seven battalions, several
squadrons, and mountain artillery — as soon as
General Ahumada had informed him that his
enemy was on the Havana side of the Trocha —
Maceo fell in an obscure fight with a small Span-
ish column of four hundred and eighty men,
commanded by a Major Cirujeda, who only be-
came aware of the significance and importance
of his brush with the rebels when he was retiring
towards Havana with his wounded and dead. He
then discovered that a bugler and a guide of his
column had found important papers, documents,
arms, clothing, a field diary, field glasses, and
watches, which showed that the bodies rifled by
them were those of Maceo and his Aide-de-Camp,

CUBA.

287

the son of Maximo Gomez. Major Cirujeda
ordered at once another advance to seize the
corpses. The insurgents had recovered the al-
most naked bodies of their two chiefs, and wel-
comed the Spaniards with a heavy fire, which
inflicted some losses on the column. Cirujeda
determined to fall back, as he was short of am-
munition. He carried to Havana the previous
data secured by his irregulars, which was the next
day confirmed by a deserter, the rebel surgeon
who had been on the staff of Maceo. This eye-
witness stated that he had seen Maceo drop
mortally wounded, a bullet having gone through
his neck, after mangling his face and jaw, and
another bullet having inflicted a mortal wound in
the abdomen. The same Spanish volley at close
quarters had mortally wounded young Gomez
and less seriously injured several rebel officers.
Maceo never uttered a word, though he survived
a few minutes. His followers scattered in all
directions, but were rallied by their chief, and
retraced their steps as the Spaniards were retir-
ing, unconscious of the great advantage they had
gained. This explains how they carried off the
bodies of Maceo and Gomez. Maceo was much
detested and dreaded by his opponents, but in
this war he had faithfully obeyed the instructions
of the Generalissimo and Cuban Revolutionary
Executive. Always unsparing in his severity to

288 CUBA.

the native-born Cubans who sided with Spain,
especially the volunteers, guerilleros, and scouts,
he pointedly showed forbearance — like all the
Cuban chiefs, as Marshal Campos himself has
publicly stated — to the Spanish prisoners or sick
that fell into his hands, sending them back to the
Spanish outposts. He was the prototype of a
guerillero himself — a self-made man, who, in ten
years, rose to be Major-General of the insur-
gents in 1878, and the idol of the colored
people, who fancied he would be the Cuban
Toussaint l'Ouverture.

The Demand for Recognition.
The death of Maceo created a profound im-
pression in the United States, and renewed the
demand that this government recognize the in-
dependence of the patriots, if not, intervene in
their behalf. Resolutions to that effect were re-
ported to the Senate by the Foreign Affairs Com-
mittee ; but, on intimation that the President
would disregard them, were laid aside for future
consideration. Their publication, however, aroused
a storm of anger in Spain, curiously mixed with
rejoicings over the fall of Maceo. The year
1896 closed, therefore, with matters in statu quo —
the insurgents holding their ground. Weyler
for a third time in the field, but inactive, and the
United States preserving an attitude of non-inter-
vention and impartial neutrality.

bo

a

fa*

Destruction of the Battleship Maine,

CHAPTER XIII.

THE MURDER OF CANOVAS SAGASTA IN ; WEYLER

OUT MARSHAL BLANCO Mc KINLEY's WORDS

NO AMERICANS IN ARREST NOW OFFERS OF

AUTONOMY OBJECTIONS TO THE SCHEME RUIZ

AND ARANGUREN THE DE LOME INCIDENT

DESTRUCTION OF THE MAINE A SURVIVOR' S

STORY EFFECTS OF THE DISASTER.

|ITH the accession of President Mc Kin-
ley in March, 1897, tne United States
Government entered upon a new policy
in respect to Cuba. The release of American
citizens, imprisoned by Spaniards, was demanded,
and it was made plain to the Spanish Government
that the barbarities of Weyler's campaigning must
be stopped and the war conducted more humanely,
or the United States would intervene. Weyler
had deliberately set to work to exterminate the
people of Cuba, by massacre and starvation, and
actually succeeded in killing off 500,000, or one-
third of the whole population, before the United
States cried "Halt!"

In May, 1897, the President asked Congress
for an appropriation of $50,000, which was at
17 (291)

292 CUBA.

once voted, for bringing home from Cuba all
destitute American citizens. Then the rainy-
season came on, and operations in the field in
Cuba were perforce suspended until fall.

The Murder of Canovas.

The next important incident was in Spain
itself. Canovas del Castillo, the Prime Minister,
was murdered on August 8 by an Anarchist, in
revenge for the punishment the Government had
inflicted upon various Anarchist criminals. It
was evident that this tragedy would have strong
bearing upon Cuba, for Canovas had been the
patron of Weyler, and the chief exponent of the
policy of repression. Canovas was succeeded
for a time by General Azcarraga, who had been
Minister of War, and the policy toward Cuba
remained unchanged. It was evident, however,
that this was only a temporary arrangement.

Sagrasta In— "Weyler Out.

The revolution came at the beginning of Oc-
tober. The Azcarraga Ministry resigned, and the
Queen-Regent called Senor Sagasta, the leader of
the Spanish Liberals, to form another. Sagasta
did so, making up a Liberal Ministry, and deciding
upon an immediate reversal of policy in Cuba.

The first thing was to recall Weyler. That
was done promptly. Weyler at first refused to
obey the order, and talked of rebelling against

CUBA. 293

the Madrid Government. Finally he yielded,
and left Cuba in a rage, saying and doing all he
could to embitter relations between Spain and
America. On getting back to Spain he organized
demonstrations against the Government, and
publicly declared it had been coerced by the
United States ; for which conduct the Govern-
ment presently arrested him and sentenced him
to undergo punishment.

Marshal Blanco.

Sagasta sent Marshal Blanco to Cuba, as
Weyler's successor. He had long been one of the
most eminent and respected of Spanish officers —
a man of great ability and of humane instincts.
His first acts were, on arriving at Havana, to
countermand Weyler's infamous decrees, and re-
duce the war to a more humane basis. He also
began the consideration of an offer of autonomy
to Cuba, in the hope that the island might thus
be pacified. Military operations were for a time
few and unimportant. Efforts were made to
succor the starving, and to revive the industries
which had been prostrated by the war.

At last, at the end of November, 1897, a
scheme of autonomy was promulgated, to go into
effect on January 1, 1898. Before it was made
public, however, Congress met, and President
McKinley in his message had some plain words
to say on the Cuban question.

294 CUBA.

McKinley's 'Words.

The tone of the President's utterance was
calm and temperate, but the purport was unmis-
takable. He had a fine record of deeds done to
report, and he took strong ground concerning
future action. He said :

"That the Government of Sagasta has enter-
ed upon a course from which recession with honor
is impossible can hardly be questioned; that in the
few weeks it has existed it has made earnest of
the sincerity of its professions is undeniable. I
shall not impugn its sincerity, nor should impa-
tience be suffered to embarrass it in the task it
has undertaken. It is honestly due to Spain
and to our friendly relations with Spain that she
should be given a reasonable chance to realize
her expectations, and to prove the asserted effi-
cacy of the new order of things, to which she
stands irrevocably committed. She has recalled
the commander whose brutal orders inflamed the
American mind and shocked the civilized world.
She has modified the horrible order of concentra-
tion and has undertaken to care for the helpless
and permit those who desire to resume the culti-
vation of their fields to do so, and assures them
the protection of the Spanish Government in their
lawful occupations. She has just released the
"Competitor" prisoners, heretofore sentenced to
death, and who have been the subject of repeated

CUBA. 295

diplomatic correspondence during both this and
the preceding Administration.

No Americans in Arrest Now.

"Not a single American citizen is now in
arrest or confinement in Cuba of whom this
Government has any knowledge. The near future
will demonstrate whether the indispensable condi-
tion of a righteous peace, just alike to the
Cubans and to Spain, as well as equitable to all
our interests so intimately involved in the welfare
of Cuba, is likely to be attained. If not, the ex-
igency of further and other action by the United
States will remain to be taken. When that time
comes that action will be determined in the line
of indisputable right and duty. It will be faced
without misgiving or hesitancy in the light of the
obligation this Government owes to itself, to the
people who have confided to it the protection of
their interests and honor and to humanity.

"Sure of the right, keeping free from all
offence ourselves, actuated only by upright and
patriotic considerations, moved neither by passion
nor selfishness, the Government will continue its
watchful care over the rights and property of
American citizens, and will abate none of its
efforts to bring about by peaceful agencies a
peace which shall be honorable and enduring. If
it shall hereafter appear to be a duty imposed by
our obligations to ourselves, to civilization and

296 CUBA.

humanity to intervene with force, it shall be with-
out fault on our part, and only because the neces-
sity for such action will be so clear as to command
the support and approval of the civilized world."
Offers of Autonomy.

Soon afterward the full text of the autonomy
scheme, dated November 25, was made public in
this country. It creates a Cuban parliament,
which, with the insular executive, can consider and
vote upon all subjects affecting local order and
interests, possessing unlimited powers save as to
matters of State, war and the navy, as to which
the Governor-General acts by his own authority
as the delegate of the central government. This
parliament receives the oath of the Governor-
General to preserve faithfully the liberties and
privileges of the colony, and to it the colonial
secretaries are responsible. It has the right to
propose to the central government, through the
Governor-General, modifications of the national
charter, and to invite new projects of law or exec-
utive measures in the interest of the colony.

Besides its local powers, it is competent, first,
to regulate electoral registration and procedure
and prescribe the qualifications of electors and
the manner of exercising suffrage ; second, to
organize courts of justice with native judges from
members of the local bar ; third, to frame the
insular budget, both as to expenditures and

CUBA. 297

revenues, without limitation of any kind, and to
set apart the revenues to meet the Cuban share
of the national budget, which latter will be voted
by the national Cortes, with the assistance of
Cuban Senators and Deputies ; fourth, to initiate
or take part in the negotiations of the national
Government for commercial treaties which may
affect Cuban interests ; fifth, to accept or reject
commercial treaties which the national Govern-
ment may have concluded without the participation
of the Cuban Government; sixth, to frame the
colonial tariff, acting in accord with the Peninsular
Government in scheduling articles of mutual com-
merce between the mother country and the colo-
nies. Before introducing or voting upon a bill,
the Cuban Government or the chambers will lay
the project before the central Government and
hear its opinion thereon, all the correspondence in
such regard being made public. Finally, all con-
flicts of jurisdiction arising between the different
municipal, provincial and insular assemblies, or
between the latter and the insular executive
power, and which from their nature may not be
referable to the central Government for decision,
shall be submitted to the courts.

Objections to the Scheme.
This scheme of autonomy contains some good
features and some bad ones. It is a vast improve-
ment upon the present system in Cuba, and upon

298 CUBA.

any Spain has ever granted to any colony. It
falls far short of the Canadian system, and far
short, too, of the reasonable expectations not
merely of the insurgents, but of the constitutional
Autonomists of Cuba.

There are three major objections to it. One
is the dictatorial power reserved to the Governor-
General, appointed by the Crown. He represents
the sovereign, and it is the Spanish theory that
in Cuba, at any rate, the sovereign is to rule as
well as reign. So the Governor-General is to
have power to appoint arbitrarily seventeen of the
thirty-five members of the Cuban Senate. The
election of one other member favorable to him
will therefore give him entire control of that body,
and, of course, of all legislation. His Ministers,
too, though nominally responsible to the Legisla-
ture, are really to be appointed or removed by
him without regard to the will of the Legislature.
Finally, he is to have power not only to suspend
or dissolve the Legislature at will, but to suspend
the constitution itself, or the vital clauses of it and
to govern the island with the personal absolutism
of a czar.

A second objection is that all the judges of
all the courts are to be appointed by the Madrid
Government, without regard to the wishes of the
Cubans. Since the judges are to interpret the
constitution and the laws, and to decide all

CUBA. 299

disputes between the Governor-General and the
Legislature, the purport of this provision is ap-
parent. It is to give judicial sanction to the
Governor-General's absolutism, and to deprive
the islanders of all recourse against him, no
matter what he may do.

The third objection is the financial one. It
is provided that the Madrid Government shall fix
the amount of tribute to be paid yearly by Cuba
to the Peninsular treasury, and that the Cuban
Legislature shall be required to appropriate that
amount in full before it can even consider the
question of the local Budget. It is also provided
that the Madrid Government shall hereafter fix
the proportion of the public debt to be assumed
by Cuba. And against these exactions of the
Madrid Government the Cubans shall have no
appeal. The enormity of the debt has already
been explained. It amounts to hundreds of
millions of dollars, and it has been created not
for the benefit of Cuba but of Peninsular Spain.
The Cubans are unwilling to have it, or any con-
siderable part of it, laid upon them. That they
will agree to a scheme under which it may all be
laid upon them, and they be burdened with a debt
many times greater than any other public debt in
the world, and they be compelled, moreover, to
pay to Spain, for the benefit of Spain and not of
Cuba, an enormous yearly tribute — that they will

300 CUBA.

agree to have Cuba made, in brief, at once the
pack-mule and the milch-cow of the Peninsula —
is scarcely to be expected.

Ruiz and Arang-ureti.

The insurgent leaders in the field instantly
refused even to consider this offer of autonomy,
and would not consent to hold a conference with
the Spanish authorities. Several efforts to secure
such conferences were made, with disastrous
results. The most tragic was the effort made by
Colonel Ruiz, a gallant young Spanish officer.
He visited the Cuban camp of General Aran-
guren, an old, personal friend of his, on a peaceful
errand, to discuss terms of peace. He was hos-
pitably received at first, but as soon as he broach-
ed the purport of his mission he was seized by
Aranguren's orders, hurried through a court-
martial and put to death. This incident profoundly
shocked the civilized world, and was generally
regarded as a piece of uncalled-for inhumanity.
A few weeks later Arano-uren met his death at
the hands of avenging Spaniards. No further
attempts at negotiations were made in the field,
though the talk of a meeting between General
Gomez, the insurgent chief, and Marshal Blanco,
was now and then heard.

The DeLome Incident.

Near the end of January, 1898, the United
States Government sent its war-ship Maine on a

CUBA. 3OI

friendly visit to the harbor of Havana. No
United States Naval vessel had gone thither
before, since the outbreak of the war, but it was
now deemed well to send one, to show that relations
between America and Spain were no longer
strained but were on a normal footing. At the
same time Spain prepared to return the courtesy
by sending one of her cruisers to New York.
Unfortunately, this exchange of courtesies was
marred by the indiscretion of the Spanish Minis-
ter at Washington, Senor Dupuy DeLome. He
wrote a letter to a friend in Cuba, abusing the
United States in a most insulting fashion, and
referring to President McKinley, personally, in
the most opprobrious terms. This missive was
stolen from the mails, or from the desk of its
recipient, by the Cubans, and made public on
February 9th. It created a profound impression,
and aroused bitter resentment throughout the
United States. The President acted with rare
dignity and forbearance, giving the offender a
chance to resign his place without being ignomi-
niously kicked out of the country. DeLome
promptly took advantage of the opportunity.
He cabled his resignation to Madrid. It was
accepted within an hour, and a few days later
DeLome left the country whose hospitality he had
so grossly abused. The Spanish Government
then made a formal disclaimer of his offensive

302 CUBA.

utterances, and appointed another and more
acceptable man to take his place.

Destruction of the Maine.

The evening of February 15, 1898, witnessed
the most appalling tragedy the United States has
suffered since its own civil war. This was noth-
ing less than the destruction of the warship
Maine in Havana harbor, and the death of more
than 250 of her officers and men. The disaster
came with awful suddenness, in the form of an
explosion. Captain Sigsbee, commander of the
ill-fated ship, thus describes it:

"On the night of the explosion I had not
retired. I was writing letters. I find it impos-
sible to describe the sound or shock, but the
impression remains of something awe-inspiring,
terrifying — of noise, rending, vibrating, all-per-
vading. There is nothing in the former experi-
ence of any one on board to measure the
explosion by.

"After the first great shock — I cannot myself
recall how many sharper detonations I heard, not
more than two or three — I knew my ship was
gone. In such a structure as the Maine, the
effects of such an explosion are not for a moment
In doubt.

"I made my way through the long passage,
in the dark, groping from side to side, to the
hatchway, and thence to the poop, being among

CUBA. 303

the earliest to reach that spot. So soon as I
recognized the officers, I ordered the high explo-
sives to be flooded, and I then directed that the
boats available be lowered to rescue the wounded
or drowning.

" Discipline in a perfect measure prevailed.
There was no more confusion than a call to
general quarters Would produce, if as much.

"I soon saw, by the light of the flames, that
all my officers and crew left alive and on board
surrounded me. I cannot form any idea of the
time, but it seemed five minutes from the time I
reached the poop until I left, the last man it was
possible to reach having been saved. It must
have been three-quarters of an hour or more,
however, from the amount of work done."
A Survivor's Story.

A graphic and detailed account of the dis-
aster is given by Lieutenant Blandin, one of the
officers of the Maine.

He says:

"I was on watch, and when the men had been
piped below I looked down the main hatches and
over the side of the ship. Everything was ab-
solutely normal. I walked aft to the quarter-deck,
behind the rear turret, as is allowed after 8 o'clock
in the evening, and sat down on the port side,
where I remained for a few minutes. Then, for
some reason I cannot explain to myself now, I

304 CUBA.

moved to the starboard side and sat down there.
I was feeling a bit glum, and, in fact, was so quiet
that Lieutenant J. Hood came up and asked laugh-
ingly if J were asleep. I said, 'No; I am on watch.'

"Scarcely had I spoken when there came a
dull sullen roar. Would to God that I could blot
out the sound and the scenes that followed! Then
came a sharp explosion; some say, numerous de-
tonations. I remember only one. It seemed to
me that the sound came from the port side, for-
ward. Then came a perfect rain of missiles of all
descriptions, from huge pieces of cement to blocks
of wood, steel railings, fragments of gratings and
all the debris that would be detachable in an ex-
plosion.

"I was struck on the head by a piece of
cement and knocked down; but I was not hurt
and got to my feet in a moment. Lieutenant
Hood had run to the poop ; and I supposed, as I
followed, he was dazed by the shock and about to
jump overboard. I hailed him and he answered
that he had run to the poop to help lower the
boats. When I got there, though scarce a min-
ute could haveelasped, I had to wade in water to
my knees, and almost instantly the quarter-deck
was awash. On the poop I found Captain Sigs-
bee, as cool as if at a ball, and soon all the officers
except Jenkins and Merritt joined us. The poop
was above water after the Maine settled to the

CUBA. 305

bottom. Captain Sigsbee ordered the launch and
gig lowered; and the officers and men, who by
this time had assembled, got the boats out and
rescued a number in the water. Captain Sigsbee
ordered Lieutenant-Commander Wainwright for-
ward to see the extent of the damage, and if any-
thing could be done to rescue those forward or to
extinguish the flames, which followed close upon
the explosion and burned fiercely as long as there
were any combustibles above water to feed them.

"Lieutenant-Commander Wainwright on his
return, reported the total and awful character of
the calamity ; and Captain Sigsbee gave the last
sad order, 'Abandon Ship,' to men overwhelmed
with grief indeed, but calm and apparently un-
excited."

Effect of the Disaster.

This disaster aroused all imaginable fears
and passions. Some suspected that the ship had
been destroyed by Spanish treachery, and a great
cry for revenge arose. But the sober sense of
the Nation prevailed, and it was properly decided
to await in patience the result of the official
investigation into the cause of the explosion. At
the same time, every possible preparation was
made for any emegency that might arise. The
Navy was put into trim for immediate action.
Work on new ships was pushed night and day.
The coast defences were reinforced; and the

306 CUBA.

whole Naval and Military establishment of the
nation was put upon a war footing. Congress on
March 9, by a unanimous vote, appropriated
$50,000,000, to be used by the President accord-
ing to his discretion for purposes of national
defense.

The Court of Inquiry met promptly, and
began a careful investigation. A wrecking
company was set to work to recover the bodies
of the dead. Within two days 130 bodies were
recovered, and buried in a cemetery in Havana,
with all the honors of war.

A few days after the destruction of the
Maine the Spanish warship Viscaya reached New
York and was hospitably received. After a few
days' stay there she departed and went her way
in peace and safety.

The report of the Court of Inquiry on the
Maine disaster was laid before Congress on
March 28. It was to the effect that the ship was
destroyed by the external explosion of a torpedo
or sub-marine mine, the responsibility for which
could not be determined. The President on the
same day sent to Congress a message on the
subject, expressing his full confidence that the
Spanish Government would pursue in the matter
" a course of action suggested by honor and the
friendly relations of the two Governments."

William. McKinley, President of the United States.

BOOK II.
War With Spain.

CHAPTER XIV.

beginning of our war with spain appealing to

the powers general lee leaves cuba no

european meddling a bogus armistice

the president's message grounds for in-
tervention the time for action come

action of congress spanish defiance

general woodford leaves madrid war

and blockade the challenge accepted

european views causes of the war a

striking contrast spain reaping what she

sowed— Spain's low estate — important step
in american politics.

dp

HIS IS to be a chronicle of war, and of a
greater war than Cuba's own fight for
freedom. In he preceding chapter we
have told that the President hoped, and expressed
to Congress and to the nation the hope that Spain
would pursue in the matter of the destruction of
the warship "Maine" a course of action suggested
by honor and the friendly relations of the two
18 (309)

3IO WAR WITH SPAIN.

governments, and also that a peaceful adjustment
of affairs in Cuba on a basis of honor and equity,
would be secured. Day by day the chances of such
settlement grew more remote. Day by day the
urgency of intervention by the United States in
Cuba became more apparent. The demand for
it grew more urgent. But the President waited.
He knew that, intervention meant war and he
knew that the country was not prepared for war,
nor indeed had the resources of diplomacy been
so thoroughly exhausted as to justify intervention
and war in the eyes of the world. He therefore
kept on trying every peaceful and diplomatic
means to settle the controversy with Spain, in the
meantime pushing military and naval prepara-
tions for work quietly but as expeditiously as
possible. Congress became impatient, but he
resisted its appeals for haste, promising to remit
the whole case to it as soon as all diplomatic
measures had been tried.

Appealing to tlie Powers.
Spain made desperate appeals to the Euro-
pean powers for aid. Some of them were inclined
to intervene in her behalf against the United
States, but it was out of the question to do so,
unless the six Great Powers could agree to act in
concert. This could not be done, because Great
Britain positively refused to take any part in such
action, and even let it be understood, in the most

WAR WITH SPAIN. 3 1 I

unmistakable manner, that her sympathies were
with the United States and that she would prob-
ably join forces with the United States if any of
the other Powers allied themselves with Spain.
The Pope endeavored to bring about an amicable
settlement of the controversy but was unable to
do so. The Spanish Government greatly exag-
gerated the part he had taken and thereby
brought much reproach upon itself.

Both nations spared no labor in preparing for
war on land and at sea, but in this the United
States had from the outset a vast advantage over
Spain. She had plenty of money, while Spain
was all but bankrupt ; she had fine shipyards and
plenty of skilled mechanics and engineers, while
Spain had to get her ships built and repaired
abroad and had to look abroad for engineers and
gunners to manage them.

General Lee leaves Cuba.

Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, the United States Con-
sul-General at Havana, was in a delicate and even
perilous position. American ships were sent to
Havana daily to guard his welfare and to bring
away such Americans as desired to come.

As a matter of fact all Americans wanted to
get away, feeling sure that there would soon be
war, and every boat leaving Havana was crowded
with them. On April 5th, Gen. Lee was told that
he might leave Havana and return home at any

312 WAR WITH SPAIN.

time that his own safety demanded. He deter-
mined, however, to remain a little longer, until
all other Americans could get away. On April
9th, he decided to leave with the last of his fellow
countrymen. As a matter of courtesy he called
at the office of the Spanish Governor General to
bid him good-bye, but that officer rudely refused
to see him. Then Gen. Lee, with various other
United States Officers and a number of private
citizens, went aboard the steamship " Fern."
When all was ready, he signaled for all other
American vessels to leave the harbor first and
then late in the afternoon headed the "Fern" for
home. As the steamer passed by the wharves of
the city she was made a target for shouts and
abuse from the crowds of Spaniards that thronged
the water front. Gen. Lee was recognized by the
mob and many insulting shouts were directed at
him. Vice-Consul Springer who had been in
the Island 30 years, was standing by Gen. Lee's
side. He waved his hand in ironical adieu to the
mob and shouted back at them, "Wait, my friends,
we will all be back pretty soon." There was one
pretty incident. A British vessel was unloading
her cargo atone of the wharves. As the "Fern"
passeu her, she saluted with her flag, while her
crew gave three hearty cheers. Thus Gen. Lee
returned home and American relations with Cuba
were closed.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 313

IMo European Meddling.

In order to settle at once all talk about Euro-
pean intervention or even mediation, the Presi-
dent on April 7 arranged for a meeting at the
White House with the representatives of the six
Great Powers. On arriving there, the Ambas-
sadors delivered to him a mild and courteous
note, expressing, in the names of their respective
governments, an earnest hope that further ne-
gotiations might lead to an agreement between
the United States and Spain, which, while securing
the maintenance of peace, would afford all neces-
sary guarantees for the re-establishment of order
in Cuba. To this the President responded with
all possible courtesy, but with decided firmness.
He said that he appreciated the good will of the
Powers and shared with them the hope that peace
might be maintained and justice established at
the same time, but he gave them to understand
that this was a matter in which the United States
must act according to its own "interests, and in
which no foreign interference could be tolerated.
That served notice to all the world that this
nation was going to settle with Spain on its own
account.

A Bogus Armistice.

The next important move was made by
Spain. On April 9th the Cabinet decided to
grant an armistice to the Insurgents in Cuba.

3H WAR WITH SPAIN.

This was done without any negotiation with the
Insurgents and without any assurance that they
would accept the offer. As a matter of fact, it
was perfectly well known that the Insurgents
would not accept the offer. This move on the part
of the Spanish Government was evidently a mere
ruse or pretext for delay, which the United States
Government recorded at its real value. Then
the Prime Minister issued a call for the Cortes to
assemble on April 20th, five days earlier than
had been intended. This was evidently done for
the purpose of expediting, if possible, prepara-
tions for war and also on making some repre-
sentations that might have effect upon the other
powers of Europe.

The President's Message.
At last, on April nth, the President sent to
Congress his long awaited message on the Cuban
question. He related in detail the story of his
patient dealings with Spain and her incorrigible
conduct and asked for authority to intervene in
Cuba, peacefully, if possible, forcibly, if necessary.
He gave his reasons for favoring intervention
in a logical and conclusive form. First, for the
sake of humanity and to put a stop to starvation
and massacre and all the horrible miseries that
prevailed on the island ; for the protection of
American citizens and their property in Cuba
and the restoration of American commerce to

WAR WITH SPAIN. 315

normal conditions, and finally, for the freeing of
this Government from the intolerable nuisance
of chronic war in Cuba and continuous and enor-
mous expense in preventing filibustering and
from the constant menace to our national peace
and safety. These were the grounds and they
appealed to every one as moderate and absolutely
just and convincing. Let some of his own words
be quoted for the record. After arguing against
recognition of the independence of the Cubans,
he said :

" There remain the alternative forms of inter-
vention to end the war, either as an impartial
neutral by imposing a rational compromise be-
tween the contestants, or as the active ally of the
one party or the other.

"As to the first, it is not to be forgotten that
during the last few months the relation of the
United States has virtually been one of friendly
intervention in many ways, each not of itself con-
clusive, but all tending to the exertion of a poten-
tial influence towards an ultimate pacific result,
just and honorable to all interests concerned. The
spirit of all our acts hitherto has been an earnest,
unselfish desire for peace and prosperity in Cuba,
untarnished by differences between us and Spain,
and unstained by the blood of American citizens.

The forcible intervention of the United States
as a neutral, to stop the war, according to the

316 WAR WITH SPAIN.

large dictates of humanity and following many
historical precedents where neighboring States
have interfered to check the hopeless sacrifices of
life by internecine conflicts beyond their borders,
is justifiable on rational grounds It involves,
however, hostile constraint upon both the parties
to the contest, as well to enforce a truce as to
guide the eventual settlement

Grounds for Intervention

"The grounds for such intervention may be
briefly summarized as follows

"First — In the cause of humanity and to put
an end to the barbarities, bloodshed, starvation
and horrible miseries now existing there, and
which the parties to the conflict are either unable
or unwilling to stop or mitigate. It is no answer
to say this is nil in another country, belonging to
another nation, and is therefore none of our busi-
ness. It is specially our duty, for it is right at
our door.

"Second — We owe it to our citizens in Cuba
to afford them that protection and indemnity for
life and property which no government there can
or will afford, and to that end to terminate the
conditions that deprive them of legal protection.
"Third — The right to intervene may be justified
by the very serious injury to the commerce, trade
and business of our people, and by the wanton des-
truction of property and devastation of the island.

WAR WITH SPAIN. ^\J

"Fourth — And which is of the utmost im-
portance. The present condition of affairs in
Cuba is a constant menace to our peace, and
entails upon this Government an enormous ex-
pense. With such a conflict waged for years in
an island so near us and with which our people
have such trade and business relations — when the
lives and liberty of our citizens are in constant
danger and their property destroyed and them-
selves ruined — where our trading vessels are
liable to seizure and are seized at our very door
by warships of a foreign nation, the expeditions
of filibustering that we are powerless altogether
to prevent, and the irritating questions and en-
tanglements thus arising — all these and others
that I need not mention, with the resulting
strained relations, are a constant menace to our
peace and compel us to keep on a semi-war foot-
ing with a war nation with which we are at peace.

The Time for Action Come.
"The long trial has proved that the object
for which Spain has waged the war cannot be at-
tained. The fire of insurrection may flame or
may smoulder with varying seasons, but it has
not been and it is plain that it cannot be extin-
guished by present methods. The only hope of
relief and repose from a condition which can no
longer be endured, is the enforced pacification of
Cuba. In the name of humanity, in the name of

3 iS WAR WITH SPAIN.

civilization, in behalf of endangered American in-
terests which give us the right and the duty to
speak and to act, the war in Cuba must stop.

"In view of these facts and of these consid-
erations, I ask the Congress to authorize and em-
power the President to take measures to secure
a full and final termination of hostilities between
the Government of Spain and the people of
Cuba, and secure in the island the establishment
of a stable Government capable of maintaining
order and observing its international obligations,
insuring peace and tranquillity and the security of
its citizens as well as our own, and to use the mil-
itary and naval forces of the United States, as
may be necessary, for these purposes."

In conclusion he said, "The issue is now
with Congress. It is a solemn responsibility. I
have exhausted every effort to relieve the intoler-
able condition of affairs which is at our doors.
Prepared to exact every obligation imposed upon
me by the Constitution and the Law, I await your
action."

This message was accompanied by many ex-
tracts from the reports of the various United
States Councils in Cuba showing the horrible ex-
tent to which starvation, disease and death had
been caused by General Weyler's inhuman order
and all agreeing that autonomy for Cuba as pro-
posed by Spain was an impossibility.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 319

Action of Congress.

Congress acted on the President's message
with promptness. There was some little ques-
tion whether the Cuban Insurgents should be
recognized as independent or not. The President
was opposed to such recognization, and his judg-
ment finally prevailed. The House of Repre-
sentatives on April 13th adopted a resolution
empowering the President to intervene in Cuba
for the restoration of peace and to use the
army and navy if necessary for the purpose.
The Senate made some additions to this and
finally on April 18th an agreement of both
Houses was reached on the following resolutions:

Resolved, By the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America, in Congress assembled :

First — That the people of the island of Cuba are, and of
right ought to be, free and independent.

Second — That it is the duty of the United States to de-
mand and the Government of the United States does hereby
demand, that the Government of Spain at once relinquish its
authority and government in the island of Cuba and withdraw
its land and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban waters.

Third — That the President of the United States be, and
he hereby is, directed and empowered to use the entire land
and naval forces of the United States, and to call into the
actual service of the United States the militia of the several
States, to such extent as may be necessary to carry these
resolutions into effect.

320 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Fourth — That the United States hereby disclaims any
disposition or intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction
or control over said island, except for the pacification thereof,
and asserts its determination when that is accomplished to
leave the government and control of the island to its people.

This meant business. The President promptly
signed the intervention act and sent a note to
Spain requesting her to withdraw from Cuba and
let the United States restore order. At the same
time, United States warships began to gather in
the Gulf of Mexico and the United States army-
was gradually moved eastward and southward
toward Florida.

Spanish Defiance.

Spain met all this with defiance. On April
19th the Prime Minister made a bellicose speech
to his supporters in the Cortes in which he railed
at and maligned the United States, declaring the
intervention act to be the most infamous insult
ever offered to a nation, and declaring that Spain
would fight to the bitter end before she would
yield an inch to the United States.

The next day the Cortes met. The Queen
came in person to deliver her speech, reading it,
seated upon the throne, with the boy King stand-
ing at her right hand. Her speech followed the
lines of the Prime Minister of the day before,
accusing the United States of insult and aggres-
sion and urging the Spanish Government to

WAR WITH SPAIN. 32 1

resist to the very end. " It is possible," she
said, "that an act of aggression is imminent, and
that neither the sanctity of our right nor the
moderation of our conduct, nor the express wish
of the Cuban people freely manifested, may serve
to restrain the passions and hatred let loose
against the Spanish Fatherland. In anticipation
of this critical moment, when reason and justice
will have for their support only the Spanish cour-
age and the traditional energy of our people, I
have hastened the assembly of the Cortes, and
the supreme decision of Parliament will doubtless
sanction the unalterable resolution of my Govern-
ment to defend our rights, whatsoever sacrifices
may be imposed upon us to accomplish this task.
In acting thus in unison with the nation, I not
only perform the duty which I swore to fulfil when
I accepted the Regency, but I also seek to
strengthen my mother's heart with the confident
belief that the Spanish people will display a force
which nothing can shake, until the time when it
will be given to my son to defend in person the
honor of the nation and the integrity of its
territory."

General "Woodford Leaves Madrid.

The Spanish Government refused to receive
the President's note or ultimatum. One copy of
it was delivered to the Spanish Minister at Wash-
ington. He immediately asked for his passports

322 WAR WITH SPAIN.

and prepared to leave the country. On the
evening of April 20th, he and his suite entered a
railroad train at Washington and departed for
Canada. There was no public demonstration
at his departure, and no unpleasant incidents
whatever.

At the same time the President's note was
transmitted by cable to Gen. Woodford, the
United States Minister at Madrid, for him to pre-
sent to the Prime Minister of Spain. The latter
refused to receive it and sent Gen. Woodford his
passport. The General thereupon departed from
Madrid for France as speedily as possible. A
great crowd surrounded the railroad station,
shouting all sorts of unfriendly utterances at the
departing minister. As the train traversed Span-
ish territory, it was frequently attacked and
stoned, windows were broken and the police had
to protect it from the mob with drawn swords.
At one point Gen. Woodford's car was invaded
by detectives who proposed to arrest the Gen-
eral's Secretary on the ground that he was a
Spaniard. Gen. Woodford personally resisted
their attempts and finally succeeded in getting
away and in taking his Secretary with him to
safety.

War and Blockade.
Simultaneously with the dismissal of the
American Minister, the Spanish Government

WAR WITH SPAIN.

323

issued a note declaring that it considered war to
have been declared between the United States
and Spain. The next day, April 22nd, the Presi-
dent issued a proclamation announcing a blockade
of five of the principal ports of Cuba. To carry
out his order, a powerful fleet was at once sent
to Cuban waters and the ports of Havana,
Matanzas, Cardenas and Bahia Hunda on the
north coast, and Cienfuegos on the south coast
were closed against entrance or exit of any
vessels. At the same time the American Asiatic
squadron at Hong Kong, under the command of
Commodore Dewey, sailed for Manila with in-
structions to destroy the Spanish fleet there and
to take possession of the Philippine Islands in
the name of the United States.

. The first prize ship of the war was captured
on April 22nd. This was the Spanish merchant
steamer " Buena Ventura" which was captured
by the Gunboat "Nashville" off Key West.
Thereafter the capture of Spanish vessels by the
American Blockading Fleet was a matter of daily
occurrence.

The United States promptly made an unequi-
vocal declaration that in this war the rights of
neutrals were to be respected; that free ships
would make free goods, and that neutral goods
were to be exempt from seizure, even on the
enemy's ships and that there would be no resort

324 WAR WITH SPAIN.

to privateering. Spain hesitated a few days and
then issued a declaration to about the same
effect, with the important exception, that she
reserved the right to resort to privateering,
and even intimated that she would exercise
that right.

The Challenge Accepted.

Finally, on April 25th, President McKinley
sent a special message to Congress recommending
not a declaration of war, but that a state of war
with Spain be recognized as existing. A bill in
accordance with this suggestion was immediately
passed by both Houses, without a dissenting vote
and was signed by the President. This com-
pleted the establishment of a state of war.
Actually the war began in the act of the Spanish
Government on April 21st, when it withdrew its
Minister from Washington ; dismissed the
American Minister from Madrid ; declared that
a state of war existed and announced that its
warships were already on their way to fight
America.

Thus was the full issue joined between the
nations, and the United States plunged into a for-
eign war almost exactly half a century after its
last preceding foreign war had been brought to
an end.

Queen Regent and Alphonso XXII*

Opening the Spanish Cortez.

WAR WITH SPAIN.

327

European Views.

European opinion upon the war varied.
British opinion was chiefly favorable, and Conti-
nental opinion largely unfavorable to the United
States. There were, however, in the Continent
some sane and friendly expressions, from among
which the following, from the Frankfort Zeitung,
may profitably be quoted :

" Hostilities have begun between Spain and
the United States without a formal declaration of
war. This fact is perplexing both to the idealist
and the realist. That Spain should be at war is
not strange — one is accustomed to this in the
case of a European monarchy ; but that the
great American Republic, which in the 1 20 years
of its existence, has taken to arms but twice,
and then only under compulsion, should, as it
were, force a war, is truly remarkable. Spain
justly enjoys little sympathy, and can expect no
material aid. The most she can expect is a more
or less sincere expression of pity which is added
to the explanation of the absolute justice of her
cause. The United States, on the other hand, is
accused of the most flagrant offence against in-
ternational law, and upon her is turned the wrath
of a. great many eager defenders of justice — of
men who have forgotten that the political and
social development of Europe has been an unin-
terrupted chain of international law-breaking, and

19

328 WAR WITH SPAIN.

who no longer remember how many of these in,
justices they themselves have defended. Truly,
the hyprocrisy of which the Americans are ac-
cused has a number of representatives even in
Europe.

Causes of the "War.
"When the United States begins a war we
may rest assured that it is not begun in the friv-
olous way in which it has been, time and again,
begun by European monarchs, to whom war has
often been but the satisfaction of a whim or a mere
pastime. The Spanish-American war has more
profound causes — causes of which the intelligent
students of history are not ignorant. It is true
that the decision of the United States has been
influenced by material interests, and that politics
and financial speculations have played a part, but
these, however skilfully they may have been able
to take advantage of the existing conditions,
could never have forced the entire American
people into a policy of arms. The American
people who, in a large majority, support its
representatives and Government, and who now
unanimously advocate determined action, were
actuated by the conviction that a stop must be
put to the horrible state of affairs brought
about by Spanish misrule in Cuba, at the very
gates of the country, and by which many
American citizens were constantly being injured.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 329

The reports about the terrible results of the plan
of extermination of General Weyler called forth
in America a storm of indignation which cannot be
appeased by protests or diplomatic expression,
but calls for immediate action. ' These conditions
must be ended,' has long been the sentiment
which has now finally materialized.
A Striking: Contrast.
" If one compares with this the way in which,
two years ago, Europe permitted the cold-
blooded murder of 100,000 Armenians by the
Sultan, with whom she is even now on the best
terms, one cannot but rejoice that there is yet in
the world a people among whom humanity is not
an empty term, and who, in their just indignation
at a committed outrage, can take to the sword.
The Americans have never paid much attention
to diplomatic forms and quibbles. Independently
they conceive their own opinions, independently
they create their own politics and diplomatic code.
They have the material and the power for this,
mentally and physically. They proceed in the
direction in which they consider it their duty to
proceed, and pay little attention to the approval
or disapproval of Europe. The Americans want
the Cuban outrages stopped in one way or the
other. If words are of no avail, force will be
used. What becomes of Spain in the course of
events is no one's business but her own.

330 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Spain Reaping: What She So-wed.

"Spain is reaping what she has sowed. A
chapter of the history of the world is now going
on which has been inevitable. The Spaniard
could conquer, but not colonize. Even the very-
Spaniards who discovered America, filled the
world with indignation at their brutalities. They
destroyed an ancient civilization and sacked
peaceful, flourishing kingdoms ; in the same spirit
of bloodthirst and greed for gold did they roast
the King of the Aztecs, Montezuma, and his
people for the sake of forcing more gold from
them. The history of Spanish America is a con-
tinuous tale of murder and rapine. As soon as
the American inhabitants became conscious of
their position, rebellion and separation began.
In this way Spain has gradually lost all her posses-
sions on the American continent, and in this way
will she now lose Cuba, the Pearl of the Antilles.

"Long enough has she had the opportunity
of quieting the rising storm by making Cuba free
and happy, but she has not availed herself of it.
That system which at home persecuted Jews and
Moors, opposed every free sentiment, reduced
almost the entire population to beggary, and,
even now makes use of instruments of torture,
could not be a system of freedom, enlightenment
and public welfare in Cuba. In the waters of
Cuba two entirely mutually opposed stages of

WAR WITH SPAIN. 33 1

civilization are constantly brought into contact
with each other. In the north is the free
American, with his sentiments of equality
and independence, his striving for education and
activity ; opposed to him is the Spaniard, who
has learned nothing, and can be of no advantage
to mankind.

Spain's Low Estate.
" The Spanish Kingdom proudly calls itself a
Catholic monarchy, and has ever striven to act
as the defender of religion — the servant of the
clergy. In Spain the clerical ideal has material-
ized ; the clergy is all-powerful, the Government
her humble servant. The rest is in the same
plan — the ruling classes unscrupulously seeking
selfish ends, the people impoverished, coarse and
ignorant. Out of 17,000,000 inhabitants, barely
5", 000, 000 can read and write. To those few
schoolmasters that Spain does possess, neither
the State nor the community pays a sum large
enough to keep them from starving. At the same
time 32,000 monks and 15,000 nuns are living
most splendidly ; they have everything whenever
and how they wish it. Spain may have artists
and orators, but she has no mental energy and no
power, because she lacks freedom of mind. A
people who can only mumble prayers and finds
pleasure in bullfights can never found civilization
and public welfare.

332 WAR WITH SPAIN.

"In the present war, free, Protestant Anglo-
Saxons are opposed to a Latin nation which is
ruled by the clergy. It is a new chapter of a con-
flict old in history. Who will and must be the
final victor it is easy to see. It is true that, for the
beginning, Spain has in her control, larger and
better trained bodies of soldiers than the United
States ; but the Union can certainly procure these,
and possesses, at all events, more endurance,
because she is not only superior in population,
but is in control of almost inexhaustible resources,
whereas Spain is, at the very beginning of the
war, almost bankrupt.

Important Step in American Politics.

"The task the United States has undertaken
in proceeding to free Cuba from the Spanish
yoke is certainly a most important step in the
development of the politics of the American hemi-
sphere. The doctrine, "America for the Ameri-
cans," is made to apply, not only to the continent,
but to the islands as well. Cuba is, geograph-
ically, the most important, and the misrule of the
Spanish on that island has long enough been
challenging American interference. It would be
a waste of energy to make too many conjectures
as to the possibilities of the war, but one thing is
assured, an easy victory would certainly encourage
the Americans to continue in this new policy.
They would attempt further liberations, and would

WAR WITH SPAIN. T>33

further strengthen their system of self-satisfied
exclusiveness. This is sufficient reason why the
European States should, though observing strict
neutrality, keep a wary eye on the happenings
over there.

"For the Americans, however, the same law
exists which has prevailed throughout the entire
history of mankind, and the abuse of which has
ever been revenged most terribly on nations and
monarchs — that is, the law of temperance. If the
Americans abuse this law, not even the fact that
they are Americans will protect them from the
fatal consequences of their recklessness. For
over them, as well as over Spain, the indisputable
history of the world sits in judgment."

CHAPTER XV.

THE STORY OF SPAIN ROMAN DAYS IN SPAIN PELAYO

RISE OF SPANISH POWER THE MODERN TI-
BERIUS THE DECLINE OF SPAIN FERDINAND'S

BAD REIGN THE CARLIST REVOLT THE LATEST

CHAPTER PORTO RICO CHARACTER OF THE

ISLAND THE CAPITAL AN ANCIENT WALLED

CITY THE PHILIPPINES SPANISH SETTLEMENTS

IN I565 INVADED BY OTHER NATIONS

GREATLY OPPRESSED AND TAXED SOME NATIVES

UNSUBDUED NATIVES MILD AND AMIABLE

TRADE OF THE ISLANDS FOREIGN COMMERCE

BEGINS.

IT IS a common complaint made by every gen-
eration, that we have fallen upon dull and
uneventful times. There are no great things
happening nowadays, such as those of which we
read of in history. But the complaint is, at least in
our day, without foundation. We speak of the fall
of the Roman Empire as a colossal event, and so it
was. But to-day we are witnessing the fall of an
empire which once was in its way as great as that of
Rome. The Spanish Empire, which was founded
upon the ruins of Rome, and which was once fully
comparable with Rome in all its glory, has passed
through the various stages of decline and now

(334}

WAR WITH SPAIN. 335

seems tottering and hastening to its utter fall.
There was a time when Spain dominated the whole
of Europe, with the exception of the British Isles.
She claimed half of Africa, a great share of Asia
and all of America. To-day she is scarcely a third-
class power in Europe, the least of all foreign
land-holders in Africa, and sees the last of her
Asian and American possessions slipping from
her palsied grasp.

No empire ever began its course with higher
promise than Spain. The Iberian Peninsula is
singularly favored by nature. Its climate is
genial, its soil well watered and fertile, and
abounding in useful and precious minerals. Its
geographical position "gives it command of en-
trance to and exit from the Mediterranean Sea,
and ample frontage on that sea, and on the
Atlantic Ocean, ready access to all the lands of
Southern Europe, and close connection with
Africa. Nor were the people formerly unworthy
of their environment and opportunities. Who the
original inhabitants of the country were is not
exactly known. Probably they were identical with
those "fragments of forgotten peoples" who
occupy the Northwest corner of the peninsula
and whom we call the Basques. The Basques are
solitary and unique among the nations of the
world. They seem to belong to the children of
neither Ham, Shem, nor Japheth. Their language

336 WAR WITH SPAIN.

is related to no other now in existence. Some
say it was the tongue used by Adam and Eve in
the Garden of Eden, and others, that it was
brought to Spain by Tubal Cain before the con-
fusion of tongues at Babel. Still others say it is
the language of the angels, which the Devil once
tried to learn, but abandoned in despair, when it
took him seven years to learn three words. No
wonder if, as they say, in that language yoil spell
a word Solomon and pronounce it Nebuchad-
nezzar,

Roman Days in Spain.
But whatever the original stock of Spain, the
advantages of a composite population were soon
added. First, the Celts moved in, and then
Phoenicians, Greeks, and Egyptians. After them
came the Carthaginians, and then the Romans.
The Romans found Spain the hardest of all
countries to subdue, but they accomplished the
task after an inch by inch struggle, in the time of
Augustus Caesar, and then the Spaniards became
more Roman than the Romans themselves. It
was in Spain that the literature and arts of Rome
attained their well-nigh best development. Spain
gave to Rome one of the greatest of her Em-
perors, Trajan, and such literary lights as Martial,
Lucan, Seneca and Quintilian. All over Spain
you will find cities still bearing Roman names,
such as Leon, which comes from Legio, Saragossa,

WAR WITH SPAIN. 337

or Caesar Augusta, Pampeluna, or Pompeiopolis,
and Merida, or Emerita Augusta. After the
Romans came the conquerors of Rome, the
Goths and Vandals, who established there the
most lasting of all the Gothic kingdoms. The
name of the Vandals is preserved in that of the
province of Andalusia. And finally there was an
influx of Moors from Africa, thus completing the
complex mixture of Spanish blood, and well
entitling the Spaniard of to-day to call himself a
Hidalgo, which means, the son of somebody.
Pelayo.
It was in the year 409, that the Goths and
Vandals entered Spain and set up there the King-
dom of the Visigoths. They established a dynasty
which remained unbroken until the invasion of
the Saracens. Among the monarchs of this line,
were Theodoric, who conquered Attila at Chalons,
and Recared, who, about the year 600, reunited
the Goths with the Roman Catholic Church. In
the seventh century the Saracens landed at
Gibraltar, and, in the course of a few years, con-
quered the country. They slew Roderic, the
Gothic King, and drove the remnant of his people
into the mountains of Asturias, where, under the
famous Pelayo, in 718 to y^y, were laid the
foundations of a kingdom which was destined one
day to expel its conquerors. The Saracens
established tv/o kingdoms, Cordova and Grenada,

338 WAR WITH SPAIN.

in which learning and civilization soon advanced
to a high pitch. They made several attempts to
advance further into Europe but were overwhelm-
ingly defeated at Tours, in 732 by Charles Martel,

The dynasty founded by Pelayo, in Asturias,
in 718, lasted until 1027. Then the kingdom was
divided into the two separate kingdoms of Leon
and Castile, which were reunited in 1230. The
kingdom of Navarre was founded in 885, and
united with Castile in 151 2. The kingdom of
Aragon was founded in 1035, and united with
Castile in 15 16. The county of Barcelona became
a part of Aragon in 1 1 3 1 . The present kingdom
of Portugal was originally a province of Castile,
but became an independent kingdom in 1 140.

The first king of all Christian Spain, includ-
ing Aragon, Navarre, Castile and Leon, was
Alfonso I, who reigned from 1 104 to 1 134. Aided
by French and English volunteers he waged per-
petual war against the Saracens and greatly
impaired their power. His successors continued
the conflict, and, little by little, year by year,
drove the Saracens back toward Africa.
Rise of Spanish Power.

Cordova was captured in 1236, and then
only the Kingdom of Grenada remained to the
Saracens. It resisted for two hundred and fifty
years the attacks of the Spaniards, but finally fell
at the end of the fifteenth century. At that time

WAR WITH SPAIN. 339

Isabella of Castile and her husband, Ferdinand of
Aragon, practically united the whole of Spain
under one sceptre. Their reign extended from
1474 to 1512, and was marked by the final expul-
sion of the Moors, the discovery of America by
Christopher Columbus, and the organization of the
Inquisition. At this time Spain began to grow
into a great European power. From this
reign dates its modern history. But in the
very events which made its greatness, Spain
received the seeds of evil which have led to
its fall. For one thing, the expulsion of the
Moors deprived the country of its best industrial
element. The expulsion of the Jews, accom-
plished a little earlier, deprived the nation of its
best tradesmen and scholars. There was little
left except soldiers, priests, and a lazy and
ignorant peasantry. Such a nation might achieve
great conquests, but could not establish a lasting
Empire.

Early in the fifteenth century came the reign
of Charles I, better known as the great German
Emperor Charles V. The history of his reign
was the history of all Europe. His authority
extended over all Germany and a large part of
what is now France, half of Italy and the entire
Western Hemisphere, He was constantly at war
with some power or another, and at last, weary
of conflict, and heart-sick at the failure of his

34-0 WAR WITH SPAIN.

scheme to make his sway over the Holy Roman
Empire hereditary, he resigned his crown. That
was in in 1556. He gave the Empire to his
brother Ferdinand, and his hereditary dominions,
Spain, Italy, the Low Countries, and America, to
his son Philip.

Then he retired to a monastery and died two
years later. His son, Philip II, became the most
powerful monarch in Europe.

The Modern Tiberius.

But his reign was marked with excessive
cruelty. He was despotic and selfish to an ex-
treme degree and has been well called the Tiber-
ius of modern history. He aimed to add the
British Isles to his dominion by his marriage with
Queen Mary of England, but was disappointed in
that ambition. He resolved to destroy Protes-
tantism in his realm, and to that end established
the Inquisition in full force, not only in Spain but
also in Italy and the Netherlands. In the latter
country he was stubbornly resisted by William
the Silent. After a bloody war in which the
Spanish Commander, the Duke of Alva, was guilty
of such cruelties as the world had not seen since
the time of Nero, the independence of the Nether-
lands was gained. That was a serious blow to
Spain. It so enraged Philip that he murdered his
own son, Charles, for the fault of expressing
sympathy with the rebels.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 34 1

As a compensation for the loss of the Nether-
lands, however, Philip conquered Portugal and
added it to Spain. Then he went to war with
England, partly because it had become a Protes-
tant country, partly because it had aided the
rebels in the Netherlands, and partly because
Queen Elizabeth would not marry him and give
him her Kingdom. He fitted out in 1588 the
Invincible Armada, the largest fleet the world
had ever seen, and sent it against England. Bad
weather and the English fleet entirely destroyed
it, with the loss of more than 20,000 Spanish
lives. At the same time English captains attacked
the Spanish colonies and Spanish fleets in
America and inflicted great loss upon them.

As if to get revenge for the reverses he suf-
fered in foreign wars, Philip inflicted terrible
persecutions upon many of his own subjects.
There were still in Spain about half a million
descendants of the Saracens, who were by far the
most business-like and enterprising people in that
nation. In 1609 Philip ordered them all to leave
Spain within thirty days, under penalty of death.
By that mad act he deprived Spain of five-
sixths of its wealth and commerce, reduced its
revenue to less than half what it had been, and
inflicted upon the nation a blow from which it
never recovered.

342 WAR WITH SPAIN.

The Decline of Spain.

Thereafter the decline of Spain was steady
and rapid. France seized all the provinces
north of the Pyrenees. The last hold upon Ger-
many was broken. Portugal regained its inde-
pendence. Dissensions and rebellions arose in
Spain itself. And by the year 1 700 the kingdom
was practically a wreck. Its Sovereign was de-
pendent upon foreign powers for his title to the
throne. Again and again Spain was invaded by
the Portuguese, Dutch and English. In 1704 the
English seized the great fortress of Gibraltar,
which they have ever since held. In the latter
part of that century England took possession of a
number of the West Indian Islands. Then the
Napoleonic wars came on. At first Spain sided
with France against England and a disastrous
war ensued. The Spanish fleet was destroyed in
the battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1797 and the
Island of Trinidad was taken by the English.
Then Spain was compelled in 1803, to give the
great American province of Louisiana to
France. Two years later the new Spanish fleet
was destroyed by Nelson at Trafalgar.

In 1808 Napoleon deposed the Spanish
King, Ferdinand, and put his own brother, Joseph
Bonaparte, on the throne. This caused war be-
tween France and Spain. English troops came to
the assistance of Spain, and the gigantic struggle

General Fitzhugh Lee.

WAR WITH SPAIN.

345

known as the Peninsular War began. The British
troops in Spain were led by the Duke of Well-
ington, and in several hard fought campaigns
they defeated Napoleon's ablest generals and best
troops.

Ferdinand's Bad Reign,

In 1 8 14 Ferdinand was restored to this
throne. He soon showed himself one of the
worst Kings the country ever had. He abolished
Parliament and made himself an absolute despot.
He re-established the Inquisition. His tyranny
drove all the Spanish colonies in Mexico, Central
America and South America to revolt. In the
course of a dozen years, these latter won their
independence. Florida was surrendered to the
United States. And then, in all the hemisphere
that once was hers, Spain had nothing left but the
islands of Cuba and Porto Rico. So bad was the
King's government that a large part of the
Spanish people wished to depose him and put
his brother, Don Carlos, on the throne.
The Carl 1st Revolt.

In 1833 tne King died and by his will left his
throne to his infant daughter, Isabella. Then the
followers of Don Carlos openly revolted and the
first Carlist war began. The whole reign of Isa-
bella was marked with shameful mis-government,
with frequent outbreaks of the Carlists and with
various attempts at revolution. Several times the

20

346 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Queen had to leave the throne and let General
Espartero govern the country. Her personal
life was marked with immoralities that were the
scandal of all Europe. Finally, in 1868, she was
driven from the throne by a revolution, and Mar-
shal Serrano, one of her lovers, and the reputed
father of her son, became the head of a pro-
visional government. In 1870 she formally ab-
dicated in favor of her son.

But the Spanish people had had enough of
that family, so Amadeus, Duke of Aosta, son of
Victor Emmanuel, King of Italy, was called to the
throne. He had a stormy reign of three years
and then abdicated. For two years thereafter,
Spain had a succession of dictatorships and at-
tempts at republican government, and a contin-
uous struggle with the Carlists. At last Serrano
regained supreme power, and, in January, 1875,
gave the crown to Prince Alfonso, son of the Ex-
Queen Isabella. The Prince accepted and was
recognized by all the European powers as King.
The Carlists were soon subdued and peace re-
stored. Then for a few years the much troubled
country had peace.

The Latest Chapter.

Alfonso I. married the Spanish Princess,
Mercedes. After her death he married Marie
Christina, an Austrian Princess. At the end of
1885 he died leaving two infant daughters, the

WAR WITH SPAIN. 347

elder of whom became nominally Queen for a
short time. But soon after the widowed Queen,
Maria Christina, gave birth to a son, who, under
the name of Alfonso XIII. became nominal King
of Spain. The Queen mother continued to
reign as Queen Regent, and on the whole exer-
cised her authority wisely and well. The influ-
ences of the army and the corrupt political rings
which controlled the Ministry and Parliament
were, however, too much for her to resist. Being
of foreign birth she realized that she must do as
the Spanish leaders wished her to do. In conse-
quence ill-government continued to prevail in the
few colonies that were left to Spain, and
rebellions occurred in Cuba and the Philippine
Islands.

Porto Rico.

Elsewhere we have told the story of Spain's
chief colony in the Antilles. That of her second,
and only other in late years, is quickly told.

Porto Rico was sighted by Columbus on the
1 6th of November, 1493. Three days later he
anchored in the bay, the description of which
corresponds to that of Mayagues. In 15 10 and
151 1 Ponce de Leon visited the islands and
founded a settlement and gave it the name of
San Juan Bautista. Landings were effected by
the English in 1702 at Arecibo, in 1743 at
Ponce, and in 1797 at the capital, but each time

348 WAR WITH SPAIN.

they were repulsed by the Spaniards. An at-
tempt of the people to obtain independence after
three years of turbulence was frustrated in 1823.
As to the Spanish administration of the islands, it
differs but little, if at all from that imposed upon
Cuba.

The island is a parallelogram in general
outline, 103 miles from east to west, and from 37
to 43 miles across. San Juan, the principal town,
is of considerable strategic importance. It is
distant from the Cape Verde Islands, 2,100 miles;
from Key West, 1,050; from Hampton Roads,
1,420.

The population in 1887 numbered 798,565,
of whom 474,933 were white, 246,647 mulattoes,
and 76,905 negroes. Slavery was abolished in
1873; three years after the colony was declared to
be a representative 'province of Spain and divided
into seven departments.

Character of the Island.

The most of the population is located on the
lowlands at the sea front of the hill. For lack of
roads the interior is accessible only by mule trails
or saddle paths, and it is covered with vast forests.
There are interesting caves in the mountains,
those of Aguas Buenas and Ciales being the
most notable. Rivers and brooks are numerous,
forty-seven very considerable rivers having been
enumerated.

WAR WITH SPAIN.

349

The principal minerals found in Porto Rico
are gold, carbonates and sulphides of copper, mag-
netic oxide of iron in large quantities. Lignite is
found at Utuado and Moca, and also yellow amber.
A large variety of marbles, limestones and other
building stones are deposited on the island, but
these resources are very undeveloped. There
are salt works at Guanica and Salinac, on the
south coast, and at Cape Rojo, on the west, and
this constitutes the principal mineral industry in
Porto Rico. Hot springs and mineral waters are
found at Juan Diaz, San Sebastian, San Lorenzo
and Ponce, but the most famous is at Coamo,
near the town of Santa Isabel. The climate is
hot, but much alleviated by the prevailing north-
east winds. A temperature as high as 117
degrees Fahrenheit has been recorded, but it
seldom exceeds 97 degrees Fahrenheit. The
rainy season lasts from August to December, and
the rainfall is at times so copious north of the
mountains as to inundate cultivated fields and pro-
duce swamps. The rainfall for 1878 was 81
inches. Its mean annual average is 64^ inches.

The prevailing diseases are yellow fever,
elephantiasis, tetanus, marsh fever and dysentery.

Porto Rico is unusually fertile, and its domi-
nant industries are agricultural and lumbering.
In elevated regions the vegetation of the temper-
ate zone is not unknown. There are more than

35° WAR WITH SPAIN.

five hundred varieties of trees found in the forests,
and the plains are full of palms, orange and other
trees. The principal crops are sugar, coffee,
tobacco, cotton and maize, but bananas, rice, pine-
apples and many other fruits are important.

Railways are in their infancy, and cart roads
are deficient. Telegraphic lines connect the
principal towns, while submarine cables run from
San Juan to St. Thomas and Jamaica.
The Capital.

San Juan is situated on a long and narrow
island, separated from the main island at one end
by a shallow arm of the sea, over which is a bridge
connecting it with the mainland, which runs out
at this point in a long sand spit, some nine miles
in length, apparently to meet the smaller island ;
at the other end the island ends in a rugged bluff,
or promontory, some hundred feet high, and three-
fourths of a mile distant from the main island.
This promontory is crowned by Morro Castle, the
principal fortification of the town. At this end of
the island is the entrance to the harbor, with a
narrow channel and rocky bottom, so close under
the headland that one can almost leap ashore
from a passing vessel. The water here is
some thirty feet deep. To a mariner unac-
quainted with the locality, or, when a norther
is blowing, this entrance is one of difficulty and
danger.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 35 1

After rounding the bluff one finds a broad
and beautiful bay, landlocked, and with a good
depth of water, which is being increased by
dredging. It is by far the best harbor in Porto
Rico, and probably as good a one as can be found
in the West Indies. However, it has its draw-
backs. Sailing vessels are frequently detained by
the northerly winds during the winter months, and
even steamers with a draught of over twenty feet
are sometimes delayed, but these occasions are
rare. When they do occur, the "boca," or
entrance to the harbor, is a mass of seething,
foaming water, and presents an imposing spec-
tacle. To see steamers of sixteen to eighteen
feet draught enter in a severe norther, is a sight
to be remembered, as the great waves lift them
up and seem about to hurl them forward to de-
struction. At such times there is need of a
staunch vessel, steady nerves, and a captain well
acquainted with the channel, as no pilot will
venture out. The island upon which the city
stands is shaped much like an arm and a hand ;
it is about two and one-quarter miles long, and
averages less than one-quarter of a mile in width.
The greatest width is a little over half a mile in
the portion representing the hand, which also
contains the major part of the city.

35 2 WAR WITH SPAIN.

An Ancient "Walled City.

San Juan is a perfect specimen of a walled
town, with portcullis, moat, gates and battlements.
Built over two hundred and fifty years ago, it
is still in good condition and repair. The walls
are picturesque, and represent a stupendous work
and cost in themselves. Inside the walls, the
city is laid off in regular squares, six parallel
streets running in the direction of the length of
the island and seven at right angles. The houses
are closely and compactly built of brick, usually
of two stories, stuccoed on the outside and
painted in a variety of colors. The upper floors
are occupied by the more respectable people,
while the ground floors, almost without excep-
tion, are given up to negroes and the poorer
classes, who crowd one upon the other in the
most appalling manner. The population within
the walls is estimated at twenty thousand, and
most of it lives on the ground floors. In one
small room with a flimsy partition a whole family
will reside.

The ground floors of the whole town reek
with filth, and conditions are most unsanitary. In
a tropical country, where disease readily pre-
vails, the consequence of such herding may be
easily inferred. There is no running water in
the town. The entire population depends on
rainwater caught on the flat roofs of the buildings

WAR WITH SPAIN. 353

and conducted to the cistern, which occupies the
greater part of the courtyard that is an essential
part of Spanish houses the world over, but that
here, on account of the crowded conditions, is
small. There is no sewerage, except for surface
water and sinks, while vaults are in every house
and occupy whatever remaining space there may
be in the patios not taken up by the cisterns.
The risk of contaminating the water is great, and
in dry seasons the supply is entirely exhausted.
Epidemics are frequent, and the town is alive
with vermin, fleas, cockroaches, mosquitoes and
dogs.

The streets are wider than in the older
part of Havana, and will admit two carriages
abreast. The sidewalks are narrow, and in
places will accommodate only one person. The
pavements are of a composition manufactured in
England from slag, pleasant and even and dur-
able when no heavy strain is brought to bear
upon them, but easily broken and unfit for heavy
traffic. The streets are swept once a day by
hand and, strange to say, are kept very clean.
From its tropical situation the town should be
healthy, but it is not. The soil under the city is
clay mixed with lime, so hard as to be almost
like rock. It is consequently impervious to water
and furnishes a good natural drainage. The
trade wind blows strong and fresh, and through

354 WAR WITH SPAIN.

the harbor runs a stream of sea water at a speed
of not less than three miles an hour. With these
conditions, no contagious diseases, if properly
taken care of, could exist ; without them, the place
would be a veritable plague spot.

Besides the town within the walls, there are
small portions just outside, called the Marina
and Puerta de Tierra, containing two thousand or
three thousand inhabitants each. There are also
two suburbs, one, San Turce, approached by the
only road leading out of the city, and the other,
Catano, across the bay, reached by ferry. The
Marina and the two suburbs are situated on
sandy points or spits, and the latter are sur-
rounded by mangrove swamps. The entire pop-
ulation of the city and suburbs, according to the
census of 1887, was twenty-seven thousand. It
is now (1896) estimated at thirty thousand. One-
half of the population consists of negroes and
mixed races.

The Philippines.

The Philippine Islands likewise demand
notice, as among the most splendid and most
neglected colonial possessions of Spain.

On May 21, 1521, the Portuguese Fernando
de Magalhaens (Magellan) landed on a little
island south of Samar on the eastern coast of the
archipelago. Forty-six days later he perished off
the east coast of Cebu, or Zebo, one of the cen-

WAR WITH SPAIN. 355

tral islands. This exploit made the country
known to Europe. It was not until the close of
the sixteenth century that the archipelago passed
under Spanish domination, during the reign of
Philip II.

Spanish Settlement in 1565.
About the middle of the century an expedi-
tion sailed from Mexico in five ships, but accom-
plished little. In 1565 Don Miguel Lopez de
Legazpi reached the islands and founded a
Spanish settlement at the town of Cebu, and it
is in his correspondence that the name of Philip-
pine Islands is first recorded. It was given in
honor of his sovereign. Under this monarch an
ecclesiastical organization, principally of monastic
orders, was established. As H. A. Webster
says, " The subjugation of the islands, thanks to
the exertions of the Roman Catholic missionaries
and the large powers placed in their hands by
Philip, was effected, not of course, without fight-
ing and bloodshed, but without those appalling
massacres and depopulation which characterized
the conquest of South America. Contests with
frontier rebellious tribes, attacks by pirates and
reprisals on the part of the Spaniards combined
with volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and torna-
does to break the comparative monotony of the
subsequent history."

356 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Invaded by Other Nations.

In 1602 five Dutch ships appeared in the
Philippine Islands to blockade the forts, but were
driven off by the Spaniards. Incursions were also
made by Chinese pirates at different points. The
most celebrated of these was the invasion made
by Li Ma Hon, who, with two thousand men
landed in Manila in 1572, but was defeated and
driven off by the Spaniards and natives under the
leadership of Juan de Talcedo. In 1762 the
capital was taken by the British, but was restored
to Spain two years afterward for a ransom of
$5,000,000 which was never collected.

Greatly Oppressed and Taxed.

The history of these islands during the
nineteenth century has been one of oppression,
restriction of commerce, and ferocious taxation,
in which the ecclesiastics used their influence for
the support of the Spanish sovereignty. The last
revolt broke out in 1896. The conspiracy was
discovered before the day appointed for the
rising, and the plans of the insurrectionists were
disconcerted. Yet, when the authorities pro-
ceeded to arrest those known to be involved, the
rebels mustered in force amounting to several
thousand, but were dispersed when they offered
battle in the neighborhood of Manila. The in-
surgents established themselves in the province
of Cavite, on the south shore of Manila Bay,

WAR WITH SPAIN. 357

eight miles southwest of the port of Manila, and
held it until the arrival of twenty-five thousand
reinforcements from Spain and a considerable
naval fleet enabled the Government to suppress
them.

Some Natives Unsubdued.

In the inaccessible mountainous parts of the
island there are still unsubdued savages. In the
last census returns the number of natives not
subject to the civil government and paying no
tribute, is given as 602,853, while the number of
natives paying tribute is returned as 5,501,356.

The climate of the Philippines varies little
from that of other mountainous and tropical
countries. The range of the thermometer during
the year is from a little over 60 degrees to about
90. The year may be divided into three seasons :
the first, cold and dry, begins in November ; the
second, warm, but still dry, begins in March, the
greatest heat being experienced from April first
to the end of May ; and the third, which is exces-
sively wet, continues from June to the middle of
November.

Natives mild and Amiable.

Generally speaking, the natives are mild and
amiable, predisposed to religious observances,
extremely superstitious, and very hospitable.
Those of Batangas, Cagayan and Southern Ilocos,
are better and more industrious laborers than

35^ WAR WITH SPAIN.

those of the other provinces. During their youth
they work with energy and a certain mental vigor,
but on reaching a more advanced age lapse into
indolence, which is one of their greatest defects.

The women are averse to idleness, have a
spirit of enterprise, and often engage in various
trades with success. They are economical, and
sacrifice themselves cheerfully for those to whom
they are attached.

Trade of the Islands.

Before the days of Spanish rule there was
considerable commercial intercourse between the
Philippines and China and Japan, but this, which
would naturally have developed enormously if the
Spanish trade between Manila and America had
been left free, was interrupted, and at times
almost completely stopped, by absurd restrictions,
devised to secure to Spain a monopoly of the
American trade. For a long period only a single
galleon, and that under Government supervision,
was allowed to proceed yearly from Manila to
Acapulco, the value of the cargo each way being
restricted within a prescribed sum. Direct trade
with Europe, via the Cape of Good Hope, began
in 1764; but, as if the exclusion from it of all but
Spanish ships was not sufficient, in 1785 a
monopoly of this commerce was bestowed on the
Royal Company of the Philippines.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 359

Foreign Commerce Begins.

With the close of the eighteenth century a
certain amount of liberty began to be conceded to
foreign vessels. The first English commercial
house was established in Manila in 1809, and in
1834 the monopoly of the Royal Company ex-
pired. Manila remained the only port for foreign
trade till 1842, when Cebu was also opened.
Jamboanga (Mindanao), Iloilo (Pansay), Sual
(Luzon), Legazpi or Albany (Luzon), and Taclo-
ban (Leyte), are now in the same category, but
only Manila, Iloilo and Cebu have proved of real
importance, as they are the only ports where
foreign bound vessels have hitherto loaded.

CHAPTER XVI.

RESOURCES OF THE TWO COMBATANTS COMPARED

ARMIES AND NAVIES — THE SPANISH NAVY

UNITED STATES SHIPS NORTH ATLANTIC SQUAD-
RON FLYING SQUADRON PACIFIC STATION

ASIATIC STATION UNASSIGNED SPECIAL SER-
VICE MONITORS TRAINING SHIPS AUXILIARY

FLEET THE SPANISH SOLDIER THE CIGARETTE

HIS SOLACE BULLIED, ILL-TREATED AND ROBBED

THE ARMY IN CUBA SPANISH PRONUNCIATION

WEST INDIAN GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES CUBAN

PROPER NAMES SPANISH GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES

SPANISH PROPER NAMES NAMES OF SPANISH

SHIPS.

M

NEQUALLY matched, in many respects,
were the two combatants which thus
joined issue for the dread arbitrament
of war. In age, in size, in wealth, in intelligence,
the contrast was great. Spain dated back, as a
civilized Power, to before the Christian Era, while
the United States was scarcely a century and a
quarter old. Spain numbered 18,000,000; the
United States 70,000,000. Spain was all but
bankrupt, and her people ignorant ; the United
States overflowing with wealth and her people
among the most intelligent in the world.

(360)

\\

1__

i i ~££ —

2J

Prominent O&cers of the United States Army and Navy.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 363

Let us cite a few statistics. Spain has an
area of 197,670 square miles, or about twice that
of the single State of North Carolina ; while the
United States has something more than 3,000,000,
or more than fifteen times as much. The popula-
tion of the United States was nearly four times
as great as that of Spain. The annual revenue
of Spain was only $137,000,000, and that of the
United States more than $500,000,000. Yet
Spain's public debt was $1,232,912,500, while that
of the United States was only $1,045,000,000.
The foreign trade of Spain was only $260,000,000
a year, while that of the United States was
$1,645,000,000. In Spain more than 68 per cent,
of the people could neither read nor write, while
in the United States only 14 per cent, were
illiterate. In Spain there were few skilled
mechanics or engineers, and no shipyards in
which first-class warships could be built, while
in the United States were millions of trained
artisans and some of the best shipyards in the
world.

Armies and Navies.

In army and navy, however, Spain was, at
least on paper, no mean antagonist. Of course
the greater population of the United States made
her military resources by far the greater. But
Spain's actual standing army was much larger
than ours. It consisted of no less than 120,000

21

364

WAR WITH SPAIN.

men on a peace footing, and 480,000 men on a
war footing, besides a colonial army of 236,000.
Against this the United States had only 26,000
men.

The Spanish navy was also much the larger.
It contained 126 steam vessels and 22,000 men,
while our navy contained only 54 vessels and
13,000 men. But our ships were, on the whole,
better than Spain's, and we were able to add to
their number, by building and by purchase, in-
comparably more rapidly than she. Indeed she
was scarcely able to get any new ships, while
those added to our navy were counted by the
dozen.

The Spanish Navy.

As the war was evidently, from the begin-
ning, destined to be chiefly naval, interest centred
most upon the rival navies. That of Spain, in-
cluding ships building, but excluding transports,
training ships, and other non-effective vessels,
was as follows:

Launched Building

Battleship, 1st class 1 .... 1

Port Defence Ships 1

Cruisers, 1st class, a 6

" " " b 2

" 2d class 6 .... 1

" 3d class a 28 .... 3

" " " b 71 ,

Torpedo Craft, 1st class ... 36
" " 2d class ... 2

WAR WITH SPAIN. 365

The single battleship credited to Spain in
the above table was the Pelayo, launched in 1887,
described as* follows: Displacement, 9,900 tons;
length, 330 ft; breadth of beam, 66 ft; draught,
24 ft 9 in.; engines, 6,800 horse-power; speed,
15.8 knots; principal armament, 2 12^ in., 2 11
in., 1 6% in., and 12 4^ in. breech-loaders with
6 quick-firing guns; protection, steel belt, 18 in.
maximum thickness, and 1 1 in. on the barbettes.
All the first-class cruisers a were new vessels, and
nearly all still in the hands of the constructors,
three not yet being launched. Six of them were
well protected by 1 2 in. steel belts, and the heavy
gun emplacements had 8 in. steel armoring.
These — the Infanta Maria Teresa, Vizcaya,
Almirante, Oquendo, Cataluna, Cardinal, Cis-
neros, and Princesa de Asturias, were of 7,000
tons, 364 feet in length, 65 feet beam, 13,000
horse-power and 20 knots speed.

The first named, built at Bilbao, made 18.48
knots at her official natural-draught trials, during
8 hours, steaming at sea, thus slightly exceeding
the contract. In these cruisers, two 1 1 in. guns
were mounted singly on barbette turrets fore and
aft, and there were five 5^ in. guns on each
broadside, the pairs severally nearest to the bows
and the stern being sponsoned out, so as to fire
severally in those directions, and have a wide
firing arc on the beam.

366 WAR WITH SPAIN.

The Emperador Carlos V., launched at
Cadiz, in 1892, was a still more powerful ar-
mored cruiser (9,235 tons), with a larger light
armament than the others, and engines of 15,000
horse-power, expected to give a speed of 20
knots. The first-class cruisers b in the above
statement were the old broadside ships Numancia
and Vittoria (from 1863 and 1867), which, having
been reboilered, were counted as cruisers mainly
for convoying purposes. Of smaller vessels,
Spain possessed two remarkable second-class
deck-protected cruisers — the sister ships Alfonso
XIII. and Lepanto, 4,800 tons, which had their
guns very advantageously placed, and, with
12,000 horse-power, were expected to steam at
20 knots. The third-class cruisers a in the above
statement include five 1,130 ton, 14-knot vessels of
the Infanta Isabel class, and the torpedo gunboats,
of which 3 (of the Sharpshooter class) were in
course of construction. In the b list the older
and slower gunboats are grouped. Among the
torpedo-boats the Ariete (97 tons, 147 ft. 6 in.
long) was a remarkable craft, built at Chiswick,
which steamed 26.1 knots at her trials.
United States Snips.

The following is a complete list of the effec-
tive ships of the United States Navy, at the
outbreak of the war, including some of those pur-
chased at that time :

WAR WITH SPAIN. 367

North Atlantic Squadron.

Rear-Admiral William T. Sampson Commanding.

New- York (flagship), Captain French E.
Chadwick. Steel armored cruiser, 8,480 tons;
17,400 horse-power; 21 knots speed. Armament
— Six 8-inch breech-loading rifles, twelve 4-inch
rapid-fire guns, eight 6-pounder, four 1 -pounder
rapid-fire guns and four Gatling guns.

Iowa, Captain Robley D. Evans. Steel sea-
going battleship, 1 1,296 tons: 1 1,000 horse-power;
1 6 knots speed. Armament — Four 1 2-inch breech-
loading rifles, eight 8-inch breech-loading rifles,
six 4-inch rapid-fire guns, twenty 6-pounder and
six i-pounder rapid-fire guns and four Gatling
guns.

Indiana, Captain Henry C. Taylor. Steel
coast-line battleship, 10,288 tons; 9,000 horse-
power; 15 knots speed. Armament — Four 13-
inch breech-loading rifles, eight 8-inch breech-
loading rifles, four 6-inch rapid-fire guns, twenty
6-pounder and six 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns and
four Gatlings.

Puritan, Captain Purnell F. Harrington.
Iron, low-freeboard coast-defence monitor; 6,000
tons; 3,700 horse-power; 12 knots speed. Ar-
mament— Four 12-inch breech-loading rifles, six
4-inch rapid-fire guns, four 3-pounder rapid-fire
guns, four 37mm. Hotchkiss revolving cannon
and four Gatlings.

368 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Terror, Captain Nicholl Ludlow. Iron, low-
freeboard coast-defence monitor, 3,990 tons;
3,000 horse-power; 10 knots speed. Armament —
Four 10-inch breech-loading rifles, two 6-pounder
and two 3-pounder rapid-fire guns, two 37mm.
Hotchkiss revolving cannon and four Gatlings.

Cincinnati, Captain Colby M. Chester. Pro-
tected cruiser, 3,183 tons; 10,000 horse-power;
19 knots speed. Armament — Ten 5-inch and one
6-inch rapid-fire guns, eight 6-pounder and four
1 -pounder rapid-fire guns and two Gatlings.

Detroit, Commander John H. Dayton.
Cruiser, 2,000 tons; 5,200 horse-power; 18 knots
speed. Armament — Eight 5-inch and two 6-inch
rapid-fire guns, six 6-pounder and two 1 -pounder
rapid-fire guns and two Gatlings.

Montgomery, Commander George A. Con-
verse. Description identical with that of the De-
troit.

Marblehead, Commander Bowman H. Mc-
Calla. Description same as Detroit.

Dolphin, Commander Henry W. Lyon. Dis-
patch-boat, 1,485 tons; 2,240 horse-power ; 15
knots speed. Armament — Two 4-inch and two
6-pounder rapid-fire guns, two 37mm. Hotchkiss
revolving cannon and two Gatlings.

Wilmington, Commander Chapman C. Todd.
Sheathed cruiser, 1,392 tons ; 1,600 horse-power ;
13 knots speed. Armament — Eight 4-inch, six

WAR WITH SPAIN. 369

6-pounder and two i -pounder rapid-fire guns and
two Gatlings.

Helena, Commander William T. Swinburne.
Cruiser, 1,392 tons ; 1,600 horse-power ; 13 knots
speed. Armament — Same as Wilmington.

Nashville, Commander Washburn Maynard.
Cruiser, 1,371 tons; 1,790 horse-power ; 14 knots
speed. Armament — Eight 4-inch, four 6-pounder
and two i-pounder rapid-fire guns and two Gat-
lings.

Castine, Commander Robert M. Berry.
Gunboat, 1,177 tons, 2, 186 horse-power ; 16 knots
speed. Armament — Eight 4-inch, four 6-pounder
and two 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns and two Gatlings.

Machias, Commander John F. Merry. De-
scription same as Castine.

Vicksburg, Commander A. B. H. Lillie.
Gunboat, 1,000 tons ; 850 horse-power ; 12 knots
speed. Armament — Six 4-inch, four 6-pounder,
two i-pounder and one 3-pounder rapid-fire guns.

Newport, Commander Benjamin F. Tilley.
Description same as Vicksburg.

Vesuvius, Lieutenant-Commander John E.
Pillsbury. Dynamite cruiser, 930 tons; 3,794
horse-power ; 22 knots speed. Armament —
Three 1 5-inch dynamite guns and three 3-pounder
rapid-fire guns.

Fern, Lieutenant-Commander William F.
Cowles. Dispatch-boat, formerly in service be-

370 WAR WITH SPAIN.

tween navy yards as transport steamer, 840 tons.
Armament — Two 3-pounder and two 1 -pounder
rapid-fire guns.

Cushing, Lieutenant Albert Gleaves. Tor-
pedo-boat, 165 tons; 1, 720 horse-power ; 22 knots
speed. Armament — Three torpedo tubes and
two 3-pounder rapid-fire guns.

Ericsson, Lieutenant-Commander Nathaniel
R. Usher. Torpedo-boat, 120 tons; 1,800 horse-
power ; 24 knots speed. Armament — Three tor-
pedo tubes and four 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns.

Rodgers, Lieutenant Joseph L. Jayne. Tor-
pedo-boat, 142 tons ; 2,000 horse-power ; 27 knots
speed. Armament — Three torpedo tubes and
four 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns.

Winslow — Lieutenant John L. Bernadou.
Description same as Rodgers.

Foote, Lieutenant William L. Rodgers. De-
scription same as Rodgers.

Porter, Lieutenant John C. Fremont. Tor-
pedo-boat, 185 tons; 3,500 horse-power ; 27 knots
speed. Armament — Three torpedo tubes and
three 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns.

Dupont, Lieutenant Spencer S. Wood (flag-
ship of torpedo flotilla). Description same as
Porter.

Flying Squadron.
Commodore Winfield Scott Schley, Commanding.

Brooklyn, Captain Francis A. Cook (flag-

WAR WITH SPAIN. 37 1

ship). Steel armored cruiser, 11,296 tons;
1,000 horse-power; 16 knots speed. Arma-
ment— Four 12-inch breech-loading rifles, eight
8-inch and six 4-inch breech-loading rifles, twenty
6-pounder and six 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns and
four Gatlings.

Massachusetts, Captain Francis J. Higgin-
son. Steel coast-line battleship, 10,288 tons;
9,000 horse-power ; 15 knots speed. Armament
— Four 13-inch breech-loading rifles, eight 8-inch
breech-loading rifles, four 6-inch breech-loading
rifles, twenty 6-pounder and six 1 -pounder rapid-
fire guns and four Gatlings.

Columbia, Captain James H. Sands. Pro-
tected cruiser, 7,350 tons; 21,000 horse-power;
21 knots speed. Armament — One 8-inch breech-
loading rifle, two 6-inch and eight 4-inch rapid-fire
guns, twelve 6-pounder, four 1 -pounder and four
Gatlings.

Minneapolis, Captain Theodore F. Jewell.
Description same as Columbia.

Texas, Captain John W. Phillip. Steel ar-
mored battleship, 6,300 tons; 8,000 horse-power;
1 7 knots speed. Armament — Two 1 2-inch breech-
loading rifles, six 6-inch breech-loading rifles,
twelve 6-pounder, two 3-pounder, four 37mm.
Hotchkiss revolving cannon and two Gat-
lings.

Katahdin, Commander G. F. F. Wilde. Steel

372 WAR WITH SPAIN. '

harbor-defence ram, 2,183 tons; 4,800 horse-
power, 15 knots speed. Deck armament — Four
6-pounder rapid-fire guns.

Pacific Station.
Rear-Admiral Joseph N. Miller, Commanding.

Oregon, Captain Charles E. Clark. Steel
coast-line battleship, 10,288 tons, 9,000 horse-
power; 15 knots speed. Armament — Four 13-inch
breech-loading rifles, eight 8-inch and four 6-inch
breech-loading rifles, twenty 6-pounder and six
1 -pounder rapid-fire guns and four Gatlings.

Monterey, captain not assigned. Steel, low-
freeboard coast-defence monitor, 4,000 tons; 5, coo
horse-power; 13 knots speed. Armament — Two
13-inch and two 10-inch breech-loading rifles, six
6-pounder and four i-pounder and two Gatlings.

Monadnock, Captain William H. Whiting.
Iron low-freeboard coast-defence monitor, 3,900
tons, 3,000 horse-power; 14 knots speed. Ar-
mament— Four 10-inch breech-loading rifles, two
4-inch rapid fire guns, two 6-pounder and two 3-
pounder and two 37mm. Hotchkiss revolving
cannon.

Bennington, Commander Henry E. Nichols.
Cruiser, 1,750 tons ; 3,500 horse-power ; 17 knots
speed. Armament — Six 6-inch breech-loading
rifles, two 6-pounder, two 3-pounder and one
i-pounder rapid-fire guns, two 37mm. Hotchkiss
cannon and two Gatlings.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 373

Marietta, Captain Frederick M. Symonds.
Gunboat, 1,200 tons ; 850 horse-power; 12 knots
speed. Armament — Six 4-inch, four 6-pounder,
two 1 -pounder and one 3-pounder and two
Gatlings.

Alert, Commander E. H. C. Leutze. Gun-
boat, 1,020 tons; 365 horse-power; 10 knots
speed. Armament, four guns.

Asiatic Station.
Commodore George Dewey, Commanding.

Olympia, Captain Charles V. Gridley. Pro-
tected cruiser, 5,500 tons; 13,500 horse-power;
20 knots speed. Armament — Four 8-inch breech-
loading rifles, ten 5-inch rapid-fire guns, fourteen
6-poiinder, six 1 -pounder and four Gatlings.

Baltimore, Captain Nehemiah M. Dyer.
Protected cruiser, 4,600 tons ; 10,000 horse-
power; 19 knots speed. Armament — Four 8-
inch and six 6-inch breech-loading rifles, four 6-
pounder, two 3-pounder and two 1 -pounder guns,
four 37mm. Hotchkiss cannon and two Gatlings.

Raleigh, Commander Joseph B. Coghlan.
Protected cruiser, 3,183 tons ; 10,000 horse-power ;
19 knots speed. Armament — One 6-inch and ten
5-inch rapid-fire guns, eight 6-pounder, four 1-
pounder and two Gatlings.

Boston, Commander Benjamin P. Lamberton.
Protected cruiser, 3, 1 89 tons ; 4,030 horse-power ;
1 5 knots speed. Armament — Two 8-inch and six

374 WAR WITH SPAIN.

6 inch breech-loading rifles, two 6-pounder, two
3-pounder and two i -pounder rapid-fire guns, four
Hotchkiss cannon and two Gatlings.

Concord, Commander Asa Walker. Gun-
boat, 1,700 tons; 3,405 horse-power; 16 knots
speed. Armament — Six 6-inch breech-loading
rifles, two 6-pounder, two 3-pounder, one 1-
pounder rapid-fire guns, two 37mm. Hotchkiss
cannon and two Gatlino-s.

Petrel, Commander Edward P. Wood. Gun-
boat, 890 tons; 1,513 horse-power; 11 knots
speed. Armament — Four 6-inch breech-loading
rifles, two 3-pounder, one 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns,
two 37mm. Hotchkiss cannon and two Gatlings.

Monocacy, Commander Oscar W. Farenholt.
Wooden corvette, 1,370 tons; 850 horse-power;
1 1 knots speed. Armament — Two 60-pounder
breech-loading rifles, four 8-inch smooth-bore guns,
two small guns, eight Hotchkiss cannon and one
Gatling.

Unassigftied.

San Francisco, Captain Richard P. Leary.
Protected cruiser, 4,083 tons ; 10,400 horse-power ;
20 knots speed. Armament — Twelve 6-inch
breech-loading rifles, four 6-pounder, four 3-
pounder, two 1 -pounder rapid-fire guns, three
37mm. Hotchkiss cannon and four Gatlings.

Bancroft, Commander J. V. B. Bleecker.
Cadet-training ship, 832 tons ; 1,213 horse-power ;

WAR WITH SPAIN. 375

14 knots speed. Armament — Four 4-inch, two
6-pounder, two 3-pounder, one 1 -pounder rapid-
fire guns, one 37mm. Hotchkiss cannon and one
Gatling.

New Orleans, Captain W. M. Folger.
Cruiser, steel-sheathed, 3,600 tons; 7,500 horse-
power; 20 knots speed. Armament — Six 6-inch,
four 4.7-inch, ten 6-pounder, four 1 -pounder rapid-
fire guns and four machine guns. Built in 1896
at Elswick, England. (Formerly Brazilian cruiser
Amazonas.)

Gwin, Lieutenant Clarence S. Williams.
Torpedo-boat.

Talbot, Lieutenant William R. Shoemaker.
Torpedo-boat.

Special Service.

Wheeling, Lieutenant-Commander Uriel Se-
bree. Cruiser, steel sheathed, 1,200 tons, 850
horse-power, 12 knots speed. Armament — Six
4-inch, four 6-pounder, one 3-pounder and two
1 -pound rapid-fire guns, one 37mm. Hotchkiss
cannon and 1 Gatling.

Miantonomoh, Captain Mortimer L. Johnson.
Iron, low-freeboard, coast-defense monitor, 4,000
tons, 1,426 horse-power, 10 knots speed. Arma-
ment— Four 10-inch breech-loading rifles, two
6-pounder, two 3-pounder and one 1 -pounder
rapid-fire guns.

376 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Pensacola, Captain Henry Glass. Wooden
frigate, 3,000 tons, 680 horse-power, 9 knots
speed.

Monitors.

Catskill, Lieutenant M. E. Hall. Low-free-
board, single turret monitor, 1,875 tons, 340
horse-power, 5 knots speed. Armament — Two
15-inch smooth-bore guns.

Montauk, Commander Edward T. Strong.
Description same as Catskill.

Passaic, Lieutenant Francis H. Sherman.
Description same as Catskill.

Jason, Lieutenant F. H. Fickbohm. De-
scription similar to Catskill.

Lehigh, Lieutenant Robert G. Peck. De-
scription same as Jason.

Nahant, Lieutenant Clayton S. Richman.
Description similar to Catskill.

Canonicus, commander not appointed. De-
scription same as Nahant.

Mahopac, Commander not appointed. De-
scription similar to Catskill.

Manhattan, commander not appointed. De-
scription same as Mahopac.

Nantucket, commander not appointed. De-
scription similar to Catskill.

Training Ships.

Constellation, Commander John McGowan.
Ship, 1,186 tons; sail power. Armament — Eight

WAR WITH SPAIN. $77

8-inch smooth-bore guns, two 20-pounder breech-
loading rifles, two smaller guns and four 37mm.
Hotchkiss cannon.

Alliance, Commander Albert Ross. Bark,
1,500 tons; 550 horse-power; 9 knots speed.
Armament — Four 4-inch, two 6-pounder, two 3-
pounder, one i-pounder rapid-fire guns and one
Gatling.

Adams, Commander William C. Gibson.
Bark. Description similar to Alliance.

Mohican, Commander George M. Book.
Bark, 1,900 tons; 613 horse-power; 10 knots
speed. Armament — Eight 9-inch smooth-bore
guns, one 8-inch muzzle-loading rifle, one 60-
pounder, one 20-pounder, one 3-inch breech-
loading rifle, two 37mm. Hotchkiss cannon and
one Gatling.

Auxiliary Fleet.

Yankee, Commander Willard H. Brownson.
Cruiser; 4,659 tons; 15 knots speed. Arma-
ment— Four 5-inch breech-loading rifles, smaller
guns not decided on.

Dixie, Commander Charles H. Davis. De-
scription same as Yankee.

Prairie, Commander Charles J. Train. De-
scription same as Yankee.

Yosemite, Commander William H. Emory.
Description same as Yankee.

St. Paul, Captain Charles D. Sigsbee. Crui*

378 WAR WITH SPAIN.

ser, 11,629 tons; 21 knots speed. Armament
not decided on.

St. Louis, Captain Caspar F. Goodrich. De-
scription same as St. Paul.

Panther, Commander George C. Reiter.
Cruiser, 2,843 tons 5 *6 knots speed. Armament
not decided on.

Badger, Captain Albert S. Snow.

Resolute, Commander Joseph C. Eaton.

Beside these there were many revenue cutters
fitted up for service as dispatch boats and torpedo
gunboats, a number of swift yachts for like ser-
vice, tugs, colliers, etc.

The Spanish Soldier.

The United States soldier is a familiar figure
to every American, and there is probably no finer
type of fighting man in the world. Far different
is the Spanish soldier, in appearance one of the
most unsoldierly of men.

Watch him as he slouches along ; his tunic
faded, torn, and probably minus a button or two ;
his red trousers frayed and threadbare; his feet
cased in the clumsy hempen sandals of the
country; and his hands muffled in huge green
woolen gloves, between the top of which and
the sleeve of his tunic is usually to be seen two
or three inches of bare, brown, sinewy arm. He
carries his rifle anyhow — at the trail, at the slope,
muzzle foremost, slung at his back. Not an in-

Rear Admiral Sampson,

Rear AtLmiral Dewey.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 38 1

spiring picture ! Far from it ! Nevertheless,
that the Spaniard can fight, and fight well, too, on
occasions, has been proved on many a blood-
stained field. At Igualada, one of the fiercest
battles of the late Carlist war, an entire battalion
had to choose between annihilation and surrender,
and selected the former. Despite his shuffling
gait, too, he marches well and uncomplainingly.
In fact, the Spanish "Tommy" never seems to
tire, and he is seldom out of temper.

Two meals a day, served at 9 a. m. and
5 p. m., constitute the regular commissariat allow-
ances, but, in addition, he is served in some corps
with coffee and soup in the early morning. Bread,
and bread only, at the rate of a pound and a half
per man per day, constitutes the Government
ration. Any additional food he has to buy from
the regimental canteen. This is kept by a civilian,
but the scale of prices is regulated by a regimen-
tal committee. Very little meat enters into the
Spanish soldier's dietary. Perhaps this is the
reason his wounds heal so rapidly and easily. A
chunk of dry, black bread, a little oil, and a clove
of garlic suffice him for the day.

The Cigarette Mis Solace.

If to this he is able to add half a pint of wine
that looks like red ink and tastes like vinegar and
water, he is in clover. One thing, however, he
will never consent to do without, and that is his

22

382 WAR WITH SPAIN.

cigarette. The number of these an average
Spanish "Tommy" will consume in the course
of the day is appalling. He rolls them himself,
using a yellow, dry, dusty-looking tobacco, which
possesses no more flavor to an American smoker's
palate than would so much chopped straw.

In theory, every Spaniard must serve his
twelve years in the army ; but there is a wide
difference, in this case at all events, between
theory and practice. To begin with, any citizen
can discharge his liability to serve by the pay-
ment, in a lump sum, of 1,200 pesetas. This
sounds a good lot of money. But it takes five
pesetas to equal an American dollar, so that he
really has to disburse only about $240. Enor-
mous numbers, even of the peasant class, have
taken to availing themselves of this privilege.
There has even sprung up in many of the prov-
inces a special class of village usurers, who lend
the " smart money " — at a ruinous rate of interest,
of course — to young men who have been "drawn."
Benefit clubs, having the same object in view, are
also rife in the agricultural districts. This has the
effect of increasing the Spanish revenues ; but
from a military point of view it is deplorable.
Besides those who honorably purchase their ex-
emption, large numbers of young men obtain
what are known as "dispensations," absolving
them from serving their time under any circum-

WAR WITH SPAIN. 383

stances whatever. To get one of these "dispen-
sations" it is not necessary to be either braver,
wiser or better than one's neighbors. But one
must have what the Americans call a " pull " with
the authorities.

Bullied, Ill-treated and Robbed.

It is scarcely to be wondered at that the
Spanish peasant tries his utmost to evade the
conscription ; for his treatment, from the moment
he dons his country's uniform until the moment
he is discharged, is of the vilest. He is bullied
by his officers, ill-treated by his " non-coms.," and
robbed by all. Nominally his pay is 75 centimos
(15 cents) a day.

Often, however, for years together he does
not handle that much money in a month. The
Spanish system of "army stoppages" is worked
upon a sliding scale. The more money "Tommy"
"has coming to him" at the end of the month,
the greater is the sum kept back for this, that or
the other.

And he dares not complain, for discipline is
enforced with a relentless severity that is neither
more nor less than appalling. Desertion is pun-
ished by eight years' solitary confinement. For
theft the penalties are as follows : If the amount
stolen does not exceed 50 cents, imprisonment
with hard labor for three years ; from 50 cents to
$10.00, ten years' imprisonment; above $10.00,

384 WAR WITH SPAIN.

death or hard labor for life. In the Spanish mili-
tary code of laws there are over eighty crimes
many of them of the most trivial nature, which
are punishable by death. Nevertheless, organized
military revolts, known as "pronunciamientos,"
are exceedingly common, and the entire army is
said to be honeycombed by secret revolutionary
societies.

The Army in Cuba.

The Spanish army in Cuba was classified at
the outbreak of the war as follows :

First — Regular infantry. This force is com-
posed exclusively of men born in Spain. One
can have only feelings of pity for these poor boys,
for most of them are barely twenty years of age.
As regiment after regiment goes marching past,
one will look at thousands of youthful faces before
seeing a grizzled veteran. These boys are clean-
looking, neat and well-behaved. "Toughs" and
rowdies among them are almost wholly unknown.
They care nothing about Cuba. The island might
sink into the sea, and they would merely roll a
fresh cigarette and dream of the blue hills of old
Spain, so very, very far away. They are dragged
from their peaceful, quiet homes to fight for
Spain. That is all they know about it, and it is
all they care. Poor boys ! One could only pity
them, as they kept always coming, coming to
Havana, and never going back. It would be a pity

WAR WITH SPAIN. 385

to mow down these inoffensive lads with machine
guns and steel-jacketed bullets.

Second — Regular cavalry. This is practi-
cally little more than mounted infantry. The men
are of Spanish birth. If one did not know that
their horses came chiefly from Texas, the infer-
ence would be irresistible that the cavalry mounts
were the direct descendants of Rosinante of
blessed memory. The average cavalry horse of
the Spanish forces in Cuba recalls the old story
of the man who was driving along a village street
somewhere in Connecticut with a horse that was
apparently saved from total disintegration only
by the harness.

" Hello ! " said a friend on the sidewalk.
"Going to have a new horse?"

"What d'ye mean? " demanded the other.
- "Why, I thought you were going to have a
new horse. I see you have the frame up ! "

When the Spanish cavalry horse becomes
too weak and decrepit for active service he is sold
to the bull-fighters, who prop him up while the
bull gores him to death.

Third — Guardia Civil — infantry. This is
really an admirable body of men. It is the pick
of the Spanish troops in Cuba. To be eligible
for service with this corps a man must be of good
character and some education. As the name im-
plies, it is a civil guard, detailed chiefly for service

386 WAR WITH SPAIN.

in cities and other places where an intelligent,
well-behaved force is required. The men are not
mounted. They are of Spanish birth, and they
take pride in the good name of their corps.

Fourth — Guerillas — cavalry. From the
name, this force is supposed by most Americans
to be composed of lawless bands of ruffians,
roaming about, without method or discipline, in
search of throats to cut and henroosts to rob.
This is an error. The guerillas are regularly
enlisted men, properly officered, and subjected to
army discipline. The detestation in which they are
held arises from two circumstances : First, they
are mostly native-born Cubans, fighting for pay
against the freedom of their own country ; second,
in their capacity of scouts and rural patrol, they
come in conflict with the Insurgents more fre-
quently than any other Spanish force. When
captured by Insurgents a guerilla receives no
quarter. He is either hacked to death with a
machete or hanged to the nearest tree. By
reason of his intimate knowledge of the country,
the guerilla is more feared and hated than all the
rest of the Spanish troops combined. When
captured by Insurgents, the Spanish-born soldier
is treated humanely, and put to work raising
vegetables for the use of his captors. The cap-
tured guerilla, however, is killed like a wild
beast.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 387

Fifth — Volunteers — infantry. This was Wey-
ler's pet force. It is composed chiefly of Spanish
residents of Cuba, who hold themselves in readi-
ness for active service when called upon in times
of emergency. Its fighting abilities are supposed
to be confined to volleys of selected epithets
delivered at long range.

Sixth — Mobilizados — infantry. This is an
irregular force for defensive purposes only. It
is composed of both Spaniards and native-born
Cubans. It is to all intents and purposes a force
of night-watchmen, serving without pay, or with
pay, as circumstances provide. Each fortified
town is supposed to provide a certain number of
mobilizados to do guard duty at the blockhouse
forts, guarding the place. The citizens usually
take turns at this duty. By obtaining a special
permit from the authorities, the owner of a plan-
tation may arm his workmen, or may hire men as
guards, to protect his property against bandits.

Seventh— Orden Publico — infantry. This is
a city guard, similar to the Guardia Civil. It was
with men from this force that the United States
Consulate-General, in Havana, was guarded.
Spanish Pronunciation.

For the convenience of those who have not
a familiar acquaintance with the Spanish language,
the pronunciation of some of the commonest
names met with in the story of the war is given.

WAR WITH SPAIN.

It will be well to mention" a few of the important
peculiarities in the sounds of the Spanish conso-
nants. The letter "j " in Spanish has its nearest
English equivalent in "h," although it is harsher
than that letter, and is like the German guttural
" ch." It can be obtained approximately by
breathing strongly in the throat, trying at the same
time to pronounce the English "h." The letter
"g," when followed by " e " or " i," is pronounced
in the same way ; but in all other cases is pro-
nounced like "g" in "go." The Spanish "h" is
not sounded at all. "LI" is pronounced like
"Hi "in "billion," and "n" like " ni " in "pinion."
In the pure Castilian, which is the language of
the Court and of the most highly educated classes
in Spain, the letter "c," when followed by "e" or
"i," and the letter "z" always are pronounced
like " th " in " thick." As these consonants occur
frequently, they give this purest form of Spanish
a peculiarly soft and melodious sound. But in
many parts of Spain, this "th" sound is never
heard, the letters "c" and "g" being both pro-
nounced like the English " s." The latter custom
also prevails throughout Cuba and Porto Rico,
and in all the countries of South and Central
America, where Spanish is the general language.
In the table below the pronunciation of all the
names of places in the West Indies or of Cuban
leaders which contain the letter "z," or the letter

WAR WITH SPAIN. 389

"c," followed by "e" or "i," will consequently
be given both ways. Proper and geographical
names of Spain itself will be given according to
the Castilian form.

As a general rule, to which, however, there
are many exceptions, the emphasis or accent in
the pronunciation of Spanish words falls on the
last syllable of those which end in a consonant
and on the next to the last syllable of those which
end in a vowel. In the names here given, an
accent mark will be placed upon the vowel in the
syllable which receives the emphasis, but it should
be remembered that this mark does not properly
belong there, but is used merely to indicate how
the word is pronounced. It is always a difficult
matter to imitate the pronunciation of foreign
words in English letters, and the results cannot,
in many cases, exactly reproduce the Spanish
sounds. The letter "r" in Spanish is always
rolled much more than in English.

West Indian Geographical Names.

Havana — Ah-vah-na. Cardenas — Car-deh-
nas. Cabanas — Cah-ban-yas. Matanzas — Mah-
tahn-sas, or Mah-tahn-thas. Pinar del Rio — Pee-
nar del Ree-o. Mariel — Mah-ree-el. Santa Clara
— Sahn-ta Clah-ra. Santiago de Cuba — Sahn-tee-
ah-go deh Coo-ba. Puerto Principe — Poo-air-to
Prin-see-pay, or Poo-air-to Prin-the-peh. Guana-
bacoa — Gwahn-ah-bah-co-ah. Bahia Honda — Bah-

390 WAR WITH SPAIN.

ee-ah Ohn-dah. Corrientes — Cor-ree-ehn-tehs.
Conchas — Cohn-chahss. Sagua la Grande — Sah-
gwah lah Grahn-deh. Cienfuegos — See-ehn-foo-
eh-gos, or The-ehn-foo-eh-gos. Moron — Mo-
rohn. Nuevitas — Nooeh-vi-tahss. Cubitas — Coo-
bi-tahss. Holquin — Ohl-gheen. Santa Cruz —
Sahn-tah Crooss, or Sahn-tah Crooth. Manzanillo
— Mahn-sah-neel-yo, or Mahn-thah-neel-yo. Maya-
guez — Mah-yah-gaiss, or Mah-yah-gaith. San
Juan — Sahn Hooahn. Arecibo — Ah-reh-see-bo,
or Ah-reh-the-bo. Ponce — Pohn-seh, or Pohn-
theh. Jucaro — Hoo-cah-ro. Esperanza — Ehs-
peh-rahn-sah, or Ehs-peh-rahn-thah.
Cuban Proper Names.

Maximo Gomez — Mahks-i-mo G6-mes, or
Mahks-i-mo G6-meth. Calixto Garcia — Cah-leeks-
to Gar-see-ah, or Cah-leeks-to Gar-the-ah. (The
" x " in Calixto is pronounced like the guttural
"j" previously mentioned.) Perez — Peh-res, or
Peh-reth. Alvarez — Ahl-vah-res, or Ahl-vah-reth.
Masso — Mahss-o. Capote — Cah-po-teh.
Spanish Geographical Names.

Espafia (Spain) — Es-pahn-yah. Madrid —
Mah-dreed. Cadiz — Cah-deeth. Barcelona —
Bar-theh-16-nah. Valencia — Vah-len-the-ah. Viz-
caya (Biscay) — Veeth-cah-yah. Sevilla (Seville)
Seh-veel-yah. Cartagena — Car-tah-heh-nah. Ca-
vite — Cah-vee-tay. Castilla — Cahs-teel-yah. Ara-
g«n — Ah-rah-gohn. Ceuta — Thay-oo-tah,

WAR WITH SPAIN. 39 1

Spanish Proper Names,

Alfonso — Ahl-fohn-so. Maria Cristina —
Mah-ree-ah Crees-tee-nah. Praxedes Sagasta —
Prah-heh-dehs Sah-gahss-tah. Leon y Castillo —
Leh-6hn ee Cahss-teel-yo. Correa — Cor-reh-ah.
Aunon — Ah-oonohn. Romero Giron — Ro-meh-
ro Hee-rohn. Lopez Puigcerver — L6-peth Poo-
eeg-thair-vair. Gamazo — Gah-mah-tho. Capde-
pon — Cahp-deh-pohn. Groizard — Gro-ee-thard.
(The last name, from its spelling, appears to be
French, but the above would be the Spanish pro-
nunciation.) Bermejo — Bair-meh-ho. Cervera
— Thair-veh-rah. Weyler — Way-ee-lair. (This
again is undoubtedly a German name and is
variously pronounced.) Ramon Blanco — Rah-
mohn Blahn-co. Silvela — Seel-veh-lah. Romero
y Robledo — Ro-meh-ro ee Ro-blay-do.

Names of Spanish Ships.

Almirante Oquendo — Ahl-mee-rahn-teh O-
kehn-do. Pelayo — Peh-lah yo. Cristobal Colon
— Crees-to-bahl Co-lohn. Pluton — Ploo-tohn.
Terror — Ter-ror. Furor — Foo-r6r. Ciudad de
Cadiz — The-oo-dahd deh Cah-deeth. Azor — Au-
thor. Ariete — Ah-ree-eh-teh.

CHAPTER XVII.

BLOCKADING HAVANA THE FIRST PRIZE TAKING

THE PEDRO SHOTS FROM MORRO CASTLE

IN HAVANA MORE PRIZES A FALSE ALARM

ADVENTURES OF A PRESS BOAT A SMART CAP-
TURE— WORK OF A MONITOR A PRIVILEGED

FRENCH STEAMER.

(f

HE FIRST SHOT of the war was fired
at seven o'clock on the morning of April
22. It was fired from a six-inch gun
on the gunboat Nashville, of Admiral
Sampson's fleet, blockading Havana, and the tar-
get was the Spanish merchant steamer Buenaven-
tura, the first prize of the war.

Before daylight that morning the fleet was
under way to blockade the Spanish-Cuban capital.
At sunrise it was slowly steaming south from Key
West. There were the great battleships Indiana
and Iowa, and the armored cruiser New York,
the flagship of Admiral Sampson, who was in
command of the squadron. These with a monitor,
four torpedo-boats, an unarmored cruiser
and gunboats made the first division. By six
o'clock the last ship was in line. Meanwhile the
crowds at the harbor saw a trail of smoke appear

(392)

WAR WITH SPAIN. 393

on the westward, gradually approaching to round
out of the Gulf. About seven o'clock it could be
seen to be a two-masted black-hulled merchant-
man flying the Spanish flag. Suddenly the Nash-
ville left the line of Captain Sampson's squadron,
and steamed at full speed westward towards the
Spaniard. A moment after breaking from the
line she fired a shot from her port side, which
struck the water a hundred yards wide of the
Spanish merchantman. The latter was half a mile
off, and held on her way without heeding the shot.
The Nashville pressed on in full chase.
Two minutes after the first shot she tried another,
which passed within a rod of the Spaniard's bows
and struck the water a mile beyond. On seeing
this, the merchantman immediately reversed her
engines. The Nashville was now close by. The
Spaniard struck her colors at 7.15 a. m., and
waited. By then the Nashville was alongside,
with every starboard gun trained against the mer-
chantman. The United States vessel lowered her
whaleboat, and Ensign Magruder — a name known
to an earlier generation in the American navy —
with a small prize crew, boarded the stranger, who
proved to be the Buenaventura, laden with lum-
ber. The United States torpedo-boat Foote was
up alongside in a few minutes. The Spanish
vessel's papers were at once handed over, and
taken by the Foote to Admiral Sampson's flagship.

394 WAR WITH spain.

The New York, Indiana, and the Iowa had been

lying off during this brief drama. A number of

guns were fired from the New York without any

apparent object so far as those not on board could

see. However, the torpedo-boat Foote soon

returned to the Nashville with orders from the

commander to hold the Buenaventura as a prize

of war. The Nashville then escorted her to Key

West.

The First Prize.

The crew of the Buenaventura hung listlessly
and indifferently over the rail, and gazed with sleepy
curiosity at their captors. Two Spanish officers
remained on the bridge, one apparently the cap-
tain. When orders came to take the prize to
Key West an American sailor held her wheel, an-
other stood on the bridge near Ensign Magruder,
and a third guarded the maindeck. The American
sailors were armed with muskets, and had bayon-
ets in their belts. Ensign Magruder bore only
his side-arms. The crews of the Nashville and
the Foote kept silent from the moment the men
went aboard the Buenaventura. All the way to
this harbor they made no demonstration of the
intense exultation they must have felt at holding
the first Spanish prize and prisoners.

When the Nashville, convoying her first
prize, arrived at Key West, all the ships in the
harbor blew blasts from their steam whistles, and

WAR WITH SPAIN. 395

great crowds gathered and cheered wildly at the
sight of the Stars and Stripes flying from the
masts of the captured Spaniard. The Cuban
residents got up a special demonstration of their
own, and paraded the streets with Cuban flags.
The Nashville's performance was a very smart
one.

Taking: the Pedro.

The next prize was the merchant ship Pedro.
She was unloading a cargo at Havana when the
blockade was proclaimed, and she made all haste
to get away, but succeeded in merely running
into the American fleet. She put out of the har-
bor and headed for the east, intending to run
around that end of the island and get to Santiago
de Cuba. She had the honor of being espied by
the lookout on no less a vessel than the flagship
of the fleet, the New York. Instantly the old
cry, dear to a fighting seaman's heart, was heard
-—"A chase! A chase!"

The officers and crew gathered in groups, and
eagerly watched the flying vessel. The New
York increased her speed to eighteen knots, and
gained rapidly, Admiral Sampson meanwhile pac-
ing the forward bridge. Great delight was ex-
pressed when it became evident that the stranger
was cut off from escape. The crew were now all
at their stations and the guns loaded and trained.
The echo of the warning shot had hardly died

396 WAR WITH SPAIN.

away before the Pedro hove to. The prize crew
which was sent on board the captured vessel had
scarcely left for their new command when a blank
shell was fired from one of the New York's for-
ward guns. This was the signal for another
steamer which had been sighted to westward to
stop. She was scurrying away as fast as possible,
when the flagship began a second chase. The
excitement now became intense, but perfect dis-
cipline was maintained. To the great disappoint-
ment of all on board, it was presently seen that
the steamer was flying the German flag. An
ensign boarded her to obtain information, and she
proved to be the tramp steamer Reumus, bound
from Havana to Santiago. Her captain stated
that he knew nothing about the war, and the
American ensign accordingly made the usual
apologies and returned to the flagship, the
Reumus proceeding on her way.

Shots from Morro Castle.
The Pedro was captured on April 24. The
preceding night the first shots were fired at our
fleet from Morro Castle. The flag-ship New
York was engaged in signalling with lights to the
other members of the fleet when the firing began.
Captain Chad wick of the New York was asleep
at the time. The firing from the forts was at
once reported to him by the officer of the deck,
and the signal officer asked in excited tones

Commodore Schley.

Captain Sigsbee.

WAR WITH SPAIN.

399

whether he had not better discontinue signaling.
"No," Captain Chadwick replied, with the ut-
most coolness, "there is no necessity for stopping.
Go ahead."

A little later Captain Chadwick went on the
forward bridge and watched the flames shooting
out from Morro Castle as each shot was fired, but
after a few minutes he turned his back, remarking
that it was perfectly certain the Spaniards could
do no damage at five miles, our present approxi-
mate distance from the fort. He then returned
to bed.

The other officers, commenting upon the
firing, laughingly remarked that the Spaniards
evidently couldn't sleep without some fireworks,
one of them adding, "They can't hit anything,
anyway."

During this futile attempt to bombard the
fleet there was no excitement whatever on board
ship. In fact, many of the men were unconcern-
edly asleep, though Spain's first gun in the war
was being fired, and the ship they were in was
the target.

In Havana.

Meantime in the city of Havana there was no
such tranquillity as Captain Chadwick showed.
The opening days of the war were marked with
intense excitement and many alarms. The long-
expected war-cloud had burst, and had roused

23

4-00 WAR WITH SPAIN.

the passions of the Spaniards to the extremest
pitch. At length one night, a little before mid-
night, a fleet of warships was discovered by
searchlights approaching Havana. Instantly the
whole town was filled with animation. Alarm
guns were fired from the forts, the troops were
beat to quarters, and in a few minutes every man
was at his post.

The United States squadron approached at
quarter speed. They flashed out their search-
lights as soon as the alarm guns were fired. Land
and water became almost as bright as at noon-
day. Hundreds of people rushed to the water-
side. Others, believing a bombardment was
about to commence, sought concealment in direc-
tions out of the line of the forts.

The scene was inspiring. The drums beat in
the batteries and the soldiers hurried from point
to point as directed.

But beyond all was the awe-inspiring sight of
that phantom-like fleet gliding majestically, si-
lently, and slowly through the quiet waters, mak-
ing no sign of its deadly mission, and giving no
sign of life to those on shore, but the continuous
searching of the waters and the shore with their
powerful searchlights.

The vessels did not make direct for Havana.
They directed their course towards Lacharrena,
about two miles to the west.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 4OI

There was no rest for Havana that night.
The squadron continually shifted its position.
Evidently there was a dread of torpedoes, and the
greatest care was exercised. The reconnoitring
and signalling went on until dawn made the elec-
tric light needless, and then the American
fleet moved off in line to the east and disappeared,
whilst the wearied sightseers went home to their
beds, and the timid ones came from their hiding
places to their own homes.

More Prices.

The taking of prizes now became a matter of
almost daily occurrence. On April 24 the gun-
boat Helena took into Key West the valuable
steamer Miguel Jover, with a cargo of 2,000 tons
of cotton and staves. She was worth about
$400,000. A little later the same day the gun-
boat Detroit captured the Catalina, a large steel
steamer, of considerable value. And so it went
on day after day. All sorts of Spanish ships were
taken, from large ocean steamers to small fishing
smacks. Now and then a ship of some other
nationality was overhauled, but of course re-
leased unless she was trying to run the blockade,
in which case she either turned back or was taken
prisoner. The blockade was effectively main-
tained. One or two ships succeeded in eluding
the vigilance of our squadron, but they were
merely the exceptions that proved the rule. The

4-02 WAR WITH SPAIN.

blockaded ports were practically sealed against
entry or exit.

A False Alarm.

The day after the blockade of Havana
was established, the monitor Puritan, the cruiser
Cincinnati, the gunboats Machias, Nashville, Cas-
tine and Newport, and the torpedo-boats Foote
and Winslow left the squadron to blockade
Matanzas, Mariel and Cardenas. They formed
separate divisions. After they had passed out of
sight the remainder of the fleet took up regular
formation. They drifted fifteen miles from Morro
Castle, and a general advance was then made at
half speed. Captain Bob Evans, who was not
quite certain of the position he was entitled to
take with the Iowa, came abreast of the flagship,
and shouted through the megaphone, " How near
may I go ? " Admiral Sampson, standing on the
after-bridge, replied, "As near as you can with-
out drawing the fire of the batteries." "All
right ! " Captain Evans shouted back, in tones
which expressed the keenest disappointment.

The Iowa then went ahead. About half an
hour after the squadron was well under way, the
cruiser Cincinnati was seen in the eastern horizon,
smoke pouring from her funnels. As she had
been heading for Matanzas, it was evident that
she had turned back to chase some vessel. The
object of the pursuit was soon made out to be a

WAR WITH SPAIN. 403

warship, standing well in towards the coast. The
flagship New York, the cruiser Marblehead, and
the gunboat Wilmington immediately turned out
of their course to head the warship off, the re-
mainder of the squadron proceeding westward. It
was impossible to establish the stranger's identity,
but she was thought to be the Viscaya or
Oquenda, heading for Havana. The most intense
excitement prevailed on board the New York and
on the other vessels of the squadron. The men
at the guns shouted with glee, while the stokers,
off duty below, cheered vociferously, and begged
to be allowed to go on deck to help to shoot at
the first armed enemy. The officers crowded the
quarter-deck, as elated as the men, though under
better control.

The bugler blew to general quarters, and all
hands flew to their posts. Admiral Sampson,
standing on the bridge, said deliberately to Cap-
tain Chadwick, "Yes, it is the Oquenda or
Viscaya;" adding, "I should like to bag them
both." It was then seen that the chase was flying
the Italian flag. This was no proof that behind
her still invisible guns Spaniards were not con-
cealed, ready to shoot, under false colors, and
the guns on the port side of the New York, and
in the forward and after turrets, were trained on
the stranger. A few minutes later, when about
1,500 yards separated the New York from her

404 WAR WITH SPAIN.

target, the American flag was run up on the war-
ship, a puff of smoke issued from her side, and the
boom of a gun sounded across the waters. Many
on board the flagship still thought the vessel
might prove to be an enemy's ship, but the sound
of the fifteen guns, with which she saluted the
American flag, soon undeceived them. The New
York returned the salute, and in her turn flew
the Italian flag. The stranger proved to be the
Italian cruiser Giovanni Bausan. Without further
formalities she continued her course, and entered
Havana harbor. An exciting incident thus ended
in disappointment, but it served to show the
anxiety of all hands for a fight, and to prove the
thoroughness of their discipline.

Adventures of a Press Boat.
Some exciting adventures fell to the lot of
the steamer Dauntless, which was in use as a
news-boat, accompanying the fleet. It went off
towards Matanzas, with the ships that were to
blockade that port. "At nine o'clock that night,"
says one who was aboard the Dauntless, "three
miles off Matanzas, we were stopped by Ensign
Mclntyre, of the Cincinnati, while we were steam-
ing quietly toward Matanzas, whose lights were
reflected in the sky. A few miles to the south-
eastward a large fire ashore was exciting com.
ment aboard our vessel, and wonder was rife as
to where the United States blockading fleet was

WAR WITH SPAIN. 405

to be found, when suddenly our look-out reported
'Torpedo-boat astern, coming up fast.' A
moment later, by her lights and a rocket which
she sent up, the torpedo-boat Dupont was made
out. We then discovered that we had come
unawares within three miles of the Cuban shore,
and far inside the prescribed limits. What fol-
lowed was short, sharp and warlike. From the
torpedo-boat, which had come alongside, we were
hailed with the query, ' What boat is that ? '
Before we could answer, the order came through
the megaphone, ' Keep out of this; keep outside
the six-mile line, or you will get a shot through
you.'

" Some further colloquy of a more friendly
character ensued. When the officer of the
Dupont learned the peaceful nature of our mis-
sion, we were directed to proceed slowly towards
the Cincinnati, in whose neighborhood, also, we
were advised to use great caution, as otherwise
trouble would be in store for us. We proceeded
slowly, but it seems not slowly enough, and very
soon we were blinded by the glare of the Cin-
cinnati's searchlights. The first intimation we
received that we were in too close proximity to
the warship was conveyed by the report of a six-
pounder, which was immediately followed by a
quick hail. Presently the Dupont stole up again,
and quietly reported to the Cincinnati, ' This is

406 WAR WITH SPAIN.

the boat we sighted inshore.' A voice from the
Cincinnati replied, ' Very good ; we will send a
boat to board her.'

"All this time the glare of the cruiser's search-
lights was on us, and was almost intolerable.
Soon afterward a six-oared boat, with Ensign
Mclntyre in the stern sheets, came alongside.
His first order was, 'Your papers and log,
please.' These were produced and found satis-
factory, and more cordial relations were soon
established. We found that we had transgressed
for being- within the limits set for vessels, and had
had a close shave of being sunk. We informed
the Cincinnati's officer that we would cheerfully
take back any mail. In ten minutes the boat
returned with this message : ' Captain Chester's
compliments, and he will be obliged if you will
take in this mail. You can go. You had better
steam due west when you make your first course,
or you may get into more trouble.' These
instructions were obeyed literally, and we set off
on our return. Before we had gone six miles we
again saw the torpedo-boat astern, evidently
keeping an eye on us, the Cincinnati's search-
lights meanwhile sweeping the horizon. Soon
afterwards we heard four shots in quick succes-
sion, but as they were not followed by others,
we presumed some other boat had been over-
hauled."

WAR WITH SPAIN. 407

A Smart Capture*

A smart bit of work was the capture of the
Spanish steamer Panama, by the Mangrove, on
the evening of April 25. The Mangrove had
been before the war merely a lighthouse tender,
but was now fitted with two six-pounder guns and
rated as an auxiliary cruiser of the United States
navy. The Mangrove was prowling off Havana
that evening, when she sighted the Panama head-
ing for that port. Chase was given at once, and
when the Mangrove got within range she fired a
shot at the Spaniard. The latter did not stop,
however, but kept on at top speed. Meanwhile,
the Mangrove outmanoeuvred the Panama, getting
between her and the Cuban shore, but even then
the Panama would not stop, and the Mangrove
had to fire three more shots, at decreasing range,
before the plucky Spaniard reversed his engines
and hauled down his flag in token of surrender.

The Panama's passengers were mainly Span-
ish refugees fleeing from New York and other
places in the United States to Havana. Captain
Quevedo was grief-stricken and greatly humiliated
because of the capture. The passengers declared
they knew nothing of the blockade, and when they
saw the searchlight of the Mangrove they
thought it the light of a Spanish man-of-war. The
first shot changed their joy to apprehension, the
second and third created a panic. The women

408 WAR WITH SPAIN.

ran screaming for shelter from the enemy's guns,
and the captain locked himself sullenly in his cabin.
"Work of a Monitor.
Most of the prize-taking was done by the
small, swift gunboats, but even the big, heavy,
slow monitors joined in it at times. This was
done in the case of the Guido, taken on April 27.
She was bound for Havana from Liverpool. The
gunboat Machias sighted her some twenty-five
miles north of Havana and fired the customary
shot as a warning for her to stop, but the Guido
disregarded it. The monitor Terror had also
sighted her from the other side at the same time,
and she also fired a shot across her bows. The
Guido, however, did not stop, and the monitor
then began to fire in a way that impressed on her
the need of an immediate halt. She was some
two miles' distance, but each of the three 6-pound
shots which the Terror sent struck the upper-
works of the Guido, as it was intended they
should. One stove a big hole in one of the boats
and another knocked the compass to smithereens
off its stanchions.

A splinter just grazed the wrist of Captain
Sachiando, whose uplifted hand grasped the signal
rope, and drew some blood. Quartermaster
Manuel Rivas, who was at the wheel, was struck
in the side by a splinter, but was not seriously
hurt. Then the Guido surrendered.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 409

A Privileged French Steamer.

An untoward incident of the blockade was the
capture and immediate release of the French
steamer Lafayette. She had been exempted from
capture by a special order of the Washington
Government, at the request of the French Govern-
ment. But the order was not conveyed to the fleet
quite in time. On May 5, while the gunboat An-
napolis was cruising off Havana she noticed the
Lafayette making for the blockaded port at all
speed, with the evident intention of entering the
harbor. Commander Hunker, of the gunboat,
immediately gave chase and a few minutes later
was within hailing distance. Signals ordering the
steamer to heave to were run up, but they were
disregarded, and the more persuasive argument
of a blank shot was used with instant effect.

The warship's whaleboat, with an officer, was
sent out to the Frenchman, whose manifest was
inspected, and the results were sent to Com-
mander Hunker. The latter ordered the board-
ing officer to warn the captain of the Frenchman
that Havana was in a state of blockade, and that
he would have to make for his ultimate destina-
tion, Vera Cruz, Mexico, without touching at any
port in Cuba. Captain De Chapelaine, the com-
mander of the French vessel, agreed to do this,
and the boarding officer and his crew returned to
the Annapolis.

4IO WAR WITH SPAIN.

Some hours later, or just after dark, the
Lafayette was again detected trying to slip through
the line of the blockading squadron, and the
Annapolis again gave chase. The Wilmington,
the Vicksburg and two of the tugs joined in the
hunt, and, after another gun was fired across the
Frenchman's bows, she again hove to. This time
a permanent boarding crew under Ensign Sega-
mond, of the Wilmington, was placed aboard,
and, escorted by the latter vessel, the prize was
headed for Key West, where she arrived early
next morning. Her arrival there caused con-
siderable sensation, as it was said that she had
left Corunna after the blockade had been declared,
and that she carried among her 161 passengers a
number of officers of the Spanish army, besides
arms, ammunition, medicine and other contra-
band of war.

Early in the day the prize commission went
out to the Lafayette and made a critical exam-
ination of her manifest. While this work was in
progress a note was received from Commodore
Watson, who had just taken command of the
squadron, saying that he had received orders
from Washington requiring him to release the
Lafayette and have her convoyed to Havana by a
man-of-war. The ship's papers were at once re-
turned to her commander and he was informed
that he was free to go to Havana.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE WAR IN THE FAR EAST THE OPPOSING FLEETS —

PANIC AT MANILA — -ENTERING MANILA BAY

THE BATTLE OF MANILA THE SPANIARDS

BRAVE, BUT BEATEN A HALT FOR BREAKFAST

FINISHING THE JOB AN UNRIVALED PERFORM-
ANCE T E L L I N G THE NEWS THE PRESIDENT

THANKS DEWEY DEWEY'S RECORD TAKING POS-
SESSION OF THE PHILIPPINES.

OON AFTER the opening of the war,
expectation began to turn toward the
Far East. Spain had a considerable
fleet in the waters of the Philippine Islands, with
which she might menace our commerce in the
Pacific Ocean, and even cause some annoyance to
the California coast. It seemed imperative that
it should be promptly destroyed or captured.
Accordingly, instructions were sent to Commo-
dore George Dewey, commanding the American
fleet in that part of the world, to proceed to
Manila and deal with the Spanish fleet according
to his own discretion.

Dewey was then at Hong Kong. His fleet
contained not more than half as many ships as

(41 1)

412 WAR WITH SPAIN.

the Spanish, but they were larger and better ships,
and he felt no doubt as to the result of an. engage-
ment. On April 27 he set out for the scene of
battle. It was announced that the Spanish fleet
would come out of the harbor and meet him in
the open sea. Meantime the land defences of the
harbor were strengthened, and the Spanish Gov-
ernor issued various proclamations, defying and
vilely calumniating the Americans. One of his
proclamations declared that "the American peo-
ple are composed of all social excrescences, who
have exhausted our patience and provoked war
with their perfidious machinations, their acts of
treachery and their outrages against the law of na-
tions and international conventions." The proc-
lamation proceeded to say : "A squadron manned
by foreigners, possessing neither instruction nor
discipline, comes to the Archipelago, with the ruf-
fianly intention of robbing us of all that means
life, honor and liberty. The aggressors shall not
profane the tombs of your fathers. They shall
not gratify their lustful passions at the cost of
your wives and daughters. They shall not cover
you with dishonor or appropriate the property
your industry has accumulated as a provision for
your old age. They shall not perpetrate any of
the crimes inspired by their wickedness and
coveteousness ; because your valor and patriot-
ism will suffice to punish this miserable people,

WAR WITH SPAIN. 413

which, claiming to be civilized and cultivated, have
exterminated the unhappy natives of North
America, instead of bringing to them the light of
civilization and of progress."

The Opposing- Fleets.

The United States fleet, under Commodore
Dewey, consisted of the following ships :

The flagship Olympia, one of the best cruis-
ers afloat, Captain C. V. Gridley.

The cruiser Baltimore, Captain N. M. Dyer.

The cruiser Boston, Captain Frank Wildiez.

The cruiser Concord, Commander Asa
Walker.

The cruiser Raleigh, Captain J. B. Coghlan.

The gunboat Petrel, Commander E. P. Wood.

The dispatch-boat Hugh McCulloch.

The steamer Nanshan, storeship.

The steamer Zafiro, collier.

Opposed to it was the following fleet, com-
manded by Admiral Montojo :

The cruiser Reina Cristina.

The cruiser Castilla.

The cruiser Velasco.

The cruiser Don Juan de Austria.

The gunboat Paraguay.

The gunboat Ulloa.

The gunboat El Cano.

The gunboat General Lezo.

The gunboat Marquez del Duero.

414 WAR WITH SPAIN.

The transport General Alava.
The transport Manila,
The transport Cebu.

Panic at Manila.

Meantime there was something much like a
state of panic at Manila. The American Consul,
Mr. Williams, who was warned on April 15 by
cable to leave Manila, sent warning to the Amer-
ican residents and began negotiations with Gov-
ernor-General Primo de Rivera to hand over the
affairs of the American Consulate to the British
Consul, E. A. Rawson Walker.

Rivera professed to be ignorant of the strained
relations between the United States and Spain, so
he cabled to Madrid for instructions, as Spanish
consent was necessary for the transfer. Rivera
temporized for several days, until the arrival of
General Augusti, his successor, when the transfer
was made. The American colony at Manila con-
sisted of twenty-five persons engaged in business.
Williams warned them to wind up business and
leave as soon as possible. Several went away,
but the majority went on board British vessels in
the harbor to await the outcome of Dewey's arrival.

One American named Johnson refused to go,
as his wife had just given birth to a child and
could not be moved. Consul Williams was
treated with much courtesy, but as soon as he de-
serted the consulate the insignia of the United

a
a

ft

WAR WITH SPAIN. 417

States on the shield over the door were taken
down and kicked into splinters. Only one Amer-
ican ship was left in the harbor, the Great
Admiral, which was loading hemp for New York.
Captain Stirling's papers were not accurate, and
he feared to sail lest some Spanish cruiser would
seize him because of defective papers.

Consul Williams went away on the steamer
Esmeralda. The Chinese, who feared their prop-
erty would be looted, offered large sums for pas-
sage on the steamer. One hundred and fifty dol-
lars bonus was offered above the ordinary fare of
$50, and some paid as high as $250 merely for
deck passage. The steamer is allowed to take
two hundred deck passengers, but this number
was largely increased.

When Consul Williams reached Hong Kong
he made his headquarters with Consul-General
Rounseville Wildman.

He brought complete maps of the harbor and
plans of all the fortifications. With Wildman he
went down to the fleet at Mires Bay and held a
conference with Admiral Dewey, at which the
plan of attack was perfected. It was decided that
Dewey should attack the Spanish fleet wherever
he found it, as it was recognized it would be more
important to destroy or cripple the fleet than to
capture Manila, as then American merchant ves-
sels would be safe.

24

41 8 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Entering Manila Bay.

Despite the boasts of the Spanish commander,
the Spanish fleet did not go out to meet the
American, but remained in harbor, under the
guns of the forts of Manila and Cavite. Dewey
reached Subig Bay, thirty miles north of Manila,
on Saturday, April 30, and having as yet seen
nothing of the enemy, sent two of his ships, the
Baltimore and the Concord, forward to reconnoitre.
They went as far as the entrance to Manila Bay,
and found no Spanish ships. So Dewey decided
to go ahead and enter the harbor.

It was midnight, that night, when the fleet
arrived at the dark gateway that led into the
capital of the Philippines. There were forts on
both sides, and on the two islands which lay in
the narrow channel, and torpedoes and submarine
mines were supposed to be abundant. But the
gallant Vermonter, who had fought with Farragut,
never hesitated a moment.

The " wee, small hours" of Sunday morning,
May Day, were beginning to grow toward sunrise
when the fleet passed the forts of Corregidor
Island. The flagship had passed more than a
mile beyond them, and the others were swiftly
following, with the prospect of all getting in with-
out discovery or the firing of a shot, when a few
sparks flew up from the smokestack of the Mc-
Culloch. They gave the alarm to the Spanish

WAR WITH SPAIN. 419

garrison, and in an instant several shells were
sent screaming over the water, toward the ships.
They fell wide of the mark, however, and the fleet
swept on uninjured. But it was not in Yankee
blood to be shot at without reply. In the uncer-
tain light the gunners of the Raleigh, Concord
and Boston fired back, without a moment check-
ing the progress of the ships. Their shells went
straight to the mark, and the forts ashore were
quickly silenced. Then Dewey gave orders for
the men to lie down and sleep for an hour or two
before the day's work began.

The Battle of Manila.

It was a calm and lovely Sunday morning,
when the American fleet came sweeping slowly up
the sparkling waters of Manila Bay. All was serene
and peaceful. The Spanish ships were lying close
to the shore, under the guns of the forts at Cavite,
at the south side of the bay. Some of them were
behind its great stone breakwater. The Olympia
led the advance with not a sign of life about her,
nor any sound nor motion save the measured
throbbing of her mighty engines.

The Spanish began firing first, their shells
dropping all around the Olympia, but doing her
no harm. Then, as a shell burst directly over
her, a hoarse cry came from the boatswain's mate
at the after 5-inch gun, and "Remember the
Maine ! " arose from the five hundred men at the

420 WAR WITH SPAIN.

guns. The watchword was caught up in the tuiv
rets and fire-rooms, until, wherever seaman or
fireman stood at his post, "Remember the
Maine! " had rung out for defiance and revenge,
The utterance seemed unpremeditated, but it was
evidently in every man's mind, and now that the
moment had come to make an adequate reply to
the murder of the Maine's crew, every man
shouted what was in his heart.

The Olympia was now ready to begin the
fight. Commodore Dewey, his chief of stafi^
Commander Lamberton, and several other offL
cers were on the forward bridge. Captain Grid
ley was at his station in the conning tower.

It was just 5.40 by the clock. The Olympia
was about 5,600 yards from the foe. Turning
quietly, and with the coolest and calmest of man-
ners, Commodore Dewey said :

"You may fire whenever you are ready,
Captain Gridley."

Captain Gridley was ready. Within a minute
one of his 8-inch guns roared answer, and the
battle was on.

The Spaniards Brave, but Beaten.

The other ships at once began firing and the
conflict became general. Our fire was directed
chiefly, at first, at the Spanish ships Reina Cris^
tina and Castilla. The range was too great for
accuracy, and the Spaniards seemed encouraged

WAR WITH SPAIN. 42 1

to fire faster, knowing exactly our distance, while
we had to guess theirs.

It was very evident that Admiral Montojo
had not expected the enemy so soon, but having
recovered from the first surprise of the attack, he
directed the operations of his fleet with great
bravery and considerable skill.

Early in the battle he steamed towards the
enemy as though challenging the American Ad-
miral to single combat. A terrible fire was
brought to bear upon the Reina Cristina, in the
face of which she was compelled to retire in a
sinking condition.

She directed her course as well as she could
towards the harbor of Cavite, steaming slowly.
Then a big shell struck her, burst between decks,
and set her on fire. She foundered before reach-
ing the harbor, and many men went down with
her.

A Halt for Breakfast.

When eight o'clock struck, Commodore
Dewey signalled for all hands to stop firing and
retire out of range for breakfast. The men had
been hard at work for more than two hours, on
nothing but a cup of coffee. Yet they were re-
luctant to quit fighting, even for an hour. Some
of them became almost mutinous when ordered
to stop firing. Their feeling was well expressed
by one gunner, who turned to Commander Lam-

42 2 WAR WITH SPAIN.

berton with tears in his eyes, and cried, " For
God's sake, Captain, don't stop now ; let's finish
'em up right off. To hell with breakfast." Old
Purdy, a privileged petty officer because he had
served in the navy or army nearly fifty years, was
greeted by the Commodore on Saturday, when
the old man shifted his quid and said, "I hope
you won't fight on the third of May, Commodore."
"Why not?" asked the Commodore. "Well,
you see, I got licked the last time I fought on
that date," he answered. Purdy had been with
Hooker at Chancellorsville, and he did not like
that anniversary.

Finishing the Job.

Dewey took his time. He told the men to
eat a good breakfast, and get well rested. Then,
a little before ten o'clock, action was resumed.
The ships now paid special attention to the shore
batteries. A tremendous fire was rained upon
them, and before long their fire slackened, and
ultimately all were silenced.

Meantime the Spanish warships had not been
neglected, and a transport had been sent to the
bottom.

About ten o'clock occurred one of the most
stirring scenes of a stirring day. The Spanish
cruiser Don Antonio de Ulloa had made a heroic
fight. The great guns of the powerful American
cruisers had swept her decks of every structure,

WAR WITH SPAIN. 423

and not a living man remained upon the upper
deck. But the guns on the lower decks still shot
out defiance at the enemy.

Finally the cruiser's hull was riddled like a
sieve, water poured through the numerous rents,
and with her flag flying and her lower guns firing
to the last, the Don Antonio de Ulloa foundered
with all hands.

The Spaniards hauled down their flag at a
quarter-past twelve, after a hard-fought fight of
seven hours.

An Unrivalled Performance.

So ended this battle, one of the most note-
worthy ever fought in all the world. The American
fleet had engaged a fleet numerically its superior,
and an array of land batteries at the same time.
It had done so in strange waters, the home waters
of the enemy. It had destroyed every Spanish
ship and silenced every battery. And it had done
so without the loss of a single ship, nor even serious
injury to one, and without the loss of a single life.
There was nothing like that on record before.

There was an act of treachery on the part of a
Spanish warship, which lowered her flag and then
fired at a boat's crew sent to take possession of her.
She did not hit the boat, but our guns were turned
on her and tore her to pieces. She went to the
bottom with all on board. Several vessels close in-
shore behaved in the same way and shared her fate.

424 WAR WITH SPAIN.

The Spaniards had fought to their last gasp
and now surrendered. They had been announcing
that the Americans would kill every one in Cavite,
and when we landed a long procession of priests
and Sisters of Mercy met the boat from the Petrel
and begged our men not to injure the wounded
in the hospital. As a matter of fact, the Ameri-
cans rescued some two hundred Spaniards and
sent them ashore.

Commodore Dewey's orders were to capture
or destroy the Spanish fleet, and never were in-
structions executed in more complete fashion. At
the end of seven hours there was nothing left of
the Spanish fleet but a few relics. The American
commander had most skilfully arranged every
detail of the action, and even the apparently in-
significant features where carried out with perfect
punctuality and in railroad time-table order.

At the end of the action Commodore Dewey
anchored his fleet in the bay before Manila and
sent a message to Governor-General Augusti,
announcing the beginning of the blockade and
adding that if a shot should be fired against his
ships he would destroy every battery about
Manila.

The position occupied by the Spaniards, the
support which their ships received from the land
batteries and the big guns they had ashore gave
them i^n enormous advantage. Therefore, when

WAR WITH SPAIN. 425

it is considered that the Spaniards lost over six
hundred men in killed and wounded, that all their
ships, probably fourteen, were destroyed and that
the naval arsenal at Cavite was also destroyed,
with its defenses, it will become apparent that the
victory of the American Commodore was one of
the most complete and wonderful achievements in
the history of naval warfare.

Telling: the News.

The first news of the battle came through
Spanish channels, the cable from Manila to Hong
Kong being in Spanish hands. It was stated that
a great victory had been won for Spain. The
Madrid Government was jubilant, its people wild
with delight. A few hours later the truth was
told, and then martial law had to be established in
Madrid and throughout Spain, to repress the fury
of the enraged populace.

It was six days later when full reports came
to hand. They had been sent by steamer from
Manila to Hong Kong, and thence by cable to
Washington.

The American commander's dispatches were
brief and modest. This was the first :

"Manila, May i. — Squadron arrived at Manila
at daybreak this morning. Immediately engaged
the enemy, and destroyed the following Spanish
vessels : Reina Cristina, Castilla, Don Antonio de
Ulloa, Isla de Luzon, Isla de Cuba, General Lezo,

426 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Marquis de Duero, Cano, Velasco, Isla de Min-
danao, a transport, and water battery at Cavite.
The squadron is uninjured, and only a few men
are slightly wounded. Only means of telegraph-
ing is to American Consul at Hong Kong. I shall
communicate with him. Dewey."

Following is the second message :

"Cavite, May 4.— I have taken possession of
naval station at Cavite, on Philippine Islands.
Have destroyed the fortifications at bay entrance,
paroling the garrison. I control bay completely
and can take city at any time. The squadron is
in excellent health and spirits. Spanish loss not
fully known, but very heavy. One hundred and
fifty killed, including captain of Reina Cristina.
I am assisting in protecting Spanish sick and
wounded; 250 sick and wounded in hospital with-
in our lines. Much excitement at Manila. Will
protect foreign residents. Dewey."

The President Thanks Dewey.

By direction of the President, Secretary Long
sent this dispatch to Commodore Dewey:
"Dewey, Manila. Washington, May 7, 1898.

"The President, in the name of the American
people, thanks you and your officers and men for
your splendid achievement and overwhelming
victory. In recognization he has appointed you
Acting Admiral, and will recommend a vote of
thanks to you by Congress. Long."

WAR WITH SPAIN. 427

Then the President and the two houses of
Congress hastened to express the country's
gratitude for the brilliant victory won by Commo-
dore Dewey's squadron off Manila, and to reward
in time-honored fashion the gallantry of the
officers and men whose triumph had shed fresh
lustre on American discipline and valor. Fulfill-
ing the promise of his cable dispatch of congrat-
ulation to Commodore Dewey, the President, in a
felicitous message, reciting the achievement of the
Asiatic squadron, suggested to Congress that the
Nation's thanks be given to the fleet commander
and to the officers and men who had helped him
to crush the Spanish forces in the Philippines.
Both houses accordingly passed by a unanimous
vote a resolution voicing the gratitude felt by the
American people for the "highly distinguished
conduct in conflict with the enemy" shown by
Commodore Dewey and by all his subordinates,
and directing the President to convey this ex-
pression of thanks to the officers and men of the
fleet at Manila.

But the action of the two houses did not
stop with the single compliment of a vote of thanks
— exceptional and highly prized as that distinc-
tion is. Both branches passed without opposition
a bill increasing the number of rear-admirals in
the Navy from six to seven, thus creating a
vacancy in that grade, to which the President had

428 WAR WITH SPAIN.

practically given notice that he would at once
advance the commander of the Asiatic squadron.
A sword of honor was also voted to Dewey, and
commemorative medals to all his men.
Dewey's Record.
Admiral Dewey, the hero of Manila, had
had a lone and creditable career of service. He
entered the Naval Academy from Vermont in
September, 1854. Being graduated in 1858, he
was assigned to the frigate Wabash, of the Euro-
pean squadron, and remained in Mediterranean
waters until the outbreak of the war. Returning
to this country in 1861, he was detailed to the
Mississippi, one of the vessels in the West Gulf
squadron, serving in her until she was destroyed
in 1863. It was during this time that the squad-
ron was engaged in the capture of New Orleans.
Commodore Dewey was then a lieutenant. The
Mississippi was under command of Captain
Melancthon Smith, and just as the end of the
battle of New Orleans appeared to be in sight the
Confederate ram Manasses came down the river
at full speed to attack the Union fleet. Admiral
Farragut directed the Mississippi to turn and run
her down. She obeyed, but when within a few
yards of the enemy the Manasses turned and ran
ashore. The Mississippi poured two broadsides
into her and sent her to the bottom of the river a
total wreck. The Mississippi while trying to run

WAR WITH SPAIN. 429

the batteries of Port Hudson on March 21, 1863,
grounded and heeled to port. In spite of the
desperate efforts of the crew, she could not be
saved. The enemy, getting the range, poured
shell after shell into her hull, and Captain Smith
ordered her fired, and the crew escaped in their
boats.

After the destruction of the Mississippi,
Lieutenant Dewey was assigned to the steamboat
Agawam, of the North Atlantic blockading fleet,
and assisted in two attacks on Fort Fisher — one
in December, 1864, and the other in January,
1865. On March 3, 1865, ne was commissioned
lieutenant-commander, and served on the old
Kearsarge. At the close of the war he went
aboard the Colorado, the flagship of the European
squadron, and remained on her until 1867. For
two years thereafter he did shore duty, being-
assigned to the Naval Academy. He was next
placed in command of the Narragansett, in special
service, in 1870 and 1871, and was again assigned
to shore duty a year later at the Torpedo Station.
He was made a commander on April 13, 1873,
and was in charge of the Narragansett on the
Pacific survey until 1875, when he was appointed
lighthouse inspector for two years. He then be-
came secretary of the Board, and retained that
post until 1882. In command of the Juniata,
of the Asiatic squadron, from 1882 to 1883, he

43° WAR WITH SPAIN.

was promoted to a captaincy in September, 1884,
commanding the Dolphin in the same year. He
was next transferred to the Pensacola, on the
European station. In 1889 he was summoned to
Washington, to become for four years the chief
of the Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting, and
that service was succeeded by another detail to
the Lighthouse Board. From this duty he was
relieved to accept the presidency of the important
Board of Inspection and Review, which he held,
until, as a commodore, he was sent in November,
1897, to command the Asiatic station.

Taking: Possession of the Philippines.
A few days after the victory at Manila, the
Washington Government took steps toward the
complete and permanent occupation of the
Philippine Islands. The great warships Monterey
and Monadnock and the cruiser Charleston were
sent thitherto reinforce Dewey's fleet, and Major-
General Merritt, with an army of 20,000 men,
was sent out to assume control as Military Gov-
ernor. His commission clothed him with greater
discretionary powers than had ever up to that
time been granted to an agent of this Govern-
ment. Except in his relations with foreign
Powers growing out of possible complications in
the East, which are to be referred to Washington
for negotiation, General Merritt's control of affairs
will be practically supreme.

CHAPTER XIX.

WITH THE BLOCKADING FLEET SHELLING MATAN-

ZAS OTHER SHIPS JOIN IN GETTING CLOSER

TO THE MARK "CEASE FIRING ! " ABOARD SHIP

SCENES ON THE NEW YORK THE MEN AT

THE GUNS SICK MEN WANTED TO BE IN IT

BLANCO'S MULE STORY CAVALRY AGAINST NAVY

THE ADMIRAL TEACHES ANOTHER LESSON

THE CARDENAS TRAGEDY HELPLESS UNDER

FIRE THE FATAL SHOT DAMAGE TO THE

ENEMY ENSIGN WORTH BAGLEY THE GUSSIE's

FAILURE BOMBARDING SAN JUAN THE BATTLE

OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA SPANIARDS ON THE

RUN LINE CUT OFF MOLE ST. NICHOLAS.

df

HERE WAS plenty of work and excite-
ment for the blockading fleet without
merely capturing prizes. After the firing
by Morro Castle, as told in a former chapter,
the temptation to throw a few shells into Havana
was very strong, but was resisted. However, a
chance to try the guns soon came, not at Havana,
but at Matanzas. The trouble there began on
April 24. We have already told how part of the
fleet went thither. The torpedo-boat Foote went
in to about three hundred yards from shore to
take soundings, and was thus engaged, when sud-

(431)

43 2 WAR WITH SPAIN.

denly a masked battery at the entrance to Matan-
zas harbor opened fire upon her. Three dis-
charges were made in quick succession. They all
went wide of the mark, and the shot struck the
water a quarter of a mile away. The officers and
men on the torpedo-boat Foote were momentarily
startled by the volley, then observations were
taken. The cruiser Cincinnati, which was stand-
ing off, was hailed by the torpedo-boat, and Lieu-
tenant Rodgers made his report through the mega-
phone.

'T have to report," he said, "that we are
sounding within the 20-fathom line." Then he
added: "We seem to have drawn the enemy's
fire from shore. We have been fired at three
times." The orders of Captain Chester, in com-
mand of the cruiser Cincinnati, did not permit
shelling Matanzas, so the fire from the masked
battery was not returned.

Shelling Matanzas.

But the response to the Spanish shots was
merely postponed. On April 27 it was noticed
that the Spaniards were building new fortifications
at Matanzas, and Admiral Sampson thought it
would be a good plan to stop them, and at the
same time to give his gunners a little practical
target pactice. So he turned in toward the harbor
with his flagship, the New York, the big monitor
Puritan, and the cruiser Cincinnati. Then "Gen-

1

WAR WITH SPAIN. 435

eral quarters ! " was sounded, and the men rushed
eagerly to the guns. When the New York was
about 4,000 yards from Punta Gorda, the order to
begin firing was given. Cadet Boone, in charge
of an 8-inch gun amidships on the port side, fired
the first shot. This was at 12.56 p. m. Fifty
pairs of glasses were levelled from the flagship at
the shore. It seemed minutes before the yellow
smoke cleared away, but in reality it was less than
five seconds. Then a little cloud of dust was
seen to rise at the right of the earthworks. For
the first attempt at 4,000 yards it was by no means
a bad shot.

Without the aid of glasses the objective
point could be clearly defined. With a deafening
roar the 8-inch gun in the forward turret let fly its
iron missile. It landed high. The after turret
came next with the same sized projectile. A
shout of delight went up from the flagship as a
dense cloud rose slowly from the very centre of
the earthworks, showing how true had been the
aim. Then from the entire port side a fearful
fusillade was poured on the shore, the four turret
guns firing almost simultaneously and the 4-inch
guns adding their smaller hail. When the smoke
blew away Punta Gorda was dotted with dust
clouds that looked like miniature geysers spring-
ing suddenly from the earth. Each showed where
a shot had struck.

25

436 WAR WITH SPAIN.

At this stage the guns in the Quintas da
Recreo battery were observed to be firing on the
flagship. This fort is on the eastward arm of the
harbor, 7,000 yards from where the flagship was
lying. It is provided with four 8-inch guns. The
flagship's fire was at once directed upon it.
Other Ships Join In.

Up to this period the New York had been
firing alone. Captain Harrington on the Puritan,
and Captain Chester on the Cincinnati, had drawn
up, and were vigorously signalling for permission
to fire. When this was reported to Admiral
Sampson, he said, "All right; tell them to go
ahead." So, while the New York was opening
fire on Quintas da Recreo, the Puritan took a
position to the eastward and opened on the same
point. The Cincinnati went to the westward and
pounded a rapid-fire broadside into the earthworks
on Punta Gorda.

Occasionally shots from Quintas da Recreo
could be seen coming in the direction of the New
York. All fell very short, and at no time threat-
ened the ship. Only about ten shots are believed
to have been fired from this battery during the
whole engagement. However, there may have
been more. It is possible that its guns were
disabled, as two 8-inch shells were distinctly seen
to land square in the fort. Its distance from the
ship was so great and the smoke, which the

WAR WITH SPAIN. 437

wind took in its direction, so thick, that it was hard
to judge the effect of the fire, and still harder
to get good aim. For about five minutes Quin
tas daRecreo got the full benefit of the port broad-
sides of the New York and the Puritan.
Getting Closer to the Mark.
What its ultimate fate would have been is
hard to tell had not attention been diverted from
it by a shell from Punta Gorda that whizzed over
the New York and fell a little short of the Cincin-
nati. Leaving Quintas da Recreo to the tender
mercies of the Puritan, which was still merrily
banging away, Captain Chadwick put his helm to
starboard, until the port battery once more bore
on the Punta Gorda earthworks. Another shell
came from shore, whizzing along over the flagship.
"Too high, but a better shot than I thought they
could make," said an officer. Then the Cincin-
nati and the New York poured shot into the yellow
earthworks and the surrounding land, until the
smoke hid everything from view. Only one more
shot from Punta Gorda was noticed. It fell short
of the New York by about two hundred yards.
It was believed to have come, not from the earth-
works, but from a field battery on the brow of a
slight hill about half a mile further inland than the
earthworks. In fact, it is doubtful whether any
shots were fired from the earthworks after the two
or three broadsides had been poured into them.

43 8 WAR WITH SPAIN.

What became of the soldiers seen on Punta
Gorda is not known. Some declared they saw
them running to the brow of the hill where the
field battery was thought to be stationed. But
this, as well as the estimate of the enemy's num-
ber, which ranged from four hundred to four
thousand, was purely supposition, distance and
smoke preventing accurate knowledge.

"Cease Firing!"

At 1. 1 5 p.m., when the bombardment was at
its height, and after it had been in progress for
nineteen minutes, Admiral Sampson ordered
" Cease firing ! " to be sounded. A few shots rang
out from the Cincinnati and the Puritan before
they caught the signal.

On shore all was quiet. Not a soul could be
seen there, and there was no more firing. The
earthworks a quarter-hour before had presented
a fairly regular outline, but now they had a jagged
appearance. Big gaps were plainly Visible at
Quintas da Recreo. There was not a sign of life
there. Admiral Sampson had effectually stopped
the work at Punta Gorda. He had drawn the
fire of the enemy, and had discovered exactly the
quality and location of their batteries, besides
affording three ships good target practice. Inci-
dentally he had put the fear of American guns
into Spanish hearts.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 439

Aboard Ship.

This bombardment also gave an excellent,
though at the same time a frightful illustration of
a warship's death-dealing powers. Tremendous
broadsides poured without cessation on the little
streak of earthworks. Had a single ship been in
the place where the shells fell it seems as if she
would have been blown to bits before she could
have returned the fire. When a i o,ooo-ton ship,
usually as steady as a rock, shakes and trembles
like a frightened child ; when firmly fitted bolts
start from their sockets and window-panes and
wood-work are shattered ; when the roar peals up
from port and starboard, and you feel your feet
leaving the deck and your glasses jumping
around your forehead, while a blinding, black-
ening smoke hides everything from sight, then it
is that you first realize the terrible power of a
modern warship's batteries.

Scenes on the New York.

Scenes of intense human interest occurred
on the flagship's deck during the bombardment.
The centre of attraction, naturally, was the for-
ward bridge, where Admiral Sampson paced up
and down, his long glass in hand, pausing now
and then to watch the effect of the shots, im-
passive as if at sub-calibre target practice off the
Dry Tortugas. Captain Chadwick was at his side,
in the dual capacity of chief of staff and captain of

44-0 WAR WITH SPAIN.

the ship, equally calm, and giving orders con-
tinuously regarding the direction of the fire and
the handling of the ship. Lieutenant Stanton,
assistant chief of staff; Lieutenant-Commander
Potter, executive officer of the ship, and Lieu-
tenant J. Roller, the navigator, all were on the
bridge, and as busy as they could be. Three
men were at the wheel, and the usual staff of
lookouts and signal boys were in their places.
The conning tower, with its heavily protected
sides, was without an occupant. The whistling
of a few shells could not drive the men who direct
the fighting squadron from their unprotected
place of vantage.

Directly beneath the bridge on the super-
structure, just aft and slightly above the forward
turret, stood Chaplain Royce. The chaplain and
the three doctors were the only persons on board
who sincerely hoped they would have no work to
do. All others were at their regular stations,
directing the gun crews, rushing up ammunition
from below or standing patiently in the engine-
room, waiting to back or go ahead, as the tele-
graph signalled.

The Men at the Guns.

The way the "jackies " worked at their guns
was splendid. Many of them were stripped to
the waist. The muscles stood out on their bare,
tattooed arms. The perspiration ran down their

WAR WITH SPAIN. 44 1

faces, and mixing with the gunpowder, made
grim streaks of black over their skins. When
"Cease firing" sounded disappointment was writ-
ten visibly on all their faces. But the decks were
quickly swept, the shrouds rehooked, the guns
cooled and washed, and at dinner when the band
played "The Stars and Stripes Forever," there were
few signs to show that the flagship New York had
been into action for the first time in her career.

About three hundred shots were fired during
the bombardment, one hundred and four of which
were from the New York. The total cost of the
bombardment was about $3,500, expended entirely
in ammunition. The cruiser Cincinnati did won-
derfully quick and rapid work with her batteries.
The monitor Puritan probably fired fewer shots
than the others, apparently not using her rapid-
fire guns, but taking careful aim with her 12-
inch monster at Quintas da Recreo.

To those on board the flagship who had
never before been on a warship when she was
firing both batteries at once, and who had never
heard the shells whistle through the air, the ex-
perience was not so bad as was anticipated. The
noise of the guns deafened some slightly, but a
timely application of wool to the ears deadened
its effect considerably. Taken all in all, the
shock of the broadside was not so great as had
been expected.

44 2 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Sick Men 'Wanted To Be In It.

The most characteristic incident of the bom*
bardment of Matanzas, and one that will go down
in history as an instance of Yankee pluck, occurred
in the sickbay on the flagship. Sick sailors were
lying there, listening to the shots, all eager to get
on deck. Suddenly, as if moved by a common im-
pulse, four of them sprang from their cots. One
had malaria, two had grip and another a high
fever, but their, ailments were forgotten as they
rushed out to their gun divisions and took their
usual stations. Despite their entreaties to be
allowed to stay, they were ordered back to the
sickbay, to which they sorrowfully returned. It is
hardly necessary to say that these four splendid
specimens of "the man behind the gun" were not
reported for breach of discipline.

Blanco's Mule Story.

Marshal Blanco sent an amusing report of
this affair to the Madrid Government. He said :

Three American cruisers fired on the bat-
teries of Fort Morillo, at Matanzas, without doing
any damage. We fired fourteen shots, to which
the Americans replied with a multitude of mitrail-
leuse (quick-firing) shots, which did not do any
injury. The American squadron also fired fourteen
cannon shots at the Sabanilla battery, only one mule
being killed. The Spanish battery only replied
with four shots, as the squadron was beyond range.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 443

Cavalry Against Navy.

A few days later came an amusing incident.
The New York was lying about two miles off
shore at the picturesque harbor of Cabanas. It
was early evening, and the ship's band was play-
ing its usual dinner music, when from a hill to the
eastward of Cabanas Harbor came the sound of
volley firing. It was plainly a small-arms attack,
though no smoke could be seen. The enemy was
thought to be hidden close to the beach in front
of a ruined white building, which sloped as if it
had once been the hacienda of a tobacco plan-
tation. Now and again individual firing was
heard, and well-regulated volleys continued. It
was estimated that a troop of cavalry, dismounted,
was doing the firing.

The officers of the flagship stood on her deck
trying to ascertain definitely the location of the
enemy, more amused than annoyed at this novel
method of attacking an armored cruiser.

The Admiral Teaches Another r,esson.

Rear-Admiral Sampson decided that the
lesson taught at Matanzas must be taught again
at Cabanas.

"Man the port battery!" was the order.

At a few minutes after 6 o'clock the four-inch
gun in the after port battery sent a shot flying
over the water into Cuba's soil, raising a little
cloud of dust about one hundred yards in front of

444 WAR WITH SPAIN.

the hacienda, and just about where the Spanish
cavalry stood. Before the hills, growing dim in
the evening mist, had ceased echoing and rever-
berating the other 4-inch gun in the after battery-
had landed its projectile. A few more shots from
this battery were fired. The ground was evi-
dently damp, as no dust arose, and it was hard
to tell where the shells struck. They were fired
at 3,400 yards range. The Spaniards were not
heard from after the first shot.

The Cardenas Tragedy.
The first loss of life on the American side in
the war occurred on May 11, at Cardenas. The
gunboat Wilmington, the torpedo-boat Winslow,
and the revenue cutter Hudson were taking
soundings when a Spanish gunboat was seen near
shore. The Winslow started in to capture her.
When the Winslow was about 1,500 yards from
the shore, a masked battery suddenly opened fire
upon her. The plucky little torpedo-boat replied,
and pressed on nearer. Then a 10-inch shell
struck her, wrecking her steam steering gear and
rendering her for the time helpless. Despite this
unfortunate incident the little vessel replied vig-
orously with her three guns until one of them was
disabled by a fragment of shell. The other guns
continued to operate, while the men who were not
otherwise engaged gathered to connect the hand-
steering apparatus.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 445

In the mean time another io-inch shell
struck the Winslow on the port side, wrecking
her forward boiler, to which the port engine was
attached and which was held in reserve in case of
accident to the aft boiler. Dense clouds of steam
filled the compartment, driving the men who were
at work there to seek the deck for air.
Helpless Under Fire.

A knot of these men gathered on the forward
deck, where Ensign Bagley was stationed to
watch the boat's course and carry orders to the
engine room. With one engine and boiler disa-
bled and the other engine and boiler not in opera-
tion the situation of the Winslow was perilous.

To add to the danger the forward hand-
steering gear was destroyed by a piece of shell.
While the machinists were attempting to rig up
the aft steering apparatus the engineers coupled
the aft boiler to the starboard engine.

The propeller, revolving without the guidance
of the rudder, set the little boat moving to and fro
like a shuttle, and to the men on the other vessels
it seemed as though the Winslow was doomed.

But she was not to perish without an effort
to save her, for as soon as he realized her plight,
Lieutenant Newcomb, of the Hudson, without
receiving any orders, steamed straight up to the
Winslow to tow her out of harm's way. In doing
this the Hudson was exposed to the enemy's fire.

446 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Apparently, however, the Spanish commander
had gone mad on the subject of destroying the
torpedo-boat, for he did not deign to fire at the
Hudson, but continued to hurl shells at the hap-
less Winslow. The guns of the latter barked
back at the foe viciously.

As the Hudson approached the Winslow,
Ensign Bagley cried out :

" Pass us a line quickly ! This is too hot ! "
The Fatal Shot.

The Hudson's crew threw the line, and it was
made fast. Just as the hawser drew taut a 10-
inch shell fell and exploded in the middle of the
group of men who had been working at it on the
Winslow. Every man in the party was thrown
backward, all dead or mortally wounded. The
plucky ensign, who had been in an exposed posi-
tion during the entire conflict, was instantly killed,
as were two of his companions. Two more,
Meek and Tunnell, were so grievously injured
that they died a short time later.

When the Hudson's men saw the mutilated
bodies of the men on the Winslow, they became
frantic, and cursed and yelled, and it seemed as
though they could not load and fire quick enough.
They fired 135 rounds in thirty-three minutes.
The guns became so hot that the gunners could
not touch them with their hands, and manipulated
them with their elbows. The men loaded so

WAR WITH SPAIN. 447

rapidly that it was a wonder that some of them
did not have their hands cut off by the rapidly
closing breech-locks. The guns became so heated
that many of them expanded, and in some cases
the shells went off prematurely, but fortunately not
until the breech-locks had been closed. The men
worked like beavers, and hesitated to desist when
ordered to cease firing. Then the Hudson, with
the Winslow in tow, moved slowly out of range.
Damage to the Enemy.

The engagement lasted from 1.30 to 2.35.
While the Winslow was the target at which the
Spaniards were aiming, the other two vessels
kept up a heavy fire, the Hudson using the six-
pound guns which she mounts and the Wilmington
using every weapon with sufficient power.

One of the Wilmington's shells exploded in
a Spanish gunboat, and others fell in the town,
setting it on fire and doing great damage to the
warehouses and shipping along the water-front.

The shore battery did not fire another shot
after the Winslow was towed away by the Hud-
son. On account of the smoke and the masking
of the battery, the officers who participated in the
engagement are unable to say what the Spanish
loss in killed and wounded was, though it must
have been heavy. The battery is believed to have
been composed of heavy field guns, for it was
frequently moved during the conflict.

448 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Ensign 'Worth Bagley.

Ensign Worth Bagley, who was killed in the
engagement at Cardenas, was the first man on
the American side in the present war who lost his
life in action. It is a curious and interesting fact
that the first man in the Civil War on the
Southern side who was killed in a regular engage-
ment was a North Carolina soldier, named Wyatt,
belonging to the ist Regiment of Volunteers from
that State. He was shot at the Battle of Big
Bethel, on the Peninsula. Ensign Bagley was
born in Raleigh, N. C, and was about twenty-six
years old. He was the grandson of a fine old
North Carolina Quaker, the late Governor
Jonathan Worth, and was a collateral descendant
of General Worth, of New York. Young Bagley
entered the Naval Academy on September i,
1 89 1, having been appointed from the IVth Con-
gress District of North Carolina. He was a good
student, and stood well with his classes. He had
special distinction in athletic matters. Detached
from the academy on graduating, June, 1895, ne
went to the receiving ship Vermont, whence he
was sent to the cruiser Montgomery July 23, and
thence to the Texas, on October 8. Thence he
was sent to the Maine, on January 20, 1896. He
was transferred back to the Texas July 20, 1896,
where he remained until the 28th, when he
returned to the Naval Academy for final examina-

WAR WITH SPAIN. 449

tion. He was promoted to ensign June 30, and
ten days later joined the Indiana, whence he was
transferred to the Maine, on August 17. He was
ordered to the Columbia Iron Works, Baltimore,
on November 19, 1897, as inspector, in connection
with fitting out the torpedo-boat Winslow, and
when that vessel went into commission, on De-
cember 28, he became second in command, under
Lieutenant Bernadou. Ensign Bagley was with
this boat last February, when, in the height of a
gale off the Delaware Breakwater, Lieutenant
Bernadou, with Bagley's assistance, rescued two
poor fellows adrift on a garbage scow.
The Gussie's Failure.
Down to this time the Government censor-
ship over news was lax, and information often got
out that should have been kept secret. It was
quickly caught up by Spanish spies and made
use of against this country. For example, the
steamer Gussie was sent on May 1 2 to carry a
cargo of arms and ammunition to the Cuban In-
surgents. The intention to send her was made
known, and the Spaniards made preparations
accordingly. When she got near shore, instead
of finding the Insurgents there to receive the
cargo, she found a body of Spanish troops, who
fired upon her and prevented the landing of the
cargo. So the expedition had to return, an utter
failure. That opened the eyes of the Govern-

45 O WAR WITH SPAIN.

merit to the necessity of keeping its plans secret,

and thereafter the censorship was far more strict.

Bombarding San Juan.

Another important bombardment occurred on
May 12. Admiral Sampson went with part of
his fleet to San Juan, the capital of Porto Rico,
and battered down some of its fortifications,. On
his ships two men were killed and seven wounded,
while the Spanish loss was much heavier.

The battle was fought in the early light of
day, and during the first hour a haze overhung
the shore. Before the firing began one could
just see the hills and an indistinct line of forts.

The mastheads of the ships, with the Stars
and Stripes waving from them, stood out more
clearly, and through the smoke flashed gun after
gun. Spanish shot kept falling all about the
ships, sending up great columns of water.

Big rings of smoke rolling along overhead
showed where shells burst in the air. The forti-
fied hilltop, too, was veiled in smoke. At quick
intervals heavy puffs and flashes indicated the
location of the guns.

The Spaniards fought bravely. The rapid-
fire guns of our squadron kept pouring a steady
hail at every gun, and time and again drove the
Spaniards to shelter.

As soon as there was a lull, back the Dons
would come and begin firing away as wildly as ever.

Watching the Searchlights at Havana during the Blockage.

WAR WITH SPAIN, 453

When our ships withdrew the forts poured a
defiant rain of shells after them, and their guns
could be heard blazing away long after our ves-
sels were out of range.

The Battle of Santiago de Cuba.

At daybreak, on May 18, the St. Louis ap-
peared off Santiago de Cuba, having been sent
by the Admiral to cut the cable connecting Santi-
ago and Jamaica. About 6 a.m. the American
flag was hoisted at the masthead and all hands
were called to quarters. The ship then swung
round and steamed across the harbor at a distance
of five miles from the forts, firing three shots
from one of her forward six-pounders in the
direction of the Morro, with the intention of draw-
ing the fire of the forts to see what guns they had,
but the fire was not returned. The ship then
steamed back and forth across the harbor, getting
gradually closer to the forts.

About noon, the ship having reached a posi-
tion one and a quarter miles from the Morro, the
grapnel caught the cable. The Spaniards evi-
dently discovered the mission of the ship about
this time, for a battery to the east of the Morro
opened fire with a 6-inch gun, the first shot falling
about two hundred yards short of the ship. Cap-
tain Goodrich now ordered the fire to be returned
by the two 6-pounders on the starboard side, the
only guns that could be brought to bear on the

26

454 WAR WITH SPAIN.

shore battery. This was speedily done, Ensign
Payne firing the forward gun, and Lieutenant
Catlin the after one, and their shots began to fall
thick and fast on shore. Another shot was fired
from the gun on shore, and the shell whistled
over the stern of the ship and struck the water a
few yards beyond.

Spaniards on the Run.
That was the last shot from that gun, as one
of the 6-pound shells struck the gun and disabled
it, and the Spaniards around could be seen flying
to the old Morro for shelter. A mortar battery
then opened fire from the brow of a hill on Caspar
Point, well back in the bay, and the shells began
to fall around the ship dangerously near, some
falling a little short of the ship, while others
passed close overhead, with an unearthly scream,
which seemed to say, "Where are you?" and
then plunged in the water just beyond the ship.
This battery was out of range of the small guns
of the St. Louis. The little tug Wampatuck,
commanded by Lieutenant Karl Jungen, then
came up just ahead of the ship and opened fire
with her one little 3-pounder, Quartermaster
Reynolds, one of the famous Jamison raiders,
firing the gun, and did excellent work. Another
battery to the west of the entrance opened fire,
but it was silenced after it had fired a few shots,
and the gunners engaged in a foot-race similar

WAR WITH SPAIN. 455

to the one seen at the other battery only a short
time before. The guns were now turned on the
signal station to the east of the Morro, where the
Spaniards had been engaged in signalling since
the beginning of the engagement. The first few
shots tore away the roof of the signal-house and
the men stationed there left without hauling down
their last signal. Seeing that the mortar battery
could not be reached, and that the other batteries
had all been silenced, the captain took the ship
out of range of the mortars, and then stopped and
finished heaving up the grapnel. As the grapnel
appeared at the water's edge the cable could be
seen hanging from two of its prongs, and a
mighty cheer arose from the officers and crew,
who had assembled on the forecastle. About
two hundred fathoms of the cable were brought
in on deck. Then the axe of Segraves rose
and fell, and the work was done, and nobly
done, and each man in the crew of the St. Louis
treasures a piece of that cable as a souvenir
of the battle they fought that day in order to
secure it.

The engagement lasted forty-five minutes,
the ship lying motionless in the water with her
broadside to the forts and only a mile and a
quarter away. She could not move without cut-
ting her line and letting the cable go, which the
captain declined to do. During this time sixty-

456 WAR WITH SPAIN.

six shots were fired from the St. Louis's gun
forward, and 106 shots from the after gun, while
the little Wampatuck fired seventy-three from her
3-pounder. The conduct of the officers and crews
of the St. Louis and the Wampatuck during the
engagement was worthy of all praise. Segraves
and his men, working with the lines on the fore-
castle, bravely stuck to their stations while the
shells were whistling around them. The men
of the engineer force not on watch rushed up and
volunteered their services in passing ammunition.
The officers and marines at the guns worked with
a will, and fully exemplified the motto which
Captain McCalla is said to have given the crew
of the Marblehead : "The best protection against
the enemy's fire is the rapidity of fire directed
against the enemy's guns."

Line Cut off Mole St. Nicolas.
After cutting the cables at Santiago de Cuba,
Captain Goodrich decided to cut the French cable
that runs from Mole St. Nicolas, Hayti, to Guan-
tanamo, Cuba, about thirty miles eastward of
Santiago. On the morning after the encounter
with the forts of Santiago, the St. Louis and the
Wampatuck appeared off Guantanamo about
daylight, and the Wampatuck, with Lieutenant
Jungen in command, Chief Officer Segraves, En-
sign Payne, Lieutenant Catlin, eight marines and
four seamen from the St. Louis on board, steamed

WAR WITH SPAIN. 457

into the mouth of the harbor, dropped a grapnel
in eight fathoms of water, and proceeded to drag
across the mouth of the harbor for the cable.
About one hundred and fifty fathoms of line was
run out, and soon the cable was hooked in about
fifty fathoms of water. About this time the look-
out reported a Spanish gunboat coming down the
harbor, and a signal was sent to the St. Louis,
half a mile outside, but she already had dis-
covered it, and immediately opened fire with the
two port 6-pounders. The Wampatuck then be-
gan firing with her one 3-pounder. The gunboat,
however, was out of range of these small guns,
and the shells all fell short. The gunboat now
opened fire with 4-inch guns, and every shot went
whistling over the little Wampatuck and struck
the water between her and the St. Louis. Being
well out of the range of the 6-pounders, the gun-
boat was perfectly safe, and she steamed back
and forth, firing her larger guns. For about
forty minutes the tug worked on the cable, while
the shells were striking all around her, but she
seemed to bear a charmed life. Captain Good-
rich, seeing that he could not get the gunboat
within reach of the small guns while that vessel
could easily reach both the St. Louis and the
Wampatuck with her heavier battery, signalled
the tug to withdraw ; the line was cut and both
vessels steamed out to sea, leaving the cable un-

45^ WAR WITH SPAIN.

cut. As the tug started out it was noticed that
riflemen on shore were firing on her. Lieutenant
Catlin then opened up with the Gatling gun
mounted aft, and the Spaniards on shore could
be seen scattering and running for shelter. The
French cable was cut next morning off Mole
St. Nicolas, well outside of the three-mile limit.
The St. Louis and the Wampatuck steamed away
in company, leaving the Spaniards looking' after
them in amazement at their audacity.

CHAPTER XX.

THE VOYAGE OF THE OREGON — NO THOUGHT OF

WAR FINE WORK AT SEA IN THE STRAITS OF

MAGELLAN — GOOD-BY TO THE SLOW VESSELS

END OF THE GREAT VOYAGE A REMARKABLE

SPEED RECORD HER SIZE AND HER ARMAMENT

THE OREGON'S COMMANDER.

Y NO means the least striking and signifi-
cant incident of the war was the voyage
of the Oregon. This great battleship,
one of the most powerful in the world, had been
built at San Francisco, and had been kept on the
Pacific coast station. But the destruction of the
Maine weakened the North Atlantic Squadron,
and made it seem desirable that an addition be
made to it, at least equal to the loss. So it was
decided to summon the Oregon.

To get her from the Pacific to the North
Atlantic Squadron would be no small job. A
canal across the Central American isthmus would
have made it easy. She could have come through
that route in a few days with safety. But unhap-
pily this nation had failed to construct such a
canal, and in its absence it was necessary for her
to make the long voyage around Cape Horn, or at

459

460 WAR WITH SPAIN.

least through the Straits of Magellan. This
was a trip of 13,000 miles, ranging from tropic
heat to polar frost. And it was to be made
not by a cruiser intended for ocean voyaging,
but by a heavy battleship intended for coast
defence. We shall see how the arduous task was
performed.

No Thought of "War.
The thought of a possible war with Spain had
little place in the minds of the officers and men
of the Oregon on March 6, when she left the
drydock in Puget Sound, where she had been
undergoing repairs for several weeks. At that
time the relations between the two countries were
somewhat strained, but belief was general that
war would be avoided through diplomatic means.
The Maine had been destroyed and the Navy
Department had decided to replace her in the
North Atlantic Squadron by a vessel which was
more than her equal. By none was the move
considered a warlike one, but it was deemed
desirable that the strength of the squadron should
not remain depleted. The change from the Pacific
to the Atlantic was not a pleasant one to the
officers and crew of the vessel, for long service in
the West had made them many friends, and the
voyage through the tempestuous straits and a
double passage through the tropics was not the
most desirable prospect in the world.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 46 1

When word came from Washington to start
on the voyage the Oregon had just arrived in
San Francisco from drydock, and she was ab-
solutely in perfect order in every detail. Two
days were consumed in taking on coal, and on
March 14 she left the Mare Island Navy Yard
on a voyage that was destined to prove a record-
breaker. Early in the trip fair weather was en-
countered and on April 4 she reached Callao,
after having covered 4,000 miles. At Callao a
rumor was current that the Spanish residents of
Valparaiso intended to do some mischief in case
the Oregon put into that port. Captain Clark
decided not to stop there, but to continue on to
Punta Arenas. A full supply of coal was taken
on at Callao, and from the day the Oregon left
there, April 7, until her arrival at Key West, the
ship's crew had not a moment of shore liberty.
Fine Work at Sea.

The Oregon had behaved splendidly on the
run down to Callao. She had met with storm
after storm, and violent storms, too. She had
fought a long battle with the elements, but had
come out victorious without a mark. The steel
plate was intact, and the guns as firm as on the
day of her trial trip. Captain Clark was handed
a sealed packet containing his orders. He was not
to know his destination until the harbor had disap-
peared from view. Just as soon as the bunkers

462 WAR WITH SPAIN.

could be stored to their full capacity, the ship was
headed about and steered into the open sea.
Captain Clark had the story of the Maine's report
and its reception by the American people to
communicate to his men, beside the route of their
excursion around the cape.

Officers and crew exercised the greatest pre-
caution when war with Spain promised to become
the sequel of the Maine disaster. The ship was
given a coat of iron gray and her searchlight
swept the horizon for hostile sails. An extra force
of lookouts was maintained day and night, and
no boat was permitted to approach the warship.

The progress of the vessel southward, after
leaving- Callao, was no summer cruise. It seemed
as if the elements had allied themselves with the
Spaniards. The heavy vessel rode the waves
beautifully and surprised even those who had
expected most of her. She was, it may be
observed, the first modern American battleship to
cross the equator or to pass through the Straits
of Magellan.

In the Straits of Magellan.

On April 1 7 the Oregon entered the Straits
of Magellan. The weather was cold and the sea
rough, but the big ironclad rushed through the
turbulent waters at a rate of thirteen knots an
hour, and the following day made Punta Arenas,
where more coal was taken on. The men suffered

WAR WITH SPAIN. 463

severely from the sudden change in the tempera-
ture, but not a single one manifested any disposi-
tion to shirk, and the officers had no trouble with
them. After a three days' stop at Punta Arenas,
the Oregon turned her nose northward.

All this time the officers and crew were al-
most entirely ignorant of the trend of events
except for the small amount of information they
could glean in the places at which they stopped.
This was sufficient to show them that the situa-
tion was a grave one, however, and before the
Straits were cleared Captain Clark ordered the
ship to be made ready for action and in other
ways made preparations to meet any emergency
that might arise. The gunboat Marietta was
picked up at Punta Arenas and both vessels were
soon covered with the grim paint of war. From
Punta Arenas to Rio, which was reached on April
30, the progress of the Oregon was greatly im-
peded by the Marietta, no less than five full days
being lost in waiting for her.

At Rio the first news of the declaration of
war was brought to the Oregon. The informa-
tion was instantly communicated to the men, who
received it with cheers, intermingled with cries of
"Avenge the Maine." Orders were also received
for the Oregon to pick up the Brazilian cruiser
Nictheroy and proceed at all possible speed to
the United States.

464 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Good'by to tlie Slow Vessels.

On May 3 the Oregon, in company with the
little Marietta and the Nictheroy, left Rio. With
two such slow vessels as consorts, the Oregon
was greatly hampered, and after two days of
steaming at nine knots, Captain Clark hoisted the
good-by signal and started off with a rush for
Bahia, 745 miles distant. On the run to Bahia
the Oregon made 375 miles in twenty-four hours,
a record that surpasses any other ever made by a
battleship of any class. Bahia was reached on
May 8, and, after a twelve hours' stay, the voyage
northward was resumed. All the speed that could
be crowded out of the vessel was made at this
juncture for two reasons. The first was the
anxiety of officers and men to reach their jour-
ney's end in time to engage in the conflict with
Cervera, and the other to afford relief from the
excessive heat, which was telling on the men in
the fireroom.

Barbadoes, the next point of touch, is 2,578
miles from Bahia, and this distance was covered
in nine days, another record-breaking run. Cap-
tain Clark expected to find Admiral Sampson
near Barbadoes, but instead he learned that the
American fleet was at Porto Rico, and that Cervera
was at the Canary Islands. The former report
was correct, but the latter was misleading, for at
that time the Spanish Admiral was either at Cura-

WAR WITH SPAIN. 465

coa or on his way thither. Captain Clark
did not permit his ignorance of the position
of his foes to worry him, however, and on
the day of his arrival he again set sail, this time
for his own land. His course was almost a
semi-circular one, swinging around to the east-
ward of the Windward Isles and avoiding the
tortuous channels of the Bahamas until the
Florida coast was reached.

Jupiter Light was sighted about 8 o'clock on
the evening of May 24, and volunteers were called
for to man a boat and carry dispatches ashore.
End of the Great Voyage.

The dispatches of the Navy Department
from Captain Clark were characteristic of the
man. They simply related that he had arrived
and asked for orders. Immediately there came
this reply :

"If you are ready for service, go to Key
West. If you need repairs go to Norfolk.

Long."

Without an hour's delay, the Oregon was
headed for Key West, which was reached at 6
o'clock next morning, the trip from Jupiter Light
being made at an average speed of 13 knots an
hour. This is the tale of the long, historic and
remarkable voyage. It needs no embellishment.
When asked what incidents marked the voyage,
Captain Clark said :

466 WAR WITH SPAIN.

"No trip of its kind and length was more
uneventful. The ship behaved perfectly. The
men acted finely, and we had not the slightest
bit of trouble in any way. Having proved
the Oregon's seaworthiness, we now want to
prove her ability in battle, and our cup will be
full."

A Remarkable Speed Record.

All told, the time consumed in the Oregon's
voyage was sixty-eight days from San Francisco
to Key West. The average speed throughout
was between eleven and twelve knots, including
the time lost in waiting for the Marietta and Nic-
theroy. For two hours in the trip from Bahia to
Barbadoes the vessel made fifteen knots an hour,
her contract speed, and that was after she had
been out over a month. In all the voyage the
Oregon never sighted a Spanish war vessel,
though at several places it was reported that Cer-
vera's fleet was near at hand. From the Straits
until she arrived at Key West, her lights were
"doused" at night, and so cautious was Captain
Clark that he issued an order that no one should
smoke a cigar on deck after dark, for fear it
might give the enemy a line on the vessel's po-
sition.

Off Cape St. Roque, the easternmost point of
Brazil, on the night of May 12, lights of several
strange vessels were discerned, and many of the

WAR WITH SPAIN. 467

Oregon's officers believe that they were those of
the vessels of Cervera's fleet. In the morning no
trace of these ships could be seen, nor could any
word of them be obtained from fishing smacks in
the vicinity. At Punta Arenas it was reported to
Captain Clark that the Temerario, the Spanish
torpedo-boat destroyer, was cruising along the
Brazilian coast, and he was warned to keep a
a sharp lookout for it. Every night extra guards
were mounted, and every precaution was taken
to repel an attack by the fast little Spanish vessel.
All this trouble was taken in vain, however, as at
Rio Janeiro it was learned that the Temerario was
in drydock.

The real heroes of the voyage were Chief
Engineer Robert W. Milligen and the seventy
men in his division. Despite the intense tropical
heat, these brave fellows worked like demons, and
their labors have added lustre to the name of the
American Navy and a page to naval history.
During the voyage the terms of enlistment of
many of the seamen expired, but the majority of
them re-enlisted on board ship, and most of those
who failed to do so protested that they intended
to re-enter the service as soon as they obtained
a few days' rest. The fact that the Oregon is
the first United States battleship to cross the
equator is worthy of note. When the line was
crossed the officers held high carnival, and went

468 WAR WITH SPAIN.

through a mystical ceremony which was greatly
enjoyed.

In speaking of his trip Captain Clark said:
"The Oregon's record-breaking voyage of nearly
fourteen thousand miles is an important argument
in favor of the early completion of the Nicaragua
Canal or some other canal across the Isthmus of
Panama. I hope that it will have some influence
with Congress, and I believe it will. With such a
canal our journey would have been cut in half and
a first-class battleship would have been added to
Admiral Sampson's fleet."

Her Size and Her Armament.

The Oregon was begun in 1891 at the Union
Iron Works, San Francisco, at a contract price of
$3,180,000, and was launched October 23, 1894.
She is registered as a steel coastline battleship of
10,288 tons burden, with engines capable of de-
veloping 9,000 horse-power. Her armament em-
braces four 1 3-inch breech-loading rifles in pairs,
placed in two 15-inch barbette turrets; eight
8-inch and four 6-inch breech-loading rifles in the
main battery, and twenty 6-pounder and six
1 -pounder rapid-fire guns, and four Gatling guns
in the secondary battery. The ship is encircled
by a steel belt eighteen inches in thickness, and her
decks are covered with a layer of three-inch chilled
steel. Her coal bunkers will hold 1,640 tons, and
her full complement of officers and men is 473.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 47 1

Her builders were justified in expecting great
things from the Oregon, because of her remark-
able performance on May 14, 1896, when, after
months of preparation and many trials, she made
her official trial run out of the harbor of San
Francisco. At that time she not only fulfilled the
promises made by her builders, but exceeded the
required speed to such an extent that the Union
Iron Works received a bonus of $175,000. She
carried 160 pounds of steam, and, although her
engines were not crowded to their utmost capa-
city, she made 16.78 knots an hour. The prize
was $25,000 for every one-fourth knot developed
over the required speed of fifteen knots an hour.

The performance of the Oregon was tele-
graphed all over the world, the builders were
elated over their success, and the city of Portland
showed its appreciation by presenting a silver
service, valued at $20,000 to the ship.

The Oregon's Commander.

Captain Charles Edgar Clark, the commander
of the Oregon, was born in Vermont, and was
appointed to the Naval Academy, from that state
in i860. In 1863 he was promoted to ensign and
assigned to the steam sloop Ossipee, of the West-
ern Gulf blockading squadron. He was with his
vessel in the battle of Mobile Bay, and took part
in the bombardment of Fort Morgan. From 1865
to 1867 he was with Vanderbilt on the Pacific

27

472 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Station. He received a lieutenant's commission
in 1867 and became a lieutenant-commander a
year later. He was then attached to the Suwanee,
which was wrecked on July 7. His service on the
receiving-ship Vandalia at Portsmouth, on the
Seminole in the North Atlantic, and at the Naval
Academy, lasted until 1873, when he was assigned
to the Atlantic Station, where he remained for
three years with the Hartford, the Monocacy and
the Kearsarge. The next three years he spent
at the Charlestown Navy Yard. He received his
commander's commission in 1881, and after duty
on the training ship New Hampshire, and at the
torpedo station, went with the steamer Ranger
on a survey trip up the North Pacific. This cruise
lasted three years. From 1887 to 1891 he was
Lighthouse Inspector, and was afterward stationed
at the Mare Island Navy Yard. He took com-
mand of the Mohican in September, 1893, and left
her to take command of the Monterey as captain,
in 1896. His next and latest command was the
Oregon.

From a purely layman's point of view, the
long journey of the Oregon from San Francisco,
down the western coast of South America, through
the Straits of Magellan and up along the Atlantic
side of the Southern continent, is remarkable
because of the peculiar condition which has
existed almost from the day she started. From

WAR WITH SPAIN. 473

the point of view of those who go down to sea in
ships, the voyage is none the less noteworthy
because of its length, its freedom from accident,
and the speed which the good ship maintained
throughout. From the point of view of the patriot,
it is a most satisfactory evidence that American
brains can build a ship that can stand such a trip,
and that American sailors can pilot such a ship
through the perilous sea that beats on the South
American coast, especially when a murderous foe
is hovering near to destroy her.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE SPANISH CAPE VERD FLEET SEEKING THE

SPANIARDS — NEWS AT LAST SANTIAGO DE CUBA

THE FIRST ATTACK A PEEP INTO THE HARBOR

FIRING BIG GUNS RESULTS OF THE SHOOTING

"SEALING THE CORK'' THE SEARCH FOR THE

SURVIVORS — WAITING FOR HOBSON's RETURN

WHAT HOBSON DID.

EFORE WAR was actually declared a
small but powerful Spanish fleet was
sent from Cadiz to the Cape Verd Is-
lands, presumably thence to make a quick dash
across the Atlantic. This fleet was under the
command of Admiral Cervera, one of the ablest
officers in the Spanish navy. It consisted of four
swift and heavily armed and armored cruisers, or
second-class battleships, and three torpedo-boat
destroyers. The former were the Cristobal
Colon, the Vizcaya, the Almirante Oquendo, and
the Maria Teresa ; the latter, the Furor, Terror,
and Pluton. The fleet remained at the Cape
Verd Islands for some time, even after war was
openly declared. At last, however, Portugal

474

WAR WITH SPAIN. 475

made a proclamation of neutrality, and then the
ships had to leave.

Whither they went was for a long time in
doubt. Conflicting reports abounded. Several
times it was officially and positively stated that
they had returned to Cadiz, again that they had
gone to the Philippines, again that they were off
the New England coast, again that they had gone
down the Brazilian coast to intercept the Oregon.
Seeking: the Spaniards.

Admiral Sampson's fleet set out from Key
West on May 3, to cruise about the West Indies
in search of the Spanish fleet. It was composed
of the battleships Iowa and Indiana, the cruisers
New York (flagship), Montgomery and Detroit,
the monitors Amphitrite and Terror, the torpedo-
boat Porter, the collier Niagara and the tug Wam-
patuck.

Leaving Key West on May 3, the fleet sailed
in the direction of Havana, then turned eastward,
keeping in sight of the lofty coast of Cuba. At
night the beacons on the Cuban hills were lighted
as usual, but they gave guidance to few vessels
besides the enemies of Spain. The fleet carried
no lights, but there was much signal practice with
colored lamps.

At daylight on May 1 2 the fleet bombarded
San Juan, the seaport and metropolis of Porto
Rico.

476 WAR WITH SPAIN.

News at Last.

Then came the long awaited news. The
Spanish fleet was authoritatively announced to
have reached Martinique, a French island in the
West Indies, some distance south of Porto Rico.
The Spanish Admiral had intended to touch at
Martinique, and then proceed to Porto Rico.
But finding that Admiral Sampson's fleet had
already bombarded the capital of the latter island,
he was compelled to change his plans. The neu-
trality laws compelled him to leave Martinique in
twenty-four hours. He did so, leaving behind
the torpedo-boat destroyer Terror, which had be-
come disabled. Then he went southwest, to
Curacoa, a Dutch island near the coast of Ven-
ezuela, where he got a few tons of coal and other
supplies. Then again he was lost to sight, and
there was much speculation as to his whereabouts.
Admiral Sampson's fleet searched for him and
guarded the passage at one end of Cuba, while
Commodore Schley with his fleet hastened down
from Hampton Roads and joined in the hunt.

On May 15, the Spanish fleet disappeared
from Curacoa. There were rumors that it had
gone to Port Limon, to Havana, and back to
Spain. All was uncertainty for five days, and
then it was learned that it had got into the harbor
of Santiago de Cuba, near the southeastern end
of that island. Over that news Spain was exul-

WAR WITH SPAIN. 477

tant, declaring Cervera had outwitted the Ameri-
can commanders, and the Madrid government
cabled him a message of thanks and congratula-
tion. On the other hand it was thought in this
country that Cervera had made it more fatal for
himself, for he had got into a trap from which he
could not escape. The latter view was soon
shown to be correct. Commodore Schley has-
tened to Santiago with his powerful fleet, and
blockaded the narrow entrance to the harbor,
making it impossible for the Spaniards to get out
without fighting a vastly superior force. As was
said on all hands, Cervera was bottled up, and
Schley had put the cork in the bottle.
Santiago de Cuba.
Santiago de Cuba, the second city in size on
the island, is probably the oldest city of any size
on this hemisphere, having been founded by
Velasquez in 15 14. It fronts on a beautiful bay,
six miles long and two miles wide, on the south-
eastern coast of Cuba, one hundred miles west of
Cape Maysi. The population in 1895 was 59,614.
The mean temperature in summer is 88 degrees;
in winter, 82 degrees. It is regarded as very
unhealthy, yellow fever being prevalent through-
out the year and smallpox epidemic at certain
times. These conditions are due to the lack of
sanitary and hygienic measures; all refuse matter,
as well as dead dogs, cats, chickens, etc., being

47^ WAR WITH SPAIN.

thrown into the streets to decay and fill the air
with disease germs.

Santiago is the capital of the province and
oriental region. There are a number of tobacco
factories, but the chief business is the exportation
of raw materials and the importation of manu-
factured goods and provisions. Sugar, iron ore5
manganese, mahogany, hides, wax, cedar and
tobacco are exported to the United States.

The entrance to Santiago harbor is only about
200 feet wide, so that vessels must go in and out
in single file. The Spaniards had forts and bat-
teries on each side, and torpedoes in the channel,
so that it would be a perilous thing for our fleet
to try to force an entrance.

The First Attack.

Commodore Schley, however, determined to
do some fighting. On May 31 he raised his flag
on the battleship Massachusetts, and gave the
signal for action.

The work of ascertaining the position of the
Spanish warships was delegated to the protected
cruiser Marblehead because of her comparatively
light draught and good speed.

Commander McCalla was ordered to enter
the mouth of the harbor as far as possible, in
order to get a view of the lower part of the bay.
The cruiser started at full speed, and, passing
over the shallows of Morillo Point on the east,

WAR WITH SPAIN. 479

right under the guns of Morro, was opposite the
harbor entrance before the Spaniards had appar-
ently noticed her presence.

A Peep Into the Harbor.

The Marblehead slackened speed as soon
as she had passed Morro on the east, and
her officers were able to get an unobstructed view
of the bay as far as Punta Gorda, which is some
distance above the fort of La Socapa on the west
side of the narrow mouth of the bay. Lying at
anchor in the bay above La Socapa the Marble-
head's officers saw the Spanish fleet, whose where-
abouts had ever since the war began given so
much anxiety to the authorities at Washington
and kept the whole American navy on an eager
lookout.

In the channel between Smith Cay and Chur-
ruca Point were sighted the four armored cruisers,
Cristobal Colon, Almirante Oquendo, Vizcaya and
Maria Teresa, with the torpedo-boat destroyers
Pinton and Furor.

With them was the old cruiser Reina Mer-
cedes, a vessel fairly well armed, but because of
her unseaworthiness practically worthless for
fighting purposes.

Commander McCalla having accomplished
his purpose turned the Marblehead's prow again
towards the Brooklyn and reported his discovery
to Commodore Schley. He was overjoyed to

480 WAR WITH SPAIN.

learn that beyond all question Cervera's warships
were confined in a position where their speed
capabilities would be of little avail.

This much being known, Commodore Schley
was still in doubt regarding the strength of the
fortifications of old Morro and La Sacopa and
the masked batteries which were known to be
hidden in the woods that skirt the shore of the
bay below the forts.

Schley's attack was planned solely for the pur-
pose of locating the masked batteries and deter-
mining the strength of Cervera's protecting forts.

The Commodore transferred his flag from the
Brooklyn to the Massachusetts at 1 2 o'clock noon,
and from the battleship signalled to the Iowa and
the New Orleans to take part in the attack, with
the converted yacht Vixen as a despatch boat.

The other vessels of the fleet, including the
battleship Texas, were left in the offing coaling
and attending to ordinary routine work.

As the attacking vessels steamed rapidly
toward Morro the Cristobal Colon was seen to be
the nearest vessel of the Spanish fleet.

She was lying with her port broadside toward
the American warships. Behind her were the other
Spanish vessels and the battery on Churruca Point.

The Massachusetts led in the attack, with the
New Orleans following, and the Iowa behind the
former Brazilian cruiser.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 48 1

Firing Big: Guns.

The flagship opened fire at once on the Cris-
tobal Colon, which lay in a tempting position in
the harbor mouth. The Massachusetts fired her
8-inch port gun for the first shot, but soon brought
her 13-inch rifles into play.

The Spaniards replied with 10 and 12-inch
Krupp guns from the batteries, while the Cristobal
Colon used her 10 and 6-inch guns entirely.

The firing on both sides was inaccurate at
first, but the gunners on the American warships
soon found the range of Cervera's flagship and
Morro fort, whose walls rapidly crumbled under
the terrific fire of the attacking vessels.

Commodore Schley's vessels fired fifty shots
in the course of the fight, while the Spaniards
wasted 100 shots.

Results of the Shooting.

No one was injured on the American vessels,
and the Spanish loss is unknown, but it is
believed to have been very heavy, particularly in
Morro.

When Commodore Schley gave the signal to
stop the attack three of the Spanish batteries over
on the west side of the harbor and two on the
east side were silenced and the fortifications de-
molished. The Spaniards kept up a weak and
scattering fire for twenty minutes after Commo-
dore Schley's ship stopped firing and long

482 WAR WITH SPAIN.

after the vessels were beyond the reach of their
guns.

In the thirty-three minutes that the actual
engagement lasted the three American warships
passed twice before the entrance of the harbor
within easy range of the Spanish guns of Morro
Castle, four masked batteries and the Cristobal
Colon, yet not a single Spanish shell struck any
one of Commodore Schley's vessels.

Three projectiles struck the water near the
New Orleans, one other shell exploded within
fifty feet of the bow of the Massachusetts, and
several other shots passed over the Iowa close
enough to lead the gunners on the American
vessels to believe that other than Spanish artillery-
men manned the modern rifles in the Santiago
batteries.

Save for these few shots the marksmanship
of the Spaniards was little better than has been
shown in the other engagements of the war, and
its character was tersely described by Fighting
Bob Evans, who, as he stood beaming on the
bridge of the Iowa after the firing had ceased,
shouted :

"The Spaniards didn't hit a thing but the
water, and that wasn't a great difficulty."
" Sealing the Cork."

Finally, in the early morning of June 3, the
harbor was closed against entrance or exit. This

WAR WITH SPAIN. 483

was done m one of the bravest bits of work ever re-
corded in naval history. Lieutenant Richmond P.
Hobson, with seven men, volunteered to take an
old coal steamer, the Merrimac, into the narrow-
est part of the channel and sink her, effectively
blocking the way. Hundreds of men and officers
wanted to join in the perilous enterprise, but
these eight were enough. All day the prepara-
tions proceeded, and by nightfall the craft was in
readiness. A row of torpedoes had been ar-
ranged outside the hull, so that Lieutenant Hob-
son could explode them from the bridge of the
vessel and thus insure her rapid sinking. At
nightfall the various ships of the fleet passed the
doomed Merrimac, cheering her lustily. By 10
o'clock all but the men who were going on the
dangerous errand had been taken from the Mer-
rimac, and the collier took a position near the New
York to await the appointed hour. It was an im-
pressive night among the men of the fleet, for few
expected that the members of the little crew would
see another sunrise. The night was cloudy, with
fitful lightning flashing behind the dark lines of the
shore, now and then showing the battlements.

Soon after 3 o'clock the Merrimac began to
drift slowly toward the land, and in half an hour
was lost to sight. It was Lieutenant Hobson's
plan to steam past Morro, swing crosswise the
channel, drop his anchors, open the valves, ex-

484 WAR WITH SPAIN.

plode the torpedoes on the port side, leap over-
board, preceded by his crew, and make their
escape in a little lifeboat which was towed astern,
if possible, and if not to attempt to swim ashore.
All the men were heavily armed, ready to make a
fierce resistance to capture.

Scarcely had the ship disappeared when a
flash from Morro's guns proclaimed that she had
been discovered. Immediately the other batteries
around the harbor opened fire, but the ship went
steadily on. A heavy cannon and musketry fire
continued for about a half-hour, and guns were
fired at intervals until long after daylight. None
of the American ships dared to fire for fear of
striking the Merrimac's crew.

The Search for the Survivors.

Cadet Powell, who had charge of a launch
which was to have picked up or assisted Lieuten-
ant Hobson and his crew, after the Merrimac had
been sunk, told this story of his experience:

"Lieutenant Hobson took a short sleep after
midnieht. At 2 o'clock he came on deck and
made a final inspection, giving his last instruc-
tions. Then we had a little luncheon. Hobson
was as cool as a cucumber. About 2.30 o'clock
I took the men who were not going on the trip into
the launch, and started for the Texas, the nearest
ship, but had to go back for one of the assistant engi-
neers, whom Hobson finally compelled to leave.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 485

" I shook hands with Hobson the last of all.
He said: 'Powell, watch the boat's crew when
we pull out of the harbor. We will be cracks,
rowing thirty strokes to the minute.'

"After leaving the Texas I saw the Merrimac
steaming slowly in. It was only fairly dark then
and the shore was quite visible. We followed
about three-quarters of a mile astern. The Mer-
rimac stood about a mile westward of the harbor
and seemed a bit mixed, turning completely
around. Finally, heading to the east, she ran
down and then turned in.

"We were then chasing him because I
thought Hobson had lost his bearings. When
Hobson was about three hundred yards from the
harbor the first gun was fired, from the eastern
bluff. We were then half a mile off shore, close
under the batteries. The firing increased rapidly.
We steamed in slowly and lost sight of the Merri-
mac in the smoke which the wind carried off
ashore. It hung heavily.

"Before Hobson could have blown up the
Merrimac the western battery picked us up and
began firing. They shot wild, and we heard only
the shots. We ran in still closer to the shore,
and the gunners lost sight of us.

"Then we heard the explosion of the tor-
pedoes on the Merrimac.

486 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Wat in g for Hobson's Return.

"Until daylight we waited just outside the
breakers, half a mile westward of Morro, keep-
ing a bright lookout for the boat or for swimmers,
but saw nothing. Hobson had arranged to meet
us at that point, but thinking that some one might
have drifted out, we crossed in front of Morro
and the mouth of the harbor to the eastward.

"About 5 o'clock we crossed the harbor
again within a quarter of a mile, and stood to the
westward. In passing we saw one spar of the
Merrimac sticking out of the water. We hugged
the shore just outside of the breakers for a mile,
and then turned toward the Texas, when the bat-
teries saw us and opened fire.

"It was then broad daylight. The first shot
fired dropped thirty yards astern, but the other
shots went wild.

"I drove the launch for all she was worth,
finally making the New York. The men be-
haved splendidly."

What Hobson Did.

What was done by Hobson and his men is
briefly to be told. There was none of the dash
and excitement of battle in the job, no blazing
and thundering of big guns and darting of tor-
pedoes. At least there was none on Hobson's
side. He and his men and their defenceless ship
sailed slowly into the awful trap without a stroke

Action on a Monitor.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 489

in their own defence. A literal hail of shot and
shell swept down upon them. The chanees were
they would be riddled, or blown to atoms. But
calmly and steadily the ship was moved forward
until the narrowest part of the channel was
reached. Then anchor was cast out at the bow.
In instant peril of death they waited patiently, as
inch by inch the tide swung the great hulk
around. At last she lay right across the channel,
her length reaching almost from shore to shore.
Then they dropped another anchor at the stern,
to hold her fast in that position. Then as Gren-
ville said after his immortal fight, the word was
given, " Sink me the ship, Master Gunner ! Sink
her ! Split her in twain ! " And by the hands of
her own crew, the ship was sunk, effectually bar-
ring the harbor against exit or entrance. The
work was done. Then, seeing there was no
escape in their open skiff through the storm of
shot and shell that fell about them, Hobson and
his seven men calmly rowed straight to the nearest
Spanish ship, whose guns were belching out death
against them, and gave themselves up as prisoners
of war. The Spaniards appreciated their valor,
cheered them to the echo, received them more as
honored guests than prisoners, and at once sent
an envoy to the American fleet to negotiate for
their release in return for the release of Spaniards
held as prisoners in the United States.
28

CHAPTER XXII.

THE SEVENTH REGIMENT TWO BIG CAMPS THE

SECOND CALL GENERAL SHAFTER FOR THE

PHILIPPINES PREPARING TO INVADE CUBA

THE TRIP TO CUBA OPERATIONS AT GUANTA-

NAMO RAIDING A SPANISH CAMP SPANIARDS

RUSH FOR THE BUSHES THE DOLPHIN THROWS

SHELLS.

|NE of the first things to be done after
war was declared was to raise an army.
Evidently it was not going- to be alto-
gether a war at sea. Troops would be needed
for the invasion of Cuba and Porto Rico, and also
for occupying the distant Philippines. For such
purposes the standing army of less than 30,000
men was absurdly inadequate. Volunteers must
be called for. Some debate ensued in Congress
as to the number the President was to be em-
powered to ask for, but at last the matter was
left to a laro-e extent to his discretion.

On Saturday, April 23, the President issued
a call for 125,000 men. Requisitions were made
upon the various state governments to furnish
each of them its quota, according to its size.
Many of the militia regiments were ordered by

490

WAR WITH SPAIN. 49 1

the state governors to hold themselves in readi-
ness for service, and recruiting offices were opened
here and there, to secure new men. Many men
of means and prominence interested themselves
in the movement in one way or another. Theodore
Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, re-
signed his office in order to raise and lead a
regiment of "Rough Riders" recruited partly
from cow-boys of the West and partly from
athletic young men of fashionable society. These
fighters were variously called "Roosevelt's Rough
Riders," "Roosevelt's Rustlers," and "Teddy's
Terrors." John Jacob Astor organized and
equipped a fine battery, which was sent to Manila.
The Seventh Regiment.
There was a general uprising of enthusiastic
response to the President's call. But there were
some hitches and misunderstanding. The New
York Seventh Regiment, one of the finest and
most famous militia organizations in the country,
was quick to volunteer. In accord with its splen-
did history, the regiment was filled with patriotism.
But when it was found that the regiment would
be broken up and lose its identity, the men natur-
ally demurred and voted not to surrender their
regimental organization. So they were left be-
hind. The Thirteenth Regiment of Brooklyn,
through a stupid blunder, was placed ^i a still
more unfortunate position, and for not yielding to

492 WAR WITH SPAIN.

what it deemed an unjust order, was disbanded
by the Governor.

These were, however, exceptional incidents.
On the whole the work of raising an army went on
smoothly and rapidly. Camps of instruction and
drill were established at convenient points all over
the land, and thither the troops were sent to
become disciplined and accustomed to the hard-
ships of army life.

Two Big Camps.

Besides the state camps which the various
states established, there were national camps,
the chief of which were at Chickamauga, Georgia,
and Tampa, Florida. The former was at the site
of the famous battle fouaht there in our civil war

o

and was chosen because of its available situation.
The latter was selected because it was at a con-
venient place for shipment of the troops to Cuba.
Troops began to arrive at Chickamauga on May
15, the first of the volunteers being the First Ohio
Cavalry. Within a week 25,000 men were
massed there, and later the number was swelled
to 65,000, the largest army in the United States
since the civil war. From Chickamauga the
troops were forwarded to Tampa, there to await
the time when they would be sent to Cuba.
The Second Call.
The first call for troops was soon filled and
125,000 men were under arms. But it was then

WAR WITH SPAIN. 493

realized that a still larger force would be needed,
and so, on May 25, the President issued a second
call, for 75,000 more, making 200,000 in all.
This call was answered with equal promptness
and the entire roster was made up.

There was considerable delay in equipping
the troops. Clothing had to be manufactured in
vast quantities. Even the regular army, which
had been well equipped, had to have all its clothes
new, for a tropical land was to be invaded, and
thinner and lighter clothes were more necessary
than the men had been used to here.
General Shatter •

The General commanding the whole army was
General Nelson A. Miles. To command the expe-
dition to Cuba General William R. Shafter was
selected. He was a veteran of the civil war, having
first entered the military service on the 21st of
August, 1861, when he was mustered into the volun-
teers as First Lieutenant of the Seventh Michigan
Infantry, being honorably mustered out just a year
later. He at once re-entered the service as Major
of the Nineteenth Michigan, becoming Lieutenant-
Colonel in 1863, and Colonel of the Seventeenth
United States Colored Infantry April 1 9, 1 864. He
was commissioned a Brevet Brigadier-General of
Volunteers on March 13, 1865, for gallant and meri-
torious services during the war, and was also
brevetted Colonel in the regular army March 2,

494 WAR WITH SPAIN.

1867, for gallantry at the battle of Fair Oaks,
Virginia.

In July, 1866, while still in the volunteer
service, Gen. Shafter was appointed Lieutenant-
Colonel of the Forty-first Regular Infantry, from
which he was transferred to the Twenty-fourth
Infantry in 1869 on the reduction of the army to
a peace footing. He became Colonel of the First
Infantry March 4, 1879, which position he held
until he was made Brigadier-General, May 26,
1897. During this long period as a regimental
commander, Gen. Shafter won a high reputation,
his regiment having an enviable name throughout
the entire army for its efficiency, drill, and discip-
line, it having been often said that it was "the best
regiment in the army." An officer who returned
from Germany in 1892, after a year spent in ob-
servation of the army of that country, said that
Shafter's First Infantry was the only American
regiment which reached the German standard.
For the Philippines.

The first great victory of the war was Admiral
Dewey's at Manila, and it made evident the ne-
cessity of sending an army thither to take posses-
sion of the Philippine Islands and set up a govern-
ment over them. For this task General Wesley
Merritt was selected as leader. He was one of
the most distinguished surviving veterans of the
civil war, and was second in command in the whole

WAR WITH SPAIN. 495

army only to General Miles. It was arranged to
send him out to Manila with practically supreme
authority, to be a Military Governor, or practically
a Dictator. He was to have twenty thousand
troops, and every effort was made to get these
together and send them at the earliest possible
moment. A lot of passenger steamers were secured
for troopships, and supplies of clothing, food, and
munitions of war were collected on a gigantic scale.
First the U. S. warship Charleston was sent
off with ammunition for Dewey, on May 22, sail-
ing, of course, from San Francisco. On May 25
the three steamers City of Peking, City of Sydney,
and Australia, sailed from that port with the first
detachment of the army, consisting of 2,500 men.
This expedition reached Honolulu on June 1, and
sailed thence for Manila on June 4. The Ha-
waiian Government decided not to observe neu-
trality in the war, but to act as an ally of the
United States, although Spain vigorously pro-
tested and threatened to hold it responsible for the
consequences. So our troops were welcomed
there in fine style and entertained most hospit-
ably. On June 6 the warship Mohican left San
Francisco for Manila, and five days later the for-
midable monitor Monterey followed. The second
military expedition set out on June 15, consisting
of 3,500 troops, in four steamships. The monitor
Monadnock went on June 23d, and at the end of

496 WAR WITH SPAIN

the month a third military party of some thou
sands went out, General Merritt himself going
with it.

Preparing: to Invade Cuba.

Early in June preparations were hastened
for the invasion of Cuba, and thousands of soldiers
were put aboard ship at Tampa and taken around
to Key West, whence the final start was to be
made. On June 13, despite the superstition at-
taching to that number, the great expedition set
forth. It comprised 14,564 enlisted men, and 773
officers, as follows :

Infantry regiments — Sixth, 16th, 71st New-
York Volunteers ; 10th, 2 1 st, 2d, 13th, 9th, 24th,
8th, 2 2d, 2d Massachusetts Volunteers : 1st, 25th,
1 2th, 7th, 17th, 3d, 20th; total infantry, 561 offi-
cers and 10,709 enlisted men.

Cavalry — Two dismounted squadrons of
four troops each from the 3d, 6th, 9th, 1st and
10th Cavalry, and two dismounted squadrons
of four troops each from the 1st United States
Volunteer Cavalry. Total dismounted cavalry, 159
officers and 2,875 enlisted men. Mounted cav-
alry— One squadron of the 2d; 9 officers and 280
enlisted men.

Artillery — Light Batteries E and K, 1st Ar-
tillery: A and F, 2d Artillery : 14 officers and 323
enlisted men. Batteries G and H, 4th Artillery
siege, 4 officers and 132 enlisted men.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 497

Engineers — Companies C and E, 9 officers,
200 enlisted men.

Signal Corps — One detachment, 2 officers
and 45 enlisted men.

The Trip to Cuba.

This great fleet of troopships and its power-
ful naval escort, headed by the battleship Indiana,
presented the most imposing spectacle of the kind
ever seen in American waters. From Key West
the procession moved to Rebecca Shoal, near
Dry Tortugas, and then steered for the eastern
end of Cuba, the objective point being the harbor
of Santiago, where the Spanish fleet was held
prisoner by the American ships of war. The
voyage was made carefully and without mishap,
and at noon of June 20 the whole fleet was off
the harbor of Santiago.

A conference was at once held by General
Shafter, Admiral Sampson, and the Cuban Gen-
eral Garcia, to consider the best place for landing.
It was decided to make a naval demonstration
at the entrance to the harbor and a little west of
it, to attract the attention of the Spanish troops
thither and then to hurry the troops ashore
at Baiquiri, some miles to the eastward. This
was done with eminent success. Landing was
begun on the morning of June 22, and by the
afternoon of the next day all were ashore without
mishap. The Cuban insurgents aided materially

498 WAR WITH SPAIN.

in the work, and at once joined forces with the
American army, for a joint forward movement
against the Spaniards and the city of Santiago.
Operations at Guantanamo.

In the mean time while the army of invasion
was being prepared and conveyed to Cuba, a
preliminary invasion was made by the navy, by
landing a force of marines near Guantanamo,
about forty miles east of Santiago. A part of the
American fleet arrived at the entrance to the Bay
of Guantanamo on June 7 and bombarded the
fortifications and the suburban village of Cai-
manera. Three days later a force of eight hun-
dred marines landed on Fisherman's Point, raised
the Stars and Stripes for the first time on Cuban
soil, and established a camp which they called
Camp McCalla. The landing was made from
the troopship Panther, protected by the fire of
the battleship Oregon and the gunboats Marble-
head, Vixen, and Dolphin.

The next day a fierce attack was made upon
the camp by Spaniards, firing from the cover of the
dense woods, and it was maintained without
cessation for thirteen hours. Four Americans
were killed, the first to lose their lives on Cuban
soil. They were John Blair Gibbs, a surgeon ;
Charles H. Smith, a sergeant ; and William
Dunphy and James McColgan, privates. The
Spanish loss was not ascertained, but was much

WAR WITH SPAIN. 499

heavier. The next night the attack was renewed,
and two more Americans were killed, Henry
Goode and George Tauman. More than twenty
Spaniards were killed. The attack was a pic-
turesque and striking spectacle. The crack of the
Spanish rifles, sending tongues of fire from every
bush encircling the camp, and the twitter of the long
steel bullets overhead, could be heard, while the
machine guns down on the water were ripping
open the thickets, and the field guns were driving
in shot where the fire of the Spaniards was the
thickest.

Then there was the screech of the Marble-
head's shells as she. took a hand in the fight, and
the sharp, quick flashing of the Colt rapid-firing
i -pounder guns from the effectively-placed ship
launches.

The Dolphin found the Spanish water-station
on the ocean side of the harbor entrance, which
supplied the water for the attacking force. The
well was situated in a blockhouse windmill, having
a small garrison. It was shelled at two thousand
yards. The station was wrecked and canister
followed the retreating Spaniards up the steep
hills.

Raiding: a Spanish Camp.

A few days later the Americans decided that
attack was the best defence, so they set out to
take the aggressive and to destroy the camp of

500 WAR WITH SPAIN.

the Spaniards. A small party of marines, with
some Cuban allies, marched five miles across the
hills under a scorching tropical sun. At two
hundred yards' distance from the Spanish camp
the fight began.

Very few Spaniards were in sight. They
were lying behind the huts and in the brush, but
puffs of smoke revealed their positions and enabled
the Americans to do effective work.

For twenty minutes both sides maintained a
terrific fire. The Spanish shots were generally
wild and spasmodic, while the Americans coolly
fired away, aiming carefully and shooting to kill.
For the most part our firing was done individually,
but at times the officers could direct firing by
squads, always with telling effect.

Spaniards Rush for the Bushes.

It was beginning to look as though a bayonet
charge down the slope would be necessary to
dislodge the enemy, when suddenly the latter
began to break for a thicket a hundred yards
further on. Little groups could be seen fleeing
from the camp, separating, darting through the
brush and zigzagging to escape the bullets.

It was then the American fire became most
deadly. Man after man could be seen to fall in
a vain rush for shelter, and the fire from the
Spanish became scattering and almost ceased.

Two Cubans lay dead and four wounded ;

WAR WITH SPAIN. 5OI

and Private Walker, of Company D, had to limp
to the rear with a slight wound in his ankle.

The easy victory put the command in high
spirits. The little Cuban warriors waved their
machetes and howled curses at the Spanish in
savage fashion. Their firing had been wild
throughout ; but they all displayed the utmost
contempt for the Spanish bullets, apparently being
absolutely without fear.

The Dolphin Throws Shells.

As the enemy began breaking from the camp,
the Dolphin, which lay out at sea, was signalled
and began pitching shells toward the thicket for
which the Spaniards were making. Meanwhile
Lieutenant Magill was seen coming with forty
men as reinforcements, and Captain Mahoney was
on the way with a hundred more. But before
either could reach the scene the trouble was all
over.

As the Spanish retreated the Americans
moved slowly forward, firing as they went ; and
by the time camp was reached the enemy had all
got away, taking their wounded, and probably
many of their dead.

Fifteen bodies were found scattered through
the brush ; but the Americans were unable to
examine the spot where their firing had been
most deadly. No time was lost in burning the
buildings and filling the well with earth and stones.

502 WAR WITH SPAIN.

The Dolphin landed water and ammunition,
as an attack was expected on the return march,
but none was made. Evidently the Spaniards
were too thoroughly beaten to attempt further
fighting. The marines did not reach the Ameri-
can camp until after nightfall ; and, as they had
been without food since the early morning, they
were thoroughly exhausted. But there were no
more Spanish attacks upon Camp McCalla.

CHAPTER XXIII.

battle of la quasina captain capron s heroic

death the general advance work of the

fleet — Spain's banner falls — cervera's

startling move cervera's ship opens the

fight the texas in the thick of it end

of the destroyers "don't cheer ; the poor

devils are dying" greatest chase of mod-
ern times down came the colon's flag

it was schley's victory not likely that

the colon can be saved admiral cervera

wounded surrender of santiago discuss-
ing terms great rejoicings.

ENERAL SHAFTER'S army, after land-
ing at Baiquiri, moved swiftly forward
against the city of Santiago, which was
strongly garrisoned and soon re-enforced by
General Pando. The Spanish garrison was fully
as large as the combined forces of the Americans
and their Cuban allies, and had the enormous
advantage of fighting on the defensive from
behind fortifications. It had, moreover, the pow-
erful aid of Admiral Cervera's fleet, which lay in
the harbor close to the city, while the American
fleet, outside, was out of range.

5°3

504 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Battle of La Quasina.

The first serious fighting occurred at La
Ouasina on Friday, June 24th, and the brunt of
it was borne, with heavy loss, by the "Rough
Riders" led by Colonel Wood and Lieutenant-
Colonel Roosevelt. The expedition started from
Juragua, which is marked on some Cuban maps
as Altares. The Cubans had brought informa-
tion to the American army headquarters, on
Thursday, that a Spanish force had assembled at
La Ouasina for the purpose of blocking the
march to Santiago. The troops left Juragua at
daybreak. The first part of the journey for the
rough riders was over a series of steep hills,
several hundred feet high. The men carried 200
rounds of ammunition and their heavy camping
equipment. Although the march was accom-
plished easily enough in the early morning, the
weather became intensely hot, and the sun beat
fiercely upon the cowboys and Eastern athletes
as they toiled up the hillsides with their heavy
packs. Frequent rests were necessary, and the
trail was so narrow for the greater part of the
way that the men had to proceed in single file.

Prickly cactus lined both sides of the path,
and the underbrush was so thick that it was im-
possible to see ten feet on either side. All the
conditions therefore, were favorable for a mur-
derous ambuscade, but the troopers kept a cIosq

Spanish Troops in San Juan, Porto Rico.

ess

' ; £

P^

Climbing the Mast to Man the Turret Guns,

WAR WITH SPAIN, 507

watch, and made as little noise as possible. They
entered into the spirit of the affair with the
greatest enthusiasm. It was their first oppor-
tunity, and every man was eager for the fight.
The weather grew more and more swelteringly
hot. One by one men threw away their blankets,
tent rolls, and their emptied canteens. The first
intimation they received of the presence of the
enemy was when they were three or four miles
back from the coast. Then the low cuckoo-like
calls used by the Spaniards began to be heard.
In the bush it was difficult to make out the exact
points from which these sounds proceeded. The
men were ordered to speak in whispers, and
frequent halts were made. About eight o'clock a
place was reached where the trail opened out into
a space covered with high grass. On the right
side of the trail the ground was thickest, being
covered with a kind of bramble underbrush. On
the other side a barbed wire fence also ran along
the path. The dead body of a Cuban was found
lying on the roadside. A few seconds later the
heads of several Spaniards were seen among the
bushes, but only for a moment. Not till then
were the men permitted to load their carbines.
Just as they did so the sound of firing was heard
a mile or two to the right, apparently from the
hills beyond the thicket. This was understood to
be the regulars' reply to the Spaniards, who had
29

508 WAR WITH SPAIN.

opened on them from the thicket. In addition to
a rapid rifle fire Hotchkiss guns were also heard.
Hardly two minutes later the Mausers com-
menced to crack in the thicket, and bullets
whistled over the heads of the Rough Riders,
cutting the leaves of the trees and sending chips
flying from the fence-posts by the side of the
track.

The Spaniards poured a heavy fire, which
soon began to tell with disastrous effects. The
troopers stood their ground well, while the bullets
continued whizzing around them on every side.
Sergeant Fish was the first to fall. He was shot
through the heart. The Spaniards were not more
than two hundred yards away, but only occasional
glimpses of them could be obtained. The
troopers poured volley after volley into the brush
in the direction indicated by the rattle of Spanish
musketry, but the enemy's fire became more
frequent, and seemed to be getting into closer
range. Colonel Wood walked along the lines
with the utmost coolness, and ordered the troops
to deploy into the thicket, at the same time send-
ing another detachment into the open space on
the left. Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt led the
former, urging his men onwards as they forced
their way through the brush. Every moment
shots came thicker and faster from the enemy,
and the air seemed to be filled with the singing

WAR WITH SPAIN. 509

and shrieking sounds of Mauser bullets, while
the short pops of Spanish rifles could be easily
distinguished from the heavier reports of the
American weapons. Sometimes shots came in
volleys, sometimes following each other in rapid
succession for several minutes.

Captain Capron's Heroic Death.

Captain Capron stood behind his men, using
his revolver whenever a Spaniard exposed him-
self. He had killed two, and was just preparing
to fire again, at the same time shouting orders to
his troopers, when he was shot through the body.
His troop was badly disconcerted for an instant,
but as he fell he cried out, "Don't mind me,
boys ; go on with the fight." Sergeant Bell
stood by the side of Captain Capron when the
latter was mortally hit. He had seen that he was
fighting against terrible odds, but he never
flinched. " Give me your gun a minute," he said
to the sergeant, and, kneeling down, he deliber-
ately aimed and fired two shots in quick suc-
cession. At each a Spaniard was seen to fall.
Bell in the mean time had seized a dead com-
rade's gun, and knelt beside his captain and fired
steadily.

When Captain Capron fell he gave the ser-
geant parting messages to his wife and father,
and bade the sergeant good-by in a cheerful voice,
and was then borne away dying.

5IO WAR WITH SPAIN.

Sergeant Hamilton Fish, Jr., was the first man
killed by the Spanish fire. He was near the head
of the column as it turned from the wood road
into the range of the Spanish ambuscade. He
shot one Spaniard who was firing from the cover
of a dense patch of underbrush. When a bullet
struck his breast he sank at the foot of a tree
with his back against it. Captain Capron stood
over him shooting, and others rallied around him,
covering the wounded one.

After ten or fifteen minutes' hot work the
firing fell off somewhat, and Lieutenant-Colonel
Roosevelt ordered his men back into the trail,
narrowly escaping a bullet himself. It now be-
came evident that the Spanish were falling back
and changing their position, but their fire con-
tinued at intervals. The troopers tore to the
front and got into a more open part of the
country than where the enemy's fire was coming
from. As soon as the position had been changed
the Americans poured a more terrific fire upon
the Spaniards. They had now got them into
more open country where they could see them
better, and it was not long before the enemy
gave way. They ran down the steep hill and up
another to a blockhouse. Colonel Wood and
Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt led their troopers
onward, and a hail of bullets was poured upon
the blockhouse. When the Americans got within

WAR WITH SPAIN. 511

six hundred yards of the blockhouse the Spaniards
abandoned it. They scattered among the brush
up another hill in the direction of Santiago, and
the battle ended.

The General Advance.

Just a week later, on July i, a general ad-
vance was made and a tremendous battle was
fought in the very outskirts of Santiago, fully
15,000 men being engaged on our side and
fully as many more on the Spanish side. The
first shot in it was fired from a battery by Captain
Capron, father of the Captain Capron who met
his death so bravely at La Quasina.

Many dramatic incidents occurred during
the day, with numerous evidences of splendid
personal bravery of the American officers and
men in their work of continuous and intense
physical strain, owing to the hills and swamps
and the fierce tropical sun which beat down upon
them the greater part of the day.

Skill and Valor of Cubans.

The Cubans behaved with skill and valor,
and rendered valuable aid. General Garcia and
other Cuban generals led the troops in person,
and showed great coolness in tight places.

The Spaniards fought stubbornly throughout,
and their retreat, though steady, was slowly and
coolly conducted. They contested every inch of
the way, and fought with unexpected skill, their

512 WAR WITH SPAIN.

officers handling the troops with bravery and
good judgment. As in all of their fighting, so
far, however, they did most of their work under
cover, rarely showing themselves in large bodies
in the open.

The American loss was nearly a thousand in
killed and wounded, and the Spanish loss at least
twice as great, f^g battle ended with the Ameri-
cans encamped within a mile of the walls of
Santiago ; but General Shafter thought it best
to await the arrival of re-enforcements before
attacking the city.

Work of the Fleet.

Our fleet was too far away to take part in
the battle proper, but it did some effective firing
at the fortifications of Aguadores, on the coast.
The target was an old stone fort, flying the
Spanish flag.

When the small shells hit its battlements,
almost hidden by green creepers, fragments of
masonry came tumbling down. A shot from the
Suwanee hit the eastern parapet and it crumbled
away. Amid the smoke and debris the flagstaff
was seen to fall forward.

"The flag has been shot down!" shouted the
ships' crews, but when the smoke cleared away
the emblem of Spain was seen to be still flying
and blazing brilliantly in the sun, though the flag-
staff was bending toward the earth. Apparently

WAR WITH SPAIN. 513

the flagstaff had been caught firmly in the wreck-
age of the fort. A few more shots levelled the
battlements until ■ the old castle was a pitiful
sight.

When the firing ceased Lieutenant Dele-
hanty, of the Suwanee, was anxious to finish his
work, so he signalled to the New York, asking
permission to knock down the Spanish flag.

"Yes," replied Admiral Sampson, "if you
can do it in three shots."

The Suwanee then lay about sixteen hundred
yards from the old fort. She took her time. Lieu-
tenant Blue carefully aimed the 4-inch gun, and
the crews of all the ships watched the incident
amid intense excitement.

When the smoke of the Suwanee's first shot
cleared away, only two red streamers of the flag
were left. The shell had gone through the centre
of the bunting. A delighted yell broke from the
crew of the Suwanee.

Two or three minutes later the Suwanee
fired again, and a huge cloud of debris rose from
the base of the flao-staff. For a few seconds it
was impossible to tell what had been the effect of
the shot. Then it was seen that the shell had
only added to the ruin of the fort.

Spain's Banner Falls.

The flagstaff seemed to have a charmed ex-
istence, and the Suwanee had only one chance

514 WAR WITH SPAIN.

left. It seemed hardly possible for her to achieve
her object with the big gun, such a distance and
such a tiny target.

There was breathless silence among the
watching crews. They crowded on the ships'
decks, and all eyes were on the tattered rag,
bending toward the earth from the top of what
once had been a grand old castle. But it was
only bending, not yet down.

Lieutenant-Commander Delehanty and Lieu-
tenant Blue took their time.

The Suwanee changed her position slightly.
Then a puff of smoke shot out from her side, up
went a spouting cloud of debris from the parapet
and down fell the banner of Spain.

Such yells from the flagship will probably
never be heard again. The Suwanee's last shot
had struck right at the base of the flagstaff and
had blown it clear of the wreckage which had
held it from finishing its fall.

Cervera's Startling: Move.

It was supposed that operations would now
be suspended for some days, until General Shaf-
ter could get re-enforcements. But two days
later, on July 3d, a startling change in the situation
occurred. Captain-General Blanco, at Havana,
peremptorily ordered Admiral Cervera to break
out of Santiago harbor with his fleet, and the latter
obeyed, though he knew he was going to certain

WAR WITH SPAIN. 515

destruction. The sunken hulk of the Merrimac
was passed in safety, but just outside the harbor
gate Commodore Schley was waiting with his
ships.

As told by a New York Sun correspondent
on the Texas, at about half-past nine in the morn-
ing, while the Texas was lying directly in front of
Santiago harbor, Lieut. M. L. Bristol saw smoke
arising between Morro Castle and La Socapa.
An instant later the nose of a ship poked out
behind the Estrella Battery. Clash went the
electric gongs calling the ship's company to gen-
eral quarters. Full speed ahead plunged the
Texas toward the enemy and up fluttered the
vari-colored flags signalling " The enemy is trying
to escape."

The Brooklyn, Iowa and Oregon responded
immediately. All headed toward the harbor en-
trance, being then about two and a half miles
away.

There was much suppressed excitement
aboard all the vessels as they sped in the direction
of the enemy. The first of the Spanish squadron
to come into view was the Almirante Oquendo.
Closely following her came the Cristobal Colon,
which was easily distinguishable by the military
masts between her two smokestacks. Then came
the two other cruisers, Vizcaya and Infanta Maria
Teresa.

516 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Cervera's Ship Opens the Fight.

Almost before the leading ship was clear of
the shadow of Morro Castle the fight had begun.
Admiral Cervera started it by a shell from the
Almirante Oquendo, to which he had transferred
his flag. It struck none of the American vessels.
In a twinkling the big guns of the Texas belched
forth their thunder, which was followed immedi-
ately by a heavy fire from our other ships. The
Spaniards turned to the westward under full steam,
pouring a constant fire on our ships, and evidently
hoping to get away by their superior speed.

The Brooklyn turned her course parallel with
that of the Spaniards, and, after getting in good
range, began a running fight.

The Texas in the Thick of it.

The Texas, still heading in shore, kept up a
hot exchange of shots with the foremost ships,
which gradually drew away to the westward
under the shadow of the hills. The third of the
Spanish vessels, the Vizcaya or Infanta Maria
Teresa, was caught by the Texas in good fighting
range, and it was she that engaged the chief at-
tention of the first battleship commissioned in the
American Navy — the old hoodoo, but now the
old hero. The Texas steamed west with her
adversary, and as she could not catch her with
speed she did with her shells. Captain John W.
Philip directed operations from the bridge until

WAR WITH SPAIN. 5 I 7

the fire got so hot that he ordered the ship to be
run from the conning tower, and the bridge con-
tingent moved down to the passage surrounding
the tower. This was a providential move, for a
moment later a shell from one of the Spanish
cruisers tore through the pilot house. It would
have killed the wheelman and perhaps everybody
on the bridge had they remained there.

The Oregon and the Iowa to the Front.

Meanwhile the Oregon had come in on the
run. She passed the Texas and chased after
Commodore Schley, on the Brooklyn, to head off
the foremost of the Spanish ships. The Iowa
also turned her course westward, and kept up a
hot fire on the running enemy.

At 10.10 o'clock the third of the Spanish
ships, the one that had been exchanging compli-
ments with the Texas, was seen to be on fire and
a mighty cheer went up from our ships. The
Spaniard headed for the shore and the Texas
turned her attention to the one following. The
Brooklyn and Oregon, after a few parting shots,
also left her contemptuously and made all steam
and shell after the foremost two of the Spanish
ships, the Almirante Oquendo and the Cristobal
Colon.

Just then the two torpedo boat destroyers
Pluton and Furor were discovered. They had
come out after the cruisers without being seen,

518 WAR WITH SPAIN.

and were boldly heading west down the coast.
"All small guns on the torpedo boats! " was the
order on the Texas, and in an instant a hail of
shot was pouring all about them. A six-pounder
from the starboard battery of the Texas, under
Ensign Gise, struck the foremost torpedo boat
fairly in the boiler.

End of tlie Destroyers.

A rending sound was heard above the roar of
battle. A great spout of black smoke shot up
from that destroyer and she was out of commis-
sion. The Iowa, which was coming up fast,
threw a few complimentary shots at the second
torpedo boat destroyer and passed on. The little
Gloucester, formerly J. Pierpont Morgan's yacht
Corsair, then sailed in and finished the second
boat.

Gun for gun and shot for shot the running
fight was kept up between the Spanish cruisers
and the four American vessels. At 10.30 o'clock
the Infanta Maria Teresa and Vizcaya were al-
most on the beach, and were evidently in distress.
As the Texas was firing at them a white flag was
run up on the one nearest her.

" Cease firing!" called Captain Philip, and a
moment later both the Spaniards were beached.
Clouds of black smoke arose from each, and
bright flashes of flame could be seen shining
through the smoke. Boats were visible putting

WAR WITH SPAIN. 519

out from the cruisers to the shore. The Iowa
waited to see that the two warships were really
out of the fight, and it did not take her long to
determine that they would never fight again.
The Iowa herself had suffered some very hard
knocks.

The Brooklyn, Oregon and Texas pushed
ahead after the Colon and Almirante Oquendo,
which were now running the race of their lives
along the coast. At 10.50 o'clock, when Admiral
Cervera's flagship, the Almirante Oquendo, sud-
denly headed in shore, she had the Brooklyn and
Oregon abeam and the Texas astern. The
Brooklyn and Oregon pushed on after the Cris-
tobal Colon, which was making fine time and
which looked as if she might escape, leaving the
Texas to finish the Almirante Oquendo. This
work did not take long. The Spanish ship was
already burning. At 1 1.05 down came the yellow
and red flag at her stern. Just as the Texas got
abeam of her she was shaken by a mighty ex-
plosion.

"Don't Cheer; the Poor Devils are Dying;."

The crew of the Texas started to cheer.
" Don't cheer, because the poor devils are dying,"
called Capt. Philip, and the Texas left the Al-
mirante Oquendo to her fate to join in the chase
of the Cristobal Colon.

520 WAR WITH SPAIN.

That ship in desperation was ploughing the
waters at a rate that caused the fast Brooklyn
trouble. The Oregon made great speed for a
battleship, and the Texas made the effort of her
life. Never since her trial trip had she made such
time.

The Brooklyn might have proved a match
to the Cristobal Colon in speed, but she was not
supposed to be her match in strength.

Greatest Chase of Modern Times.

It would never do to allow even one of the
Spanish ships to get away. Straight into the
west the greatest chase of modern times took
place. The Brooklyn headed the pursuers. She
stood well out from the shore in order to try to
cut off the Cristobal Colon at a point jutting out
into the sea far ahead. The Oregon kept a
middle course about a mile from the cruiser. The
desperate Don ran close along the shore, and now
and then he threw a shell of defiance. The old
Texas kept well up in the chase under forced
draught for over two hours.

The fleet Spaniard led the Americans a
merry chase, but she had no chance. The Brook-
lyn gradually forged ahead, so that the escape of
the Cristobal Colon was cut off at the point above
mentioned. The Oregon was abeam of the Colon
then, and the gallant Don gave it up.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 52 I

Down Came the Colon's Flag-.

At 1. 1 5 o'clock he headed for the shore, and
five minutes later down came the Spanish flag.
None of our ships was then within a mile of her,
but her escape was cut off. The Texas, Oregon
and Brooklyn closed in on her and stopped their
engines a few hundred yards away.

Commodore Schley left the Brooklyn in a
small boat and went aboard the Cristobal Colon
and received the surrender. Meantime the New
York, with Admiral Sampson on board, and the
Vixen were coming up on the run. Commodore
Schley signalled to Admiral Sampson : ' ' We have
won a great victory; details will be communicated."
It Was Schley's Victory.

The victory certainly was Commodore
Schley's. Then for an hour after the surrender
in that little cove under the high hills was a gen-
eral Fourth of July celebration, though a little
premature. Our ships cheered one another, the
captains indulged in compliments through the
megaphones, and the Oregon got out its band, and
the strains of the "Star-Spangled Banner" echoed
over the line of Spaniards drawn up on the deck
of the last of the Spanish fleet, and up over the
lofty green-tipped hills of the Cuban mountains.

Commodore Schley coming alongside the
Texas from the Cristobal Colon in his gig, called
out cheerily, "Itwas a nice fight, Jack, wasn't it?"

522 WAR WITH SPAIN.

The veterans of the Texas lined up and gave
three hearty cheers and a tiger for their old com-
mander-in-chief. Capt. Philip called all hands to
the quarter-deck, and, with bared head, thanked
God for the almost bloodless victory.

"I want to make public acknowledgment
here," he said, "that I believe in God the Father
Almighty. I want all you officers and men to lift
your hats and from your hearts offer silent thanks
to the Almighty."

All hats were off. There was a moment or
two of absolute silence, and then the overwrought
feelings of the ship's company relieved themselves
in three hearty cheers for their beloved com-
mander.

The Brooklyn, later in the afternoon, started
east to chase a report that another Spanish war-
ship had been seen. The vessel turned out to be
the Austrian cruiser Maria Teresa.

The Resolute came up, and the work ot
transferring the prisoners of the Cristobal Colon
to her was begun. Five hundred and thirty men
were taken off. Eight were missing.

Not Likely that the Colon can he Saved.

It was hoped that the Cristobal Colon might
be saved as a Fourth of July gift to our navy. She
was beached bow on, on a sandy shore, and her
stern was afloat. She was not materially damaged
by the shots that had struck her. One thirteen-

O

«

a
2

o
a

ft*

WAR WITH SPAIN. 525

inch shell and one eight-inch had hit her, but it
was found that the Spaniards had taken every
mean measure to destroy her after they themselves
were safe. They had opened every sea valve in
the ship and had thrown the caps overboard.
They had opened all the ports and smashed the
deadlights. They had even thrown the breech
plugs of their guns overboard.

The Colon floated off at 7 o'clock in the
evening and drifted 500 yards down the beach
to the westward, swinging bow out. The New
York pushed her back, stern on the beach, but
the water was already up to her gun deck. At
1 1 o'clock she lurched and turned over on her
starboard side, with her port guns pointing
straight up to the sky.

Admiral Cervera Wounded.

The Spanish Admiral, who was wounded in
the arm, was taken to the Gloucester, and was
received at her gangway by her commander,
Lieutenant-Commander Richard Wainwright. He
grasped the hand of the gray-bearded Admiral,
and said to him : " I congratulate you, sir, upon
having made as gallant a fight as was ever wit-
nessed on the sea." There was no mistaking the
heartbroken expression upon the old head sea-
man's face as he took the proffered hand of Lieu-
tenant-Commander Wainwright and was shown

30

526 WAR WITH SPAIN.

to the latter's cabin, but he made every effort to
bear bravely the bitter defeat that had come
to him.

Lieutenant-Commander Wainwright had been
the executive officer of the Maine. He was
aboard her when she was blown up through
Spanish treachery at Havana, and was one of the
last to leave her shattered hulk. Now with grim
satisfaction he watched the flames and smoke
roaring through the decks of the three Spanish
warships. To his brother officers beside him he
remarked : "The Maine is avenged."

In this battle six Spanish ships were de-
stroyed, 600 men killed, and 1,800 taken pris-
oners. On the American side not a ship was
injured, and only one man was killed and two
wounded. Spain's finest fleet was utterly de-
stroyed, and the doom of Santiago was sealed.
Surrender of Santiago.

After the destruction of the Spanish fleet no
important movements were made by the army,
except to tighten its grip upon the city of Santi-
ago by extending its lines around it more fully.
Then the Spanish commander asked for terms
of surrender. He at first proposed to evacuate
the city if our commanders would let him do so.
But they refused. Unconditional surrender was
their demand. Time was given to him to com-
municate with Madrid, and as a result an agree-

WAR WITH SPAIN. 527

ment was finally reached between General Toral
on the Spanish side and General Shafter on the
American. The act of surrender was signed at
four o'clock on the afternoon of July 15. It pro-
vided for the surrender of the city of Santiago
and all of the province of Santiago lying east of
a line drawn from Aserradero to Sagua de Ta-
namo, and of all the Spanish troops therein, the
latter to be sent home to Spain by the United
States Government.

The terms of the surrender involved the fol-
lowing points : The 20,000 refugees at El Caney
and Siboney to be turned back to the city.

An American infantry patrol to be posted on
the roads surrounding the city and in the country
between it and the American cavalry.

Our hospital corps to give attention as far
as possible to the sick and wounded Spanish sol-
diers in Santiago.

All the Spanish troops in the province ex-
cept 10,000 men at Holguin, under command ol
Gen. Luque, to come into the city and surrender.

The guns and defences of the city to be
turned over to the Americans in good condition.

The Americans to have full use of the Jura
gua Railroad.

The Spaniards to surrender their arms.

All the Spaniards to be conveyed to Spain
on board of American transports with the least

528 WAR WITH SPAIN.

possible delay, and be permitted to take portable
church property with them.

. Discussing- Terms.

The clause in regard to church property was
especially interesting in view of the fact that when
the Americans first threatened to bombard the
city the Archbishop of Santiago and the priests
and nuns came out to the American lines and
demanded safe convoy out of the city. They
were told to go back and point out to the Span-
ish officers the foolishness of further resistance.

There was a good deal of discussion re-
garding the arms of the Spaniards. They were
anxious to retain them. It was finally settled
that they should give them up.

The Americans declared that the point was
of trivial importance. They suspected that the
Spaniards only wanted to gain time. The Com-
missioners argued all the morning- and until late
in the afternoon, when an understanding was
arrived at.

The conditions stated were accepted : the
Spanish to leave the city with military honors,
but surrendering their arms before leaving.

The Spaniards also agreed to co-operate with
the Americans in destroying the mines and torpe-
does at the entrance to the harbor and in the bay.

The agreement was signed in duplicate bv
all the Commissioners on each side, and each

WAR WITH SPAIN. 52Q

side retained a copy. Before the Spanish Com-
missioners signed it Captain-General Blanco sent
his approval of the agreement, but added that he
must still consult the Government at Madrid.
He therefore wanted the matter postponed until
he received an answer from Madrid.

The Americans refused this, but agreed that
the signatures should be conditional.

The ratification of the terms by the Madrid
Government soon came, and the surrender was
completed.

Or eat Rejoicings.

The news of this triumph was received with
great rejoicing in the United States, and the fol-
lowing messages were promptly sent :

"Washington, D. C, July 16.
"General Shafter, Commanding Front, near Santi-
ago, Play a:

"The President of the United States sends
to you and your brave army the profound thanks
of the American people for the brilliant achieve-
ments at Santiago, resulting in the surrender of
the city and all of the Spanish troops and terri-
tory under General Toral.

"Your splendid command has endured not
only the hardships and sacrifices incident to cam-
paign and battle, but in stress of heat and weather
has triumphed over obstacles which would have
overcome men less brave and determined.

530 WAR WITH SPAIN.

" One and all have displayed the most con-
spicuous gallantry and earned the gratitude of
the nation.

"The hearts of the people turn with tender
sympathy to the sick and wounded.

"May the Father of Mercies protect and
comfort them. William McKinley."

Also the following :

"Major-General, Front, near Santiago, Play a :

"I cannot express in words my gratitude to
you and your heroic men. Your work has been
done. God bless you all.

R. A. Alger, Secretary of War."

CHAPTER XXIV.

TAKING POSSESSION OF SANTIAGO OCCUPIED WITHOUT

FORMALITY GOVERNING THE CAPTURED CITY

TO ENJOY AMERICAN FREEDOM PRIVATE PROP-
ERTY RIGHTS RESPECTED THE CAPTURE OF

NIPE GUANTANAMO SURRENDERS ON TO PORTO

RICO SPANIARDS TAKEN BY SURPRISE GLOU-
CESTER SHELLS THE TOWN CAVALRYMEN DRIVEN

TO HILLS AMERICANS WELCOMED MORE PRIZE

TAKING THOUGHT PRIZE WAS RECAPTURED

SURPRISED SPANISH SAILORS ON TO HAVANA

IN THE PHILIPPINES TESTED QUALITY OF

TROOPS NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE THE TERMS

OFFERED SPAIN CONSIDERS THE TERMS

COMING TO THE WHITE HOUSE THE PROTOCOL'S

APPEARANCE JUDGE DAY AND M. CAMBON SIGN

TEXT OF THE PROTOCOL.

<f

HE American flag was formally raised in
token of sovereignty over the city of San-
tiago de Cuba, at noon of Sunday, July
17, 1898. The terms of surrender had been so
arranged as to hurt Spanish pride as little as
possible. At 9 o'clock General Shafter and his
chief officers, with a small escort of cavalry, met
General Toral, his staff and a detachment of in-
fantry under a tree between the American and
Spanish lines. Pleasant greetings exchanged,

(53i)

532 WAR WITH SPAIN.

the two cavalcades moved into the city. Mean-
while, all the American troops had been drawn
up in line along their intrenchments, their colors
fluttering in the breeze.

At noon the second part of the ceremony
took place in the Plaza de la Reina. When the
cathedral chimes struck 12, Captain McKittrick,
of General Shafter's staff, hoisted the Stars and
Stripes over the Governor-General's palace, and
the 9th Infantry band played "The Star Spangled
Banner." The troops had again been drawn up
along their intrenchments. Except at the ex-
treme right, the staff of the palace could not be
seen. A signal, however, was given, and Captain
Capron's battery fired a salute from the rifle-pits,
where the 7 1 st New York was stationed. A cheer
had risen from the troops north of the city. Each
regiment took it up in turn to the left, until it had
travelled the entire length of the American for-
tifications. There was no shouting or yelling, but
only three measured cheers, with a tiger, in unison.
The voices were deep and strong, and the state-
liness of it all will long be remembered by those
who heard and saw.

Occupied -without Formality.

Only one regiment, the 9th Infantry, was
sent into the city. Half the Spaniards were sent
out on the hills a mile from the city. The rest
remained in their barracks. Their arms were

WAR WITH SPAIN. 533

placed in some warehouses. There was no for-
mal laying of them down, as military convention
prescribes. Indeed, everything was done in a
quiet, business-like manner that was so charac-
teristically Anglo-Saxon as to astonish the display-
loving Spaniards. The lack of gold braid on
General Shafter's uniform, the unassuming con-
duct of his brigadier-generals and colonels, were
subjects of interested comment. The command-
ing general stopped to talk with people on the
stairs of the Governor's palace quite as if he were
a merchant entering his shop. Spanish wonder
knew no bounds.

Governing the Captured City.

The next day President McKinley issued an
order for the government of Santiago, in which
he said :

"The first effect of the military occupation
of the enemy's territory is the severance of the
former political relations of the inhabitants and
the establishment of a new political power.
Under this changed condition of things the in-
habitants, so long as they perform their duties,
are entitled to security in their persons and prop-
erty, and in all their private rights and relations.
It is my desire that the inhabitants of Cuba
should be acquainted with the purpose of the
United States to discharge to the fullest extent
its obligations in this regard.

534 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Xo Enjoy American Freedom.

"It will, therefore, be the duty of the com-
mander of the army of occupation to announce
and proclaim in the most public manner that we
come not to make war upon the inhabitants of
Cuba, nor upon any party or faction among them
but to protect them in their homes, in their em-
ployments, and in their personal and religious
rights. All persons who, either by active aid or
by honest submission, co-operate with the United
States in its efforts to give effect to this benefi-
cent purpose will receive the reward of its sup-
port and protection. Our occupation should be
as free from severity as possible.

"Though the powers of the military occu-
pant are absolute and supreme, and immediately
operate upon the political condition of the inhabi-
tants, the municipal laws of the conquered terri-
tory, such as affect private rights of person and
property, and provide for the punishment of crime,
are considered as continuing in force, so far as
they are compatible with the new condition of
things, until they are suspended or superseded by
the occupying belligerent, and in practice they are
not usually abrogated, but are allowed to remain
in force and to be administered by the ordinary
tribunals, substantially as they were before the
occupation. This enlightened practice is, so far as
possible, to be adhered to on the present occasion."

WAR WITH SPAIN. 535

Private Property Rights Respected.

"Private property, whether belonging to indi-
viduals or corporations, is to be respected, and can
be confiscated only as hereafter indicated. Means
of transportation, such as telegraph lines and ca-
bles, railways and boats may, although they belong
to private individuals or corporations, be seized by
the military occupant, but, unless destroyed under
military necessity, are not to be retained.

" While it is held to be the right of the con-
queror to levy contributions upon the enemy in
their seaports, towns or provinces which may be
in his military possession by conquest, and to
apply the proceeds to defray the expenses of the
war, this right is to be exercised within such limi-
tations that it may not savor of confiscation. As
the result of military occupation the taxes and
duties payable by the inhabitants to the former
Government become payable to the military occu-
pant, unless he sees fit to substitute for them
other rates or modes of contribution to the ex-
penses of the Government. The moneys so col-
lected are to be used for the purpose of paying
the expenses of government under the military
occupation, such as the salaries of the judges and
the police, and for the payment of the expenses
of the army.

" Private property taken for the use of the
army is to be paid for when possible in cash at a

536 WAR WITH SPAIN.

fair valuation, and when payment in cash is not
possible receipts are to be given."

Under such eenerous and humane conditions
the American Government was established in
Santiago.

The Capture of Nipe.

A few days later an American squadron
entered the harbor of Nipe, on the northeast
coast of the Province of Santiago de Cuba, and
captured the place after a furious bombardment.

The vessels engaged were the gunboats
Topeka, Annapolis, Wasp and Leyden. In the
course of an hour they silenced three forts, sank
the Spanish gunboat Jorge Juan and scattered
bodies of Spanish riflemen who had taken part in
the engagement.

Guantanamo Surrenders.

The Spanish garrison of Guantanamo, seven
thousand strong, surrendered on July 25th.
About half as many at Palma, Soriano and San
Luis also laid down their arms. At first they
refused to credit the statement that Santiago had
surrendered, but the presence of a Spanish officer,
who accompanied Lieutenant Miley, finally con-
vinced them, and then they displayed great
delight at the prospect of returning to Spain.
On to Porto Rico.

The next important movement was the in-
vasion of Porto Rico. This was effected under

WAR WITH SPAIN. 537

the leadership of General Nelson A. Miles, the
Major-General in command of the United States
army. A strong military and naval expedition
left Guantanamo Bay on July 21st, and landed
successfully at Guanica, on the south coast of
Porto Rico, four days later, after a skirmish be-
tween a detachment of Spanish troops and a crew
of thirty from the launch of the United States
auxiliary gunboat Gloucester. Four of the Span-
iards were killed and no Americans were hurt.

Guanica was chosen as the landing place at
the last moment, partly because it was well suited
to the purpose and partly because the Spaniards
were not expecting the landing to be made in that
part of the island. Early in the morning the
Gloucester, in charge of Lieutenant-Commander
Wainwright, formerly of the Maine and one of
the heroes of the naval battle off Santiago de
Cuba, steamed into Guanica Harbor in order to
reconnoitre the place. With the fleet waiting
outside, the gallant little fighting yacht Gloucester
braved the mines which were supposed to be in
this harbor, and upon sounding, found that there
were five fathoms of water close in shore.
Spaniards Taken by Surprise.

Guanica Bay is a quiet place, surrounded by
cultivated lands. In the rear are high mountains,
and close to the beach nestles a village of about
twenty houses.

538 WAR WITH SPAIN.

The Spaniards were completely taken by sur-
prise. Almost the first they knew of the ap-
proach of the army of invasion was in the an-
nouncement contained in the firing of a gun from
the Gloucester, saucily demanding that the Span-
iards haul down the flag of Spain which was float-
ing from a flagstaff in front of a blockhouse
standing to the east of the village. The first
couple of 3-pounders were fired into the hills
right and left of the bay in order to scare the
enemy. The fighting yacht purposely avoided
firing into the town, lest her projectiles hurt the
women and children.

The Gloucester then hove to within about six
hundred yards of the shore and lowered a launch,
having on board a Colt rapid-fire gun and thirty
men, under the command of Lieutenant Huse.
She was sent ashore without encountering any
opposition.

Quartermaster Bock thereupon told Yeoman
Lacy to haul down the Spanish flag, which was
done, and they then raised on the flagstaff the
first United States flag to float over Porto Rican
soil.

Suddenly about thirty Spaniards opened fire
with Mauser rifles on the American party. Lieu-
tenant Huse and his men responded with great
gallantry, the Colt gun doing effective work.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 539

Gloucester Shells the Town.

Almost immediately alter the Spaniards fired
on the Americans the Gloucester opened fire on
the enemy with all her 3-pounders and 6-pounders
which could be brought to bear, shelling the town
and also dropping shells into the hills, where a
number of Spanish cavalry were to be seen has-
tening toward where the Americans had landed.

Lieutenant Huse then threw up a little fort,
which he named Fort Wainwright, and laid barbed
wire in the street in front of it in order to repel
the expected cavalry attack. The lieutenant also
mounted the Colt gun and signalled for reinforce-
ments, which were sent from the Gloucester.

While the Mausers were peppering all around
Lieutenant-Commander Wainwriefht said to the
Associated Press correspondent :

"They fired on us after their flag was down
and ours was up, and after I had spared the town
for the sake of the women and children. The
next town I strike I will blow up."

Presently a few of the Spanish cavalry joined
those who were fighting in the streets of Guanica,
but the Colt barked to a purpose, killing four of
them.

By that time the Gloucester had the range
of the town and of the blockhouse, and all her
guns were spitting fire, the doctor and the pay-
master helping to serve the guns.

54-0 WAR WITH SPAIN.

Cavalrymen Driven to Hills.

Soon afterward white-coated galloping caval-
rymen were seen climbing the hills to the west-
ward and the foot soldiers were scurrying along
the fences from the town. By 9.45 o'clock, with
the exception of a few guerilla shots, the town
was won, and the enemy was driven out of its
neighborhood.

The Red Cross nurses on the Lampasas and
a detachment of Regulars were the first to land
from the transports.

After Lieutenant Huse had captured the
place he deployed his small force into the su-
burbs. He was soon reinforced by the Regulars
who were followed by Company G of the 6th
Illinois, and then by other troops in quick suc-
cession. All the boats of the men-of-war and the
transports were used in the work of landing the
troops, each steam launch towing four or five
boats loaded to the rails with soldiers.
Americans Welcome.

The invading army soon moved forward to
Ponce, the chief town on the south coast of the
island, and then northward across the island
toward San Juan. Little opposition was encoun-
tered. On the contrary, the people generally
welcomed the American troops. The mayors ot
towns came out to meet them with formal ad-
dresses of welcome. There was a great demand

fed

.«

o

"Ofl

CO

WAR WITH SPAIN.

543

for American flags. Even the Spanish soldiers
laid down their arms without a blow, and many
asked to be enlisted in the United States army.
Colonel San Martin, commanding the garrison at
Ponce, evacuated that place without resistance,
knowing resistance would be useless. For so
doing he was tried by court-martial by the Span-
ish commander at San Juan, and shot to death,
while Lieutenant-Colonel Puiz, who was next in
command, committed suicide to escape the same
fate.

From Ponce the advance was made to
Coamo, on the road to San Juan. A delegation
of the citzens of Coamo came out to welcome the
army and to tender to its commander the freedom
of their town. On August 5 General Hains's
brigade took Guayama after a slight skirmish in
which one Spaniard was killed and two Spaniards
and three Americans were wounded.

Guayama lies about five miles inland from
the southern coast of Porto Rico, forty-nine miles
from San Juan, and almost directly south of that
city. It is the chief town of the judicial district of
Guayama, with a population of 4,500, and juris-
diction over 12,884 people. The town has tele-
phone and telegraph stations, and a post-office.
It was founded in 1736.

Six days later Mayaguez, the third city in
importance on the island, was taken after a sharp

31

544 WAR WITH SPAIN.

engagement, in which the Spanish suffered heavy-
loss.

More Prize-Taking:.

Meantime Cuba was not neglected. At the
beginning of August operations were pushed for
stopping communication between that island and
the tributary Isle of Pines. One day the little
cruiser Bancroft, accompanied by the converted
yacht Eagle, which had been covering the block-
ading station around the Isle of Pines, sighted a
small Spanish schooner in Sigunea Bay.

The Bancroft's steam launch, in charge of
the Boatswain's Mate Nevis, and one other sea-
man, each armed with a rifle, was sent in to take
the schooner. This was only a task of minutes,
and the pretty launch returned with her prize,
which proved to be the schooner Nito — little more
than a smack, and with no cargo. Her captain
was an American, and with him were his Cuban
wife and seven children, all vowing loyalty to the
Cuban cause. They pleaded poverty, and that
the Nito was their only means of livelihood.

Commander Clover, of the Bancroft, prom-
ised to return here at the proper time. Mean-
while he sent Nevis in with her to anchor near the
wreck of the Spanish transatlantic liner Santo
Domingo, which was sunk by the Eagle a few
weeks before. The Bancroft and the Eao-le

o

cruised off to Maugle Point, where they happened

WAR WITH SPAIN. 545

to be put in communication with the insurgent

camp. Two hours later they returned. For a time

nothing could be seen of the launch or the prize.

Tnouglit Prize -was Recaptured.

Suddenly Commander Clover, who was scan-
ning the waters with his glass, shouted to Captain
Sutherland, of the Eao-le :

" By heavens, they have recaptured my
prize ! "

The little schooner lay near the wrecked
steamer, but the Spanish flag was flying from her
mast, and, instead of only Nevis and his compan-
ion, she was apparently filled with men.

Meanwhile the gunboat Maple had drawn up
and Commander Clover ordered her in to the
work of rescue. With guns ready, she steamed
toward the schooner, but the sight that greeted
her was not what was expected. Nevis and his
companion sat at one end of the boat, attempting
to navigate her out of the harbor. Each had his
rifle across his knee, and was keeping a wary eye
on a party of half a dozen Spaniards huddled in
the other end of the boat.

The Maple asked for information, and offered
Nevis a tow, but he declined the proffered assist-
ance. Then it developed that in going in to anchor
he had observed two other small Spanish boats
near the wreck of the Santo Domingo, and had
resolved to capture them, too. He knew it was

546 WAR WITH SPAIN.

hazardous work, but "bluff" carried him through.
He took the Spanish colors of the schooner, ran
them up and boldly sailed in.

Surprised Spanish Sailors.

There were six men on the two other boats
and they watched the approach of their supposed
compatriots with calmness that speedily changed
to consternation when Nevis and the other "Jackie"
suddenly whipped their rifles to their shoulders
and demanded an immediate surrender. The
scared Spanish seamen lost no time in complying
and had the unique experience of surrendering to
their own flag.

Then scorning all aid, Nevis took them out
to his boat and in the most matter-of-fact manner
reported his adventure to his astonished com-
mander. The capture was no mean one, for the
prisoners gave important information to the
American ship.

On to Havana.

A definite movement against Havana, by
way of the south coast, was begun on August 10.
On that day an expedition of the Marine Corps
set out for the Isle of Pines, the source from which
Havana was drawing most of its supplies. The
plan was to take possession of that island and thus
cut off supplies, and at the same time secure a fine
base of operation for an advance across the nar-
rowest part of Cuba to take Havana in the rear.

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WAR WITH SPAIN. 549

About this time the bulk of the American
army at Santiago, which had begun to suffer
much from fever and other diseases incident to
that climate, was shipped north, to Montauk Point,
Long Island, and other places.

In the Philippines.

While all these things were going on in the
West Indies, other operations were proceeding
in the East Indies. Admiral Dewey maintained
the blockade of Manila, despite the tendency of
the German fleet to meddle in behalf of the
Spaniards, and despite the disinclination of the
native insurgents to co-operate with him. One
after another the military expeditions under Gen-
eral Merritt arrived and landed at Cavite, and the
arrival of the powerful monitor Monterey on
August 4th greatly augmented the strength of
the fleet.

On the night of July 31st, in the midst of a
violent tempest, the Spaniards attacked the
American camp at Malate, south of Manila. It
was just before midnight. The Spaniards, num-
bering about twenty-five hundred, opened fire
vigorously, under cover of the dense under-
growth. Their movements were further hidden
by the floods of rain. The Pennsylvanians met
the attack with a succession of volleys, covering
their right with two companies stationed in the
swamp beyond the intrenchments.

550 WAR WITH SPAIN.

After about three-quarters of an hour, two
companies of the 3d Regular Artillery, under
Major O'Hara, arrived to relieve the Pennsyl-
vanians, whose ammunition was almost exhausted.
They soon silenced the enemy's fire.

The 1 st California, under Colonel Smith, and
the 1st Colorado, under Colonel Hale, acted as
supports. The affair lasted two hours. But not-
withstanding the tremendous fusillade and the
heavy shell fire, only ten Americans were killed
and forty-six wounded, though there were some
casualties among the supports, while, during the
advance of the relieving battalions, the only
officers wounded were Captain Richter, of the 1st
California, wounded seriously in the head, and
Captain Hobbs, of the 3d Artillery, wounded
slightly in the leg.

Tested Quality ofTroops.

Although the engagement scarcely attained
the importance of a battle, it thoroughly tested the
quality of the United States troops, and had an
excellent effect, stimulating their zeal and enthu-
siasm and inspiring them with confidence.

It now became evident that the fall of Manila
was at hand, and could be effected whenever the
American commander pleased.

Negotiations for Peace.

But there was to be little more fighting.
Peace was hand. As early as July 26 substantial

WAR WITH SPAIN. 55 1

form was given to the varnae rumors afloat at
Washington and other capitals that Spain was
about to sue for peace with the United States,
when M. Jules Cambon, the French Ambassador,
charged with the care of Spanish interests in
this country, formally advised the President, in a
personal interview, that the Madrid Government
earnestly desired a speedy termination of the
present war.

President McKinley received the overtures
amiably, and supplemented his verbal assurances
of his willingness to discuss terms of peace, with
a formal note acknowledging the overtures made
from Madrid, and outlining the conditions under
which negotiations could be seriously begun.
The Terms Offered.

The President's proposition of preliminary
terms of peace was as follows :

"The President does not now put forward
any claim for pecuniary indemnity, but requires
the relinquishment of all claim of sovereignty over
or title to the island of Cuba, as well as the
immediate evacuation by Spain of the island ; the
cession to the United States and immediate evac-
uation of Porto Rico and other islands under
Spanish sovereignty in the West Indies, and the
like cession of an island in the Ladrones.

"The United States will occupy and hold the
city, bay and harbor of Manila pending the con-

552 WAR WITH SPAIN.

elusion of a treaty of peace, which shall determine
the control, disposition and government of the
Philippines. If these are accepted by Spain in
their entirety it is stated that commissioners will
be named by the United States to meet com-
missioners on the part of Spain for the purpose
of concluding a treaty of peace on the basis
above indicated."

Spain Considers the Terms.
These terms were generally reckoned to be
most generous. Indeed many Americans re-
garded them as too lenient toward Spain. But
Spanish statesmen professed to regard them as
harsh and oppressive. Some days were therefore
occupied in discussion at Madrid, and in trying,
through M. Cambon, to get some modifications
of the terms. But the President would not yield
an inch. He gave Spain the choice, either to
accept the terms as they were and at once, or to
have the war go on with a certainty of ultimately
having to yield to far less favorable terms. The
result was that Spain yielded. The Madrid Gov-
ernment telegraphed to M. Cambon authority to
sign the protocol. With simplicity in keeping
with Republican institutions, the war which had
raged between Spain and the United States for a
period of three months and twenty-two days was
quietly terminated at 4.23 o'clock on the after-
noon of Friday, August 12, when Secretary Day,

WAR WITH SPAIN. 553

for the United States, and M. Cambon, for Spain,
in the presence of President McKinley, signed a
protocol which was to form the basis of a defini-
tive treaty of peace.

Coming to the 'White House.

At the appointed hour a driving rainstorm
prevailed, obliging all the parties to resort to car-
riages for transportation to the White House.
Secretary Day came first with a large portfolio
under his arm, inclosing copies of the protocol,
of the proclamation to be issued by the President
stopping hostilities and some other necessary pa-
pers. He was accompanied by Assistant Secre-
tary Moore, Second Assistant Secretary Adee
and Third Assistant Secretary Cridler. They
were shown immediately into the Cabinet Room,
where the President sat in waiting. He had in-
vited to be present Assistant Secretaries Pruden
and Cortelyou and Lieutenant-Colonel Mont-
gomery.

When Ambassador Cambon and his secre-
tary, M. Thiebaut, reached the White House, it
was just 3.55 o'clock, five minutes in advance of
the appointed hour. They went direct to the
library, adjoining the Cabinet Room on the upper
floor. At 4.05 o'clock they were announced to
the waiting party in the Cabinet Room and were
ushered into their presence. After an exchange
of diplomatic courtesies no unnecessary waste of

554 WAR WITH SPAIN.

time occurred, and Assistant Secretary of State
Cridler on the part of the United States and
Secretary Thiebaut, on the part of Spain, retired
to a window, where there was a critical formal ex-
amination of the protocol.

The Protocol's Appearance.

This inspection had all the outward formali-
ties due a document of this importance. It was
prepared in duplicate at the State Department,
one copy to be retained by the United States
Government and the other to become the prop-
erty of Spain. The text was handsomely en-
grossed in a running Old English script. Each
copy of the protocol was arranged in double
column, French and English standing alongside
for easy comparison as to the exactness of the
translation. The two copies were alike, except
that the one held by this Government had the
English text in the first column and the signature
of Secretary Day ahead of that of M. Cambon,
while the copy transmitted to Spain had French
in the first column and the signature of M. Cam
bon ahead of that of Secretary Day.

Judge Day and M. Cambon Sign.

The examination of the protocol was satis-
factory, and the document was handed to M.
Cambon first and then to Secretary Day, who
affixed their signatures to each side of the two
copies. Then the last detail in making the pro-

WAR WITH SPAIN. 555

tocol binding was administered by Assistant Sec-
retary Cridler, in charge of the chancery work,
who attached the seal of the United States.
Throughout the ceremony all but the two signers
remained standing. M. Cambon, in signing for
Spain, occupied the seat which Secretary Long,
now away on a vacation, usually occupied. The
President stood at the left-hand corner, at the
head of the great Cabinet table. Secretary Day,
M. Thiebaut and M. Cambon, in the order named,
on the left side of the table. The rest of the
party were standing in other parts of the room.

Word was immediately sent to all command-
ers of the army and navy, informing them that
the protocol was signed and instructing them to
suspend at once all hostile operations.
Text of the Protocol.

The full text of the protocol, which thus
ended the war, was as follows :

" His Excellency M. Cambon, Ambassador
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of
the French Republic at Washington, and Mr.
Wm. R. Day, Secretary of State of the United
States, having received respectively to that effect
plenary powers from the Spanish Government
and the Government of the United States, have
established and signed the following articles,
which define the terms on which the two Govern-
ments have agreed with regard to the questions

.556 WAR WITH SPAIN.

enumerated below, and of which the object is the
establishment of peace between the two countries,
namely :

Article i. Spain will renounce all claim to
all sovereignty over and all her rights over the
Island of Cuba.

Article 2. Spain will cede to the United
States the Island of Porto Rico and the other
islands which are at present under the sovereignty
of Spain in the Antilles, as well as an island in
Ladrone Archipelago, to be chosen by the United
States.

Article 3. The United States will occupy
and retain the City and Bay of Manila and the
port of Manila pending the conclusion of a treaty
of peace which shall determine the control and
form of government of the Philippines.

Article 4. Spain will immediately evacuate
Cuba, Porto Rico and the other islands now under
Spanish sovereignty in the Antilles. To this effect
each of the two Governments will appoint com-
missioners within ten days after the signing of
this protocol, and those commissioners shall meet
at Havana within thirty days after the signing of
this protocol, with the object of coming to an
agreement regarding the carrying out of the
details of the aforesaid evacuation of Cuba and
other adjacent Spanish Islands ; each of the two
Governments shall likewise appoint within ten

[,r.'i< a»,.jfc.*'-.

WAR WITH SPAIN. 559

days after the signature of this protocol other
commissioners, who shall meet at San Juan de
Porto Rico within thirty days after the signature
of this protocol to agree upon the details of the
evacuation of Porto Rico and other islands now
under Spanish sovereignty in the Antilles.

Article 5. Spain and the United States
shall appoint to treat for peace five commissioners
at the most for either country. The commission-
ers shall meet in Paris on October 1, at the
latest, to proceed to negotiations and to the con-
clusion of a treaty of peace. This treaty shall be
ratified in conformity with the Constitutional laws
of each of the two countries.

Article 6. Once this protocol is concluded
and signed hostilities shall be suspended, and to
that effect in the two countries orders shall be
given by either Government to the commanders
of its land and sea forces as speedily as possible.

Done in duplicate at Washington, read in
French and in English by the undersigned, who
affix at the foot of the document their signatures
and seals, August 12, 1898.

Jules Cambon,
William R. Day."

CHAPTER XXV.

AFTER THE PROTOCOL LAND AND NAVAL BATTLE

OF MANILA ADVANCE OF THE TROOPS END

OF THE BOMBARDMENT FIGHTING IN THE

STREETS ASKING FOR TERMS — SURRENDER OF

THE CITY MORE GERMAN MEDDLING PEACE

COMMISSIONS ORDERS FOR MANILA THE WAR-
SHIPS ON REVIEW.

(f1

HE signing of the protocol was the signal
for the ending of the war. But before
news of it could be conveyed to all the
scenes of conflict, at least one incident of supreme
importance occurred. This was nothing less than
the capture of Manila. The protocol was signed
after four o'clock on Friday afternoon. At that
moment it was between five and six o'clock on
Saturday morning at Manila. A few hours later
the American fleet and army made a combined
attack upon the city and captured it, and it was
not until the following Monday that news of the
signing of the protocol and proclamation of the
armistice reached them from Hong Kong.

The Spanish Government had removed Cap-
tain General Augustin and appointed General

560

WAR WITH SPAIN. 56 1

Jaudener in his place. To him on Sunday, Au-
gust 7, Admiral Dewey sent an ultimatum, con-
veying the warning to the Spaniards to get all
their sick and wounded and women and children
into places of safety within forty-eight hours, and
notifying them that thereafter the Americans
would bombard the town whenever they might
see fit without further notice.

This warning was conveyed to the Spanish
General by the senior officer of the British squad-
ron, Capt. Chichester.

This ultimatum expired on Tuesday noon,
Aug. 9.

Land and Naval Battle of Manila.

Shortly after 8.45 o'clock on the morning ol
Saturday, the 13th, the fleet got underway and
flags were mastheaded. The Olympia led the
way, attended by the Raleigh and Petrel, while
Lieut. Tappan, in the launch Barcelo, crept close
inshore in the heavy breakers.

Perfect quiet prevailed in the lines on both
sides as the ships cleared for action and silently
advanced. Sometimes they were quite hidden
by the rain squalls.

The Monterey, Baltimore, Charleston and
Boston formed the reserve.

At 9.35 A. M. a sudden cloud of smoke,
gleaming white against the stormy sky, completely
hid the Olympia, and a shell screamed across the

562 WAR WJTH SPAIN.

two miles of turbulent water and burst near Fort
San Antonio de Abad at Malate. Then the Petrel,
Raleigh and Callao opened with a rapid fire
directed toward the shore end of the intrench-
ments. In the heavy rain it was difficult to judge
the range, and the shots at first fell short, but
soon accurate shells rendered the fort untenable,
while four guns of the Utah battery made excel-
lent practice on the earthworks and the swamp
east of the fort.

The Spaniards replied feebly with a few
shells and some infantry fire.

Advance of the Xroops.

In less than half an hour after the bombard-
ment began Gen. Greene decided that it was pos-
sible to advance, although the signals to cease
firing were disregarded by the fleet, they being
probably invisible on account of the rain. There-
upon six companies of the Colorado Regiment
leaped over their breastwork and dashed into the
swamp and opened with a volley, firing from the
partial shelter of low hedges within 300 yards of
the Spanish lines. A few minutes later six com-
panies moved along the seashore somewhat cov-
ered by a sand ridge, and forded the inlet under
the outworks of the fort.

At 1 1 o'clock they occupied this formidable
stronghold without loss. Lieutenant-Colonel
McCoy hauled down the Spanish flag and raised

WAR WITH SPAIN. 563

the Stars and Stripes amid wild cheers along
the line.

End of the Bombardment.

Meanwhile the fleet, observing the move-
ment of the troops along the beach, withheld its
fire. The bombardment had lasted exactly an
hour and a half. An hour later Gen. Greene and
his staff proceeded along the beach, still under a
hot infantry fire from the right, where the Eigh-
teenth Regulars and the Third Regular Artillery
were engaging the enemy, and directed the move-
ments for an advance into Malate. The vicinity
of the fort was uncomfortable on account of the
numbers of sharpshooters in the buildings on
both sides and 200 yards distant. The forward
movement was therefore hastened, and in a few
minutes the outskirts of the suburb were well oc-
cupied and the sharpshooters driven away.

As the Californians under Col. Smith came
up the beach their band played the American
national air, it being accompanied by the whistling
of Mauser bullets, and during the sharpshooting it
continued to encourage the men with its inspiring
music. Each regiment carried its colors into
action.

Fighting in the Streets.

There was considerable street-fighting in the
suburbs of Malate and Ermita, but a battalion of
the Californians pushed into the Luneta, the pop-

32

564 WAR WITH SPAIN.

ular promenade, within 200 yards of the moat of
the citadel.

Then a white flag was hoisted at the south-
west corner of the walled town. Gen. Greene,
with a few members of his staff, galloped along
the Luneta under a sharp scattering fire from
houses near the beach and parleyed with an
officer, who directed him along to the gate further
east. At this moment the Spanish forces retreat-
ing from Santa Ana came into view. They were
fully 2,000 strong, and were followed by insur-
gents, who had eluded Gen. MacArthur's troops
and now opened fire.

For a brief period the situation was awk-
ward, if not critical, both sides being slightly sus-
picious of treachery. The Spanish troops lining
the citadel ramparts observing the insurgents'
action opened fire on the Californians, killing one
and wounding three.

The confusion, however, soon ceased by the
advance of the retreating Spaniards to the espla-
nade when Gen. Greene ordered them to enter
the citadel.

Asking: for Terms.

Soon a letter was brought from the Captain-
General requesting the commander of the troops
to meet him for consultation. Gen. Greene
immediately entered with Adjutant Bates. Mean-
while, according to arrangement, the moment the

WAR WITH SPAIN. 565

white flag was shown, Gen. Merritt, who occupied
the steamer Zafiro as a temporary corps head-
quarters, sent Flag Lieutenant Brumby ashore to
meet the Captain-General and discuss the first
plan of capitulation. He was accompanied by Col.
Whittier. The latter found the officials much
startled by news that the attack was still vigo-
rously continuing along the whole line, the
American troops even threatening the citadel.

All the available Spanish troops were imme-
diately massed in the vicinity of the palace await-
ing the succession of events, concerning which a
certain degree of anxiety was evident.
Surrender of the City.

Gen. Merritt entered with his staff at 3
o'clock. The situation was then better under-
stood, and a conference with Gen. Jaudener was
held. The terms agreed on may be briefly
outlined as follows ;

"Agreement for the capitulation of the Philip-
pines : Provision is made for the disarming of the
men, who will remain organized under the com-
mand of their officers, no parole being exacted.
Supplies will be furnished from the captured
treasury funds, any possible deficiency being made
good by the Americans.

"The safety of life and property of Spanish
soldiers and citizens will be guaranteed as far as
possible. The question of transporting-the troops

566 WAR WITH SPAIN.

to Spain will be referred for decision to Washing-
ton. That of returning their arms to the soldiers
will be left to the discretion of Gen. Merritt.
Banks and similar institutions will continue oper-
ations under the existing regulations unless these
are changed by the United States authorities."

Thus after more than 300 years the Spanish
flag disappeared from the capital of the Philippines
and was replaced by the Stars and Stripes.
More German Meddling:.

Mention has already been made of the way
in which German warships at Manila meddled
with the operations there, in the interest of the
Spaniards. They kept it up to the very end.
Just before the American capture of the city the
former Captain-General, Augustin, was taken
aboard one of the German ships, and the latter at
once set off at full speed to take him to Hong
Kong, to prevent his capture by the Americans
as a prisoner of war. This was an unfriendly
and unmannerly performance. But the United
States decided not to resent it with violence, but
to let it pass with silent contempt.

Peace Commissions.

Meantime preparations for making permanent
peace went on apace. There was some delay in se-
lecting the Commissioners who were to negotiate
the final treaty. But the Commissioners for super-
intending the Spanish evacuation of Cuba and

WAR WITH SPAIN. 567

Porto Rico were quickly formed. On August
1 6th the President announced them, as follows :

For Cuba — Major-General James F. Wade,
Rear-Admiral William T. Sampson, Major-Gen-
eral Matthew C. Butler.

For Porto Rico — Major-General John R.
Brooke, Rear-Admiral Winfield S. Schley,
Brigadier-General William W. Gordon.

A day or two later the Spanish Government
decided to appoint General Gonzales Parrado,
second in command in Cuba ; Rear-Admiral Luis
Pastor Landero, who succeeded Admiral Navarro,
the Spanish commander in Cuban waters, and
Marquis De Montoro, Minister of Finance in the
Insular Cabinet, as the Commission of Evacuation
for Cuba, and Generals Macias and Ortega and
Admiral Vallarino for Porto Rico.
Orders for Manila.

At the same time the President sent orders
to General Merritt as to the conduct of affairs at
Manila, as follows.

"The President directs that there must be no
joint occupation with the insurgents. The United
States in the possession of Manila City, Manila
Bay and harbor, must preserve the peace and
protect persons and property within the territory
occupied by their military and naval forces. The
insurgents and all others must recognize the
military occupation and authority of the United

568 WAR WITH SPAIN.

States, and the cessation of hostilities proclaimed
by the President. Use whatever means in your
judgment are necessary to this end. All law-
abiding people must be treated alike."
The "Warships on Review.
The end of that week saw one of the most
impressive spectacles of the war. By order of
the President the great cruisers Brooklyn and
New York, and the peerless battleships Oregon,
Iowa, Indiana, Massachusetts and Texas, pro-
ceeded to the harbor of New York. They
reached their rendezvous offTompkinsville, Staten
Island, in the early morning of Saturday, August
20th. The day had been made a holiday, and
three million people lined the shores and crowded
all the shipping to greet them. There had been
no time for the arrangement of elaborate cere-
monies. In three days the simple plans had all to
be arranged. The Mayor of the city boarded the
flagship New York, and in a brief address to
Rear-Admiral Sampson expressed, so far as
words could express a feeling so intense, the
thanks of the country for the skill and devotion of
her sailors. The Rear-Admiral responded briefly,
and the warships, which had never come to
anchor, continued slowly up the Hudson River
until they came opposite the granite pile within
which sleeps that immortal of the nation, Ulysses
S. Grant. Here the guns of every ship, fresh

WAR WITH SPAIN. 569

from the victories but just now accomplished,
belched forth the national salute to the hero of
battlefields over which the tangle of thirty years
and more springs heavy and thick. Then slowly
and majestically the ships returned to their an-
chorage off Tompkins ville. That was all — but in
that simple ceremony the great heart of the land
beat strong and full.

MAY -0 1343

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