The Boys of '98 Part 7

The war bill was pa.s.sed without delay, and immediately after it had been signed the following notice was sent to the representatives of the foreign nations:

"A joint resolution of Congress, approved April 20th, directed intervention for the pacification and independence of the island of Cuba.

The Spanish government on April 21st informed our minister at Madrid that it considered this resolution equivalent to a declaration of war, and that it had accordingly withdrawn its minister from Washington and terminated all diplomatic relations.

"Congress has therefore, by an act approved to-day, declared that a state of war exists between the two countries since and including April 21st.

"You will inform the government to which you are accredited, so that its neutrality may be a.s.sured in the existing war."

Before the close of the day John Sherman, Secretary of State, had resigned; a.s.sistant Secretary William R. Day was appointed the head of the department, with John B. Moore as his successor.

The United States squadron sailed from Hongkong, under orders to rendezvous at Mirs Bay, and public attention was turned towards Manila, it being believed that there the first action would take place.

During the evening the tiny steamer _Mangrove_, a lighthouse tender, captured the richest prize of the war thus far, when she hove to the _Panama_, a big transatlantic liner, and an auxiliary cruiser of the Spanish navy, which had been plying between New York and Havana.

The _Mangrove_, Lieut.-Commander William H. Everett commanding, was cruising along the Cuban coast about twenty miles from Havana when she sighted the big steamer, which was armed with two 12-pounders. As the latter came within range the _Mangrove_ sent a shot across her bow; but the Spaniard gave no heed; another missile followed without result, and the third whistled in the air when the two vessels were hardly more than a hundred yards apart, Commander Everett shouting, as the report of the gun died away, that unless the steamer surrendered she would be sunk forthwith.

The only other ship of the fleet in sight was the battle-ship _Indiana_, three miles to the rear. The _Mangrove's_ officers admit that they expected the enemy's 12-pounders to open on them in response to the threat, but the Spaniard promptly came to. Ensign Dayton boarded the prize.

The _Indiana_ had seen the capture, and meanwhile drew up to the _Mangrove_, giving her a l.u.s.ty cheer. Lieutenant-Commander Everett reported to Captain Taylor of the battle-ship, and the latter put a prize-crew on board the captive, consisting of Cadet Falconer and fifteen marines.

_April 26._ The President issued a proclamation respecting the rights of Spanish vessels then in, or bound to, ports in the United States, and also with regard to the right of search.

The United States gunboat _Newport_ carried into Key West the Spanish schooner _Piereno_ and the sloop _Paquette_, which she captured off Havana, while the monitor _Terror_ took to the same port the coasting steamer _Ambrosia Bolivar_. This last prize had on board silver specie to the amount of seventy thousand dollars, three hundred casks of wine, and a cargo of bananas.

_April 27._ The steamers _New York_, _Puritan_, and _Cincinnati_ bombarded the forts at the mouth of Matanzas Harbour. The engagement commenced at 12.57, and ceased at 1.15 P. M. The object of the attack was to prevent the completion of the earthworks at Punta Gorda.

A battery on the eastward arm of the bay opened fire on the flag-ship, and this was also sh.e.l.led. Twelve 8-inch sh.e.l.ls were fired from the eastern forts, but all fell short. About five or six light sh.e.l.ls were fired from the half completed batteries. Two of these whizzed over the _New York_, and one fell short.

The ships left the bay for the open sea, the object of discovering the whereabouts of the batteries having been accomplished. In the neighbourhood of three hundred shots were put on land from the three ships at a range of from four thousand to seven thousand yards. No casualties on the American side.

The little monitor _Terror_ captured her third prize, and the story of the chase is thus told by an eye-witness:

[Ill.u.s.tration: U. S. S. PURITAN.]

"The Spanish steamer _Guido_, Captain Armarechia, was bound for Havana.

There was Spanish urgency that she should reach that port. Aboard was a large cargo, provisions for the beleaguered city, money for the Spanish troops-or officers. The steamer had left Liverpool on April 2d, and Corunna on April 9th.

"Ten miles off Cardenas, in the early morning, the _Guido_, setting her fastest pace, made for Havana and the guardian guns of Morro. Ten miles off Cardenas plodded the heavy monitor. The half light betrayed the fugitive, and the pursuit was begun.

"Slowly, very slowly, the monitor gained. It would be a long chase. Men in the engine-room toiled like galley-slaves under the whip. There was prize-money to be gained. The _Guido_ fled fast. Every light aboard her was hid.

"Reluctantly the pursuer aimed a 6-pounder. It was prize aim, and the shot found more than a billet in the _Guido's_ pilot-house. It tore a part away; the splinters flew.

"Another 6-pounder, and another. It was profitable shooting. The pilot-house, a fair mark, was piece by piece nearly destroyed. Jagged bits of wood floated in the steamer's wake.

"The gunboat _Machias_, which was some distance away, heard the sound of the firing, came up, and brought her 4-inch rifle into play, firing one shot, which failed to hit the Spaniard. This, however, brought her to, and Lieutenant Qualto and a prize-crew were put on board."

A cablegram from Hongkong announced the capture of the American bark _Saranac_ off Manila, by the Spanish gunboat _El Correo_.

By a conference of both branches of Congress a naval bill of $49,277,558 was agreed upon. It stands as the heaviest naval outlay since the civil war, providing for the construction of three battle-ships, four monitors, sixteen torpedo-boat destroyers, and twelve torpedo-boats.

The U. S. S. _Newport_ captured the Spanish sloop _Engracia_, and the U. S. S. _Dolphin_ made a prize of the Spanish schooner _Lola_.

_April 29._ The flag-ship _New York_ was lying about two miles off the harbour of Cabanas, having just completed a cruise of inspection. With her were the torpedo-boats _Porter_ and _Ericsson_. On the sh.o.r.e could be seen the white ruins of what may have been the dwelling of a plantation. No signs of life were visible. It was as if war's alarms had never been heard on this portion of the island.

Suddenly a volley of musketry rang out, repeated again and again, at regular intervals, and the tiny jets of water which were sent up by the bullets told that, concealed near about the ruins of the hacienda, a troop of Spanish soldiers were making what possibly they may have believed to be an attack upon the big war-ship. It was much as if a swarm of gnats had set about endeavouring to worry an elephant, and likely to have as little effect; yet Rear-Admiral Sampson believed it was necessary to teach the enemy that any playing at war, however harmless, was dangerous to themselves, and he ordered that the port battery be manned.

Half a dozen shots from the 4-inch guns were considered sufficient, although there was no evidence any execution had been done, and the big vessel's bow was turned eastward just as a troop of Spanish cavalry rode rapidly away from the ruin. The hors.e.m.e.n served as a target for a 4-inch gun in the starboard battery, and the troop dispersed in hot haste.

While this mimic warfare was being carried on off Cabanas, a most important capture was made. The _Nashville_, _Marblehead_, and the _Eagle_ left the station on the north coast, April 25th, to blockade Cienfuegos, arriving at the latter place on the twenty-eighth.

They spent the day reconnoitring, and, next morning, in order to get better information, steamed close to the mouth of the harbour of Cienfuegos. The _Eagle_ was to the eastward, and in the van. The _Marblehead_ was slightly in the rear, and the _Nashville_ to the westward.

All were cleared for action. Suddenly smoke was seen rising on the western horizon, and the _Nashville_, because of her position, put on all steam in that direction. Twenty minutes later she fired two shots across the bow of the coming steamer, which promptly hove to. She was the _Argonauta_.

Ensign Keunzli was sent with a prize-crew of nine to take possession of her.

Learning that Spanish soldiers were on board, word was given to send them to the _Nashville_ immediately as prisoners of war, and when this had been done arrangements were made to transfer the pa.s.sengers and non-combatants to the sh.o.r.e. The women and children were placed in the first boat, and under cover of a flag of truce were soon bound toward the entrance to Cienfuegos. A second crew took the other pa.s.sengers and landed them about noon.

The _Argonauta_ had on board Colonel Corijo of the Third Spanish Cavalry, his first lieutenant, sergeant-major, seven other lieutenants, and ten privates and non-commissioned officers. The steamer also carried a large cargo of arms and Mauser ammunition. She was bound from Satabanao, Spain, for Cienfuegos, stopping at Port Louis, Trinidad, and Manzanillo.

Half an hour later the _Eagle_ hoisted a signal conveying the intelligence that she had been fired upon by Spanish boats coming out of the river. She immediately returned the fire with the 6-pounders, and held her ground until the _Marblehead_ came up. Both vessels then fired broadside after broadside up the entrance to the river.

The boats coming down were two torpedo-boats and one torpedo-boat destroyer. After twenty minutes of firing by the _Eagle_, during the last five of which the _Marblehead_ partic.i.p.ated, the Spanish vessels ceased firing.

_April 29._ A cablegram from St. Vincent, Cape Verde, reported the departure from that port of the Spanish squadron, consisting of the first-cla.s.s cruisers _Vizcaya_, _Almirante Oquendo_, _Infanta Maria Teresa_, and _Cristobal Colon_, and the three torpedo-boat destroyers _Furor_, _Terror_, and _Pluton_, bound westward, probably for Porto Rico.

_April 30._ The American schooner _Ann Louisa Lockwood_ was taken by the Spaniards off Mole St. Nicolas.

The capture of a small Spanish schooner, the _Mascota_, near Havana, by the torpedo-boat _Foote_, closed the record of the month of April.

Anxiously awaiting some word from Manila were the people of the United States, and it was as if everything else was relegated to the background until information could be had regarding that American fleet which sailed from Mirs Bay, in the China Sea, on the afternoon of April 27th.

CHAPTER IV.

THE BATTLE OF MANILA BAY.