Young Peoples' History of the War with Spain Part 5

"Lieutenant Hobson took a short sleep for a few hours, which was often interrupted. A quarter to two o'clock he came on deck and made a final inspection, giving his last instructions. Then we had a little lunch.

"Hobson was just as cool as a cuc.u.mber. About two-twenty I took the men who were not going on the trip into the launch and started for the Texas, which was the nearest ship, but had to go back for one of the a.s.sistant engineers, whom Hobson finally compelled to leave. 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.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: Naval Cadet Jos. W. Powell.]

"After leaving the Texas, I saw the Merrimac steaming slowly in. It was only fairly dark then, and the sh.o.r.e was quite visible. We followed about three-quarters of a mile astern. The Merrimac stood about a mile to the westward of the harbor, and seemed a bit mixed, turning completely around; finally, heading to the east, she ran down, then turned in. We were then chasing him, because I thought Hobson had lost his bearings. When Hobson was about two hundred yards from the harbor the first gun was fired from the eastern bluffs.

"We were then half a mile off sh.o.r.e, close under the batteries. The firing increased rapidly. We steamed in slowly and lost sight of the Merrimac in the smoke, which the wind carried off sh.o.r.e. It hung heavily. Before Hobson could have blown up the Merrimac the western battery picked up and commenced firing. They shot wild, and we only heard the shots. We ran in still closer to the sh.o.r.e, and the gunners lost sight of us. Then we heard the explosion of the torpedoes on the Merrimac. Until daylight we waited just outside the breakers, half a mile to the westward of Morro, keeping 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 five o'clock we crossed the harbor again, within a quarter of a mile, and stood to the westward.

"In pa.s.sing we saw one spar of the Merrimac sticking out of the water.

We hugged the sh.o.r.e just outside of the breakers for a mile, and then turned towards the Texas, when the batteries 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 behaved splendidly."

How did our brave men fare as prisoners? They were taken to one of the Spanish warships, were fed and clothed, and treated as friends.

Admiral Cervera sent a message to Admiral Sampson, saying that all the men were safe and would be well treated. But they were not allowed to stay long on the ship. After a few hours they were taken to Morro Castle, which they did not find a pleasant prison, though they were not badly treated. Lieutenant Hobson, by climbing up to the little window in his cell, could see our ships far out at sea. In a few days the prisoners were taken from Morro Castle to another prison in the city of Santiago. You shall hear of them again.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Hobson's Cell.]

CHAPTER VI.

MORE WORK DONE BY THE NAVY.

I have not told you all the brave deeds done by our Navy soon after our ships had reached Cuba, but I will go back, for a few minutes, to the 11th of May. A very sad affair took place at Cardenas, a port about twenty miles east of Matanzas, the place where the first shots were fired. Some of our smaller vessels blockading Cardenas were bold enough to go into the harbor to fight some Spanish gunboats. Though, our men gained a victory, it was dearly bought, for our torpedo-boat Winslow was nearly destroyed, and five of her men were killed. That same day, across the island, at Cienfuegos, on the south sh.o.r.e of Cuba, our men succeeded in cutting the cables under the water, the story of which I have told you.

Before the Cubans began to fight the Spaniards, in 1895, Cardenas was a very pleasant city in which to live. So many Americans who had business interests in Cuba lived there, that it was frequently spoken of as the American city. Like Matanzas, it was the shipping point for a great sugar-growing district, and one of the finest sugar plantations in Cuba was in the vicinity of the city. The bay used to be a famous resort for pirates, but they were exterminated a great many years ago by war vessels of the United States. Now I will tell you the story of the Winslow.

The blockading vessels off Cardenas were the Machias, the Wilmington and the Hudson. It was determined to enter the inner harbor and attack three small gunboats which were known to be there. While preparations for the attack were being made, the Winslow came in from off Matanzas, for coal, and was given a place in the attacking force. The Winslow, Wilmington and Hudson entered the inner harbor through a small channel to the eastward, near Blanco Cay. The Winslow went in closer than the others, and almost before her plucky commander knew it, the fire of the Spanish gunboats and of some sh.o.r.e batteries was concentrated on this frail craft.

The Winslow was a torpedo-boat, and this cla.s.s of vessels do not have very thick sides or carry heavy guns. They are very fast and the powerful torpedoes they carry can destroy the largest and heaviest ship afloat.

The Winslow returned the Spanish fire splendidly, but at last a shot crashed into her bow and disabled her boiler. Another tore away her steering gear; and then she rolled helplessly while the Spaniards made her a target for every gun they could bring to bear. Seeing her helpless condition, the Hudson came to her a.s.sistance and tried to get a line on board. After awhile she succeeded, but when she attempted to tow her away the line parted. She made a second attempt, but just at the instant the little group on the Winslow caught the line, a sh.e.l.l burst in their very faces. Several of the crew, including the commander of the Winslow, were wounded, and Ensign Bagley and four seamen were instantly killed. There was scarcely a man left on the torpedo-boat to make the line fast, but it was done at last, and the Hudson towed the shattered Winslow out of danger. It was a very brave thing that the officers and men of the Hudson did, and later they were thanked by Congress, and a medal of honor was presented to each of them.

I think you will be pleased to learn that the next day the Wilmington went into the harbor again, and with her big guns tore the forts and batteries to atoms, sank two gunboats and two other vessels, and burned a blockhouse.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Ensign Worth Bagley.]

Ensign Bagley, the first and the only line officer in the navy to fall in the war with Spain, was one of the most popular of young naval officers. While at the Academy at Annapolis he became known as an all-round athlete, but his greatest triumphs were on the foot-ball field. His record throughout his naval career was stainless, and the news of his death was received with sorrow by the people of the United States.

Now I will tell you the story of how the United States flag was raised for the first time on the island of Cuba during the war; and I will tell it in the words of Ensign Willard, of the Machias, the officer who performed the deed. It was done while the fight was going on in Cardenas harbor.

"The Machias drew too much water for the channel to the eastward, and moved up the main channel to within one mile of its narrowest part abreast of Diana Cay. This channel was supposed to be mined and the mines operated from the blockhouse and signal station on Diana Cay.

This place was sh.e.l.led, and, under cover of this fire, a boat's crew of nineteen sailors and marines, under my command, made a landing on the opposite side of the Cay.

"The Spanish hastily left the place, disappearing completely. A Spanish flag, signal flags, etc., and a quant.i.ty of ammunition, were captured, and the United States flag raised. Then search was made for mines and the channel dragged for two hours. Before leaving, everything at the station was burned or destroyed, including nine large row-boats. For the raising of this flag I was later awarded, through the New York 'Herald,' a prize of one hundred dollars, which was divided pro rata by me among the men who accompanied me on the expedition."

Early in June, brave work was done by our sailors at Guantanamo, a short distance east of Santiago. They took the harbor and destroyed the forts there, in order that our ships might have a place where they could get coal without going far from Santiago. The coal steamers could not supply the whole fleet, so our vessels had been going for coal all the way back to Key West, south of Florida. It was a great help to have a coaling place at Guantanamo, but our sailors had much hard work to take the place. Now I will tell you about some of this hard work, and something about two men who made it possible to land the marines and establish a coaling station in Guantanamo Bay. The men were Commander McCalla, of the Marblehead, and Captain Brownson, of the Yankee.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Commander B.H. McCalla.]

Long before the Spanish fleet put into the harbor of Santiago, the Marblehead was along the southern coast of Cuba, poking her nose into every inlet, cutting cables, and communicating with the Cubans.

McCalla had her stripped of everything but her guns and her steering gear, and everywhere she went she became a terror to the Spaniards.

She dared to go anywhere and do anything. Every man on the ship was devoted to McCalla, and every gunner on board was a crack shot, because they were kept shooting at something all the time. If they couldn't find a Spanish gunboat to shoot at, they fired at floating targets.

When it was decided to clear everything Spanish out of the bay, so our ships could use it, McCalla and Brownson were sent down there to do the work; but first I will tell you a story about Brownson, so you can see that he was just the right kind of a man to go along with McCalla.

In the early part of 1894 there was a civil war in Brazil. The entire Brazilian navy had taken sides with the insurgents and completely blockaded the harbor of Rio de Janeiro. Ships of all nations were there, waiting to enter the harbor, but the insurgents would not let them. Admiral Benham was sent there to look after American interests, with his flagship, the San Francisco; and Captain, then Commander, Brownson, was there with his ship, the Detroit. The blockade had to be broken, and Brownson was selected as the man to do it.

One morning there was a stir on board the Detroit. The awnings came down, her flag was sent aloft and her guns were shotted. Brownson ordered the anchor hoisted, and, with the men at the guns, the cruiser headed towards the city. The flags of the English, German and Italian ships were dipped in salute as she moved ahead. Two American ships, the Amy and the Good News, were anch.o.r.ed under the guns of two of the insurgent fleet. As the Detroit pa.s.sed close by the Trajano, a marine on that ship raised a musket and fired a bullet over the heads of the sailors on the Amy, which was following close behind the Detroit.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Capt. Willard H. Brownson.]

When the shot was fired Brownson turned to a gunner and ordered him to shoot into the Trajano at the water line and about six feet from the stern. The order was misunderstood and was sent across the Trajano's bow instead.

"Trajano, ahoy!" hailed Brownson. "If you fire again I will sink you."

Not a shot was fired.

"You go ahead," shouted Brownson to the Amy, "and I'll protect you"; and although there were insurgent ships all about, the Amy pa.s.sed into the harbor unmolested, with the ships of other nations closely following her. Then the Detroit returned to her anchorage. Brownson had raised the blockade.

Guantanamo Bay is one of the most famous harbors on the southern coast of Cuba. It is deep, wide and smooth as a mill pond. At the entrance the harbor is broad and open, but afterwards it is narrower, and in this place the Spaniards had placed a lot of mines and two little gunboats.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Marine.]

When the Marblehead and the Yankee steamed into the bay they began to make trouble for the Spaniards at once. There was a blockhouse on a hill, but they quickly knocked that to pieces. Then they silenced the fire of the fort and chased the gunboats as far as they could go. Next they sh.e.l.led the woods, and, having made a general cleaning out, they sent word to the fleet that they could land the marines at any time.

On June 10, a detachment of marines from the Oregon landed, and soon afterwards six hundred more were landed from the troop-ship Panther.

They found plenty of evidence that the Marblehead's sh.e.l.ls had induced the Spaniards to depart in a hurry. Watches, hammocks, two field guns, and a lot of ammunition, were lying around. There were a few buildings left, but the marines soon set fire to them. They then drove off a few Spaniards who were about, and then pitched their tents. Pretty soon they were attacked by a large body of Spaniards, but they drove them off after having several men killed and quite a number wounded. The place of encampment was named Camp McCalla, in honor of the gallant commander of the Marblehead.

Before the marines were reinforced they were fighting nearly all the time. It was the first time that most of them had been in battle, but they fought like veterans. The Spaniards were very cunning and constantly planned surprises for them, but the marines finally drove them away and held their position until reinforcements came. One of the marines, in writing home, said:

"They fight Indian fashion, and the guerillas strip off all their clothing and dress themselves with leaves and crawl along the ground like snakes, and at night it is very hard to see or hear them. Then, again, they dig holes in the ground and cover them over with brush and conceal themselves there until their prey comes along. Their signals are very hard to understand, and they sound like birds and are very deceiving.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Spanish Guerilla.]

"We have to carry our rifles and ammunition with us wherever we go.

Yesterday morning, while we were eating our breakfast, they fired upon us, and we immediately pursued them. We had quite a battle and came out victorious by a big score. We killed sixty and left about fifteen or twenty badly wounded. We had a lucky escape, only two men being wounded. We stayed out all night, and were relieved by another company this morning, and we had nothing to eat for forty-eight hours; but this is not the first time that we have missed our meals--it is an every-day occurrence. We had four hardtacks, a little piece of b.u.t.ter and a cup of coffee.

"We were reinforced by sixty Cuban insurgents last night. They were fitted out with uniforms and rifles by the Marblehead, and they all carry that deadly-looking weapon, the machete."

The machete is the national weapon of Cuba. It looks somewhat like a sword, but instead of being pointed like that weapon, it is broader at the part farthest from the hilt. A strong man can strike a terrible blow with it. It is used all over the island as an agricultural tool as well, for it serves the purpose of a scythe or an axe.

[Ill.u.s.tration: In the Trenches at Guantanamo.]

A brave deed was done by a young officer of the Navy all by himself--a deed as brave as that done by Lieutenant Hobson. It was not really known how many Spanish ships were in the harbor of Santiago. I have told you that they could not be seen by our ships on account of the narrow entrance and high cliffs. It was very important to know how many Spanish ships there were. So Lieutenant Blue went ash.o.r.e at some safe point, and climbed round the hilltops of Santiago at night, looked at the harbor, and counted the ships twice, in order to make no mistake. It was a long journey and full of danger. Lieutenant Blue might have been taken as a spy, but he reached our ships again, and made his report to Admiral Sampson.