PUERTO RICO.
|The city of Santiago had not yet fallen. Bombarding had, however, longsince ceased, and negotiations for the peaceful surrender of the cityhad been going on for several days, when General Miles arrived andassumed personal command of the army that was massed there. GeneralShafter of our forces and General Toral, of the Spanish, could noteasily agree as to terms, but on the 16th the conditions of surrenderwere decided upon. By this agreement, about 5,000 square miles, thecapital of the province and the entire army of Toral, fell to our share.
Santiago was ours. The ceremony sealing the surrender was impressive,though simple. Early as 9 o'clock the division and brigade commandersreported to General Shafter, and all took up the line of march towardthe city. About halfway, under a lofty tree, General Toral with some ofhis officers awaited their coming. As General Shafter approached thistree the Spanish general raised his hat with dignified politeness,and the American general returned the bow. Quickly the soldiers of theSpanish side came through the hedge, preceded by the king's guard,200 {395}strong, {396}while two trumpeters and a color bearer led thecolumn. Marching and countermarching they halted in front of our men,and only ten yards away.
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Thus they stood, curiosity and excitement plainly visible in theirfaces, although they were motionless as statues. The trumpets then rangout, a Spanish officer gave a word of command; their colors were loweredto salute ours, they presented arms and their officers removed theirhats. Captain Brett gave the word, "Present sabers," and downwardflashed our sabers. General Shafter removed his hat, as did his staff.The stillness of the morning air was broken by the command of theofficer in charge of the king's guard, they filed past our soldiers,who presented arms until the last man of the guard had gone by. Then theSpaniards marched toward Santiago, stacked their rifles which were ofthe Mauser pattern, and then, with neither arms nor flags, went back totheir camp. Thus ended hostilities around Santiago.
Early in July the yellow fever began to attack the men of Shafter'sarmy, but it was of a mild type, but it would have done incalculableinjury had not the officers of the Fifth Army Corps addressed a protestto General Shafter who sent it to the War Department at Washington. Theofficials there hastened to transport the troops as fast as they couldback to the United States and sent "immunes" to Santiago to do garrisonduty.
An expedition commanded by Major General Nelson A. Miles left the bayof Guantanamo July 21, and sailed for Puerto Rico, reaching the port ofGuanica July 25. This move was intended as a surprise, and a completeone it was to the Spaniards, who did not dream of an army of invasionattacking them. The naval part of the expedition comprised theColumbia, Gloucester, Dixie and Yale, and was in charge of Captain F. J.Higginson. General Miles was on board the Yale. The troops were carriedby the transports, of which there were eight. The Gloucester, with theexpectation that the harbor was full of mines, went pluckily in, andfound five fathoms of water very near shore. The first hint of aninvading army at their door, was {397}the boom of a gun, demanding thatthe Spanish flag come down, from a blockhouse east of the village.
They took aim with the next two shots at the hills on either side ofthe bay, so as not to injure the women and children. The Gloucester thenlaid to, and sent a launch on shore, without being molested.
Quartermaster Beck sent Yeoman Lacy to haul down the obnoxious flag, andup went our glorious Stars and Stripes, the first that ever floated overthe soil of Puerto Rico.
But the Spaniards, though apparently making no resistance, suddenlyopened fire with thirty Mauser rifles. Lieutenant Huse and his men, whohad gone ashore in the launch, returned the fire with telling effect,their Colt gun being equal to the occasion.
Without waiting, the Gloucester opened fire with all her armament andshelled the town. Lieutenant Huse put up a small fort, calling it FortWainwright, and laid down barbed wire so as to repel the cavalryattack, which he expected. A few of the cavalrymen joined those who werefighting, but reinforcements had come for the Americans, and after somemore vigorous fighting, at 9:45, with the exception of a few scatteringshots, the town was won, and silence succeeded the din of battle.
The plans of General Miles had been faithfully carried out, and he wentashore at noon. He next turned his eyes toward Ponce, determined toshell that town if necessary. While he had given the inhabitants ofPuerto Rico a surprise, he received one in return at the hands of thepeople of Ponce, for when the Wasp steamed up to the shore, instead of aforce of soldiers arrayed against them, they found everybody in townhad turned out, and was waiting to receive them with open arms. EnsignCurtin stepped nimbly on the beach, as though he did not doubt theirsincerity, and was surrounded by people forcing presents upon him andhis men, and saluting them with shouts of welcome.
A message was sent to the Spanish commander demanding that the townsurrender, and Colonel San Martin acceded at once upon General Miles'assurance that the garrison should be allowed {398}to leave, that thecivil government be permitted to continue its functions, that the policeand fire brigade patrolled without weapons, and that the captain of thepost should not be held a prisoner.
These conditions were reasonable enough, and were acceded to, and therejoicings of the populace were enthusiastic. It was a genuine ovation,and more like a grand festive occasion than the surrender of a town to afoe.
When General Wilson landed, the local band played "The Star SpangledBanner." The celebration went on, even after the United States troopslanded. The people dressed in their finest garments as though it were aholiday, and kept open house.
General Miles issued a proclamation to the effect that our army came notto devastate the land or to interfere with existing laws or customs,and all that he required was obedience and order. He told them that themilitary forces were brought there to overthrow the arms of Spain andto give them the fullest amount of liberty consistent with the military.occupation of their island.
An invitation from the city officials at the city hall was given him,and when he entered the park which surrounded it, the local band played"See, the Conquering Hero Comes," to which he responded by taking offhis hat, and saluting the vast crowd. The band then played several ofour national airs.
The news that peace was near was a disappointment to General Miles,as he had planned a masterly movement with great care, and had it beencarried out it would have taught the Spaniards an invaluable lesson.Puerto Rico was occupied with a very small loss--two killed andthirty-seven wounded. {399}
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GENERAL FITZHUGH LEE.
|When a successor to the Cuban consul-generalship was needed, PresidentCleveland selected Fitzhugh Lee for this important post. The health ofRamon Williams, former consul-general, had failed so visibly that hecould no longer attend to its arduous {400}demands, and so in the springof 1896 the choice of the president fell upon Mr. Lee, as the mostsuitable man for the place.
Fitzhugh Lee was born in Stafford County, Virginia, in 1835, and came ofan illustrious family. His grandfather had served in the Revolutionarywar, being the famous "Lighthorse Harry," and he himself was the nephewof General Robert E. Lee--both of which facts insure the existence ofcourage and tact in the subject of our present sketch. His wise andpatriotic administration of the duties of his office as consul won forhim in a very brief time the confidence and admiration of the entirecountry, and the judgment of Mr. Cleveland was long since indorsed byit.
His father was an officer in the navy, but the young boy had no tastefor a sea-life--his leaning was toward the army. So to West Point hewent, from which he graduated in 1856 with a high record, and becamea lieutenant of cavalry on the frontier, for five years, repelling theattacks of the Comanche Indians. He received an arrow in his lungs, inone of these engagements, but youth and a good constitution prevailed,and he recovered. He became an instructor in cavalry tactics at WestPoint, when only twenty-six years of age. But when the civil warbroke out, he resigned his commission, and joined the fortunes of theconfederacy, where his record as a brave and dashing sold
ier is wellknown. It is said of him that he always showed great coolness andcomposure, in times of battle, never seeming to have any anxiety as tothe result. His resolute and daring demeanor was contagious, and he wasmuch beloved by the men whom he commanded.
He is a magnificent horseman. During the war of 1861 he owned a finemare, Nellie, a graceful creature, to whom he was much attached. Shewas struck by a shell at the battle of Winchester, and a fragment of thesame shell tore her master's leg badly. {401}
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All through the war he was a fearless, honest adversary, and when peacecame he retired to his native county, where he led {402}the quiet,unpretending life of a farmer and miller. He was married in 1871, andwas peculiarly happy in his home, devoted to his wife and children.
In 1875 he was persuaded to engage in political matters, and was sentto the national convention of 1876 as a delegate. Ten years later he waselected governor of Virginia and served to the complete satisfactionof his people. His political record is as worthy of the man as was hismilitary, and no finer example of both can be found. When Mr. Clevelandentered upon his second term he made Fitzhugh Lee collector of internalrevenue, at Lynchburg, Virginia. His official position at Havanaremained unchanged, when Mr. McKinley entered the executive chair,the latter being well aware that no better example of what a brave,cultivated and level-headed American gentleman should be, was affordedthan by General Lee. He was respected by the Spanish officials forhis firmness in looking after the interests of his countrymen, and hisunvarying courtesy to every one with whom he came in contact.
He was, however, treated with great rudeness on his farewell visit tothe Spanish Captain-General Blanco, that person refusing to see him, onthe pretext of being too busy. And when he entered the boat which wasto bear him to the steamer, the Spanish rabble at the docks showeredinsulting epithets upon him, but with that dignity which is native tohim, he paid no attention to them, but made the remark that he would beback with troops before long, to uphold him.
All honor to General Lee. He has proven himself capable of self-control,and the man who can govern himself, can govern others successfully. Andwe trust that at some future day this gallant and chivalrous soldier mayreceive some gift at the hands of the nation worthy of his ability.
ADMIRAL GEORGE DEWEY.
|To speak of this brave sailor as a hero, is to utter but faint praise.He was born in Montpelier, Vermont, sixty-one years ago, and was theyoungest of three boys. Not one of his elders could have {403}foreseen,when he was a boy, how proud they would become at a future day, of theiryoung townsman. As a boy he was full of mischief, loving adventure andever ready for anything that came along. In fact this great man was justlike all other boys--he felt the world was his, and all that was init, to enjoy! At school he proved himself an apt student, quick tocomprehend his lessons, and a ringleader in all kinds of sport, buthating anything small or mean in his associates. He was also a greatfavorite with older people.
He came of a prominent family, his father being a doctor, and two of hisname, both nephews, are said to inherit much of the Dewey talent. Whenhe was a lad, the town of Montpelier was very small, but it had greatpretensions, as it was the capital of the State, and naturally attractedthe best elements of society, men and women of education and character,the former of whom had been chosen to represent the people of the Statein her legislative halls. In such an atmosphere of culture young Deweygrew into manhood, and to his early advantages (his parents holdinghigh social standing) he owes that polish of manner which he is said topossess in a remarkable degree.
He was much of a reader when he was a youth, and the books he read wereupon naval matters. Sea stories and tales of travel were his delight. Itis told of him about this time, to show how little he waited for eventsto shape themselves, that he planned to go on a fishing excursion withtwo schoolmates. The hour was to be four in the morning, but he was notto be found, and so they started for the river without him. When theyreached the fishing grounds he had been there two hours, and had anenormous string of trout which he had caught. At the time the boyscalled it unfair, but in telling it now, the narrator calls it a goodevidence of his habit of doing for himself, and not waiting for anyone'sprompting. As he expressed it,--"You see he didn't wait till nextmorning before going into Manila harbor."
His fondness for the water led him to spend his play hours on rafts andon an old ferry which was not used by the town.
Once {404}he thought he'd cross the ferry in an old leaky buggy of hisfather's. Not being able to get the horse into the water, he took thebox off the running gear and tried to run it across as a boat. He camevery near drowning, and would have perished but for timely assistance.
His birthplace has sent forth many notable people, lawyers, doctors,statesmen, but of all the renowned names she claims, her greatest boastis that Commodore Dewey was born within her limits.
He was sent to the military school at Norwich, Vermont, at the age offifteen. Here he stayed two years, at the end of which he concluded thathe would rather enter the navy than be a land soldier. His father was aman of influence, and easily got him appointed at Annapolis.
In the year 1858 he graduated, and passed three years of service aboardship before the war of 1861 broke out. He received his commission aslieutenant on the 19th of April, 1861, a few days before Fort Sumter wasfired upon. He was sent at once to the steam sloop Mississippi, whichjoined the West Gulf squadron, and he was with Admiral Farragut whenthat gallant sailor forced an entrance to the Mississippi River.
The boat had a hot fight in March, 1863, when it tried to pass theConfederate batteries at Port Hudson. A heavy fog prevailed, so densenot an object could be seen; they lost their bearings, and ran intoshore right under the guns of one of their heaviest batteries. They werethe recipients of 250 shots, which tore the boat from one end to theother, but the gloom of the fog proved a blessing, after all, as itenabled the crew to take to their boats and escape, after setting theirsloop on fire.
In 1870 he was given his command, when he did good work on theNarragansett. Until 1876 he surveyed the Pacific coast, when he becameinspector of lighthouses. {405}
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He commanded the Juniata in 1882-83, and was made a captain inSeptember, 1884, when he took charge of the Dolphin. This boat was oneof the four vessels comprising the original "White Squadron." Honorsstill flowed in upon him, for the next {406}year he took command of thePensacola, belonging to the European squadron, on which he stayed till1888, when he was made chief of the bureau of equipment and recruiting,as Commodore. This position he filled until 1893, when he became amember of the lighthouse board.
It was not until February 28, 1896, that he received the commission ofCommodore, and in January, 1898, he was placed in command of the Asiaticsquadron.
But it remained for him to eclipse all records in his daring fight atManila, which is probably the greatest naval battle ever fought, andranks its commander among those names that will never be forgotten. Theaction was so brilliant, so decisive, that President McKinley named himfor a rear admiral in the United States Navy, and the Senate without adissenting voice confirmed the nomination. He deserved it richly,and great as is the honor, still greater is the esteem, the love,the gratitude of the American nation for this grandest of navalcommanders--George Dewey, the generous and manly conqueror on the sea.
ACTING REAR ADMIRAL SAMPSON.
|This distinguished and gallant officer is a native of New York, hehaving been born at Palmyra, that State, fifty-eight years ago.
He was a boy of very industrious habits. Loving the sea with ardor, hissole ambition was to obtain a nautical education. But he was not richin this world's goods, and he could not go to Annapolis unless he couldearn the money in some way to pay for his training there. So he workedas farmer's boy, raking hay and splitting rails, or doing any labor thatwould bring him the coveted reward.
But though he was not rich, he had friends who admired his manly spirit,and among them was Congressman E. B. Morgan, of N
ew York, who used hisinfluence to get him appointed to the naval school toward which his eyesso longingly turned. Here he proved worthy of the privilege, and when hegraduated {407}in 1860, when just twenty years of age, he held therank of Lieutenant, and was put on the frigate Potomac, where he becamemaster, then executive officer of the Patapsco. This boat met a hardfate, being blown up in the harbor of Charleston in 1865.
His promotions came rapidly, first being made Lieutenant-Commander inthe navy, then Captain, and finally Acting Rear Admiral.
But it is not alone as a sea commander that he has won renown. Hehas served as a member of the Board of Fortifications and Defences,Superintendent of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Chief of the Bureauof Naval Ordinance, and he was also President of the Maine Board ofInquiry.
He does not enjoy the sweets of domestic life to any great extent, histime on shore being so limited; but he is very happily married, andpasses all of his leisure with his wife, and sons and daughters, in hisbeautiful home in Glenridge, New Jersey.
COMMODORE W. S. SCHLEY.
|Among the "boys" of 1861 may be mentioned Admiral Schley, whose deedshave given him a world-wide fame. He was of the class of 1860. WinfieldScott Schley was a midshipman in the early days of the civil war, andmany are the comical stories told of his youthful days--among others,was that this now redoubtable commander was dubbed "Peggy," owing to the"trousers" he wore in those days, which were excessively peg-topped, orballoon-shaped. Another story is that he had a very small foot, No. 5fitting it easily. Of this fact he was boyishly vain. He did duty on theNiagara at that period, and his pranks were numerous, for he had a greatlove of fun, and yet was a very orderly, well-disciplined sailor.