Identifier: storiedwestindie00ober (find matches)
Title: The storied West Indies
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Ober, Frederick A. (Frederick Albion), 1849-1913
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ank. This occurrencemade an indelible impression upon my memory, andit was with sad interest that, years afterward, Iviewed the dead wall of the slaughter house againstwhich those unfortunate men of the Yirginius werestood up to be shot, in the city of Santiago. Provided such a deed must needs be avenged, thenit has been requited, and by Americans; for it washere that Spain was reduced, at one fell swoop, to athird-rate power, by the victories won by our soldiersand sailors in June and July, 1898. After war was declared between the UnitedStates and Spain in April, 1898, two months of hur-ried preparations ensued, and it was not known atwhat point troops or ships would come into collision.The sailing of Admiral Cerveras fleet from the Capede Yerde Islands for the West Indies left our nationin suspense for weeks, as it was not known what por-tion of our coast might be the object of attack.When, finally, word came that the fleet had takencoal at Curacao, the country breathed more freely,
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SANTIAGO AND HAVANA 193 since it was then seen that the Spanish objective wasprobably Cuba or Puerto Rico, and the coast of ourmainland was at least safe for the time. The twoAmerican fleets that had been assembled, the oneengaged in the blockade of Havana under AdmiralSampson and the flying squadron at Newport Xewsunder Schley, were ordered to converge in the chan-nel south of Cuba; but it was not until much valu-able time had been wasted that the mystery of Cer-veras movements was penetrated by a daring recon-noissance, which disclosed his fleet safely ensconcedin Santiagos harbor. To brave Lieutenant Blue belongs the honor ofthis achievement, and, now in full confidence thatthe enemy would be captured in time, our war shipsassembled off the harbor mouth within sight and shotof grim old Morro. This act of Cerveras, in seekingshelter at a Spanish port, when he might easily haveravaged some portion of our Continental coast, at oncedetermined the theater of war. All our energieswere de

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