Some Leaders and Heroes in the War with Spain
[1898-1899]
Thus far we have directed our attention to the prominent events in
American history centring about certain leaders and heroes. In so doing
we have in every chapter given emphasis to the achievements of some one
man. But in all these cases there were many other men that received no
mention by name, and yet their co-operation was necessary to the success
of the leader in working out his plans.
This is no doubt true of all times and countries, but it is eminently
true of our own country, whose history is full of striking instances of
individual heroism and devotion to the flag. We shall find no better
example of patriotic daring than in the late war with Spain--a war which
exhibited to us and to the world the strong and manly qualities of
American life and character. It seems fitting, therefore, that we should
in this closing chapter briefly consider a few of the recent events
that help us to understand what manner of people we have come to be,
and what we are able to accomplish in time of earnest endeavor.
[Illustration: The United States Coast and the West Indies.
Distances are given in geographical or sea miles, sixty miles in a
degree of latitude.]
From the very beginning of her dominion in Cuba, Spain ruled the people
there with extreme cruelty and oppression. Again and again did the
Cubans, driven to desperation by unjust treatment, rise in rebellion,
without success. But in 1895 they organized an uprising that Spain
strove in vain to put down. In the last extremity of her power, she sent
over as governor-general a man who tried to starve the Cubans into
submission. A large part of the population lived in the country, and
furnished the Cuban troops with food and recruits. The Spanish
commander's brutal method was to drive these country people into the
towns and cities, burning their homes, and destroying everything that
might be of use to feed and support the fighting Cubans. But the Cubans
were determined to win their independence or die in the attempt.
[Illustration: The Wreck of the Maine.]
As the war continued, and this inhuman policy of starvation grew more
brutal, the horror and indignation of the United States were aroused.
Our Government tried to induce Spain to stop her barbarous methods, but
while the attempt was still in progress an event took place which
greatly embittered the feeling of Americans against Spain. On the night
of February 15, 1898, one of our battle-ships, the Maine, was blown up
in the harbor of Havana, and 266 of our sailors were killed. Many
believed that this awful deed was the work of Spanish officials; and
this conviction deepened when a careful investigation was made by a
court of naval inquiry. In all parts of this country the excitement of
the people increased until they were ready to go to war with Spain if
she would not change her policy toward Cuba.
But Spain was so stubborn that President McKinley, after trying in every
possible way to prevent hostilities, was obliged to say in a message
that "the war in Cuba must stop"; and on April 25, 1898, Congress took
the momentous step of declaring war.
Our Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Long, lost no time in sending a despatch
to Commodore Dewey,--who was in command of an American fleet of six
war-vessels at Hong-Kong,--directing him to proceed at once to the
Philippine Islands and capture or destroy the Spanish fleet stationed
there.
Two days later Commodore Dewey's fleet was steaming southward toward
Manila Bay, in search of the Spanish squadron of ten war-vessels and two
torpedo-boats. It was extremely important that these ships of war should
be captured or destroyed before they could make their way to our Pacific
coast and attack American cities.
On the night preceding May 1st our fleet entered Manila Bay. The supreme
moment in the life of Commodore Dewey, now in his sixty-second year, had
come. He was 7,000 miles from home and in hostile waters. Without even a
pilot to guide his fleet as it moved slowly but boldly into the bay, he
knew well that he might be going into a death-trap. Two torpedoes
exploded just in front of the flag-ship Olympia, which was in the lead,
but the fearless commander did not swerve from his course.
[Illustration: Admiral Dewey.]
Drawn up at the entrance of Bakor Bay, not far from Manila, was the
Spanish fleet, protected on either side by strong shore batteries. When
about three miles distant Commodore Dewey quietly said to the captain of
the Olympia, "If you are ready, Gridley, you may fire." Spanish shells
had already filled the air all about the American fleet, but as the
Spanish gunnery was exceedingly poor it did little serious damage.
During the battle the American fleet steamed forward in single file, the
Olympia in the lead. After going for some distance toward Manila the
ships swung round and returned, firing terrible broadsides into the
Spanish fleet as they passed. Five times they followed the course in
this way, each time drawing nearer to the enemy's position, and each
time pouring in a more furious and deadly fire.
At seven o'clock the Spanish flagship dashed boldly out, as if with the
purpose of running down the Olympia. But the American war-vessels
concentrated their fire upon her so that she had to turn back. As she
was swinging around, the Olympia hurled a shell which raked her deck,
killing or wounding her captain and sixty of her sailors. About this
time two Spanish torpedo-boats darted out toward the American fleet, and
one of them, with the evident purpose of blowing her up, headed for the
Olympia. But a well-aimed shell exploded upon the deck of the
torpedo-boat, and sank it to the bottom of the sea.
At the end of two hours, it being plain that the Spanish fleet was
nearly done for, Commodore Dewey decided to give his tired men a rest.
He therefore withdrew his fleet from the scene of battle, and gave his
brave sailors some breakfast. Three hours later he renewed the fight,
which ended with the destruction of the entire Spanish fleet. Although
1,200 Spaniards were killed or wounded, not one American was killed and
only eight were wounded. None of Dewey's war-vessels received serious
injury. The battle was a brilliant exhibition of superb training and
seamanship on the part of the American sailors, whose rapid and accurate
handling of the guns was marvellous.
[Illustration: President McKinley]
The people were electrified with joy when the news of the glorious
achievement in Manila Bay was cabled to America. On May 9th, Congress
voted that ten thousand dollars ($10,000) should be spent in securing a
sword for Commodore Dewey and medals for all his men, and President
McKinley promptly appointed him a rear-admiral. Before the middle of
August an army of 15,000 troops, under General Merritt, was sent to
Manila to unite with the fleet under Admiral Dewey in capturing the
city. Manila surrendered on August 13th.
With the destruction of the Spanish fleet at Manila, within a week after
Congress declared war, all danger of attack from Spanish war-vessels
upon our Pacific coast was at an end. But there was grave fear that the
Spanish fleet under Admiral Cervera might attack the large and wealthy
cities upon our Atlantic coast. Shortly after the war began, this fleet
was reported to have left the Cape Verde Islands and to have directed
its course toward Cuban waters.
[Illustration: "Escolta," Manila's Main Street.]
At once Americans began to put serious questions which nobody could
answer. "Where is Cervera going?" they asked. "Will he try to break the
blockade which an American fleet under Admiral Sampson is keeping up on
the northern coast of Cuba? Will he try to intercept and destroy the
battle-ship Oregon?[12] Or, will he bring havoc and destruction upon us
by sailing straight for some great Atlantic seaport?" Americans looked
anxious and worried as they considered these questions.
[12] The American battle-ship Oregon was then on her famous trip
from San Francisco, by way of Cape Horn, to join Admiral
Sampson's fleet.
But the uncertainty did not long continue, for soon it was learned by
cable that Cervera had stopped at Martinique, and later at a small
island off the coast of Venezuela, whence he had speedily steamed
northward toward Cuba. We now know that he went to Santiago harbor,
which he thought would prove a good hiding-place while his fleet took on
board coal and other supplies. Shortly after Cervera's arrival at
Santiago an American fleet under Commodore Schley discovered him, and
blockaded the harbor in order to prevent his escape. It was extremely
important to keep him "bottled up" there until an American army might
come down and capture Santiago and the Spanish army which held the
place. This capture accomplished, Cervera would have to fight either in
the harbor or out on the open sea. But there was still some anxiety lest
he might on some dark, stormy night manage to steal out and make his
escape.
One reason why Cervera went into the Santiago harbor was that the
entrance was very narrow and well protected by headlands surmounted by
batteries. At its narrowest place, the channel was not much more than a
hundred yards wide. If, therefore, the American war-vessels should
attempt to enter the harbor they would have to enter in single file, and
the foremost one would possibly be blown up by the Spanish torpedoes,
many of which were planted in the channel. The sinking of a single
vessel in the channel would block the way for all the rest.
With these facts in mind Admiral Sampson planned to obstruct the
entrance to Santiago harbor to prevent the Spanish fleet from getting
out. Lieutenant Hobson, a young man of twenty-eight, worked out the plan
of sinking the collier Merrimac across the channel; and to him the
important task of carrying it out was assigned. Torpedoes were so
arranged on the sides of the Merrimac that their explosion would shatter
her bottom and sink her in the channel.
There was serious difficulty in selecting the small number of brave,
cool-headed men who were to accompany Lieutenant Hobson in this perilous
enterprise, for several hundred American sailors were eager to go, even
though they knew that in so doing they were running serious risk of
capture or death. But such was the heroic temper of the American sailors
that many of them begged for an opportunity of rendering this loyal
service.
On the night appointed for the daring feat, the Merrimac did not get
well started before the morning light began to appear in the eastern
sky, so that Admiral Sampson recalled the expedition.
After a long, nervous day of waiting, the next morning, June 3d, the
Merrimac started off a second time. The vessel moved stealthily forward
with its eager, silent crew, but before the place of sinking could be
reached the Spaniards discovered her. Suddenly from the forts and the
war-vessels in the harbor a storm of shot and shell beat in pitiless
fury about the Merrimac. But she pressed forward. When the moment came
for her to be swung across the channel Hobson found that the rudder of
the ship had been shot away, so that she could not be swung about
according to the plan. He therefore had to be content with sinking her
_along_ instead of _across_ the channel.
When the torpedoes exploded and she went down, her crew of eight men,
struggling for life in the seething waters, managed to reach a float
which they had brought with them on the deck of the collier. To this
float they clung, hanging on with their hands, for they dared not expose
their bodies as targets to Spanish soldiers on land or to Spanish
sailors in the launches that were trying to find out what had happened.
For some hours Hobson and his men remained in this uncomfortable
position, shivering with the cold. At length Hobson hailed an
approaching launch to which he swam. He was pulled in by an elderly man,
with the exclamation, "You are brave fellows." This was Admiral Cervera,
who treated the prisoners, Lieutenant Hobson and his crew, with great
kindness. With the rest of the world he admired the courageous spirit of
the "brave fellows" who had given so much in the service of their
country.
During the remainder of June, the American fleet kept watch at the
harbor entrance. Before the end of the month an American army of 15,000
men was ready to advance through a tropical forest upon the Spanish
defences outside of Santiago. On July 1st the Americans made a vigorous
attack upon these outworks, and won a glorious victory.
It looked to Cervera as if he might be compelled to surrender his fleet
without striking a blow. Although he was likely to suffer defeat in a
battle, there was nothing to gain by remaining in the harbor. So he
decided to dash boldly out, in a desperate effort to escape. When at
about half-past nine of that quiet Sunday morning (July 3d) the foremost
Spanish war-vessel was seen heading at full speed out of the harbor, the
American sailors sent up a shout, "The Spanish fleet is coming out!" and
leaped forward to their places at the guns. As at Manila, the battle was
one-sided. The superior seamanship and gunnery of the Americans enabled
them quickly to win a victory as brilliant as that won by Dewey and his
men. Every Spanish vessel was destroyed, 600 Spaniards were killed, and
1,300 captured. Not one American ship was seriously injured, while but
one American was killed and one badly wounded. About the middle of July
Santiago and a Spanish army of 22,000 men surrendered to the Americans.
Although this ended the serious fighting of the war, the treaty of peace
was not ratified by the United States Senate until February 6, 1899. In
accordance with this treaty Spain gave up Cuba and ceded Porto Rico to
the United States; and she also ceded to us the Philippine Islands, in
return for which we agreed to pay her $20,000,000.
But some of the most striking results of the war with Spain received no
mention in the terms of the treaty. From the beginning of the struggle,
Spain doubtless hoped that one or more of the Great Powers of Europe
might intervene in her behalf. Some of them, with ill-concealed dislike
for the United States, were quite ready to interfere in Spain's
interests. But England refused to take any part in the movement. Her
friendly attitude toward us in this struggle has done much to bring the
two countries into closer sympathy with each other. A reflection of this
good-will toward England was especially evident at the time of Queen
Victoria's death in January, 1901.
[Illustration: Portion of the Coast of China and the Philippine
Islands.]
But, after all, one of the most striking results of the war with Spain
has been the bringing of the various sections of our own country into
closer sympathy and union. It is safe to say that never before have the
North, the South, the East, and the West felt so closely bound together
in thought and feeling. Let us hope that with noble ideals of the high
destiny that awaits us, we shall go forward to greater achievements than
we have yet known in our history.
REVIEW OUTLINE
SPAIN'S CRUEL RULE IN CUBA.
THE BLOWING UP OF THE BATTLE-SHIP MAINE.
COMMODORE DEWEY HEADS HIS FLEET FOR THE PHILIPPINES.
THE DANGEROUS ENTERPRISE.
THE GLORIOUS VICTORY.
SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT ADMIRAL CERVERA'S PLANS.
HIS FLEET "BOTTLED UP."
THE DARING FEAT OF LIEUTENANT HOBSON AND HIS MEN.
THE DESTRUCTION OF CERVERA'S FLEET.
THE TREATY OF PEACE.
FRIENDLY RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR COUNTRY AND ENGLAND.
CLOSER SYMPATHY AND UNION OF THE NORTH, THE SOUTH, THE EAST, AND
THE WEST.
TO THE PUPIL
1. What is a hero? Whom do you most admire of all the heroes you
have read about in this book?
2. Why did Commodore Dewey go with his fleet to the Philippines?
3. Imagine yourself with him, and give an account of the battle.
4. What did Lieutenant Hobson and his men do? Impersonating
Hobson, give an account of the daring feat.
5. What caused the war with Spain? What were its most striking
results?
6. What do you admire in the character of Admiral Dewey? What,
in the American sailors in the war with Spain?
7. What do the following dates signify: 1492, 1607, 1620,
1775-1783, 1861-1865, 1898?
INDEX
Adams, Samuel, 156;
in public life, 157;
opposes tax on tea, 158-162
Bacon, Nathaniel, 55;
marches against the Indians, 59;
his struggle with Berkeley, 60-62
Boone, Daniel, 222;
goes to Kentucky, 224;
at Boonesborough, 227;
captured by Indians, 230
"Boston Tea Party," 158-163
Braddock, General, 132, 133
Bradford, Governor, 69, 70, 74
Bunker Hill, battle of, 173
Burgoyne, General, 203-205
Cabot, John, 31
Cartier, 103
Carver, Governor, 70, 74-76
Cervera, Admiral, 320-324
Champlain, 104
Civil War, 295, 298
Clermont, the, 250-252
Columbus, Christopher, 1;
at Lisbon, 4;
goes to Spain, 5;
first voyage, 10;
in the New World, 12-15;
other voyages, 17-20
Concord, battle of, 170-173
Continental Congress, 193
Cornwallis, General, 200-203, 206, 207, 214-220
Cortez, 22, 23
Cowpens, battle of, 214, 215
Dale, Sir Thomas, 56
Dawes, William, 167-170
Declaration of Independence, 186, 239
De Leon, 23
De Soto, Hernando, 22;
lands in Florida, 24;
his trials and difficulties, 26-28;
discovers the Mississippi, 29
Dewey, Admiral, 317-319
Dinwiddie, Governor, 128, 131
Douglas, Stephen A., 293, 294
Drake, Sir Francis, 36
Elizabeth, Queen, 33-35
Fairfax, Lord, 124-127
Faneuil Hall, 159, 160
Ferdinand, King, 6
Franklin, Benjamin, 175;
in his brother's printing-office, 176;
goes to Philadelphia, 179;
in London, 181;
"Poor Richard's Almanac," 182;
his great discovery, 184;
"Plan of Union," 185;
in France, 186
French War, Last, 128-133, 136-144
Fulton, Robert, 246;
his boyhood, 247;
invents a torpedo boat, 249;
the Clermont, 250-252
Gage, General, 166, 167
Gates, General, 212
George III., 146-152
Grant, Ulysses S., 302;
his boyhood and youth, 303;
in Civil War, 305-309;
captures Lee's army, 309-311
Greene, Nathaniel, 211;
a Quaker boy, 212;
joins the army, 213;
in the South, 214-220
Griffin, the, 108-110
Hancock, John, 165-168, 170
Henry, Patrick, 146;
early life, 148;
opposes Stamp Act, 150;
his great speech, 153
Hobson, Lieutenant, 322
Howe, General, 195-197, 203-205
Hudson, Henry, 105
Hutchinson, Governor, 159-162
Indians, 14, 15, 17, 48, 49
Iroquois, 104-106
Isabella, Queen, 6, 8
Jackson, Andrew, 253;
his boyhood, 254;
goes to Nashville, 256;
conquers the Creeks, 258;
at battle of New Orleans, 259;
as President, 260
James I., 65, 66
Jefferson, Thomas, 234;
at college, 235;
as President, 240;
the Louisiana Purchase, 241-243
Jesuit Missionaries, 106
La Salle, 103;
his plans, 108;
his explorations, 109-112;
his colony, 112;
his assassination, 114
Lee, General, his surrender, 296, 309-311
Lincoln, Abraham, 282;
in Kentucky and Indiana, 283-289;
goes to Illinois, 290;
debates with Douglas, 294;
Emancipation Proclamation, 296;
his assassination, 296
Long Island, battle of, 196
Mckinley, President, 317-319
Maine, the, 316
Manila, 317
Marion, Francis, 217-219
Marquette, Father, 106
Massasoit, 75, 76
Merrimac, the, 319-322
Mimms, Fort, massacre at, 258
Montcalm, General, 138-140, 143, 144
Morgan, General, 214-216
Morse, Samuel F. B., 273;
studies painting, 274;
invents the telegraph, 276-280
Narvaez, 24
Navigation Laws, 58
New Orleans, battle of, 259, 260
Nullification, 260
Old North Church, 167, 168
Old South Church, 159, 161
Olympia, the, 316
Ortiz, 24
Penn, William, 92;
turns Quaker, 94;
his settlement in Pennsylvania, 98;
his Indian treaty, 99;
his country home, 100
Pilgrims, 65-79
Pittsburg Landing, battle of, 305
Pizarro, 22, 23
Plymouth, landing at, 72
Pocahontas, 50, 52
Powhatan, 49-52
Puritans, 65, 81-88
Quakers, 92-101
Quebec, capture of, 142-144
Raleigh, Sir Walter, 31;
in France, 33;
his first colony, 35;
second colony, 37-39;
in the Tower of London, 40
Revere, Paul, 165;
on his "midnight ride," 167-170
Sampson, Admiral, 322
Santiago, fighting near, 322-324
Schley, Commodore, 321
Secession, 295
Slavery, 282, 283, 294, 296
Smith, John, 42;
early life, 46;
in Virginia, 47-53;
relations with the Indians, 47-52;
explores New England coast, 53
South Carolina, 261, 262
Stamp Act, 147-151
Standish, Miles, 64;
military leader of the Pilgrims, 68;
explores coast, 69-71;
at Plymouth, 72-79
State Rights, 269
Tariff, 261, 262
Telegraph, the electric, 276-280
Tobacco, 57, 58
Trenton, battle of, 200-202
Valley Forge, suffering at, 205, 206
Vicksburg, capture of, 306
Warren, Dr. Joseph, 167
Washington, George, 116;
at home and school, 117-124;
the young surveyor, 124-127;
his journey to the French forts, 130;
at Great Meadows, 132;
with Braddock, 132;
at Mount Vernon, 189-193;
as General, 193-207;
as President, 208
Washington, Lawrence, 118-121
Webster, Daniel, 264;
his boyhood and youth, 265-268;
his "Reply to Hayne," 269;
his last days, 271
West, Benjamin, 274, 275
Williams, Roger, 81;
goes to Salem, 86;
driven into exile, 88;
his settlement at Providence, 89
Wolfe, James, 136;
his youth, 136;
at Quebec, 138-144
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
1. Passages in italics are surrounded by _underscores_.
2. Images have been moved from the middle of a paragraph to the closest
paragraph break.
3. Footnotes have been renumbered and moved to the end of a paragraph in
which they are referenced.
4. Obvious punctuation errors have been silently corrected.
5. The word Crevecoeur uses an oe ligature in the original.
6. The following misprints have been corrected:
"Wahington" corrected to "Washington" (page 190)
"Breeze" corrected to "Breese" (page 273)
"1809-1861" corrected to "1809-1865" (page 282)
7. Other than the corrections listed above, printer's inconsistencies in
spelling, hyphenation, and ligature usage have been retained.
End of Project Gutenberg's American Leaders and Heroes, by Wilbur Fisk Gordy