[Illustration:  General Shafter]

[Illustration:  Rear-Admiral Schley]

The capture of Santiago was decided upon when Cervera sought refuge in its harbor, and about 18,000 men (mostly of the regular army), under General Shafter, were hurried to Cuba and landed a few miles from the city.  On July 1 the enemy’s outer line of defenses were taken, after severe fighting at El Caney (ca-na’) and San Juan (sahn hoo-ahn’); and on the next day the Spaniards failed in an attempt to retake them.  So certain was it that the city must soon surrender, that Cervera was ordered to dash from the harbor, break through the American fleet, and put to sea.  On Sunday morning, July 3, the attempt was made; a desperate sea fight followed, and, in a few hours, all six of the Spanish vessels were sunk or stranded, shattered wrecks, on the coast of Cuba.  The Spanish loss in killed and wounded was heavy, while Admiral Cervera and about 1800 of his men were taken prisoners.  Not one of our vessels was seriously damaged, and but one of our men was killed.  When the battle began, the American war ships were in their usual positions before the harbor, as assigned them by Admiral Sampson; but Sampson himself, in his flagship, was several miles to the east on his way to a conference with General Shafter.  Commodore Schley’s flagship, the Brooklyn, was at the west end of the line, and as the enemy tried to escape in that direction, she was in the thickest of the fight.  Another war ship which especially distinguished herself was the Oregon, a Western-built ship, which had sailed from San Francisco all the way around Cape Horn in order to reach the seat of war.

[Illustration:  General Miles]

After the naval battle of July 3, all hope of successful resistance by the Spaniards vanished, and on July 17, General Toral surrendered Santiago, the eastern end of Cuba, and an army of nearly 25,000 men.  A week later General Miles set off to seize the island of Porto Rico.  He landed on the southern coast, and had occupied much of the island when hostilities came to an end.

571.  Peace.—­On August 12, 1898, a protocol was signed by representatives of the two nations, providing for the immediate cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Spain from the West Indies, and the occupation of Manila by the United States till the conclusion of a treaty of peace, which was to be negotiated by a commission meeting in Paris, and which was to provide for the disposition of the Philippines.

News of the cessation of hostilities was instantly sent to all our fleets and armies.  But, on August 13, before word could reach the Philippines, Manila was attacked by General Merritt’s army and Dewey’s fleet, whereupon the Spanish general surrendered the city and about 7000 soldiers.