The position so won was held despite desperate attempts to dislodge our forces.  By June 16 additional forces were landed and strongly intrenched.  On June 22 the advance of the invading army under Major-General Shafter landed at Daiquiri, about 15 miles east of Santiago.  This was accomplished under great difficulties, but with marvelous dispatch.  On June 23 the movement against Santiago was begun.  On the 24th the first serious engagement took place, in which the First and Tenth Cavalry and the First United States Volunteer Cavalry, General Young’s brigade of General Wheeler’s division, participated, losing heavily.  By nightfall, however, ground within 5 miles of Santiago was won.  The advantage was steadily increased.  On July 1 a severe battle took place, our forces gaining the outworks of Santiago; on the 2d El Caney and San Juan were taken after a desperate charge, and the investment of the city was completed.  The Navy cooperated by shelling the town and the coast forts.

On the day following this brilliant achievement of our land forces, the 3d of July, occurred the decisive naval combat of the war.  The Spanish fleet, attempting to leave the harbor, was met by the American squadron under command of Commodore Sampson.  In less than three hours all the Spanish ships were destroyed, the two torpedo boats being sunk and the Maria Teresa, Almirante Oquendo, Vizcaya, and Cristobal Colon driven ashore.  The Spanish admiral and over 1,300 men were taken prisoners.  While the enemy’s loss of life was deplorably large, some 600 perishing, on our side but one man was killed, on the Brooklyn, and one man seriously wounded.  Although our ships were repeatedly struck, not one was seriously injured.  Where all so conspicuously distinguished themselves, from the commanders to the gunners and the unnamed heroes in the boiler rooms, each and all contributing toward the achievement of this astounding victory, for which neither ancient nor modern history affords a parallel in the completeness of the event and the marvelous disproportion of casualties, it would be invidious to single out any for especial honor.  Deserved promotion has rewarded the more conspicuous actors.  The nation’s profoundest gratitude is due to all of these brave men who by their skill and devotion in a few short hours crushed the sea power of Spain and wrought a triumph whose decisiveness and far-reaching consequences can scarcely be measured.  Nor can we be unmindful of the achievements of our builders, mechanics, and artisans for their skill in the construction of our war ships.

With the catastrophe of Santiago Spain’s effort upon the ocean virtually ceased.  A spasmodic effort toward the end of June to send her Mediterranean fleet, under Admiral Camara, to relieve Manila was abandoned, the expedition being recalled after it had passed through the Suez Canal.