Fort Powell was subjected to a severe bombardment that afternoon and on the following night was abandoned and blown up.  Fire being opened on Fort Gaines, it also surrendered.  Fort Morgan, the only fort in the possession of the enemy, surrendered August 23, before an attack of the navy and the land forces under General Granger from New Orleans.

Soon after this splendid victory Admiral Farragut went North, where he was received with all possible honors.  The war ending soon after, his inestimable services came to a close.  That no reward might be lacking, the office of vice-admiral was specially created for him in December, 1864, and that of admiral in 1866.  He died in 1870.

THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.

CHAPTER XXX.

The Movement Against Cuba—­The Destruction of Cervera’s Fleet—­Admiral
Sampson—­Admiral Schley—­“Fighting Bob” Evans—­Commodore John C.
Watson—­Commodore John W. Philip—­Lieutenant Commander Richard
Wainwright.

Since the war with Spain was undertaken for the liberation of Cuba from the most frightful atrocities that mind can conceive, it was natural that the chief attention of our Government should be directed to the expulsion of the Spaniards from that island.  Neither the Ladrones nor Philippines entered into the question; but, inasmuch as they were valuable possessions of Spain, their conquest was a natural and effective blow against the nation with which we were at war.

In view of what subsequently occurred, we can smile at the general uneasiness and fear which prevailed in this country at the opening of hostilities regarding the fleets of Spain.  She was known to have a formidable navy and a great many believed it was superior to our own.  There was no telling where it would strike the first blow.  Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington and other seaboard cities made powerful preparations against the dread fleet, which in truth was no more to be feared than the ferryboats on the North River, and yet but for the preparations referred to it is more than probable we should have suffered.

The most formidable fleet was under the command of Admiral Cervera.  Our own squadrons were engaged for weeks in hunting for it, and it was reported in a dozen different places.  Finally it was learned that it had taken refuge in the harbor of Santiago, the city of that name being besieged by the land forces under General Shafter.  Immediately the American fleet of Admiral Sampson blockaded the ships of the enemy, determined to hold it powerless inside the broad harbor, for it followed, as a matter of course, that so long as it was bottled up there it could do nothing to help Spain.

No one could know his weakness better than the Spanish Admiral.  He had fine ships and fine guns, but his crews were undisciplined.  They were wretched marksmen and in no respect to be compared with our gunners, who demonstrated in the War of 1812 that they have no equals in the whole world.  Knowing all this, Admiral Cervera was loth to venture out of the harbor of Santiago, and the days and weeks passed in idleness while the monotonous blockade continued.