It was thought that the Spanish fleet, which had caused our Government so much anxiety, might go to San Juan, the capital of the island, and so, before the Oregon arrived, and before any of the Spanish ships had been seen, Admiral Sampson took some of his vessels from Cuba to Porto Rico in hope of meeting Admiral Cervera, the Spanish commander, and his fleet.  Our ships reached San Juan in the evening of May 11th, but could see nothing of the Spanish ships.  Next morning our ships fired upon the forts guarding the harbor, to try the strength of the enemy.  But finding the forts stronger than he thought they were, Admiral Sampson drew off his fleet.  He could not spare the time, or spend his powder and shells, upon San Juan then.  The important thing to do was to find the Spanish fleet.  So Admiral Sampson again sailed toward Havana.

The two ports on the northern coast of Cuba that seemed most likely to attract the Spanish fleet were Havana and Matanzas.  There was one port on the southern coast that seemed to be a good one for the Spanish fleet—­the port of Cienfuegos.  So our ships continued the blockade of Havana and Matanzas, and now Commodore Schley was sent with several vessels to watch Cienfuegos.

The city of Cienfuegos is situated some distance back from the sea, in a harbor which winds and twists about between high hills, completely obscuring it from ships a little distance from the shore.  The word Cienfuegos means “a hundred fires.”  Close by the water’s edge there stood a cable-house, where one end of a submarine cable, which reached to Santiago, some three hundred miles to the eastward, was secured.  On one side of the cable-house was an old fort or lookout, such as the Spaniards used to have all along the coast.  On the other side was a light-house.  The Americans wished to destroy communication between Cienfuegos and Santiago, so they sent an expedition to cut the cable and destroy anything that would be of use to the Spaniards.

The ships that were sent to do this work were the Marblehead, the Nashville and the Windom.  You will remember that the Nashville fired the first gun in the war with Spain.  She is not a pretty boat at all.  She is built differently from other vessels of her class, and her two tall funnels, or smokestacks, give her an ungainly appearance.  Her commander was a splendid officer, though, and her crew were the bravest of the brave.  I must tell you a little of her work after she captured the first prize of the war.

One day, while in company with the Marblehead and the Eagle, she saw a big Spanish mail steamer leave the harbor of Cienfuegos and put to sea, followed by nine Spanish gunboats.  The Nashville started in pursuit of the big steamer, leaving the other American ships to attend to the gunboats.  She soon overhauled the steamer, which proved to be the Argonata, and took possession of her.  Her cargo was a very rich one, and among the passengers were twenty-nine Spanish soldiers and officers.  These were taken on board the Nashville.  Meanwhile, the Marblehead and the Eagle had disposed of the gunboats.  It only took them half an hour to drive them back into the harbor, with their smokestacks shot off, and several of them in a sinking condition.  The Nashville then turned over her prize to the Marblehead and started for Havana.