--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 1 number: 10 published: 1898-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Progress of the War," *Improvement Era* 1, no. 10 (August 1898): 741–753.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera110unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera110unse start_page: 741 end_page: 753 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1898-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera110unse publication_year: 1898 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1898, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Progress of the War PROGRESS OF THE WAR BETWEEN SPAIN AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. III. THE EXPEDITION TO THE PHILIPPINES. On the 1 6th of May a new military department of the Pacific was created and made to include the Philippine Isl- ands. General Wesley Merritt, of the regular army, was as- signed the command of the new department, and made mili- tary governor of the Philippines. There had been some difficulty in the war department concerning the numerical strength of the expedition to the Philippines. At first it was thought that an expedition of five thousand troops, one thousand of whom only should be regulars, would be all- sufificient. Against so small an expedition, and so small a proportion of regulars to go with it. General Merritt, who was scheduled for the appointment of the expedition, vigorously protested. He insisted that the number of troops be in- creased to fifteen thousand at least, and that one- third of them be regular troops. On the 19th of May the war depart- ment conceded the demands of General Merritt, and orders were given to the regular troops to proceed at once to San Francisco, where they were to be joined by the volunteer forces from California, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, North and South Da- kota and Idaho. It began to dawn upon the mind of the ad- ministration that to take the Philippines and become respon- isible for their government was a greater enterprise than at 742 IMPROVEMENT ERA. first had been supposed. But it appears that as the country better comprehended the task in hand the administration rose to the importance of the event. On the 21st of May the United States heavily armed monitor Monterey was ordered to Manila to reinforce Admiral Dewey's fleet. The United States cruiser Charleston, after many vexatious delays, finally left San Francisco for the Philippines; and on the 25th of May the transport steamers City of Pekin, City of Sydney, and Australia, carrying about 2,500 men with a year's supplies, ammunition and naval stores for the fleet at Manila, sailed out into the Pacific. On the 27th of May General Merritt took personal charge of the Manila expedition, and on the 30th of May the war department increased the number of troops for the Philippines to 20,000 men. The expedition had now increased to something like a just proportion to the undertaking. On June 15th the second expedition for the Philippines sailed from San Francisco. There were four large transports, the Colon, China, Zealandia, and Senator, carrying 3,500 troops and their supplies. It was w^ith this second ex- pedition that the Utah light batteries sailed. On the 29th of June, Major-General Merritt himself sailed for Manila on the steamer Newport, leaving the rest of his command rendez- voused at San Francisco, to follow as arrangements could be made for their transportation to the far east. THE MOVEMENTS OF CERVERA'S FLEET. The fleet of Admiral Cervera which had been last heard of at the island of Curacao on the 15th of May, was reported on the 19th of the same month to have entered the harbor of Santiago de Cuba, on the south coast of Cuba, near the east end of the island. The Flying Squadron of eight, under command of Commodore Schley, which had been lying off Cienfuegos watching for the appearance of the Spanish fleet, hastened at once in the direction of Santiago de Cuba, and patrolled the narrow entrance to Cervera's retreat. It was some time, however, before it could be ascertained with cer- tainty that the Spanish fleet had really entered the harbor. The report that he had done so came from Madrid in the form PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 743 of a report from Admiral Cervera that he had safely arrived there on the 19th of May. That of itself was suflEicient to cast doubt upon the truthfulness of the report. The entrance to the inner harbor of Santiago de Cuba, is a long narrow chan- nel difficult of navigation, and in the narrowest part not wide enough for two vessels to sail abreast. Furthermore, the nar- row channel is commanded by Spanish fortifications on either side, in addition to being laid with mines and sunken torpe- does. It was therefore too great a risk for the American fleet to enter the harbor to ascertain the presence of the Spaniard, and hence several days elapsed before positive assurance could be had that the Spanish fleet had entered the harbor in question. Indeed it was not definitely known until the 29th of May. On that day, however, Commodore Schley reported to the government that he had definite knowledge that Cer- vera's fleet was anchored in Santiago Bay. Admiral Cervera's fleet was made up of Spain's best war- ships. Four of them combined the best qualities of heavy armored battleships with the fleetness of the fastest cruisers, and it was evident that the next great naval engagement would be fought either in Santiago Bay or at its entrance, according as the American fleet should follow the Spaniard into his chosen retreat, or the Spaniard, full of confidence in the superiority of his vessels and men, should come out to engage the Amer- ican squadron. The evening of the day on which Commodare Schley definitely located the Spanish fleet in Santiago Bay, he re- ceived additional evidence of a very positive character that the fleet was there; for two of the Spanish torpedo boat destroy- ers, belonging to Cervera's fleet, the Pluton and Furor, made a night attack upon his squadron, which, however, after a brief engagement was repulsed. On the morning of the 31st of May Commodore Schley with part of his fleet, viz: the battleships Massachusetts and Iowa and the cruiser New Orleans, engaged four of the Span- ish land batteries. The purpose of the engagement was to learn the location of the batteries. In the course of the en- gagement the Spanish warship Cristobol Colon moved down near the narrow mouth of the harbor and joined in the action 744 IMPROVEMENT ERA against the American fleet. Three of the land batteries were silenced and then the American fleet withdrew. Admiral Sampson who had been cruising east of Cuba in search of Cervera's fleet, joined Schley at the entrance of San- tiago Bay and took command of the united American fleets, in all sixteen warships. THE MERRIMAC INCIDENT. And now we reach an incident in the progress of the war, which, like the naval battle in Manila Bay, deserves to be told in detail and to live for ever in the memory of all Amer- icans, and especially in the memory of the youth of our land. There is no doubt but what it will live in history and will be an inspiration to generations of young men yet unborn. This is the Merrimac incident. Of course when Acting Admiral Sampson joined Com- modore Schley's squadron at the mouth of Santiago harbor, the question before the two commanders was how to reach Cervera's fleet and destroy it or render it useless to Spain in the further prosecution of the war. The problem was a diffi- cult one. The narrow, tortuous channel, several miles long, leading to the inner bay was doubtless thickly laid with mines and sunken torpedoes, and the whole length of the channel was commanded by strong land batteries. To venture into this channel with the fleet was to invite destruction. Besides, since in some places the channel was narrow, only one vessel could pass through at a time, if one of the American war- ships should be sunk in that part of it, the way would be blocked to the others, while those ships that might have passed on would not be able to return. It was at this juncture that Ad- miral Sampson decided to accept a proposition made while his fleet was enroute from Key West to Cuban waters, by Lieuten- ant Richmond P. Hobson, a young naval constructor on the flagship New York. Young Hobson proposed to sacrifice the coal carrying steamer Merrimac by sinking her athwart the San- tiago harbor entrance at the narrowest point, and thus effectu- ally lock up the Spanish fleet in the trap into which it had run. Young Hobson was of the opinion that the enterprise could PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 746 be effectually carried out by a very small crew, say six men, if properly led, and offered himself to lead the hazardous un- dertaking. When Admiral Sampson concluded to allow Lieutenant Hobson to carry out his scheme for rendering useless Spain's most splendid fleet of warships, the mission looked so much like men going to certain death that he resolved to make up the crew of the doomed Merrimac from men who would volunteer for such service. When the call for volunteers was made, nearly four hundred men responded from the crews of the various war- ships. Men begged with tears to be allowed to go, and much disappointment was felt when only so few were allowed to go with Hobson. One man, a coxswain on the New York, H. Clausen, without the knowledge of his commander, hid away in the coal bunkers of the Merrimac and thus joined, without permission, the perilous expedition. In consequence of the breach of discipline, no official recognition was given to it. It was intended that the Merrimac should be run into the channel on the morning of the 2nd of June; and all night of the ist, crews worked to have the doomed vessel which lay close to the Nezv York, made ready for her last voyage. Lieutenant Hobson paid a short visit to the flagship shortly before midnight and then returned to the Merrimac, on board of which craft he had been all day. As he started down the sea ladder there were many hands stretched out to grasp his, and many quiet spoken wishes for his suc- cess. At 3 o'clock the Admiral and Flag Lieutenant Stanton got into the launch to make an inspection of the Merrimac. The working gangs were still on board of her, and on board the New York the officers of the flagship stood on the quarter- deck, their glasses focussed on the big black hull that was to form an impassable obstacle for Spain's best ships. The minutes slipped by, the crews had not completed their work on the Merrimac, but at last a boat load of men, black and tired out, came over to the flagship. Last of all, at 4:30 o'clock, came the Admiral. He had been delayed by a break- down of the steam launch. 746 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Dawn was breaking over Santiago de Cuba and nearly everybody thought it was too late for the attempt to be made that morning. Then somebody cried: "She's going in!" Surely enough the seemingly deserted collier was seen head- ing straight for Morro castle. The Torpedo boat Porter was lying near the flagship, and Admiral Sampson's orderly, Lieutenant Staunton, snatched up the megaphone and hailed the Porter, saying: ^^Porter, there! Tell the Merrimac to re- turn immediately. " Smoke quickly poured ixovaWiQ. Porter's smokestacks and the dark little craft darted toward the shore. By that time darkness had quite disappeared and quickly as the fast torpedo boat tore through the water it seemed as if she would never head off the Merrimac. At last when under the range of the guns of the Spaniards the Porter crossed the Merrimac's bows and a sigh of relief went up from the eager watchers, for they thought that it was sure death for Hobson to venture in at that hour. Some time after five o'clock the Porter came tearing back and the Merrimac, to every one's surprise, kept her position. Admiral Sampson, Captain Chadwick and Lieutenant Staunton could not understand this until Lieutenant Fremont from the deck of the torpedo boat shouted: "Lieutenant Hobson asks permission to continue on his course. He thinks he can make it." But in stern tones the Admiral sent Hobson a message to the effect that the Merrimac must return at once, and in due course of time the doomed collier steamed back, her com- mander evidently disappointed with the order to return. During the day Lieutenant Hobson went aboard the flagship New York. His once white duck trousers were as black as a coalheaver's, his old fatigue coat was unbuttoned and his be- grimed face deep furrowed by tense drawn lines, but resolution still shown in his eyes. So absorbed was he in the task ahead of him that unmindful of his appearance and naval etiquette, he told the Admiral in a tone of command that he must not again be interfered with. "I can carry this thing through," he said, "but there must be no more recalls. My men have been keyed for twenty-four hours and under a tremendous strain. Iron will> break- at last." J'ROGRESS OF THE WAR. 747 HOBSON'S PLANS. Then he waited all day, during which time, however, he gave the following details of his plans to the representatives of the press: "I shall go right into the harbor until about 400 yards past the Estrella battery, which is behind Morro Castle. I do not think they can sink us before I reach somewhere near that point. The Merrimac has buoyancy, and I shall keep her full speed ahead. She can make about ten knots. When the narrowest part of the channel is reached I shall put her helm hard aport, stop the engines, drop the anchors, open the sea connections, touch off the torpedoes, and leave the Merrimac a wreck, lying athwart the channel which is not as broad as the Merrimac is long. "There ar^ ten 8-inch improvised torpedoes below the waterline on the Merrimac's port side. They are placed on her side against the bulkheads, and vital spots, connected with each other by a wire under the ship's keel. Each tor- pedo contains eighty-two pounds of gun powder. Each tor- pedo is also connected with the bridge and they should do their work in a minute and it will be quick work even if done in a minute and a quarter. "On deck there will be four men and myself. In the engine-room there will be two other men. This is the total crew and all of us will be in our underclothing with revolvers and ammunition in water-tight packing strapped around our waists. Forward there will be a man on deck and around his waist will be a line, the other end of the line being made fast to the bridge on which I will stand. By that man's side will be an ax. When I stop the engine I will jerk the cord and will thus give the signal to cut the lashing which will cut the forward anchor. "He will then jump overboard and swim to the four- oared dingy which we shall tow astern. The dingy is full of life buoys and is unsinkable. In it are rifles. It is to be held by two ropes, one made fast at her bow and one at her stern. The first man to reach her will haul in the tow line and pull the dingy out to starboard. The next to leave the ship are the rest of the crew. The quartermaster at the wheel will not leave until after having put it hard aport and lashed it so; he will then jump overboard. "Down below, the man at the reversing gear will stop the engines, scramble upon deck and get over the side as quickly as possible. His IMPROVEMENT ERA. "The man in the engine room will break open the sea connections with a sledge hammer and will follow his leader into the water. This last step insures the sinking of the Merriniac, whether the torpedoes work or not. "By this time I calculate the six men will be in the dingy and the Merrimac will have swung athwart the channel the full length of her 300 yards of cable, which will be paid out before the anchors are cut loose. Then is my time to touch the button. I shall stand on the starboard side of the bridge. The explosion will throw the Merrimac on her star- board side. Nothing on this side of New York city will be able to raise her after that." "And you expect to come out of this alive?" asked a companion of the lieutenant. "Ah, that is another thing," said the lieutenant. He was so interested in the mechanical details of the scheme that he scarcely stopped to talk of possible death. In reply to frequent questions, Hobson said: "I sup- pose the Estrella battery will fire down on us a bit; but the ships will throw their searchlights in the gunners' faces and they won't see much of us. Then, if we are torpedoed, we should even then be able to make the desired position in the channel. It won't be so easy to hit us, and I think the men should be able to swim to the dingy. I may jump before I am blown up But I don't see that it makes much difference what I do. I have a fair chance of life either way. If our dingy gets shot to pieces we shall then try to swim for the beach right under Morro Castle. We shall keep together at all hazards. Then we may be able to make our way along- side and perhaps get back to the ship. We shall fight the sentries or a squad until the last, and we shall only surrender to overwhelming numbers, and our surrender will only take place as a last and a most uncontemplated emergency." On the morning of the 3rd of June, at three o'clock, the Merrimac started on her expedition a second time. The full moon had disappeared behind a black cloud-bank in the west. It was that calm hour before dawn when life is at its lowest ebb and the tide runs out, carrying mortals with it. Slowly the seconds of fate ticked out, and for an hour 3,000 strained eyes strove to pierce the deep veil of night. Suddenly several blood-red tongues of flame shot down from the rocky eminence on which Morro is situated. They were followed by jets and streams of fire from the batteries opposite. The Merrimac had reached the entrance of the har- PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 749 bor. She must have passed so close that a stone loosened from the frowning parapet of the castle would have fallen on her deck. Into the murderous hail showered down on her the Mer- rimac passed and moved on a full quarter of a mile, enfiladed from sides, rear and front with a plunging fire from the bat- teries that surrounded her. It seems a miracle that her ap- parently riddled hull could have reached the goal. Then there was silence, and among the watchers on the fleet arose the question as to whether those minutes of terrible bombardment had left grief-stricken mothers, or widows, or orphans. "During the next half hour," said one account of the in- cident written at the time upon the spot, "while the fleet silently waited in suspense for the coming of the day, many fingers itched at the lanyards of the guns, and many a gunner's mate sought permission to fire. But nothing could be done. An ill-directed shot might kill our men, possibly struggling in the water toward the open sea. Part of the plan was to have the Merrimac followed as closely as possible by a steam launch, for the purpose of pick- ing up Hobson and crew if they should have the good fortune to escape the fire of the batteries. This mission was entrusted to Naval Cadet J. W. Powel, and a crew made up of volun- teers from various warships of the fleet. Cadet Powel was a personal friend of Hobson's and most bravely did he follow in the wake of the Merrimac to render such service as he could to the main expedition Second to the fate of the crew of the Merrimac, the fate of this party in the launch was of inter- est to the fleet. It was therefore a great relief when the little vessel was seen steaming out of the mouth of the har- bor. But she brought no news of the Merrimac's crew. The report of her officer follows: "When Hobson was about 200 yards from the harbor the first gun was fired from the east bluff. We were then about half a mile off shore and nearing the batteries. The firing increased rapidly. We steamed in slowly and to the right of the Merrimac, in the smoke which was carried off shore. Before Hobson could have blown up the Merrimac 750 IMPROVEMENT ERA. the western batteries picked us out and commenced firing. They shot wildly, however, and we only heard the shots. We ran in still closer to the shore and the gunners lost sight of us. Then we heard the explosion of the torpedoes on the Merrimac. "Until daylight we waited just outside the breakers, half a mile to the westward of Morro, keeping a sharp lookout for swimmers, but saw nothing. Hobson had arranged to meet us at that point, but thinking that some one might have drifted out, we crossed in front of Morro and the mouth of the harbor to the eastward. At about five o'clock we crossed the harbor again within a quarter of a mile and stood to the westward. In passing we saw one spar of the Merrimac stick- ing out of the water. We hugged the shore, just outside of the breakers, for a mile, and then turned toward the Texas, when the batteries saw us and opened fire. It was then broad day- light. I drove the launch for all she was worth, finally mak- ing the New York. " And there he made the above report. SPANISH CHIVALRY. In th^e afternoon of that eventful day occurred another incident which gave evidence that the spirit of chivalry still lives. Out of the mouth of Santiago harbor was to be seen coming towards the American fleet a steam launch bearing a flag of truce. It proved to have on board Captain Bustamente y Ovideo, Cervera's chief of staff. Through him the Spanish admiral told the American commander that kll the Merri- mac's crew were safe, commended their splendid bravery and added: "Your boys will be all right in our hands. Daring like theirs makes a bitterest enemy proud that his fellow men can be such heroes. Afterward they were taken to the city of Santiago and then to the Morro, where they are prisoners, but are friends. Everything is being done to make their stay with us comfortable. If you want to send anything to them we will cheerfully take it." The crews of the warships cheered wildly at the good news and Admiral Sampson thanked Cervera through Captain Ovideo for his courtesy and generosity, and sent an abundant supply of money and clothing to the hero prisoners. PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 751 The noble effort of Hobson and his associates did not completly block the channel to Santiago harbor. Not that the gallant crew of the Merrimac failed to take her to the exact point where they intended to sink her, and place her across the channel, but only three of the torpedoes arranged along her side exploded and as she slowly sank the tide drifted her lengthwise of the channel and the gap was not closed. Hobson's story of the adventure is of deep interest and is here given: I did not miss the entrance to the harbor, as Ensign Powell in the launch supposed. I headed east until I got my bearings and then made for it, straight in. Then came the firing. It was grand, flashing out first from one side of the harbor and then from the other from those big guns on the hills, the Vizcaya lying inside the harbor, joining in. Troops from Santiago had rushed down when the news of the Merrimac's coming was telegraphed, and soldiers lined the foot of the cliffs, firing wildly across and killing each other with their cross fire. The Merrimac's steering gear broke as she got to Estrella Point. Only three of the tor- pedoes on her side exploded when I touched the button. A huge submarine mine caught her full amidships, hurling water high in the air and tearing a great rent in the Merrimac's side. Her stern ran up on Estrella Point. Chiefly owing to the work done by the mine, she began to sink slowly. At that time she was across the channel, but before she settled the tide drifted her around. We were all aft lying on the deck. Shells and bullets whistled around us. The six-inch shells from the Vizcaya came tearing into the Merrimac, crashing into wood and iron and passing clear through, while the plunging shots from the forts broke through her decks. Not a man must move, I said, and it was owing to the splendid discipline of the men that all of us were not killed as the shells sailed over us and minutes became hours of sus- pense. The men's mouths grew parched, but we must lie there till daylight I told them. Now and again one or the other of the men lying with his face glued to the deck and wondering whether the next shell would come our way, would say: Hadn't we better drop off now, sir? But I said wait till daylight. It would have been impossible to get the catamaran anywhere but to the shore, where the soldiers stood shooting. 752 IMPROVEMENT ERA. and I hoped that by daylight we might be recognized and saved. The grand old Merrimac kept sinking. I wanted to go forward and see the damage done there where nearly all the fire was directed, but one man said that if I rose it would draw the fire on the rest. So I lay motionless. It was splendid the way those men behaved. The fire of the soldiers, the batteries and the Vizcaya was awful. When the water came up on the Merrimac's decks the catamaran floated amid the wreckage, but was still made fast to the boom, and we caught hold of the edge and clung on, our heads being above water. One man thought we were safer right there. It was quite light, the firing had ceased, except that on the New York launch, and I feared Ensign Powel and his men had been killed. A Spanish launch came toward the Merrimac. Weagreed to capture her and run. Just as she came close the Span- iards saw us, and half a dozen marines jumped up and pointed their rifles at our heads. Is there any officer in that boat to receive a surrender of prisoners of war? I shouted. An old man leaned over under the awning and waved his hand. It was Admiral Cervera. The marines lowered their rifles and we were helped into the launch. The Merrimac did not block the entrance to Santiago harbor; it was not an effectual "cork in the bottle," to use the vernacular of the press; so that so far as accomplishing the purpose of the enterprise is concerned it was a failure. But that does not destroy nor even detract from the heroism of the undertaking. It did not fail for lack of courage, cool- ness in the midst of shrieking shot, bursting shells, and ex- ploding mines. All the boldness of the young lieutenant's conception remains; all the cool daring with which the plan was executed is a matter of history; the self-sacrifice of Hobson and his crew tendered in their country's service is a reality, and the glory of it is undiminished by the mere fact that the harbor channel was not blocked. The exploit reveals the fact to the nation and to the world that the noble spirit of hero- ism is not dead among us; it shows that the spirit that held the pass of old Thermopylae against overwhelming odds; that the spirit that strengthened the arms of Horatius at old Tiber's bridge survives in modern times undimmed in glory. High in the column of fame will be engraved the names of Lieutenant Hobson and his gallant crew; and the memory PROGRESS OF THE WAR. 753 of their heroism will be an inspiration for succeeding genera- tions of men. THE ROLL OF HEROES. Following are the names, ages, and place of residence of the heroes: MONTAGUE is chief master-at-arms of the Netu York. He has served four years in the navy, is 59 years of age, and his home is in Brook- lyn. GEORGE CHARETTE is a gunner's mate of the first class on board the Netv York. He has served fourteen years in the navy, is 31 years of age, and resides at Lowell, Mass. J. C. MURPHY is a coxswain of the 7orfa. OSCAR DIEGNAN is a coxswain of the Merrimac, and is about 24 years of age. JOHN P. PHILLIPS is a machinist of the first class, belonging to the Merrimac. He is 36 years of age, and his home is in Boston. JOHN KELLEY is a water-tender, about 25 years of age. His home is near Glasgow, Scotland. H. CLAUSEN, who slipped on board the Merrimac without permis- sion in order to take part in the expedition, is a coxswain of the Nezu York. LIEUT. RICHMOND PEARSON HOBSON, assistant naval con- structor, was born at Greensboro, Alabama, August 17, 1870; was ap- pointed, after a competitive examination, to the naval academy in May, 1885. He was the youngest member of his class, but graduated at the head of his eighteen companions. He has studied engineering under the auspices of the United States government in France, and was made assist- ant naval constructor in 1891. He is the author of a semi-political work entitled, "The Situation and Outlook in Europe," and was assigned to the flagship AVzf York when Rear-Admiral Sampson sailed for the West Indies. Lieut. Hobson is a nephew of John A. Morehead of North Carolina and is a grandson of Chief Justice Pearson of that state. He is unmarried, and his father. Judge James M. Hobson, lives at Greensboro, Alabama. 55