I.—The Battle of Manila.
On the morning of May 1, 1898, in the harbor of Manila, one of the most remarkable naval victories in the history of the world was won by the United States. The Spanish fleet, though superior in both men and guns, was entirely destroyed, and hundreds of officers and men were made prisoners. All this was accomplished by an American squadron under Commodore George Dewey, without the loss of a ship or a man. The way in which it all came about was as follows:
When war was declared between the United States and Spain, Commodore George Dewey was at Hong Kong, China, with that part of our navy which was known as the Asiatic squadron. He was at once ordered to sail to the Philippines, and capture or destroy the Spanish fleet there. These Philippine Islands are about six hundred miles southeast of Hong Kong. Their capital and largest city is Manila, on the island of Luzon.
As Commodore Dewey sailed out of the bay at Hong Kong, he signaled to his fleet: "Keep cool and obey orders."
MAP OF MANILA BAY.
At a little before midnight, on the 30th of April, the American vessels in single file, led by the flagship Olympia, steamed between the forts which guarded the entrance to the bay of Manila.
In order not to be seen from these forts, all the lights on the vessels were hidden. Silently and steadily the vessels moved on, unseen by the Spaniards.
All of the fleet except the Boston and McCulloch had passed in safety, when the soot in the smokestack of the McCulloch caught fire. Instantly the guns of one of the Spanish batteries were turned upon the fleet. The Boston and McCulloch returned the fire, but kept on their way and were soon out of range, having received no injury.
ADMIRAL MONTOJO.
When day broke, Commodore Dewey found the entire Spanish fleet drawn up under the protection of the batteries of the Cavité naval station about nine miles from the city of Manila. It was commanded by Admiral Patricio Montojo, one of the ablest officers in the Spanish service.
At about five o'clock, with the flagship leading, the Americans bore down upon the Spanish. Suddenly there was a muffled roar, and a submarine mine exploded. But, in the excitement, the Spaniards had fired it too soon, and no damage was done.
This was soon followed by the explosion of another mine, but again the Spaniards had been in too great haste, and the Olympia escaped uninjured.
Although Commodore Dewey did not know but that many other torpedoes might be in his path, he never hesitated. He had been in the battle of Mobile Bay with Farragut, when that brave commander had sailed boldly over a line of torpedoes.
Soon the guns of the batteries and Spanish fleet began to pour a storm of shot and shell at the American squadron. But, as yet, Commodore Dewey had not fired a gun.
The American sailors were wild with excitement. They had been by the guns all night, and were eager to begin the fray. Finally Commodore Dewey said quietly to the captain of the Olympia: "You may fire when ready, Gridley."
The flagship was now within range, and suddenly one of the great guns sent an answering shot. As its echoes went rolling across the waters, every man in the American fleet joined in the shout, "Remember the Maine!" These words were the battle cry at Manila Bay.
Slowly the American vessels steamed by the Spanish squadron in single file, pouring in deadly broadsides as they passed. Then turning, they retraced their course, drawing a little nearer to the shore. This maneuver was repeated five times. The marksmanship of the Americans was wonderful, and at the end of two hours nearly every ship in the Spanish fleet had either been sunk or was on fire.
At seven o'clock Commodore Dewey decided to withdraw out of range of the batteries, to give his men a rest and breakfast, and find what damage had been done to his own fleet. Imagine his surprise and joy at finding that not a single man had been killed, and that his vessels were scarcely injured.
At eleven o'clock the Americans returned to the attack, soon silenced the forts, and burned or captured all that remained of the Spanish fleet.
As soon as the battle was over, Commodore Dewey and his men set to work to care for the wounded Spanish sailors. They treated them like brothers, doing everything possible for their comfort.
After taking possession of the arsenal at Cavité, Commodore Dewey blockaded the port of Manila, and awaited further orders from the department of war. He knew that if the city of Manila could be captured, it would result in the loss, by the Spaniards, of the entire Philippine group.
These islands form one of the largest groups in the world, and are so rich and beautiful that they are called the "Pearls of the Ocean." They were the most important of the colonial possessions of Spain.
When the news of the victory reached the United States, there was great rejoicing all over the land, and Commodore Dewey was the hero of the hour. Congress at once gave him a vote of thanks, and promoted him to the rank of rear admiral. It also presented him with a beautiful sword, and gave a medal to each one of his men.