"'Starve nothin'—we'll eat them gun-teams.'"
The soldiers refilled their cartridge belts, then crouched all day in trenches, watching for an assault, and firing just often enough to keep the enemy from advancing upon them. While doing so they could hear the thunder of the navy's guns far away in the southwest, where it was engaging a battery. At the same time, down in the harbor of Santiago, Cervera was getting ready to make his rush out of the harbor the next day.
The Spaniards made a dash at our men about half-past nine that night, and drove them back for a few minutes from several points on their line, but they soon returned and drove the Spaniards back with heavy loss.
The next day, July 3d, was Sunday, and on the great ships of the American squadron, floating heavily in a half-circle about the mouth of Santiago harbor, the men were swarming on deck in fresh clean white clothes, ready for muster. About nine o'clock the flagship New York showed the signal: "Disregard flagship's movements," and steamed away toward the east. Admiral Sampson had gone in it for a conference with General Shafter, whose troops were then resting after their dreadful fight on San Juan hill and El Caney.
Of our ships on watch outside of the harbor, the Brooklyn was to the southwest, the Texas directly south, while the three big battleships, Indiana, Iowa, and Oregon, made a curve inshore east of the Morro. The little picket boat Vixen was there also, and the Gloucester farthest east and nearest inshore. The New York, now absent, was the one ship supposed to be able to compete with the Spaniards in speed, and her departure left a broad gap in the blockading line.
The lookouts on the fleet had reported fires burning on the hills all the night before, and Commodore Schley, who was in command in Admiral Sampson's absence, signalled to the Texas the query: "What is your theory about the burning of the block-houses on the hill last night?"
He sat on the deck waiting for an answer, and at the same time watching a cloud of smoke rising from the interior of the harbor behind the hills. It did not necessarily mean anything serious, for about that time in the morning a tug was apt to make a visit to the Estrella battery. Still, they watched it, and presently the quartermaster on the forward bridge said quietly to the navigating officer, "That smoke's moving, sir." That officer took a peep himself, and what he saw nearly made him drop the glass. "Afterbridge there," he called loudly through a megaphone; "tell the commodore the enemy is coming out."
His words were heard all over the ship, and commodore, officers, sailors, powder-boys were all rushing for their station.
The cry rang out, "Clear ship for action," and gongs and bugles which call to general quarters clanged and pealed on the quiet air. There were echoes of the same sounds from the other ships, and the signals, "The enemy is escaping," ran to the masthead of the Brooklyn, the Texas, and the Iowa at the same moment; for that suspicious smoke had been watched from all the ships.