The war between Spain and the United States virtually closed on 12th August, when the Protocol, preliminary to the final peace negotiations, was signed. The events of the 114 days of hostilities, put into summary form, would be as follows April 21st.—Beginning of hostilities.
1 22nd.—The North Atlantic squadron, under Admiral Sampson, left for Cuban waters. The first shot of the war was fired by the gunboat Nashville across the bows of the Spanish steamer Buena Ventura, which was the first prize of the war.
April 23rd.—Official proclamation by President McKinley that a blockade of a large part of the Cuban coast was in fore: Call issued by the President for 125,000 volunteers for the army.
April 25th.—Congress passed the bill declaring war to have existed since 21st April, that date being fixed upon in order to make legal the capture of the Spanish ship three days before.
May 1st.—Battle of Manila Harbour. Admiral (then Commodore) Dewey with six ships, sunk or destroyed sixteen Spanish ships and reduced the land defences at Cavite, without: the loss of " man or injury to any of his ships. More than 300 Spaniards were killed.
May 19th.—The Spanish fleet of four armoured cruisers and two torpedo-boat destroyers entered the harbour of Santiago de Cuba.
May 21st.—American ships blockaded entrance to the harbour of Santiayo de Cuba, to prevent the escape of the Spasish fleet.
May 25th.—The President oilled for 70,000 additional volunteers for the army.
June 3rd.—Lieutenant Hobson sank the Merrimacin the mouth of Santiago harbour, under the guns of the Spanish forts and ships in order to prevent the egress of the Spanish fleet.
June 13th.—Major-General Shafter's expedition, comprising 18,000 men, left Key West for Santingo.
June 22nd.—Shafter's army Iandel at Baiquiri, near Santiago.
July Ist,—General assault on Santisgo and enemy's outer defences taken, July 2nd.—Fighting before Santiago continued.
July 3cd.—Naval battle off Santiago. Admiral Cervera made a dash out of the harbour with all his ships to cut his way through the American line aad escape. In four hours his four armoured cruisers and two torpedo-boat destroyers were complete-by destroyed, several hundred sailors killed by the American fire or drowned in th sinking of the ships and 1,800 taken prisoners. One American was killed.
July 12th.—General Toral, commanding the Spanish forces at Santiago, surrendered to Shafter all the troops in Santiago province, numbering approximately 22,000, on condition that they should be sent back to Spai uly Qst.—General Miles, Comma ing General of the United States army, small expedition, sailed from the vicinity of Santiago for the Spanish island of Porto Rice, 600 miles east.
July 26th.—Miles' forces, reinforced by troops from the United States, landed on the Southern coast of Porto Rice.
July 27th,—Spain, through M. Cambon, French Ambassador at Washington, asked what will be the American terms of peace. Ponce, the chief city of Porto Rice, surrenders to the Americans.
July 30th.—The American reply to Spain's proposal for peace given.
August 12th.—The Protocol between Spain and America signed.
August 13th.—The city of Manila captured by the American land and naval forces. The news of the signing of the Protocol had not then reached the Philippines. 8 Spanish losses in the war:—About 8,000 killed, 26,000 prisoners; 20 ships; territory: Cubs, Porto Rice, Guam (Ladrone Islands), and at least Manila in the Philippines.
American losses 264 killed, 1.407 wounded; one ship, the Merrimac, sunk purposely.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.