North Atlantic Fleet Squadron Bulletin No. 14
Squadron Bulletin.
U. S. Flagship New York. Off Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.
SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 1898.
THE whole of the Army is now ashore and rapidly moving up to the front, the advanced main body being at Sevilla, with a heavy picket line some distance beyond, and an advanced picket line beyond that, probably within three miles of Santiago.
From a report made by one of the wounded, a nephew of Surgeon Berryhill of the New York, a considerable part of the damage to our troops Friday last was done by seven millimetre machine-guns manned by seamen, so that there would seem to be some probability in the report of the use ashore of the crews of the squadron.1 It was understood that these guns were captured by our forces.
Wire fences are extensively placed. It has long been known that Santiago was completely surrounded by one, but it was not expected they would be met with so far afield. Our men, however, tore down and passed through the obstacle.
General Garcia’s troops, 2978 in number, were brought from Acerraderos and landed at Siboney by three of the transports.2 Their embarkation was much facilitated by the building by General Ludlow3 of a wharf at Acerraderos.
The landing of stores is rapidly progressing at both Daiquiri and Siboney. The anchorage at the latter place is very fair, and it may, possibly, be made available as a place to coal from our colliers. The St. Louis was anchored there for several days with, at times, seven transports.
Gustav Weineck, ordinary seaman, was drowned from the New York to-day in leaping from the Collier Alexander to the ship; the sea running between the two vessels swept him under at once and he did not rise.
Several shots were fired last night by the Vesuvius at the Morro which seemed to be effective.4
The Celtic, supply steamer, returned this morning from Guantanamo.
The Dolphin left for the Havana blockade.
The Helena and Yankton (Lieutenant-Commander Adams,)5 left yesterday for the Southern blockade.
The Hist (Lieutenant Lucien Young) arrived yesterday and went to Guantanamo for coal.
Source Note: Printed, DLC-MSS, Papers of William R. Shafter. This bulletin was produced on a printing press on New York (the flagship of RAdm. William T. Sampson’s North Atlantic Fleet) and was distributed to the vessels. It is listed as number 14 in Squadron Bulletins, 32-33.
Footnote 1: Passed Asst. Surgeon Thomas A. Berryhill.
Footnote 2: After the Spanish fleet docked at Santiago de Cuba, RAdm. Pascual Cervera y Topete decided to buttress the city’s defenses by dispatching his sailors to help man the lines. Cervera to Capt.-Gen. Ramón Blanco y Erenas, 25 June 1898, in Cervera, Squadron Operations, 111.
Footnote 3: Gen. Calixto Ramón García Iñiguez.
Footnote 4: Brig. Gen. William Ludlow.
Footnote 5: Vesuvius was armed with three “dynamite” guns that were invented by Capt. Edward Zalinski of the U.S. Army. DANFS.
Footnote 6: Lt. Cmdr. James D. Adams.
