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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Captain William T. Sampson, Commander, North Atlantic Station, to Secretary of the Navy John D. Long

U.S.Flagship New York,1st Rate,

Key West,Florida, 

April 14th, 1898.

Sir:-

     1.   In anticipation of the establishment of a blockade,I have decided to begin with the following ports,viz:--Mariel, Havana, Matanzas and Cardenas.1

     2.   As soon as this shall be established I shall at once inform the Department.

     3.   I regard it as impossible on account of the limited coal capacity of many of our ships to begin the blockade of the southern ports until the colliers shall be on the ground ready to supply the blockading vessels with coal.

Very respectfully,                   

W.T. Sampson                

Captain,Comdr.-in-Chief,             

U.S.Naval Force on North Atlantic Station.

Source Note: CbCyS, DNA, RG 313, Entry 32, vol. 7, p. 7. Addressed below close: “The Secretary of the Navy,/Navy Department,/Washington,D.C.” Document reference: “No. 39.”

Footnote 1: Secretary Long requested that Sampson include Cienfuegos in this list if possible within his supply constraints. Report of the Bureau of Navigation, 1898, 175.

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