Rear Admiral George Dewey, Commander, Asiatic Squadron, to Secretary of the Navy John D. Long
United States Naval Force on Asiatic Station.
Flagship OLYMPIA
CAVITE, P.I. JULY 9, 1898. May 10, 1898.
Sir:-
1. Referring to Section 4635 of the Revised Statutes,1 I have the honor to forward the following list of complements of the vessels of the enemy destroyed by the squadron under my command in the battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, taken from the official list of the Spanish Navy.
Ship. |
Officers, etc. |
Total complement. |
57 |
352 |
|
52 |
349 |
|
28 |
179 |
|
31 |
159 |
|
31 |
156 |
|
31 |
156 |
|
18 |
96 |
|
20 |
115 |
|
21 |
87 |
|
28 |
147 |
|
|
|
1796 |
2. The Transatlantic Company’s steamer “Isla de Mindanao” was armed and took part in the battle and was also destroyed. Her complement is not known but is estimated at 120.
3. From the above it appears that the enemy had more men in this engagement than the U.S. Squadron. In this connection, I beg to invite the attention of the Department to a letter from the Commanding Officer of the Petrel, dated June 26, 1898, which has already been forwarded and which gives a statement by one of the crew of the Reina Christina showing that the crews of the Spanish vessels were largely in excess of the complements given here.
I have the honor to be,
Very respectfully,
Rear-Admiral, U.S. Navy,
Commanding U.S. Naval Force on Asiatic Station.
Source Note: CyS, DNA, AFNRC, M625, roll 363. Addressed below close: “The Secretary of the Navy,/Navy Department, Washington, D.C.,/(Bureau of Navigation).” Copy sent to the Bureau of Navigation. Document reference: “No.374-M.” Document on “United States Naval Force on Asiatic Station,” stationary. “May 10, 1898.” was handwritten in the source note. Document features handwritten edits from an unknown source.
Footnote 1: See: Cmdr. Edward Wood to Dewey, 26 Jun 1898.
