ber of islands divide this bay in such a way as to form an inner and an outer harbor, but the outer bay affords a safe anchorage, while the water is deep (six fathoms or so) near shore, in places, and ships may even come almost to the beach.

On June 7th Admiral Sampson sent the Marblehead and Yankee to take possession of the outer bayan honor which the Yankee received because her crew had run in so close to the batteries and had shown so much persistence in the bombardment on the 6th. The story of this war, it may be said, in passing, shows that the officers who displayed the most aggressive appetite for fighting and adventure were the ones who saw most real service.

As the two war-ships approached the entrance of the harbor they received a warm fire from a battery on shore near the telegraph station, while a gun-boat came out to lend a hand. But when McCalla and Brownson turned their guns loose, the gun-boat fled to the inner harbor, and the men of the battery to tall timber on the far side of the hill. It was only a skirmish, but it gave us a harbor as useful as was Port Royal to the Federal forces in the Civil War.

Here the Marblehead remained until June 10th, when a landing was effected by a force of marines. At the outbreak of the war-on

April 22d-the first battalion of marines sailed from the Brooklyn navy-yard on the transport Panther, Captain G. C. Reiter, for Key West. The battalion was under Lieutenant-Colonel Robert W. Huntington. It included five infantry companies of 103 men and officers each, and an artillery company (four three-inch rifles) of 117 men and officers. These were landed at Key West and remained there until Cervera was found, when they were at once forwarded to Santiago for the purpose to which they were now devoted.

On the morning of June 10th the Panther took them to Guantanamo Bay. The Oregon, the Yankee, the Yosemite (Captain W. H. Emory, with the Michigan Naval Militia to man her), the Scorpion, Captain J. P. Merrell; the Dolphin, Captain W. H. Lyon, and the storeship Supply, Captain R. R. Ingersoll, were also of the expedition. The bay was reached soon after dinner. There was no opposition from the shore, and to the inspiring strains of "There'll be a Hot Time in the Old Town To-night" the men pulled ashore in the small boats of the squadron. The landing was just inside the eastern point of the harbor. ColorSergeant Richard Silvee, of Company C, raised the gridiron flag over the ruins of a blockhouse on the hill at 2.10 o'clock. The blockhouse had been eviscerated by the fire of the

Marblehead and Yankee on the 7th, but the flag-staff was still standing.

To prevent possible infection by yellow fever, an abandoned fishing - village on the

point, and all other houses in the vicinity, were burned, and then the camp was established on the top of the bare hill overlooking the bay where the remains of the Spanish block-house stood. The encampment was

named Camp McCalla, in honor of the encrgetic captain of the Marblehead. The naval forces afloat and ashore were enthusiastic over the landing.

To the honor of landing the first armed force on Cuban soil the marines added that of the first fight ashore with the Spaniards. The Spaniards had withdrawn from the beach through fear of the ships, but they merely retired to the brush beyond the coast-range hills and there awaited, in force, for what they deemed a favorable time for an attack.

During the 10th the marines were hard at work all day landing supplies and getting their camp in order, and they were tired enough to sleep soundly that night. Nevertheless, the Spaniards waited until the afternoon of the 11th. But when, at about 5.30 o'clock, they did get ready, the Spaniards were for once per sistent enough to keep our men heated up for almost a week.

The trouble began immediately after a grizzled old Cuban ally came into camp on the run to say that the Spaniards were upon us. Three Mauser bullets followed the Cuban into camp. At that time some of our men were still at work in the camp, while fifty or so were bathing in the bay at the foot of the hill. As the firing began the bathers ran, half-naked, up the

hill to join the command. Meantime, Colo

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