November 15, 1861.
sir: I have written to you, relative to the movements of this ship, from Cienfuegos, on the south coast of Cuba.
There I learned that Messrs. Slidell and Mason had landed on Cuby relative to the reasons which induced my action in making them prisoners.
When I heard at Cienfuegos, on the south side of Cuba, of these commissioners having landed on the Island of Cuba, and thds, and visited Port Royal and Kingston, in the Island of Jamaica, the Grand Cayman, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Key West, Lobos, Sagua la Grande and the Bahamas.
Although for twenty months engaged in an a been for the last six weeks continuously cruising in search of the Sumter.
On our arrival at Cienfuegos, we learned by the papers, that the Theodora had run the blockade at Charleston, and arrived aer return to Charleston. He took, therefore, sufficient coal to go on a short cruise, and left Cienfuegos on the 26th of October, arrived at Havana on the 28th, and learned that the Theodora had depar
Bates, John Coalter, 1842-
Military officer; born in St. Charles county, Mo., Aug. 26, 1842; educated at Washington University (St. Louis). He entered the army in 1861, and served on the staff of Gen. George G. Meade from the battle of Gettysburg to the close of the war. In 1863-62 he held the rank of captain; in 1882-86 that of lieutenant-colonel: in 1886-92 that of colonel.
He was president of the board which devised the present drill and firing regulations, and a member of the board which adopted the Krag-Jorgensen rifle.
At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War he was commissioned a brigadier-general of volunteers, and for the Santiago campaign was promoted major-general.
In 1899 he was appointed military governor of Cienfuegos, Cuba.
On the reorganization of the regular army in February, 1901.
he was appointed one of the new brigadier-generals.
ly life lost on the Union side on that occasion.
Captain Ward was the first naval officer killed during the war. His body was conveyed to the navy-yard at Brooklyn, where, on the North Carolina, it lay in state, and was then taken to Hartford, where imposing funeral ceremonies were performed in the Roman Catholic cathedral.
In September, 1861, General McClellan was ordered to co-operate with the naval force on the Potomac River in removing the blockade, but he failed to do so; and it was kept up until the Confederates voluntarily abandoned their position in front of Washington in 1862.
See Charleston, S. C.; Mobile, Ala.; Savannah, Ga.; Wilmington, N. C.
On April 22, 1898, President McKinley proclaimed a blockade of all ports on the north coast of Cuba, between Cardenas and Bahia Honda (Havana being about midway between the two), and of the port of Cienfuegos, on the south coast, and kept a strong naval force there to enforce it. See Berlin decree, the; Cuba; orders in council.
accompanies an existent state of war between sovereign powers.
The position of Spain being thus made known, and the demands of the United States being denied, with a complete rupture of intercourse by the act of Spain, I have been constrained in exercise of the power and authority conferred upon me by the joint resolution aforesaid, to proclaim under date of April 22, 1898, a blockade of certain ports of the north coast of Cuba lying between Cardenas and Bahia Honda, and of the port of Cienfuegos, on the south coast of Cuba, and, further, in exercise of my constitutional powers, and using the authority conferred upon me by the act of Congress, approved April 22, 1898, to issue my proclamation, dated April 23, 1898, calling for volunteers in order to carry into effect the said resolutions of April 20, 1898.
Copies of these proclamations are hereto appended.
In view of the measures so taken, and with a view to the adoption of such other measures as may be necessary to enable me t
Squadron, should have proceeded with utmost despatch off Cienfuegos and should have maintained a close blockade of that port.
He should have endeavored on May 23, at Cienfuegos, to obtain information regarding the Spanish squadron by communicat.15 A. M. of that date.
He should have proceeded from Cienfuegos to Santiago de Cuba with all despatch, and should have d opinion of the undersigned the passage from Key West to Cienfuegos was made by the Flying Squadron with all possible despatore Schley having In view the importance of arriving off Cienfuegos with as much coal as possible in the ships' bunkers.
The blockade of Cienfuegos was effective.
Commodore Schley, in permitting the steamer Adula to enter the port of CienfuegCienfuegos, expected to obtain information concerning the Spanish squadron from her when she came out.
The passage from CienfuegCienfuegos to a point about 22 miles south of Santiago was made with as much despatch as was possible while keeping the squadron a
5. Commodore Dewey's fleet sailed from Hong-Kong for the Philippines.
April 26.
Congress passed an act for the increase of the regular army.
April 27.
Batteries at Matanzas were bombarded.
April 30. Admiral Cervera's fleet left the Cape de Verde Islands for the West Indies.
May 1. Commodore Dewey destroyed the Spanish fleet at Manila.
American loss, six men slightly wounded.
May 5-7.
Riots in Spain.
May 11. Commodore Dewey was made a rear-admiral.
May 11.
Attack on Cienfuegos and Cardenas.
Ensign Bagley and four men on the torpedo-boat Winslow were killed.
May 11. Admiral Cervera's fleet appeared off Martinique.
May 12. Admiral Sampson bombarded San Juan de Porto Rico.
May 13.
The flying squadron left Hampton roads for eastern Cuba, via Key West.
May 18.
A new Spanish ministry under Señor Sagasta came into office.
May 19. Admiral Cervera's fleet arrived in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba.
May 22.
The cruiser Charleston sailed from San Franc
took them both in tow, and steamed away for Cienfuegos—it being my intention to test the dispositiocts of yellow fever, which they had taken in Cienfuegos, and from which they were just convalescing. edge; the beautiful little stream, on which Cienfuegos lies, disembogued itself at the foot of the nd inform me, on the part of the Governor of Cienfuegos, with whom he had communicated, that I mightard under his command—or to sack the town of Cienfuegos, after the fashion of the Drakes, and other , that there was plenty of coal to be had in Cienfuegos, and I dispatched Lieutenant Chapman to townlain the object I had in view in coming into Cienfuegos, and the hopes I entertained of the conduct to inform you, of my arrival at the port of Cienfuegos, with seven prizes of war. These vessels aretation, for Lieutenant Chapman returned from Cienfuegos, the next morning, and brought me intelligen her six prizes, at the quiet little town of Cienfuegos. Lieutenant Chapman was met by a host of sym[1 more...]<
troy them.
It was with this hope, that I had entered the port of Cienfuegos, as the reader has seen; and it was in furtherance of this objectgentleman of integrity and capacity.
C. S. Steamer Sumter, Cienfuegos, July 6, 1861.
Sir:—You are hereby appointed Prize Agent, forr sea, with some dispatch, as there was a line of telegraph, from Cienfuegos to Havana, where there were always a number of the enemy's ships of war stationed.
As a matter of course, the U. S. Consul at Cienfuegos had telegraphed to his brother Consul, in Havana, the arrival of the n command of the Cuba.
Confederate States steamer Sumter, Cienfuegos, July 7, 1861.
Sir:—Upon your arrival at this place, you will pilot, who agreed with me that the prizes which I captured, off Cienfuegos, were five miles from the land, and with the Northern claimants, st.
It was now the thirteenth of July, and as we had sailed from Cienfuegos, on the seventh, we had consumed six out of our eight days supply
he Southern ports, already stated in my letter to the Governor of Cienfuegos.] * * * Thus, your Excellency sees, that under the rule of exclus of Maine, also.
They were laden with sugars.
I sent them to Cienfuegos, Cuba.
On the 5th of July, I captured the brigs Ben. Dunning, and Assachusetts.
They were laden, also, with sugars.
I sent them to Cienfuegos.
On the next day, the 6th, I captured the barks West Wind, and LNew York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
I sent them, also, to Cienfuegos.
On the same day, I ran into that port, myself, reported my ca the south side of the island of Cuba, say St. Jago, Trinidad, or Cienfuegos.
I think it would be safest for you to go into Cienfuegos, as thCienfuegos, as the enemy, from the very fact of our having been there, recently, will scarcely be on the look for us a second time.
The steamers which were prates.
Should he grant you this request, you will, if you go into Cienfuegos, put the vessel in charge of Don Mariano Dias, our agent for the
at Curacoa, and has turned back herself.
If she were on the right track she should be here before this.
There was great commotion, too, as we learn by these papers, at Key West, on the 8th of July, when the news reached there of our being at Cienfuegos.
Consul Shufeldt, at Havana, had been prompt, as I had foreseen.
We entered Cienfuegos on the 6th, and on the 8th, he had two heavy and fast steamers, the Niagara and the Crusader, in pursuit of us. They, too, seem to have lost the trail.
Cienfuegos on the 6th, and on the 8th, he had two heavy and fast steamers, the Niagara and the Crusader, in pursuit of us. They, too, seem to have lost the trail.
August 28th.—Bright, elastic morning, with a gentle breeze from the south-east.
There was a grand fandango, on shore, last night, at which some of my officers were present.
The fun grew fast and furious, as the night waned, and what with the popping of champagne-corks, and the flashing of the bright eyes of the waltzers, as they were whirled in the giddy dance, my young fellows have come off looking a little red about the eyes, and inclined to be poetical.
Rumors have been rife, for some d
