1898] The naval war. Dewey captures Manila. 679 danger of perishing, and to supply the " Cuban people " with arms and ammunition. Measures also were adopted for the increase of the revenues of the United States ; and an issue of 3 per cent, bonds was authorised to an amount not to exceed $500,000,000. When hostilities began, the naval forces of Spain were divided into three parts : one, under Admiral Camara, remained at home ; another, under Admiral Cervera, had its rendezvous at the Cape de Verde Islands ; while the third, under Admiral Montojo, lay in Philippine waters. The American naval forces were similarly divided; but, of the three squadrons, two lay in home ports : one at Key West, under Captain Sampson, who was assigned to the command of the North Atlantic station with the rank of rear-admiral ; the other, called the flying squadron, at Hampton Roads, under Commodore Schley. The third, under Commodore Dewey, was at Hong Kong. The United States also organised a numerous force, popularly called the " Mosquito fleet," composed of steamships, yachts, and tugs, which were purchased or chartered for service as auxiliary cruisers, torpedo boats, and dispatch boats. On April 24 Commodore Dewey was ordered to proceed to the Philippines, and to capture or destroy the Spanish fleet there. Finding the enemy in Manila Bay, he began his attack early in the morning of May 1. By noon the Spanish ships, though supported by land batteries, were all burnt or sunk, except some small tugs and launches which were captured. The Spanish admiral, Montojo, reported that the Americans "fired most rapidly," covering his ships with "a rain of rapid-fire projectiles " ; on the other hand, he complained of the inefficiency of his own vessels, some of which he ordered to be sunk during the battle in order to prevent their destruction by fire. The Spanish loss was 381 killed and wounded, including casualties at Cavite arsenal. Though several of the American vessels were struck and even penetrated, the damage done to them was trifling. Seven men in the squadron were slightly wounded ; none was killed. Commodore Dewey took possession of Cavite arsenal, and established a blockade of Manila ; while Filipino forces, under Aguinaldo, invested Manila on the north and east. There- upon an expeditionary force, consisting of 641 officers and 15,058 enlisted men, under the command of Major-General Merritt, was fitted out by the United States; and on August 13 the city of Manila, for whose surrender a joint demand had been made by General Merritt and Admiral Dewey, capitulated with 13,000 men, before the combined attack of the American military and naval forces. Toward the end of June the Spanish home squadron under Admiral Camara had started for the Philippines ; but, after passing through the Suez Canal, it was recalled. In the Atlantic the operations of the war were more complex. Expeditions were planned for the invasion of Cuba and Porto Rico ; and naval demonstrations were made at exposed points in those islands. Blockades were maintained on the southern as well as the northern CH. XXI.
