THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 374 were the food of sick and wounded men. For there were now sick in hundreds. Exposure, want of food and shelter, were telling on the men ; and it was whispered that some of the fever wasnot merely malarial, that the dreaded yellow fever had laid its hold on the army.

And no wonder, for in spite of strict orders that the men were not to enter Cuban houses, the soldiershad been allowed to sleep innative huts at Siboney that were at least suspected of being already infected. When at last the wounded and sick were embarked in order to clear the base hospitals, they were crowded on board of ill-fitted transports and sent to sea without proper attendants or supplies. This fatal mismanagement cost the United States a greater loss of life than the Spanish bullets.

in action near the San Juanhill,their fire being directed against the south-west angle of the town. The fleet was bombarding the sea forts, and several shells fell in the harbour. Shells werealso bursting in the streets of the city,but these appear to have been the lighter projectiles fired from theAmerican lines.

It was expected that at any moment the besiegers might advance to theattack andstorm the Spanish defences, and a kindof panic seized on the population when the rumour spread through the city that if the Americansoccupied it, Admiral Cervera would proceed to lay it in ruins with the guns of his fleet. Cervera had written to that effect to the Frenchconsul, who immediately sent wordto all French subjects to prepare to leave the city. At one o'clock, to the number of some hundreds, they went out to Cuavitas,wheretheStarsandStripes wereflying. The procession of refugees,some on foot, some in carts andcarriages, washeaded by the consul, and a flag of truce and a tricolour werecarried in front. " The panic was something terrific,'' writes ConsulRamsden, "andIwas besieged bypeople who wanted to know what to do, and they wouldnot leave me a moment in which to send a telegram or anything. Isaw the Civil Governor, and told him about the Admiral's reply. He went to see Toral, who was at the front, and also the Admiral. The latter said thatifthey took the town, and the inhabitants and the army abandonedit,he certainly should fire at the Americans, but this wasvery different fromhis despatch to the French consul. Rice andbeans, the onlythings forbreakfast, as it was difficult to cook, with the bullets and rush and panic, and we did not get much to eat either."

About eight there was a lull in the firing at the trenches,butit began againat midday and went onin a desultory fashion till sundown. All the morning, at Shafter's request, with a view to making a diversion, the fleet was bombarding Morro and Socapa. It did very little damage.

The batteries fired a shot in reply from time to time,but never succeeded in hitting Sampson's ships.

Shafter's disappointing despatch at least held out the hope of a speedy capture of Santiago. The condition of affairs in the army was not realised in the United States, and men took a cheerful view of the situation for yet another twenty-sour hours. But the news of the next da) 's events was anything but reassuring. Santiago ought to have been captured on the 2iad, but the despatches from the front pointed to a situation in which the Americans were making no further progress and were barely- holding on to the ground they had so dearly won on July ist.

In the night between the ist and 2nd the .Spaniards had abandoned Cobre and the outlyingblockhouses on the hills behind it and to the north of Santiago and west of the bay, drawingin these small detachments to reinforce the garrison of the city and setting fire to the abandonedblockhouses. During the same night theAmericans hadnot only begun to entrench themselves, but had pushed a small force to Cuavitas, so as to threaten the northern approaches of the town. The Spanish reinforcements from Manzanillo were believed to benear at hand,but Garcia had promised to intercept them with his Cubans. On the San Juan side two more batteries,each of four light guns,had been brought up to reinforce the artillery of the attack. The fighting of July 2nd, such as it was, has been calledthe battle of Santiago. There really was only a desultory cannonade and fusillade. The Americans were too utterly exhausted to attempt an assault. They were busyentrenching themselves,collecting their wounded,burying the dead, and getting up supplies to the front. After nightfall, about ten o'clock, the Spaniards made a sortie. It was apparently At dawn the Spaniards in the trenches and blockhouses that formed a complete line round the city opened fire with rifles and cannon on the rising American entrenchments. The Americans replied, and this exchange of fire went on till eight o'clock, when there was a lull for awhile. So far, neither party attempted an advance. Three of the American batteries were