THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 410 it more prudent to land his army at some distance from the point where Machias had concentrated his main force, so as to give the volunteer troopsthe experienceof easy victories over the Spanish detachments in the south of the island before they had to encounter a comparatively largeforce defendingfortified positions. It was considered also that a march of eighty miles across the island would be an excellent means of securing formal possession of the new territory.

a Colt machine gun ashore, under Lieutenant Huse. Thelieutenant hauled down the Spanish flag and ran up the Stars and Stripes on the flagstaff at the landing-place. The Spaniards who were quartered outside the village attacked the landing party,but weredriven off by Huse's men, assistedby the quick-firers of the gunboat.

The skirmish only lasted a few minutes. No one was hit on the American side, and the Spaniards had one officer and three men wounded. No serious difficulty,no determinedopposition was expected until San Juanitself was reached, and there a formidable fleet would lend its co-operation. There had been some agitation against the Spanish Government inPuerto Rico during the month of May. An officer of the American staffwhohad paid a visit to the island during that month in disguise had reported that there was a party which would welcome an invasion. It was believed that the 12,000 Spanish volunteers would not be very eager to fight. It was as likely that many of them would declare for the Americans. General Machias could only count securely on his 7,000 regulars.

During the day Garretson's brigade was landed, the transports lying in deep water a few hundred yards from the shore. It was decided to march upon Yauco, less than ten miles from PortGuanica, the terminusof a railway running to Ponce, the chief town in the south of the island. The fleet was to appear before Ponce, and General Wilson's brigade, covered by the guns of the warships, was to be landed there.

On Tuesday, the 26th, Garretson's brigade advanced on Yauco, the bth Massachusetts Volunteersleading the way. The smallSpanish garrison abandoned the place after a brief engagement with the Massachusetts men. They were so outnumberedthat to hold on to Yauco would have meant being surrounded and captured. The Americanshad two officers and two men wounded, the Spaniards three killed and thirteen wounded.

On Sunday, July 24th, two of Miles's transportslanded a smallparty to the east ofGuanica, and they were joined by 500 insurgents under Matteo, a local leader who had got the band togetherin the neighbourhood ofYauco. Early next day the fleet was off Port Guanica. The placeis alare village,the centre ofa prosperous coffee and sugar planting district. It had absolutely no means of defence, and was occupied only by a handful of Spanish cavalry and about thirty infantry soldiers. The arrival of the American expeditionin this part of the island was a complete surprise for the Spaniards. Miles hadkept his plans to himself. At Guantanamo he had spoken of Fajardoas the destination of his troops, and Wilson's brigade had actually sailedfrom Charleston under orders for Fajardo. When he got out to sea,GeneralMiles informedhis colleagues of the real destination of the force and sent one of the cruisers off to intercept Wilson's transports and tell them to change their course for the south coast of Puerto Rico.

Next day (Wednesday, the 2;:h) Commodore Davis stood in to Port Ponce with the cruisers Dixie,Annapolis, Wasp and Leyden. The transports conveying General Wilson's brigade lay out in the offing. Port Ponce is the harbour of Ponce city, a large and prosperous place with a population of 50,000. It is the second city of the island, situated a few miles inland. There was a small Spanish garrison under the commandofColonelSan Martin. CommodoreDavis sent an officer ashore, under a flag of truce, summoning the Spanish commandant to surrender, and threatening to bombard the port if the summons wasnot instantly obeyed. The foreign consuls strongly urged Colonel San Martin to spare the place the horrors of a bombardment by offering no resistance, representing that, in the presence of such a force as the Americans had brought into the bay. 3 defence could only result in useless loss of life and property. They further pointed out that, according to news received from Europe, the first step towardspeacenegotiations hadactually been taken by the Spanish Government, so that On the Sunday morning, while the fleet lay off Guanica, the little gunboat Gloucester ran into the port, verified the soundings, made sure that the big steamers could come in, and, before the Spaniards had recovered from their surprise, sent a landing party of thirty men with