“3. The positions of the vessels of my command off Santiago at that moment were as follows: The flag-ship _New York_ was four miles east of her blockading station and about seven miles from the harbour entrance. She had started for Siboney, where I had intended to land, accompanied by several of my staff, and go to the front to consult with General Shafter. A discussion of the situation, and a more definite understanding between us of the operations proposed, had been rendered necessary by the unexpectedly strong resistance of the Spanish garrison at Santiago. “I had sent my chief of staff on shore the day before to arrange an interview with General Shafter, who had been suffering from heat prostration. I made arrangements to go to his headquarters, and my flag-ship was in the position mentioned above when the Spanish squadron appeared in the channel. “The remaining vessels were in or near their usual blockading positions, distributed in a semicircle about the harbour entrance, counting from the eastward to the westward in the following order: The _Indiana_, about a mile and a half from shore, the _Oregon_,—the _New York’s_ place between these two,—the _Iowa_, _Texas_, and _Brooklyn_, the latter two miles from the shore west of Santiago. “The distance of the vessels from the harbour entrance was two and a half to four miles,—the latter being the limit of day blockading distance. The length of the arc formed by the ships was about eight miles. “The _Massachusetts_ had left at four A. M. for Guantanamo for coal. Her station was between the _Iowa_ and _Texas_. The auxiliaries, _Gloucester_ and _Vixen_, lay close to the land and nearer the harbour entrance than the large vessels, the _Gloucester_ to the eastward and the _Vixen_ to the westward. “The torpedo-boat _Ericsson_ was in company with the flag-ship, and remained with her during the chase until ordered to discontinue, when she rendered very efficient service in rescuing prisoners from the burning _Vizcaya_. I enclose a diagram showing approximately the positions of the vessels as described above. “4. The Spanish vessels came rapidly out of the harbour, at a speed estimated at from eight to ten knots, and in the following order: _Infanta Maria Teresa_ (flag-ship), _Vizcaya_, _Cristobal Colon_, and the _Almirante Oquendo_. “The distance between these ships was about eight hundred yards, which means that, from the time the first one became visible in the upper reach of the channel until the last one was out of the harbour, an interval of only about twelve minutes elapsed. “Following the _Oquendo_, at a distance of about twelve hundred yards, came the torpedo-boat destroyer _Pluton_, and after her came the _Furor_. The armoured cruisers, as rapidly as they could bring their guns to bear, opened a vigorous fire upon the blockading vessels, and emerged from the channel shrouded in the smoke from their guns.