The captain-general’s family was made prisoners by the insurgents several days prior to the sending of this despatch, and all efforts to effect their release had thus far been in vain. From all parts of the world the Spanish people, during the last days of June, looked toward Santiago de Cuba, in whose harbour was imprisoned Cervera’s fleet, for there only could they hope to resist the American arms. CHAPTER X. SANTIAGO DE CUBA. The campaign of Santiago, during which the Spanish fleet under Admiral Cervera was entirely destroyed, and which ended with the capture of the city, can best be told as a continuous story. The record of other events will be found elsewhere in regular order. Even though a repetition, it should be set down that the North Atlantic fleet, Rear-Admiral W. T. Sampson commanding, with Commodores J. C. Watson and W. S. Schley of the first and second squadrons respectively, which blockaded the port of Santiago, consisted of the battle-ships _Massachusetts_, _Iowa_, _Texas_, _Indiana_, _Oregon_; armoured cruisers _New York_, Admiral Sampson’s flag-ship, _Brooklyn_, Commodore Schley’s flag-ship; protected cruisers _New Orleans_, _Newark_, Commodore Watson’s flag-ship; converted yachts _Vixen_, _Gloucester_.(33) Inside the harbour, caught like rats in a trap of their own making, lay the Spanish fleet under command of Admiral Pasquale Cervera, consisting of the armoured cruisers _Cristobal Colon_, _Vizcaya_, _Almirante Oquendo_, _Maria Teresa_, Admiral Cervera’s flag-ship; torpedo-boat destroyers _Furor_ and _Pluton_. The Americans were on the alert, lest by some inadvertence their prey should escape, and it may well be supposed that the Spaniards, knowing full well they were not in sufficient strength to give battle, awaited a favourable opportunity to slip through the blockading squadron. _June 2._ The first detachment of troops, including heavy and light artillery and the engineer corps, embarked for Santiago on the second of June. Four days later this force was landed at Aguadores, a few miles east of Santiago, under the cover of Admiral Sampson’s guns.