U.S.S. Oregon and the Battle of Santiago

By Joseph C. Gannon

The U.S.S. Oregon and the Battle of Santiago, first published in 1958, is an eyewitness account of the famous Spanish-American War sea battle off the coast of Cuba in 1898. Written by crewmember Joseph Gannon, the book describes the Oregon's long voyage of nearly 16,000 miles from Bremerton, Washington, to Peru, around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America (the Panama Canal was not yet built), Rio de Janeiro (where the ship learned that war with Spain had been declared), and finally on to the Caribbean (where Gannon joined the ship's crew) as part of the blockade fleet on Cuba. On July 3, 1898, the Oregon and the cruiser Brooklyn were the only two ships fast enough to chase down the Spanish cruiser Cristóbal Colón, forcing its surrender. The Oregon's successful long voyage and performance in the war earned her the nickname of “the Bulldog.” Also, the length of the voyage around the Americas, requiring more than two months, bolstered public support for the construction of the Panama Canal. The Oregon would go on to serve in the Philippines, China, World War I, and her stripped hull was used in World War II at Guam as an ammunition barge. Included are a ship's roster and 7 pages of illustrations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barajima Books
• Release date: Jan 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781839741531

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© Barajima Books 2020, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

The U.S.S. Oregon and the Battle of Santiago

By

JOSEPH C. GANNON

The U.S.S. Oregon and the Battle of Santiago was originally published in 1958 by Comet Press Books, New York.

* * *

To

My shipmates, fore and aft, of the U.S.S. Oregon

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

1. Why the Story? 5

2. The U.S.S. Oregon 6

3. The Blockade 8

4. The Battle 11

5. The Breakdown 15

6. Resume: The Brooklyn Turns 16

7. Finale 25

Appendix. The Crew and Marine Guard 26

Illustrations 42

REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 50

1. Why the Story?

The Battle of Santiago, fought on July 3, 1898, between the naval forces of the United States and the Kingdom of Spain was refought in the American press, and from this second battle arose what is known as the Sampson-Schley controversy. The Sampsonites took the position that Commodore Schley was derelict in the blockade of Santiago; that upon his arrival, Sampson tightened the blockade, and when the day of battle arrived, he, Sampson, was in actual command. The public, knowing only what they read, did not get the real story. The affair, stirred up by the press, became so vicious that Schley finally demanded a Court Martial. Those in power did not agree, and a Court of Inquiry was instituted. Admiral Dewey was appointed as head of the Court which rendered a verdict exonerating Schley.

The writer served on Signals aboard the U.S.S. Oregon during the West Indian Campaign, which included the engagement with the Spanish fleet under command of Admiral Cervera, on July 3, 1898. Now, fifty-nine years later, I am telling my version of the fight at sea as I saw it.

We took our orders from the Brooklyn from the time the Spaniards came out at 9:28 a.m. until 2:10 p.m. when the New York (Admiral Sampson) came within signaling distance.

2. The U.S.S. Oregon