augment Adm. William Samp- Many of the Michigan USS Maine entering Harbor son’s North Atlantic Squadron, recruits came from influential with the Morro Castle Fortress clearly visible. and were basically employed to families. Chief Boatswain’s blockade Cuban waters. Mate Henry B. Joy’s father was Sailors on the deck of USS Yosemite. One of the steamers a leading lawyer, railroad acquired by the Navy builder, and industrial Department from the Southern developer in the Midwest. Pacific Company, was the El Chief Machinist Charles B. Sud. The ship was fitted out as King came from an Army an auxiliary cruiser and background. He studied renamed USS Yosemite. The mechanical engineering and, was more than adequate for a BY A.B. Michigan Naval Reserve at the 1893 Columbian converted steamer, and FEUER Brigade was called up to man Exposition in Chicago, he consisted of ten five-inch guns, the vessel. Eleven officers and exhibited two of his inventions six six-pounder rapid-fire 270 men from State’s naval — the pneumatic hammer and weapons, and two Colt militia were recruited — the steel brake beam for machine guns. mainly from the Detroit and railroad cars. On 17 May, the Yosemite proceeded to , Virginia, where, for the next two-weeks, the sailors drilled day and night in shipboard operations, and engaged in A valiant lone ship thrust Saginaw areas. Commander The war against Spain was gunnery practice. Sailing William H. Emory was officially declared on 25 April orders quickly came through. into harm’s way became appointed commanding officer 1898 and, on 7 May, the The vessel was assigned to one of the greatest stories of the detachment. Michigan Brigade boarded the Adm. Sampson’s Nearly 75% of Emory’s Yosemite. No armor plating blockade force and, on limited, and Sampson’s was assigned to of raw courage to emerge crew were university had been welded to the vessel’s 30 May, the Yosemite warships were often required escort the transport graduates — hull or superstructure. The steamed underway to return to , , USS Panther, which from the Spanish- including the ship’s only protection from for Cuban waters. in order to refill their fuel carried a Marine American War University of enemy gunfire consisted of By early June, the bunkers. Because of this battalion of 650 men Michigan’s several hundred bags of coal US Navy inconvenience, vessels were under the command of hen the USS Maine entire senior that had been tightly packed Department usually absent from Lt. Col. Robert W. blew up in the harbor mechanical around the engines on the realized that their blockade posts Huntington. Wat Havana, Cuba, on 15 engineering berth deck! it needed a recoal- for about a week. On the afternoon of February 1898, America’s Army class. Three am- ing station on To remedy the situation, 10 June, Yosemite and and Navy were ill-prepared to munition magazines the coast of Secretary of the Navy John D. Panther anchored off wage a war. The Army totaled a had been fabricated in Cuba. The Long and the Naval War Guantanamo Bay mere 25,000 men — most of the hold, with steam hoists to number of colliers Board, decided to attempt an and opened a pre- them on the western frontier. carry shells up to the main available for this amphibious landing at USS Yosemite as The Navy was also under- deck. The armament purpose Guantanamo Bay on the east constructed with manned and was faced with a of the Yosemite was coast of Cuba. The Yosemite three masts. shortage of ships. Several steamers were purchas- ed by the US Govern- ment to

48 SEA CLASSICS/February 2020 seaclassicsnow.com 49