A double column eight miles long of ships, crowded to their utmost capacity with armed men, was advancing under low-trailing banners of black smoke, like a resistless fate.

As they neared the war-ships, that had for a month impatiently awaited them, these thundered forth a welcome from their big guns.
Bands played, swift steam-launches darted to and fro, and a mighty volume of cheering from twice ten thousand throats was borne to those who listened on land like the roar of a breaking tempest.

The American army and navy had met at last, and were joined in a common cause.
For an hour our young trooper watched with swelling heart this wonderful meeting of his countrymen.

Then he had the satisfaction of seeing one of the transports steam away to the westward in the direction of Aserraderos.

While his companions asked one another the meaning of this manoeuvre, he believed it to indicate that the meeting between Generals Shafter and Garcia, for which he had arranged, was about to be effected.
As it was evident that no landing was to be attempted that day, the young men so reported to General Linares at Sevilla, where they also spent the night.