INTRODUCTION.

As the Commander-in-Chief of the American Naval Squadron blockading
Santiago and the Cuban coast, the auxiliary cruiser "Yankee," manned by
the New York Naval Reserves, came immediately under my observation, and
it is a pleasure for me to speak of the spirit and efficiency shown by
the officers and crew during their stay under my command.

The young men forming the ship's company of the "Yankee" were called
into service several weeks prior to any other Naval Reserve battalion;
they came from all walks of civil life, and their minds, devoted to
peaceful pursuits, were suddenly diverted to the needs and requirements
and the usages of naval routine. Notwithstanding this radical change,
they have made the name of their ship a household word throughout the
country, and have proved that the average American, whether he be clerk
or physician, broker, lawyer, or merchant, can, on the spur of the
moment, prove a capable fighter for his country even amid such strange
and novel surroundings as obtain in the naval service. These young men
have especially upheld the American supremacy in the art of gunnery, and
have, on all occasions, proved brave and efficient.

The conclusion of the Spanish-American War released them from their
voluntarily assumed positions in the regular navy, but when they
returned to civil life they carried with them the consciousness of duty
well done at Santiago and Cienfuegos and whenever their guns were used
in hostile action. In a word, the Naval Reserves manning the "Yankee,"
in common with those on board other vessels in the service, have proved
their aptitude for sea duty, and made apparent the wisdom of the
Government in calling them into active service.