First Spanish ship captured.

The fleet had proceeded twelve miles from Sand Key Light, which lies seven miles southeast of Key West, when the Nashville signaled the flagship that a vessel flying the Spanish colors had been sighted.  Admiral Sampson signaled from the New York for the Nashville to go and take it.  The Nashville bore down on the Spanish ship and fired a blank shot from the port guns aft.  This did not stop the Spaniard, and, to give a more definite hint, a solid shot was fired close over its bows.  The Spanish ship immediately hove to and waited to know its fate.

The vessel proved to be the Buena Ventura, with a crew of about thirty men, bound from Pascagonla to Rotterdam with a cargo of lumber, cattle and miscellaneous freight.  As soon as possible a boat was lowered from the Nashville and an officer was sent aboard the Buena Ventura.  When the Spanish captain was informed that his ship could not proceed, he took his capture gracefully, shrugged his shoulders, and said he supposed it was only the fortune of war.  It was suggested to him that the capture of a ship bearing that name, which, translated, means “good fortune,” as the first prize of the American fleet in the war, seemed to be a striking coincidence.  A prize crew of marines under Ensign T. P. Magruder was placed aboard, and, with the Nashville in the lead, both ships set out for Key West.

Inasmuch as the Buena Ventura was the first capture by the American navy in the war, it had a more definite interest than a success of the same sort would have a few months later.  The first shot was fired by Gunner Michael Mallia of the Nashville, who therefore has the distinction of firing the first shot in the war.  The prize was a rich one, estimated to be worth, including vessel and cargo, nearly $500,000, and the prize money resulting became a tempting amount.  Captain Washburne Maynard, commander of the Nashville, who gained the distinction of making the first capture, is a native of Knoxville, Tenn.  He is a son of former United States Senator Horace Maynard, and at the time of the capture was about fifty years old.  He entered the Annapolis Naval Academy at the age of seventeen and graduated at the head of his class.  He was for a number of years stationed in Alaska, and at the time of gaining his present distinction had been in command of the Nashville for four years.

Blockade of Havana begun.

After the Nashville left the fleet to return to Key West with its prize, the remaining vessels of the squadron steamed onward toward the Cuban coast.  Coming within fifteen miles of Morro Castle, the fleet scattered in a more open line of battle, some of the vessels turning to the east and others to the west, and making the blockade of the port complete.  No ship could enter or leave the harbor, and every day brought new prizes to the vessels of the blockading squadron.