▁notion ▁of ▁Cer vera ' s ▁current ▁location , ▁he ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁act ively ▁purs ue . ▁A wait ing ▁further ▁information ▁on ▁Cer vera ' s ▁where about s , ▁Sam pson ▁sa iled ▁east ▁to ▁San ▁Juan ▁and ▁carried ▁out ▁a ▁bomb ard ment ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 0 ▁that ▁last ed ▁several ▁days , ▁dealing ▁minor ▁infrastr uct ural ▁damage ▁to ▁the ▁city . ▁After ▁this ▁pre lim inary ▁bomb ard ment , ▁Sam pson ▁helped ▁lead ▁a ▁land - se a ▁attack ▁on ▁San ▁Juan , ▁along ▁with ▁General ▁William ▁Sh after , ▁taking ▁the ▁city . ▁On ▁July ▁ 1 , ▁following ▁the ▁successful ▁invasion , ▁Sam pson ▁returned ▁to ▁Cuba , ▁rein for cing ▁the ▁block ades ▁in ▁Santiago ▁and ▁C ien fu egos . ▁ ▁On ▁May ▁ 2 9 , ▁elements ▁of ▁Sam pson ' s ▁command ▁sp otted ▁Admir al ▁Cer vera ' s ▁squad ron ▁moving ▁into ▁Santiago ▁har bor ▁and ▁the ▁naval ▁presence ▁there ▁was ▁greatly ▁increased ▁to ▁prevent ▁Cer vera ' s ▁escape . ▁On ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁July ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁Cer vera ' s ▁fleet ▁came ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁har bor . ▁Sam pson ▁was ▁ash ore ▁at ▁a ▁conference ▁with ▁General ▁Sh after , ▁making ▁plans ▁for ▁a ▁coordin ated ▁attack ▁on ▁Santiago . ▁R ear ▁Admir al ▁Win field ▁Scott ▁Sch ley ▁was ▁in ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁F lying ▁Squadron ▁in ▁Sam pson ' s ▁absence ▁and ▁met ▁the ▁Spanish