due to her position at the extreme eastern end of the blockade, the "indiana" could not participate in the initial chase after the enemy cruisers made their sortie without cutting across the bow of the , which captain taylor, the ship's commander, wisely decided not to do. the battleship and the marines manning her secondary batteries were, however, able to engage and aid in the destruction of the "furor" and the "pluton", the fifth and sixth ships bringing up the rear of spanish line, as they left the bay. still too close to his squadron to risk using his big guns, taylor called on waller and his marines to take the destroyers under fire with the six-inch batteries. captain waller ran from gun to gun, shouting orders and encouragement, as his leathernecks pulverized the spanish ships.