The Unintentional Surrender of a Spanish Island

What’s your favorite history fact? During the Spanish American war an American ship fired

cannons at a Spanish owned island. None of the cannon balls did any damage. The governor (I

think) rowed out to the ship to apologise to the captain for not returning the salute as they had

no cannons/gunpowder. The captain then had to explain that they were at war and he had actually

been attacking the island. The governor surrendered. The American fleet had more pressing

places to be and couldn't leave a military presence at the island but luckily there was

an American citizen who lived there and he said he would take care of the place in their absence.