 She convoyed troop transports to Cuba and was on blockade duty at Havana and the Isle of Pines.On 28 July 1898, "Bancroft" seized the small Spanish schooner "Ensenada de Cortez" but returned the boat to her owner the next day because it was essentially valueless.The war ended on 13 August 1898, and"Bancroft" returned to Boston on 2 September 1898 and was decommissioned on 30 September 1898.