At the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, "New York" was chartered as an auxiliary cruiser with a civilian crew, commissioning on 26 April 1898 at New York, Captain C. S. Cotton in command and renamed "Harvard". Assigned as a scout, "Harvard" departed New York on 30 April to cruise West Indian waters in search of the Spanish fleet. After sending back several reports on the location of Spanish units in the Caribbean, "Harvard" was blockaded by a larger force at Saint-Pierre, Martinique from 11–17 May, after which she proceeded to Santiago de Cuba and St. Nicholas Mole, Haiti, with dispatches from Commodore Winfield Scott Schley. Interrupting her scouting duties, "Harvard" returned to Newport News, Virginia, 7–26 June during which time her crew was officially taken into the Naval Service.