Siege of Santiago
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Santiago also known as the Siege of Santiago de Cuba was the last major operation of the Spanish-American War
on the island of Cuba
. This action should not be confused with the naval battle of Santiago de Cuba
.
. U.S. forces had driven back the Spaniard's first line of defense at the Battle of Las Guasimas
. General Arsenio Linares pulled his troops back to the main line of defense against Santiago along San Juan Heights. In the charge at the Battle of San Juan Hill
U.S. forces captured the Spanish position. At the Battle of El Caney
the same day, U.S. forces took the fortified Spanish position and were then able to extend the U.S. flank on San Juan Hill. The destruction of the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba allowed U.S forces to safely besiege the city.
William "Pecos Bill" Shafter
began the siege of Santiago. Shafter fortified his position on San Juan Heights. General Henry W. Lawton
's division moved up from El Caney
extending the U.S. right flank to the north. To the northwest, Cuban rebels under the command of Calixto Garcia
extended the U.S. line to the bay. General Arsenio Linares had been severely wounded at the Battle of San Juan Hill
and was replaced by General Jose Toral. Toral had a good defensive position and Shafter knew he would sustain severe casualties from a frontal assault.
Instead, the Americans settled on a siege of the city. U.S. artillery sited on the heights pounded the city, while U.S. forces supported by Cuban rebels choked off all water and food supplies to the city. On July 4, a .30 Army Gatling
from Lt. John Parker
's Gatling Gun Detachment was moved to Fort Canosa in support of the siege. Over the next thirteen days, it was used to fire 6,000 to 7,000 rounds into the city of Santiago, causing many casualties.
On July 3, a relief column was able to fight its way through Garcia's rebels and into the city bringing Toral's force to a total of 13,500. On July 4, a cease fire was enacted to evacuate roughly 20,000 citizens from the city. On July 8, Toral proposed to surrender Santiago if his troops could be evacuated to another city. Washington officials would not accept Toral's proposal. Shafter was now pressed for time. Disease had begun to take its toll on the U.S. forces, and the officials in Washington wanted results. Shafter and the U.S. Navy under William T. Sampson
continued to bomb the city.
, the commander-in-chief
of the U.S. Army, arrived on Cuba and, on July 13, Toral, Shafter and Miles met between lines to discuss surrender terms. In order to keep the Spanish happy and bring about a quick surrender, Shafter and Miles avoided the word "surrender". On July 17, after both governments agreed to the terms, Toral surrendered about 11,500 soldiers within the district of Santiago plus an additional 12,000 soldiers stationed around Santiago. The Spanish also ceded Guantanamo City and San Luis
.
had spread through the U.S. Army before the surrender had taken place, and some 4,000 U.S. soldiers were ill. Many officers, notably Theodore Roosevelt
, fought for the removal of the army from Cuba, which was recalled and sent to containment camps in coastal cities in the U.S to deal with the infected troops. Plans were made for a major assault on Havana
, but the next major campaign of the war came on Puerto Rico
, led by General Miles.
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
on the island of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. This action should not be confused with the naval battle of Santiago de Cuba
Battle of Santiago de Cuba
The Battle of Santiago de Cuba, fought between Spain and the United States on 3 July 1898, was the largest naval engagement of the Spanish-American War and resulted in the destruction of the Spanish Navy's Caribbean Squadron.-Spanish Fleet:...
.
Santiago Campaign
The primary objective of the Americans on Cuba had been the capture of the city of Santiago de CubaSantiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
. U.S. forces had driven back the Spaniard's first line of defense at the Battle of Las Guasimas
Battle of Las Guasimas
The Battle of Las Guasimas of June 24, 1898, part of the Spanish-American War, unfolded from Major General "Fighting Joe" Wheeler's attempt to storm a Spanish position in the jungles surrounding Santiago. Commanding a division that included the 1st U.S...
. General Arsenio Linares pulled his troops back to the main line of defense against Santiago along San Juan Heights. In the charge at the Battle of San Juan Hill
Battle of San Juan Hill
The Battle of San Juan Hill , also known as the battle for the San Juan Heights, was a decisive battle of the Spanish-American War. The San Juan heights was a north-south running elevation about two kilometers east of Santiago de Cuba. The names San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill were names given by the...
U.S. forces captured the Spanish position. At the Battle of El Caney
Battle of El Caney
The Battle of El Caney was fought on July 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War.-Background:At El Caney, Cuba, 514 Spanish regular soldiers, together with approximately 100 armed Spanish loyalists under the command of General Joaquín Vara de Rey were instructed to hold the northwest flank of...
the same day, U.S. forces took the fortified Spanish position and were then able to extend the U.S. flank on San Juan Hill. The destruction of the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba allowed U.S forces to safely besiege the city.
Siege
On July 3, 1898, the same day as the naval battle, Major GeneralMajor General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
William "Pecos Bill" Shafter
William Rufus Shafter
William Rufus Shafter was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who received America's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Fair Oaks. Shafter also played a prominent part as a major general in the Spanish-American War...
began the siege of Santiago. Shafter fortified his position on San Juan Heights. General Henry W. Lawton
Henry Ware Lawton
Henry Ware Lawton was a highly respected U.S. Army officer who served with distinction in the Civil War, the Apache Wars, the Spanish-American War and was the only U.S. general officer to be killed during the Philippine-American War...
's division moved up from El Caney
El Caney
El Caney is a small village 4 miles to the northeast of Santiago, Cuba. "Caney" means longhouse in Taíno.It was known in centuries past as the site where Hernán Cortés received a vision supposedly ordering him to Christianize Mexico. The settlement was host to the Battle of El Caney on July 1,...
extending the U.S. right flank to the north. To the northwest, Cuban rebels under the command of Calixto Garcia
Calixto García
Calixto García e Iñiguez was a general in three Cuban uprisings, part of the Cuban War for Independence: Ten Years' War, the Little War and the War of 1895, itself sometimes called the Cuban War for Independence, which bled into the Spanish-American War, ultimately resulting in national...
extended the U.S. line to the bay. General Arsenio Linares had been severely wounded at the Battle of San Juan Hill
Battle of San Juan Hill
The Battle of San Juan Hill , also known as the battle for the San Juan Heights, was a decisive battle of the Spanish-American War. The San Juan heights was a north-south running elevation about two kilometers east of Santiago de Cuba. The names San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill were names given by the...
and was replaced by General Jose Toral. Toral had a good defensive position and Shafter knew he would sustain severe casualties from a frontal assault.
Instead, the Americans settled on a siege of the city. U.S. artillery sited on the heights pounded the city, while U.S. forces supported by Cuban rebels choked off all water and food supplies to the city. On July 4, a .30 Army Gatling
Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...
from Lt. John Parker
John Henry Parker (General)
General John Henry Parker aka "Gatling Gun Parker" was a brigadier general in the United States Army. He is best known for his role as the commander of the Gatling Gun Detachment of the U.S...
's Gatling Gun Detachment was moved to Fort Canosa in support of the siege. Over the next thirteen days, it was used to fire 6,000 to 7,000 rounds into the city of Santiago, causing many casualties.
On July 3, a relief column was able to fight its way through Garcia's rebels and into the city bringing Toral's force to a total of 13,500. On July 4, a cease fire was enacted to evacuate roughly 20,000 citizens from the city. On July 8, Toral proposed to surrender Santiago if his troops could be evacuated to another city. Washington officials would not accept Toral's proposal. Shafter was now pressed for time. Disease had begun to take its toll on the U.S. forces, and the officials in Washington wanted results. Shafter and the U.S. Navy under William T. Sampson
William T. Sampson
William Thomas Sampson was a United States Navy rear admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.-Biography:...
continued to bomb the city.
Surrender
Everyone involved wanted a quick end to the campaign. Major General Nelson A. MilesNelson A. Miles
Nelson Appleton Miles was a United States soldier who served in the American Civil War, Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War.-Early life:Miles was born in Westminster, Massachusetts, on his family's farm...
, the commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the U.S. Army, arrived on Cuba and, on July 13, Toral, Shafter and Miles met between lines to discuss surrender terms. In order to keep the Spanish happy and bring about a quick surrender, Shafter and Miles avoided the word "surrender". On July 17, after both governments agreed to the terms, Toral surrendered about 11,500 soldiers within the district of Santiago plus an additional 12,000 soldiers stationed around Santiago. The Spanish also ceded Guantanamo City and San Luis
San Luis, Santiago de Cuba
San Luis is a town and municipality in the Santiago de Cuba Province of Cuba. It is located north of Santiago de Cuba.-History:The city was founded in 1827 on the location of a ranch. Arrival of the railroad accelerated its development...
.
Aftermath
The siege effectively ended the major fighting on Cuba, but the war was not yet over. Yellow feverYellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
had spread through the U.S. Army before the surrender had taken place, and some 4,000 U.S. soldiers were ill. Many officers, notably Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, fought for the removal of the army from Cuba, which was recalled and sent to containment camps in coastal cities in the U.S to deal with the infected troops. Plans were made for a major assault on Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, but the next major campaign of the war came on Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, led by General Miles.