Summary of the Spanish-American War: Actual Fighting

This is continued from the first part of the summary regarding the events that led up to the war.  The following is a summary of the actual battle.

To the Europeans, America was seen as simply an annoying brat who thinks that he could stand up to the old, experienced Europeans.  The belligerents on the side of the Americans numbered to about 30,000, while the the Spanish stationed in Cuba was amounting to 200,000.  As for naval superiority, Spain also had the upper hand, but the difference was not distinguishable.  It could be compared that the American navy was enough well-kept rifles for a small band, while the Spanish navy was an army's amount of guns that began rotting before their eventual use.  It is true that the Spanish ships had the advantage, but the ships themselves were so poorly maintained.

Two important figures in the navy were John Long and future president Theodore Roosevelt.  Roosevelt is notable for making a rather strange plan of action.  While Long was out, Roosevelt took control and ordered for an attack on the fort at Manila, which is located in the far away Philippines of the Far East.  Regardless the, attack was authorized by McKinley and Commodore George Dewey was sent to lead the six warships into Manila.  The entire ten dilapidated Spanish ships were destroyed without a single American death.

Dewey, losing his nerves, waited for reinforcements before actually invading the fort.  While waiting, he ran into the Germans and another war almost precipitated.  When reinforcements finally arrived, Dewey successfully captured Manila with the help of Filipino insurgents under Emilio Aguinaldo.  The excitement in the Philippines led to the annexation of Hawaii as the 50th state.

Back in Cuba, a Spanish fleet headed by Admiral Cervera docked in the harbor of Santiago.  American strategy was to come out from the back to drive the Spaniards out.  The American foot soldiers were poorly equipped for this job, dressed up as if they were invading Russia instead of tropical Cuba.  More soldiers died to yellow fever and similar diseases than being shot.  One important battle was the attack on San Juan Hill.  The heroes of this battle was the so dubbed "Rough Riders," a regiment of cowboys led by Leonard Wood and organized by recently-retired-naval-officer-now-turned-lieutenant-colonel Theodore Roosevelt.  This group, after losing about half of their horses, ran bravely to battle with two well organized black regiments.

With "Wood's Weary Walkers" closing in on Santiago on one side and a superior American navy hurling shells on the other, the only orders given to a fraught Cervera that wasn't suicide was to heroically hold out.  The entire Spanish fleet was subsequently sunk on July 3rd, a day early.

Plans were made to attack the Spaniards in Puerto Rico.  Natives warmly welcomed the Americans as liberators with ungodly weather.  On August 12, 1898, an armistice was signed, officially ending an embarrassing war for Spain.