Archive for the 'Spanish-American War 1898' Category

War With Spain

June 30th, 2008

From:
ONE HUNDRED YEARS WITH THE SECOND CAVALRY
By Joseph I. Lambert, Major, Second Cavalry
Copyright 1939 Commanding Officer, Second Cavalry, Fort Riley, Kansas
Capper Printing Company, Inc.

SAWThe Spanish-American War in 1898 found the Regiment in Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico. They were assembled in Georgia as all Regular Army units and several hundred thousand volunteers began to assemble in the southern United States. This was the first time that the entire Regiment had been together since the Civil War.

george-steve-vernonThey moved to Mobile, Alabama, in preparation for movement to Cuba. Troops A, C, D, and F boarded transports with their horses, and the remainder of the Regiment moved overland to Tampa, Florida, where the rest of the forces were being assembled. Due to a lack of transports, the remainder of the Regiment did not board ships, but instead gave up its wagons to assist the movement of Teddy Roosevelt’s “Rough Riders” to the ships.

The four Troops that arrived in Cuba found that they were the only horse-mounted Cavalry available for the campaign. They worked primarily for General Shafter, the Commander of Troops in Cuba, doing a variety of jobs. Teddy Roosevelt observed that “the Second Cavalrymen are everywhere. All day long you see them. All night long you hear their clattering hooves.”

The Troops from the Second Calvary fought at El Caney, San Juan Hill, Aquadores, and around Santiago Cuba. Troop B was committed to the Puerto Rican campaign in July and August. In 1899, the entire Regiment began pacification duty in Cuba and remained there for three years.

George and Steve Vernon pictured, courtesy of David J. Vernon, 2d Cavalry.

The Regiment Gathers

June 29th, 2008

From:
ONE HUNDRED YEARS WITH THE SECOND CAVALRY
By Joseph I. Lambert, Major, Second Cavalry
Copyright 1939 Commanding Officer, Second Cavalry, Fort Riley, Kansas
Capper Printing Company, Inc.

SAWFor several years prior to the Spanish-American War, the Cubans and other West Indians carried on an unsuccessful revolution against Spain. The citizens of the United States sympathized with the efforts of the natives to gain their freedom. This was partly because Americans generally felt sympathetic toward a colony throwing off the home government and partly on account of the cruel manner in which the Spaniards attempted to put down the rebellion.

In the early part of 1898 feeling among the people of the United States against Spain reached a stage where it could be classed as war fever. The United States battleship Maine, which was in Havana Harbor, was destroyed by an explosion February 15. President McKinley sent a message to congress April 10, recommending armed intervention in Cuba to stop the oppression of the natives. Other messages and resolutions went back and forth between the President and Congress, causing Spain to declare war April 24, and Congress passed a similar resolution the next day.

The President called for 200,000 volunteers, and the regular army was increased by 61,000 men. Work was hastened on the seacoast fortifications and mines were quickly placed in the harbors. Orders were issued concentrating the regular army at once in the southern states, and the regulars were soon followed by volunteers. Major General Shafter was placed in command of the Fifth Corps, which was in camp at Tampa, Florida. This corps was organized into one cavalry and two infantry divisions, the former commanded by the former Confederate General, Joseph Wheeler. Continue Reading »

Cuba

June 28th, 2008

From:
ONE HUNDRED YEARS WITH THE SECOND CAVALRY
By Joseph I. Lambert, Major, Second Cavalry
Copyright 1939 Commanding Officer, Second Cavalry, Fort Riley, Kansas
Capper Printing Company, Inc.

SAWThe fleet of transports got under way June 14, and sailed for Cuba, convoyed by warships which took position to the front, flanks, and rear. The transports were not well adapted to carrying stock and this caused much suffering on some of the boats for lack of ventilation. The convoy arrived off Santiago, Cuba, June 20, and the landing of the troops began on the 22nd at Daiquiri, while the navy shelled the coast from Aquadores to Daiquiri. The troops were landed in surf boats but there were no facilities for putting horses ashore. In some cases platforms were built extending from gangways and horses forced on to them and then slid into the water, while another method was to push the horses bodily overboard. Men in rowboats stood by and after the horses were in the water, towed them as near as possible to the shore and turned them loose.

The squadron was directed on June 23 to accompany Bates’ brigade, consisting of the Third and Twentieth Infantry, to Siboney, which was about five miles west in the direction of Santiago. Troops A and C complied with the order, as the other two troops were not yet landed. Orders were received the next day to attach the squadron to corps headquarters and the two troops now at Siboney marched back to Daiquiri, where they joined the other two.

Troop D was assigned to the Second Division, commanded by General Lawton, on June 30 when the advance of the army began. On this date it escorted Capron’s battery to a position southeast of El Caney and bivouacked with it that night.

On July 1 the squadron (less D Troop) reported to General Shafter’s headquarters. At 9:00 a.m. Lieutenant Pope, with a detachment of Troop A, was ordered to secure a wagon-load of ammunition and take it to Grimes’ battery at El Poso. Later, Troop A gathered stragglers on the road to El Poso and returned them to their organizations. In the afternoon this troop escorted Parkhurst’s battery to the front and during this time was under fire from the Spanish lines. After the battery went into action, the troop formed a skirmish line as a support in connection with Troop C and remained in this position under heavy fire until nightfall, when it started back to Corps Headquarters. At El Poso it was ordered to escort Grimes’ battery to the front and upon completion of the duty reached headquarters after midnight. Continue Reading »

Porto Rico

June 27th, 2008

From:
ONE HUNDRED YEARS WITH THE SECOND CAVALRY
By Joseph I. Lambert, Major, Second Cavalry
Copyright 1939 Commanding Officer, Second Cavalry, Fort Riley, Kansas
Capper Printing Company, Inc.

SAWWhile the campaign in Cuba was still in progress, General Miles made plans to capture the Island of Porto Rico. He reported to the War Department that he intended to land at Point Fajardo on the northeast coast. Actually he landed at three places on the southern coast. The reason for this action was that he knew the Spaniards would find out the plan as known to the War Department and prepare a stiff defense.

General Miles sailed from Guantanamo, Cuba, July 21, 1898, only four days after the armistice at Santiago, with a small army of less than 4,000 men. He landed with one detachment at Port Guanica, which he commanded in person, and took possession without losing a man. General Wilson occupied Ponce on July 28, when the Spanish garrison withdrew toward San Juan to the north. General Brooke arrived at Arroya with a small brigade and occupied that place. The command now moved across the island in four widely separated columns, defeating several enemy detachments along the way. Before this small army completed its work, the campaign was brought to a close by the suspension of hostilities between the United States and Spain.

Troop B, Second Cavalry, was fortunate in being selected to accompany the expedition to Porto Rico. This troop, under Captain Hoppin, embarked on the transport Whitney at Tampa, Florida, July 23, 1898, and joined General Wilson’s force at Ponce. It was assigned to escort and courier duty at the headquarters of the expedition. A detachment of the troop under Lieutenant Paine was ordered to report to General Stone on August 6, as an escort and to assist in building a road toward the north from Adjuntas to Utuado. On this day a detachment from the troop was attacked by the Spaniards while doing reconnaissance work near Arecibo on the north coast. Continue Reading »

Cuba Pacification

June 26th, 2008

From:
ONE HUNDRED YEARS WITH THE SECOND CAVALRY
By Joseph I. Lambert, Major, Second Cavalry
Copyright 1939 Commanding Officer, Second Cavalry, Fort Riley, Kansas
Capper Printing Company, Inc.

CubanOccIn early January, 1899, the regiment received orders for pacification duty in Cuba. As this was a permanent change of station, the families were allowed to accompany the officers. With an aggregate strength of 1,019 officers and men, the regiment was now starting on the colonial duty of which the army was to experience a great deal of during the next fifteen years. Lieutenant Colonel Rafferty left Camp A. G. Forse, near Huntsville, Alabama, with Troops A, C, D, F, G, and M, January 31, 1899. They went to Savannah, Georgia, by rail and then sailed for Matanzas, about fifty miles east of Havana, Cuba, arriving there February 7. The other troops and headquarters of the regiment left for Savannah February 12 and sailed to Cienfuegos, Cuba, on the southern coast, where they arrived February 21. Camp sites were selected at these two places primarily with regard to sanitation.

During the next three years the regiment remained in this part of Cuba generally located a short distance east of Havana. The officers and men fraternized freely with the natives and there were no unpleasant events to mar the friendliness. In the evening there were band concerts during which the people walked around the main plaza. The color line was drawn among the natives in a novel way. No matter what the shade of the skin, if the hair were kinky they were classed as negroes, and if the hair were straight they were white. The negroes walked around the outer circle of the plaza while the others walked around the inner circle.

Soon after the arrival of the troops at Cienfuegos, the Cubans organized a parade of their forces in honor of the Second Cavalry. For this occasion the houses were decorated and triumphal arches placed across the streets. The Cuban soldiers presented a bedraggled appearance after living so long as fugitives away from towns during their struggle for liberty.

The inhabitants generally were very poor at this time as a result of the late revolution. At first most of the natives depended upon the American army and the Red Cross to feed them. Sanitary conditions were wretched, and hospitals, jails, and asylums were full. Streets generally were full of garbage and trash to such an extent that they were almost unpassable. The streets were cleaned, and a house-to-house inspection was made by the sanitation officer. Continue Reading »