Storming San Juan Heights
In a spirited clash with entrenched Spanish troops, American soldiers captured the high ground surrounding Santiago de Cuba, giving rise to a legend
This climactic battle saw American forces score a decisive victory over Spain in Cuba
On the morning of 1 July 1898, American soldiers of the Fifth Army Corps, commanded by Major General William Shafter, surveyed the heights surrounding Santiago de Cuba, Cuba’s second largest city. The Americans had come ashore days earlier at Daiquiri and initiated an expedition against the Spanish stronghold, where General Arsenio Linares y Pombo commanded more than 10,000 troops and a naval squadron lay at anchor in the harbour. Linares detailed 500 soldiers to defend high ground collectively known as San Juan Heights, including San
Juan Hill and Kettle Hill, outside the city. The defenders dug trenches and fortified a small, blue-washed blockhouse on San Juan Hill.
STRENGTH VERSUS STRENGTH
Shafter commanded approximately 15,000 troops in three divisions, including the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry Regiments, black horsemen of the famed ‘Buffalo Soldiers’, and the First US Volunteer Cavalry, nicknamed the ‘Rough Riders’ – a collection of western cowboys and eastern aristocrats led by Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, the flamboyant former assistant secretary of the Navy. Due to logistical difficulties, most of the American cavalrymen had reached Cuba without their mounts and would be forced to fight the coming battle for San Juan Heights as infantrymen.
To protect his right flank, Shafter sent General Henry Lawton and 6,000 troops of the Second Division to seize the village of El Caney. Although Lawton believed he could accomplish the task swiftly, 500 well-armed Spanish defenders held El Caney until late afternoon on 1 July,
“MOST OF THE AMERICAN CAVALRYMEN HAD REACHED CUBA WITHOUT THEIR MOUNTS AND WOULD BE FORCED TO FIGHT THE COMING BATTLE FOR SAN JUAN HEIGHTS AS INFANTRYMEN”
depriving the main thrust at San Juan Heights of reinforcements. Meanwhile, the movement against the heights continued as the fight for El Caney raged. More than 8,000 American troops advanced toward the 3,500-metre (11,480-feet) long Spanish line, coming under accurate rifle and artillery fire from above.
HELL’S POCKET
After marching through thick jungle for about 30 minutes, troops of the First Division emerged from a wooded area and immediately took casualties. Several officers were wounded, and for a time confusion reigned. The exposed American position was later dubbed ‘Hell’s Pocket’. Temporarily sheltering from the hail of bullets and shells at the base of San Juan Hill and without specific orders, several lower-ranking officers took action. Lieutenant Jules G. Ord sought out his brigade commander, General Hamilton S. Hawkins, and blurted, “General, if you will order a charge, I will lead it.”
Around 1pm elements of four regiments rose from their cover and advanced towards the summit of San Juan Hill. As the gradient steepened the lines frayed. Some soldiers tumbled down with wounds while the others pressed on. At a critical moment, three multi-barrelled Gatling guns opened on the Spanish lines from a distance of roughly 550 metres (1,800 feet). Several enemy soldiers were immediately observed abandoning their trenches. As the Gatling guns sprayed the shocked Spanish, the leading American troops came within 140 metres (460 feet) of the crest. Seconds later the attackers sprang into a furious charge that routed the defenders. After 50 minutes of intense combat the Americans had seized San Juan Hill.
BLOODSHED AT KETTLE HILL
Meanwhile, the action at Kettle Hill was furious. The dismounted Tenth Cavalry, with the Rough Riders and Third Cavalry in support, stormed up the slope as Gatling guns chattered. Although defending fire and oppressive heat slowed their advance – causing units to become mingled and bunch up – the Americans pushed forward, reached the trenches on the crest and engaged Spanish soldiers in hand-to-hand fighting. The surviving defenders broke and fled towards Santiago, and the Americans began taking fire from San Juan Hill. However, the momentum of that attack soon silenced the enemy guns.
The capture of San Juan Heights sealed the fate of the Spanish defenders at Santiago. American losses amounted to 205 killed and nearly 1,200 wounded. The Spanish lost 215 dead and 376 wounded. Rather than assaulting another defensive line, Shafter chose to lay siege to the city. Two days later, the Spanish naval squadron sallied from the harbour and was annihilated by a superior US Navy flotilla. On 17 July Santiago surrendered.
The Battle of San Juan Heights, commonly referred to as the
Battle of San Juan Hill, was the decisive action of the Spanishamerican War in Cuba and made Roosevelt, who displayed great heroism in the battle, a national hero.