The Spanish-American War 1895-1902 by Joseph Smith

Author:Joseph Smith [Smith, Joseph]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, General, Military, United States, Americas (North; Central; South; West Indies)
ISBN: 9781317900290
Google: XMOOAwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2014-05-12T16:03:49+00:00

The air seemed full of the rustling sound of the Mauser bullets, for the Spaniards knew the trails by which we were advancing, and opened heavily on our position. Moreover, as we advanced we were, of course, exposed, and they could see us and fire. But they themselves were entirely invisible.10

Fighting began in earnest at 8 a.m. when both the American columns came within sight of the Spanish defensive position on top of the ridge. The Americans charged forward and thereby sparked off a battle that raged for more than two hours. It was not only a fierce baptism of fire but also a rude awakening to reality for American troops who had become accustomed to believe that the Spaniards lacked the will to fight. Wheeler was taken aback by the sheer amount of rifle fire and reckoned that it was more intense than any he had experienced during the Civil War. The explanation was simple. The Spaniards were using rifles equipped with magazines which enabled them to fire bullets much more rapidly than the muskets of thirty years previously. The results were gruesome for the advancing Americans. The mounting list of casualties compelled Wheeler to send back a message to Lawton asking urgently for reinforcements. Just after 10 a.m., however, the firing decreased as the Spanish troops began to pull back towards Santiago de Cuba. Wheeler was jubilant and, with his thoughts set on another time and place, reportedly cried out: ‘We’ve got the damn Yankees on the run.’11 Young’s troops took control of the ridge and were quickly joined by the Rough Riders.

Next day, the American press proclaimed a great victory for the United States cavalry and gave special mention to the bravery of Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders. The McKinley administration was delighted. ‘An unseen enemy, with a much superior force, in his own country, and intrenched in the position of his choice’, remarked Alger, ‘had been driven from his rocky fastnesses, completely routed, and forced back to his principal works of defence before Santiago.’12 The Spaniards responded by asserting that they had made a tactical withdrawal to stronger defensive positions after inflicting heavy losses on the Americans. The claim was not totally without foundation. In terms of casualties sixteen Americans died and fifty-two were wounded, while Spanish losses were ten killed and twenty-five wounded.

Save for its boost to American morale, the skirmish at Las Guásimas possessed no great lasting military significance. For General Wheeler, however, the outcome demonstrated that nothing succeeds like success. Not only had he deliberately flouted the intent of Shafter’s orders, but he had also risked the lives of his men in a frontal assault against an enemy entrenched in prepared defensive positions. On the other hand, the Spaniards had been routed and the road to Santiago de Cuba now lay open. ‘Your news is excellent,’ Shafter wrote personally to Wheeler.13 To preserve and consolidate the gains of the victory at Las Guásimas, Shafter ordered the speedy despatch of reinforcements of men and artillery.

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