Battle of the Aguadores

Part of the Spanish–American War

Date	1 July 1898
Location	near Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Result	Spanish victory

Belligerents

United States

Republic of Cuba

Kingdom of Spain

Commanders and leaders

Henry M. Duffield
William T. Sampson

Strength

2,400 regulars,
300 guerrilleros,
1 cruiser,
2 gunboats

274

Casualties and losses

2 dead
10 wounded

None

The Battle of the Aguadores was a sharp skirmish on the banks of the Aguadores River near Santiago de Cuba, on 1 July 1898, at the height of the Spanish–American War. The American attack was intended as a feint to draw Spanish defenders away from their nearby positions at San Juan Hill and El Caney, where the main blows fell later that day.

Poor coordination between Duffield's column and the North Atlantic Fleet led to an ineffective bombardment of the Spanish positions. By the time the Americans arrived, the west end of the only bridge had been dismantled and the river gorge was impassable. Seven hundred men of the 33rd Michigan Regiment pressed the attack on land but proved unable to close on the Spanish positions. Spanish rifle fire checked the American advance at the river crossing and Duffield, sustaining casualties from accurate small-arms fire, called off the attack and withdrew to Siboney.

The Spanish did not shift any forces from Santiago to Aguadores after all. While the Secretary of the Army declared the feint prevented the reinforcement of the San Juan Heights, no evidence was found to support this claim.

Transport in the heavily wooded coastal area proved inadequate, and the National Guard of the 33rd Michigan had to take the train twice to within 1 mi (1.6 km) of the river. 1st and 2nd Battalions could not both fit on the train at the same time. The resulting noise to their front that early in the morning alerted the Spanish that an attack was forthcoming.

The morning attack began with a naval artillery barrage from a small squadron off the coast. At 09:00, the armored cruiser USS New York opened fire, followed by two smaller cruisers, USS Suwanee and Gloucester. A chance shot from Suwanee struck down the banner atop the small Spanish fort, but the naval bombardment otherwise had little material effect; with no way to adjust the fire onto the rifle pits below the crest or on the fortified houses on top, no targets could be hit. Spanish artillery units hunkered down and waited out the naval gunfire.

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Wikipedia