Santo Domingo Affair

"After the first shot has been fired. USS Columbia"

Date	February 1–11, 1904
Location	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Caribbean Sea
Result	American victory

Belligerents

United States

Dominican Republic

Commanders and leaders

Richard Wainwright

Albert S. Mclemore

Carlos F. Morales

Juan Isidro Jiminez

Strength

Land:
~80 marines
~250 sailors
Sea:
2 protected cruisers
1 auxiliary cruiser
1 steamer

~100 militia
1 fort

Casualties and losses

1 killed
1 wounded
1 steamer damaged
1 launch damaged

Unknown
1 fort captured

The Santo Domingo Affair, or the Santo Domingo Crisis, refers to an incident in 1904 involving the United States and Dominican militia forces in the Dominican Republic. After the death of a seaman from the USS Yankee on February 1, the U.S. military launched a punitive expedition which routed the Dominican forces.

During the Banana Wars era, revolution in Central America was widespread. In order to protect American citizens and their interests in these war zones, the United States Navy patrolled the hostile coasts. Rebels in the city of Santo Domingo had previously fired on two American merchant ships and damaged property at the American-owned sugar cane plantations. USS Detroit had also landed sailors and marines beginning in November 1903, but they were withdrawn when the situation appeared stable. On February 1, 1904, the auxiliary cruiser USS Yankee was on patrol off Santo Domingo, observing the fighting between government and rebel troops loyal to Carlos F. Morales and General Juan Isidro Jiminez. The American captain decided to put some men in a launch and send them ashore to make contact with the Dominicans, but when it drew away from Yankee the insurgents attacked it with small arms fire and Seaman J. C. Johnston was mortally wounded. In response, President Theodore Roosevelt ordered the protected cruisers USS Columbia and USS Newark to proceed to the islands and exact an apology. The temporary commander of the Brazil Squadron, Captain Richard Wainwright, was placed in charge of the operation on board the Newark.

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