Battle of El Caney

"The Capture of El Caney" by Howard Chandler Christy

Date	July 1, 1898
Location	El Caney, Cuba
Result	U.S./Cuban victory

Belligerents

Commanders

Joaquín Vara de Rey †

Strength

8,500 regulars
1,000 guerrilleros

500 regulars

Casualties and losses

81 dead
360 wounded

38 dead
138 wounded
130 captured

v • d • e Cuban Campaign

Cárdenas – Cienfuegos – Guantánamo Bay – Las Guasimas – 1st Manzanillo – Tayacoba – Aguadores – El Caney – San Juan Hill – 2nd Manzanillo – Aguacate – Naval Santiago – Santiago – 3rd Manzanillo – Nipe Bay – Manimani

The Battle of El Caney was fought on July 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War.

1 Background
2 Battle
3 Aftermath
4 References
5 External links
6 See also

Background

At El Caney, Cuba, 500 Spanish soldiers under General Joaquín Vara de Rey were instructed to hold the northwest flank of Santiago against an American advance.

Battle

Despite having no machine guns or artillery and being denied promised reinforcements, Vara de Rey and his soldiers held over 8,000 Americans from their position for nearly twelve hours, preventing them from sweeping through and overwhelming the defenders of San Juan Hill.

Aftermath

The Americans lost over 80 dead and more than 350 wounded. Precise Cuban losses at El Caney are not known, but the Cuban irregulars lost around 150 killed and wounded that day. Over 300 Spanish troops were killed, wounded, or captured.

Many have called this engagement proof that, properly led, the Spanish Army could have defeated the United States during the Cuban Campaign.

References

Albert A. Nofi (1997). The Spanish-American War, 1898. Combined Books. ISBN 0-938289-57-8.
Carrasco García, Antonio, En Guerra con Los Estados Unidos: Cuba, 1898, Madrid: 1998.

External links

Cuba portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Battle of El Caney

Spanish-American War Centennial website
History of Negro soldiers in the Spanish-American War, and other items of interest, by Edward Augustus Johnston, published 1899, hosted by the Portal to Texas History. Features illustrations and information about the Battle of El Caney.