Cuba - Province of Oriente - Santiago de Cuba: Loma San Juan (San Juan hill) where, on the morning of July 1898, the most famous battle of the Spanish-American War was fought. American Rough Riders and a band of Cuban soldiers, led by Theodore Roosevelt, then a Lieutenant Colonel, rushed the hill which was held by the Spaniards who were well entrenched on its fortified summit. Orders had been given to proceed at 10 a.m. at which time flanking troops of general Lawton's division were to have arrived. These troops, fighting earlier at the Spanish held fortress of El Caney a few miles away, were not as quickly successful as the American command had anticipated, and so they did not reach San Juan at the time appointed. No orders having come through to cancel earlier plans, Roosevelt began the attack as it had been planned and rushed the hill. Because of the revealing smoke of the American gunpowder, the Spaniards on their height were able to rake the advancing troops on all sides of the hill as they came forward over the bush-covered trails. Before the Americans and Cubans reached the summit and ultimate victory, they had suffered great losses. Today a Lovely park commemorates the heroes of that day with monuments and statues. A replica of the Spanish fort which they destroyed has been erected on the crown of the hill. The statue in the foreground is a memorial to the American Rough Riders
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Description
Cuba - Province of Oriente - Santiago de Cuba: Loma San Juan (San Juan hill) where, on the morning of July 1898, the most famous battle of the Spanish-American War was fought. American Rough Riders and a band of Cuban soldiers, led by Theodore Roosevelt, then a Lieutenant Colonel, rushed the hill which was held by the Spaniards who were well entrenched on its fortified summit. Orders had been given to proceed at 10 a.m. at which time flanking troops of general Lawton's division were to have arrived. These troops, fighting earlier at the Spanish held fortress of El Caney a few miles away, were not as quickly successful as the American command had anticipated, and so they did not reach San Juan at the time appointed. No orders having come through to cancel earlier plans, Roosevelt began the attack as it had been planned and rushed the hill. Because of the revealing smoke of the American gunpowder, the Spaniards on their height were able to rake the advancing troops on all sides of the hill as they came forward over the bush-covered trails. Before the Americans and Cubans reached the summit and ultimate victory, they had suffered great losses. Today a Lovely park commemorates the heroes of that day with monuments and statues. A replica of the Spanish fort which they destroyed has been erected on the crown of the hill. The statue in the foreground is a memorial to the American Rough Riders.
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