It is arguable that the Spanish-American War in 1898 was
perhaps the most pointless war in the history of the United States.
Although it was not known at the time, the war was not truly fought
for territory, for markets, for principle, or even for honor. Rather,
it began because William Randolph Hearst, editor of the popular New
York Journal and future media tycoon, sought sensational
material to print that would outsell his competition, The
New York World. For years the two papers had battled over
sales, each trying to find the most sensational piece of news to
print. Hearst had heard rumors of atrocities committed by the Spanish
Empire in their territories and began printing stories of Spanish
abuses. The exposés quickly grabbed New Yorkers' attention, and
soon all of America was reading Hearst's articles about the drama
in Spain's Latin American territories. Hearst realized he had struck
gold and continued printing stories. He sent his artist Frederic
Remington to Cuba to capture the action on canvas. Remington soon
requested to return to the U.S. when he realized that war would
not erupt. Hearst replied with the now- famous words, "You furnish
the pictures, and I'll furnish the war!" His sensationalistic style
of journalism fueled American hearts with anger towards the Spanish
for their acts of cruelty. In 1898 when the U.S. warship Maine mysteriously
exploded and sank in Havana Harbor, killing 258 U.S. Navy crewmen,
the American public assumed it had been attacked or sabotaged and
demanded war. Thus, Congress was dragged into a war it did not particularly
wish to fight.
As Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt
took immediate action. Because his boss, the Secretary of the Navy,
was away from the office when war erupted, Roosevelt assumed the
title of Acting Secretary of the Navy and sent a telegram to Admiral Dewey
who commanded the U.S. fleet in the Asian Pacific. The telegram
instructed the admiral that if war should erupt between Spain and
the United States, he was to take offensive action against the Philippine
Islands, which were then part of the Spanish Empire. Dewey followed
his orders. Within days after war was declared, Dewey sailed silently
from Hong Kong toward Manila, and on the morning of May 1, 1898,
launched a surprise attack on the Spanish fleet anchored in the
bay. Within mere hours, Dewey had simultaneously captured the Philippines
and demonstrated the power of the United States Navy for the very
first time.
Meanwhile, President McKinley called for 100,000 volunteers
to fight the Spanish in the Caribbean. The Secretary of War, General Russell
Alger, offered the command of one of the three volunteer regiments
to Roosevelt. Many of Roosevelt's friends begged him not to accept
the offer, and to instead retain the prestigious political post
of Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Roosevelt, however, did not listen.
He resigned his position at the Navy Department and volunteered
to fight as a soldier. He was granted the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
in one of the most motley, if not most famous, Army divisions in
history. Known as the Rough Riders, the 1,000 men in this battle
group came from all walks of life from throughout America. Many
were ranchers, cowboys, gamblers, and even outlaws. Others from
the East had given up college and high society for a little excitement.
All were adventurous to say the least, and all were willing to
fight.
Aside from a brief skirmish upon landing in Cuba, the
Rough Rider's greatest challenge came on July 1, 1898, at San Juan
Hill outside the city of Santiago, Cuba. A Spanish entrenchment
at the top of the hill, which protected the city, had to be captured
in order to take Santiago. In what he later described as the "greatest
day of [his] life", Colonel Theodore Roosevelt charged forth on
horseback to lead the Rough Riders up the hill. The battle was
thick, and by the end, fifteen of Roosevelt's men were dead and
seventy-three more were wounded. Over the course of the war, the
Rough Riders suffered more casualties than any other unit. Santiago
was taken, and the war eventually ended after another American
fleet, under Admiral Sampson's command, defeated the Spanish Navy
in Santiago Harbor. Similar to the attack in Manila, this battle
was also over within a matter of hours.
The results of the war were entirely ironic. First, the
United States won the war only because the Spanish fought horribly,
not because the American forces were superior to those of their
enemy. The Spanish garrison on Cuba consisted of some 200,000 men,
far outnumbering the American forces. Both Spanish fleets in Manila
and in Santiago were unprepared as well. The Spanish military was poorly
trained and incompetent, ensuring an easy victory for the Americans.
Another point of sad irony was that more American troops died after
the war was over than during the war. A wave of yellow fever hit
the jungles of Cuba and killed thirteen times as many American
men than the Spanish had killed in combat. This was partly because
the U.S. forces were poorly equipped to handle a tropical war:
the army had no khaki summer gear, so all of the soldiers wore heavy
winter clothing. Food and supplies were low and the camps were
filthy. Roosevelt, by now promoted to full Colonel for his bravery
at San Juan, drafted a letter condemning the U.S. War Department
for its incompetence and inefficiency, and sent it to the Associated
Press to be published. Roosevelt also wrote the Round Robin letter,
which many other high-ranking commanders signed, calling for the
removal of U.S. troops from Cuba because of the horrible conditions.
The letter was sent to the War Department, and when the troops
were eventually withdrawn, the American people hailed Roosevelt
as a national hero for bringing the soldiers home.
