Battle of the Aguadores

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

Combatants

United States
Republic of Cuba

Spain

Commanders

Henry M. Duffield

Unknown

Strength

1,200 regulars
300 guerrilleros

400 regulars

Casualties

2 dead
10 wounded

None

Cuban Campaign
Cárdenas – Cienfuegos – Guantánamo Bay – Las Guasimas – Tayacoba – Aguadores – El Caney – San Juan Hill – Naval Santiago – Santiago – Manimani

The Battle of the Aguadores was a sharp skirmish on the banks of the Aguadores river near Santiago de Cuba, on July 1, 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 were to fall later that day. Their advance was checked at the river, and after a short pummeling, the Americans withdrew to Siboney.

The morning attack began with an artillery barrage from a small squadron off the coast. At 9:00, USS New York opened fire, followed by two smaller cruisers. A chance shot from the USS Sewanne struck down the banner atop the small Spanish fort, but the naval bombardment otherwise had little material effect. Spanish gunfire, meanwhile, bit into the approaching American infantry, which halted far short of its objective of the railroad bridge near the Morro batteries.

Brigadier General Duffield kept up a desultory fire for much of the afternoon. Unable to advance any further, he ordered his men to break off at 15:30 hours.