Battle of El Caney

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Battle of El Caney

The Capture of El Caney. Contemporary print by Kurz and Allison.

Date	July 1, 1898
Location	El Caney, Cuba
Result	American and Cuban victory

Belligerents

Commanders

Joaquín Vara del 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 – Tayacoba – Aguadores – El Caney – San Juan Hill – Naval Santiago – Santiago - 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

[edit] Background

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

[edit] Battle

Despite having no machine guns or artillery and being denied promised reinforcements, Vara del 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.

[edit] Aftermath

The Americans took staggering losses: over 80 dead and 350 wounded. Precise Cuban losses at El Caney are not known, but the Cuban irregulars also suffered heavily, losing around 150 killed and wounded that day.

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

[edit] 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.