Editing Spanish–American War (section)

====Land campaign====
[[File:Spanish Mauser 1893.png|thumb|The [[Mauser Model 1893]] rifle, used by the Spanish infantry and perceived to be superior to the Springfield Model 1892–99 used by the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.thearmorylife.com/the-30-40-u-s-krag-jorgensen-in-combat/|title=The .30-40 U.S. Krag-Jorgensen in Combat|date=n.d.|accessdate=December 10, 2024|publisher=The Armory Life|at=American Krags vs. Spanish Hornets}}</ref> Because of this, the U.S. Army later developed the [[M1903 Springfield]].{{efn|The  [[Springfield Model 1892–99]] was a [[Krag–Jørgensen]] rifle manufactured under license in the U.S. by the [[Springfield Armor]]. It was commonly referred to as a "Krag".}}]]
[[File:America's war for humanity related in story and picture, embracing a complete history of Cuba's struggle for liberty, and the glorious heroism of America's soldiers and sailors (1898) (14591603718).jpg|thumb|left|Charge of the [[Rough Riders]]]]
[[File:Charge of the Rough Riders at San Juan Hill.JPG|thumb|The Rough Riders in San Juan ([[Frederic Remington]])]]
The first American landings in Cuba occurred on June 10 with the landing of the First Marine Battalion at Fisherman's Point in [[Guantánamo Bay]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Today in History - June 10 |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/june-10/ |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}</ref> This was followed on June 22 to 24, when the [[Fifth Army Corps (Spanish–American War)|Fifth Army Corps]] under General [[William R. Shafter]] landed at [[Daiquirí]] and [[Siboney, Cuba|Siboney]], east of Santiago, and established an American base of operations. A contingent of Spanish troops, having fought a skirmish with the Americans near Siboney on June 23, had retired to their lightly entrenched positions at [[Battle of Las Guasimas|Las Guasimas]]. An advance guard of U.S. forces under former [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] General [[Joseph Wheeler]] ignored Cuban scouting parties and orders to proceed with caution. They caught up with and engaged the Spanish rearguard of about 2,000 soldiers led by General [[Antero Rubín]]<ref>[http://spanishamericanwar.info/cuba.htm#LasGuasimas The Spanish–American War in Cuba : Battle of Las Guasimas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510210235/http://spanishamericanwar.info/cuba.htm#LasGuasimas |date=May 10, 2011 }}.</ref> who effectively ambushed them, in the Battle of Las Guasimas on June 24. The battle ended indecisively in favor of Spain and the Spanish left Las Guasimas on their planned retreat to Santiago.

The U.S. Army employed Civil War–era [[Skirmisher#American Civil War|skirmishers]] at the head of the advancing columns. Three of four of the U.S. soldiers who had volunteered to act as skirmishers walking point at the head of the American column were killed, including [[Hamilton Fish II (Rough Rider)|Hamilton Fish II]] (grandson of [[Hamilton Fish]], the Secretary of State under Ulysses S. Grant), and Captain [[Allyn K. Capron, Jr.|Allyn K. Capron]], whom Theodore Roosevelt would describe as one of the finest natural leaders and soldiers he ever met. Only [[Oklahoma Territory]] [[Pawnee people|Pawnee]] Indian, Tom Isbell, wounded seven times, survived.<ref name="Roosevelt, Theodore p. 572">Roosevelt, Theodore, ''The Rough Riders'', Scribner's Magazine, Vol. 25 (January–June), New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, p. 572</ref>

Regular Spanish troops were mostly armed with modern charger-loaded, 7mm [[Mauser Model 1893|1893 Spanish Mauser rifles]] and using [[smokeless powder]]. The high-speed [[7×57mm Mauser]] round was termed the "Spanish Hornet" by the Americans because of the supersonic crack as it passed overhead. Other irregular troops were armed with [[Remington Rolling Block rifle]]s in [[.43 Spanish]] using smokeless powder and brass-jacketed bullets. U.S. regular infantry were armed with the [[.30-40 Krag|.30–40]] [[Springfield Model 1892–99|Krag–Jørgensen]], a bolt-action rifle with a complex magazine. Both the U.S. regular cavalry and the volunteer cavalry used smokeless ammunition. In later battles, state volunteers used the [[Springfield model 1873|.45–70 Springfield]], a single-shot black powder rifle.<ref name="Roosevelt, Theodore p. 572"/>

On July 1, a combined force of about 15,000 American troops in regular infantry and cavalry regiments, including all four of the army's "Colored" [[Buffalo Soldier]] regiments, and volunteer regiments, among them Roosevelt and his "Rough Riders", the [[71st New York Infantry Regiment|71st New York]], the 2nd Massachusetts Infantry, and 1st North Carolina, and rebel Cuban forces attacked 1,270 entrenched Spaniards in dangerous Civil War-style frontal assaults at the [[Battle of El Caney]] and [[Battle of San Juan Hill]] outside of Santiago.<ref>[http://www.homeofheroes.com/wallofhonor/spanish_am/10_sanjuan.html The Battles at El Caney and San Juan Hills] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130714045841/http://www.homeofheroes.com/wallofhonor/spanish_am/10_sanjuan.html |date=July 14, 2013 }} at HomeOfHeroes.com.</ref> More than 200 U.S. soldiers were killed and close to 1,200 wounded in the fighting, thanks to the high rate of fire the Spanish put down range at the Americans.<ref>[http://www.homeofheroes.com/wallofhonor/spanish_am/11_crowdedhour.html The Crowded Hour: The Charge at El Caney & San Juan Hills] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514061523/http://www.homeofheroes.com/wallofhonor/spanish_am/11_crowdedhour.html |date=May 14, 2013 }} at HomeOfHeroes.com.</ref> [[Charles A. Wikoff]], a U.S. Army colonel who was killed in action, was the most senior U.S. Army officer killed in the Spanish–American War.<ref name=profile>[http://1-22infantry.org/commanders/wikoffpers.htm Col. Charles A. Wikoff profile at 1-22infantry.org] Retrieved January 11, 2007</ref> Supporting fire by [[Gatling gun]]s was critical to the success of the assault.<ref>{{Harvnb|Parker|2003}}</ref><ref>[https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6888  ''History of the Gatling Gun Detachment''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060213123700/http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/6888 |date=February 13, 2006 }}, John Henry Parker at [[Project Gutenberg]].</ref> Cervera decided to escape Santiago two days later. First Lieutenant [[John J. Pershing]], nicknamed "Black Jack", oversaw the 10th Cavalry Unit during the war. Pershing and his unit fought in the Battle of San Juan Hill. Pershing was cited for his gallantry during the battle.

The Spanish forces at [[Guantánamo]] were so isolated by Marines and Cuban forces that they did not know that Santiago was under siege, and their forces in the northern part of the province could not break through Cuban lines. This was not true of the Escario relief column from Manzanillo,<ref>{{Cite web |date=1901-12-13 |title=Battles and Capitulation of Santiago De Cuba (Completed) |url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1899/january/battles-and-capitulation-santiago-de-cuba-completed |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=U.S. Naval Institute |language=en}}</ref> which fought its way past determined Cuban resistance but arrived too late to participate in the siege.

After the battles of San Juan Hill and El Caney, the American advance halted. Spanish troops successfully defended Fort Canosa, allowing them to stabilize their line and bar the entry to Santiago. The Americans and Cubans forcibly began a bloody, strangling siege of the city.<ref>{{Harvnb|Daley|2000|pp=161–71}}</ref> During the nights, Cuban troops dug successive series of "trenches" (raised parapets), toward the Spanish positions. Once completed, these parapets were occupied by U.S. soldiers and a new set of excavations went forward. American troops, while suffering daily losses from Spanish fire, suffered far more casualties from [[Hyperthermia|heat exhaustion]] and [[mosquito]]-borne disease.<ref>{{Harvnb|McCook|1899}}</ref> At the western approaches to the city, Cuban general Calixto Garcia began to encroach on the city, causing much panic and fear of reprisals among the Spanish forces.