What was the first major land battle of the Cuban campaign, fought June 24, 1898? The answer is Las Guasimas.
The Battle of Las Guasimas was the first major land engagement of the Cuban campaign in the Spanish-American War. It was fought on June 24, 1898, near Santiago de Cuba, as American forces advanced inland after landing east of the city at Daiquirí and Siboney.
Major General Joseph Wheeler directed the American advance, which involved the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry—the Rough Riders—the 1st U.S. Regular Cavalry, and the 10th U.S. Cavalry, whose soldiers were African American veterans commonly known as Buffalo soldiers. They attacked Spanish troops commanded by Major General Antero Rubín, who was conducting a rearguard action while withdrawing toward Santiago.
The fighting took place in dense jungle and around lightly fortified positions. American forces eventually occupied the Spanish positions, but the battle was not the clear-cut rout celebrated by some American newspapers. Spanish troops withdrew as planned, and later assessments criticized the costly frontal attacks. U.S. forces reported 17 killed and 52 wounded; Spanish losses were considerably smaller, though figures vary by source.
Las Guasimas is often mixed up with San Juan Hill, Kettle Hill, or El Caney. Those better-known battles occurred on July 1, several days after Las Guasimas, during the struggle for Santiago’s defenses. Coamo was a later engagement in Puerto Rico, not Cuba.