Little is remembered of Spanish-American War today

Military action in the Spanish-American War lasted less than four months, and the war receives only a passing mention in history books today. Scattered memorials across the nation are some of the few reminders of the short-lived conflict.

The war arose from tensions between the United States and Spain, rooted in the ongoing fight for Cuban independence. Americans were sympathetic to the plight of the Cubans, as pro-war hawks and the press portrayed the Spanish as a brutal authority.

Those tensions erupted after the explosion of the 324-foot battleship U.S.S. Maine on Feb. 15, 1898, in Havana Harbor. The blast claimed 266 of the 355 men on board, while only 16 of the survivors were uninjured.

At the time, many blamed the destruction on the Spanish, and the American press fanned the flames. Years later, the cause of the sinking was determined to be spontaneous combustion.

Among those calling for war was Theodore Roosevelt, whose Rough Riders are one of the few things remembered about the conflict.

Although Roosevelt joined the screams to “Remember the Maine,” President William McKinley at the time was less enthused, remembering his experiences from the U.S. Civil War.

“He had seen what war was like, and didn’t want to commit American troops to foreign lands unless absolutely necessary,” said Christopher Kenney, director of education at the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum in Canton, Ohio. “In addition, the size of the U.S. Army was decreased following the Civil War and the men, supplies and logistics were not up to fighting a war.”

At the time, the U.S. had only the 12th-largest navy in the world. The Spanish were even weaker, as the once-proud empire had a fraction of its former strength with little more than the colonies of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines.

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On April 11, 1898, McKinley asked Congress for war, and a declaration was passed on April 25. The effort proved to be a logistical nightmare as the U.S. was unprepared for the conflict. However, the war was popular with the public, and men raced to enlist.

Ten Illinois regiments totaling 11,000 men were raised for the conflict, although only seven saw action. Many area men were in the 3rd Illinois Regiment, which was headquartered in Joliet. Men from that city made up much of Company B of the regiment.

The commander of the 3rd Illinois was Fred Bennitt, a Joliet lawyer who was a colonel in the Illinois National Guard. Bennitt, the son of a Civil War veteran, led the 3rd in sporadic fighting in Puerto Rico during the conflict, and remained a beloved figure in the area until his death in December 1930.

Bennitt is buried in Oakwood Cemetery. His funeral procession was highlighted by 52 cars of Spanish-American War veterans.

The 1st, 2nd and 7th Illinois regiments predominately consisted of Chicago men, as was the 8th Illinois, an all-Black regiment that served in the occupation forces. The 1st Illinois Cavalry also was heavily from Chicago.

Many American soldiers sat at the stop-off point of Tampa for weeks, waiting for organization and supplies. Meanwhile, Commodore George Dewey soundly defeated the Spanish Pacific Squadron at Manila Bay on May 1. Finally, the U.S. landed in Cuba on June 10, and fought through mosquito-infested jungles on an offensive to Santiago.

The conflict was one of the first “media wars” in the U.S. and benefitted from a savvy public-relations campaign, both from the government and the press. Some believe that McKinley’s “nerve center,” equipped with the latest technology such as telephones, was ground-breaking in the management of American wars.

“I think McKinley managed the war very well,” Kenney said. “He was definitely aware of the ‘image’ and what the public, and even members of his own party, were thinking. He took measures to protect that image.”

The ambitious and headstrong Roosevelt also was well aware of image, dressing in an eye-catching uniform produced by clothier Brooks Brothers, a nod to his privileged New York upbringing rather than his rough-and-tumble persona. His Rough Riders, meanwhile, wore brown pants, slouch hats and neckerchiefs, which were apparel chosen by Roosevelt himself.

The Rough Riders were the nickname of the First Volunteer Cavalry and numbered 964 strong, including 86 with Illinois connections. The unit was mainly recruited in the Arizona and New Mexico territories, as well as Texas and present-day Oklahoma.

Among them was Samuel McKinnon, a Braidwood native whose occupation was listed as “miner.” McKinnon, 21, was a private in E Troop. Another private in E Troop was John Martin, a 26-year-old Streator native who was a miner in Decatur at the outbreak of the hostilities.

Will County native Edward Lentz, a 30-year-old carpenter who lived in Bowling Green, Ohio, at the time of the war, was a private in L Troop. John Norton of Lockport was a private in C Troop.

Princeton native Oren Carey, 22, who was farming in Iowa at the outbreak, also was a private in L Troop.

Although many believe the Rough Riders charged up San Juan Hill on July 1, they actually were on nearby Kettle Hill. Heat exhaustion caused a number of men to drop during the offensive. On July 3, the Spanish fleet suffered destruction at the naval battle of Santiago.

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Action in the war lasted only four months, and the Treaty of Paris on Dec. 10 formally ended hostilities.

Over 250,000 Americans had enlisted for service, though many never saw action. The U.S. lost only 379 men killed. Some 2,061 Americans died of disease, many in training.

In all, 276 Illinois men died during the conflict, including Maj. William Baldwin of the 6th Illinois, who perished on Sept. 15, 1898. He is one of several veterans of the 6th who is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Dixon.

Roosevelt and U.S. Secretary of State John Hay have both been credited with calling the conflict “a splendid little war.”

The U.S. gained $20 million and the Spanish colonies, though the Philippines would prove a major headache before independence was declared in 1946. Cuba gained its freedom, but it fell under the control of Fidel Castro in 1959 and became a pawn in the Cold War.

Although the Spanish-American War is a footnote in U.S. history today, it remains a part of both Spanish and Cuban heritage. In Cuba, the conflict was called the “Cuban War of Independence,” but the defeated Spanish simply labeled the war as “The Loss.”

Memorials to the short-lived conflict are found in various locales across Illinois. A cannon from the war is parked at the grounds of the Knox County Courthouse in Galesburg; a striking statue memorializing the war stands at the corner of Second and Monroe streets in Springfield, across from the statehouse; and a memorial boulder on Lake Street, near the entrance to Ridgeland Common Recreation Complex, in Oak Park, is a monument to the Spanish-American War.

• Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.