January
1: Spain institutes limited political autonomy in Cuba.
January
12: Spanish in Cuba "riot" or demonstrate against
autonomy-supporting newspaper offices. Consul-General Lee takes
this as threat against Americans.
January
17: Consul-General Lee asked for ship to sent to Havana
January
21: Esperanza, the Cuban rebel stronghold is invaded.
January
24: Battleship MAINE sent to Havana
January
25: Battleship MAINE arrives in Havana.
January
27: Cuban Brig. Gen. Aranguren ambushed and killed.
February
1: Spanish forces are beaten at Rejondon de Baguanos. This and
other previous operations by Garcia, cause the Spanish to abandon
the strategically important interior of Oriente Province, and
effectively isolating Santiago de Cuba by land from other coastal
Spanish garrisons.
February
9: The DeLome letter is printed, critical of McKinley, causing
the Spanish diplomat to be recalled.
February
15: Battleship MAINE explodes, 266 crewmen killed.
February
16: DeLome leaves the US for Spain.
February
17: Naval Board of Inquiry into the loss of the battleship MAINE
created ("the Sampson Board")
February
18: Spanish cruiser VIZCAYA arrives in New York in reciprocal
visit for the USS Maine, unaware that the Maine had been lost.
February
21: The Naval Court of Inquiry into the loss of the MAINE begins.
February
25: VIZCAYA leaves New York for Havana.
March
6: Spain requests, unofficially, that Consul-General Lee be
recalled.
March
8: Congress authorizes $50 million for a war fund.
March
14: Admiral Cervera's squadron steams for the Cape Verde Islands.
March
19: Battleship OREGON, under Capt. Charles Clark leaves San
Francisco for Florida, by way of Tierra del Fuego on its famous
dash!
March
21: Board of Inquiry Report completed. States that battleship
MAINE lost to a mine.
March
25: McKinley receives Board of Inquiry Report.
March
26: McKinley sends note to Spain demanding an end to war in
Cuba, as well as a note indicating the findings of the Naval
Board of Inquiry.
March
28: Naval Court of Inquiry report presented to Congress. On
the same day, the report of the Spanish Board of Inquiry into
the loss of the MAINE is received in Washington. This reports
states that the loss was the result of an internal accident.
March
30: U.S. minister to Spain, Woodford, conveys request that war
in Cuba end and that Cuba be given independence.
March
31: Spain turns down demands of Cuban independence.
April
1: U.S. House of Representatives authorizes $22.6 million for
naval vessels.
April
6: Pope asked McKinley to not declare war pending the Pope's
negotiations with Spain.
April
7: Ambassadors of England, Germany, France, Italy, Austria and
Russia appeal to McKinley for peace.
April
9: Spain orders General Blanco to declare armistice in Cuba.
Consul-General
Lee and other U.S. citizens leave Cuba.
April
11: McKinley asks Congress for war.
April
16: Army begins mobilization. Teller Amendment passes in U.S.
Congress, stating that the U.S. would not annex Cuba.
April
19: U.S. Congress declares Cuba independent.
April
22: Blockade of Cuba commenced by US Navy. First Spanish ship
taken.
April
23: McKinley issues call for 125,000 volunteers. Spain declares
war.
April
25: U.S. declares war, but makes the declaration retroactive
to April 22. Matanzas, Cuba bombarded by the US Navy.
April
27: Commodore Dewey's squadron leaves Mirs Bay, China for the
Philippines.
April
29: Calixto Garcia takes Bayamo, abandoned by the Spanish, as
headquarters.
April
30: Admiral Cervera's Spanish squadron leaves the Cape Verde
Islands for the Caribbean.
May
1: U.S. Navy's Asiatic Squadron under Commodore Dewey defeats
the Spanish Pacific Squadron at the Battle of Manila Bay.
May
1: US Lieutenant Andrew Summers Rowan arrives in Bayamo to coordinate
Cuban and US forces.
May
11: Dewey promoted to rear admiral.
May
11: The WINSLOW attacks Cardenas, resulting in the death of
Ensign Bagley and five crewmen. Bagley was the only U.S. naval
officer to die in the war. Cervera's squadron appears off Martinique.
May
11: The cable is cut at Cienfuegos, Cuba by the crews of the
MARBLEHEAD and NASHVILLE
May
12: Admiral Sampson bombards San Juan, Puerto Rico, without
warning.
May
13: Commodore Schley's "Flying Squadron" leaves Hampton
Roads for the vicinity of Cuba.
May
15: Theodore Roosevelt begins training with Rough Riders.
May
17: Cervera's squadron arrives in Santiago, Cuba.
May
25: McKinley issues a call for 75,000 more volunteers. The first
army expedition leaves San Francisco for Manila, P.I.
May
28: Battleship OREGON arrives off Florida after the 14,700 nautical
mile dash from the U.S.'s west coast
May
29: US Navy blockades Spanish fleet in Santiago harbor.
May
31: Schley and the blockading squadron skirmish with CRISTOBAL
COLON and the forts at Santiago
June
3: Hobson sinks the MERRIMAC at the entrance to Santiago harbor.
June
10: US Marines land at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
June
12-14: Maj. Gen. Shafter's Vth Corps embarks at Tampa.
June
15: Spanish squadron leaves Spain for the Philippines.
June
21: Guam "captured" by US forces.
June
20: Calixto Garcia meets with US General William Shafter in
Asseradero Sierra Maestra to coordinate US landings.
June
20: Cruiser CHARLESTON captures Island of Guam
June
21: Cuban forces (530 men) under Colonel Gonzalez Clavel are
taken by US transport Leone, and protected by the US warships
Vixen and the Gloucester land at Sigua and advance on Daiquri
by land.
June
22: At dawn, Gonzalez Clavel's men advancing by land take the
lightly defended Spanish positions on the heights of Daiquiri
and control landing zone. US ships accidentally shell Cuban
forces on shore. U.S forces under General Lawton begin to land.
June
22: Vth Corps of 16,000 men land at Daiquiri in Cuba throughout
the day.
June
22-23: Cuban scouts take about 20 wounded and report to General
Lawton that first Spanish strong positions are at La Guasimas.
Lawton orders US and Cuban forces at his command to hold positions,
before formal attack.
June
24: Battle of Las Guasimas.
July
1: Battles of El Caney and San Juan Hill.
July
3: Spanish fleet attempts to escape from Santiago, all ships
destroyed at the naval Battle of Santiago.
July
4: Six Spanish prisoners killed aboard Auxiliary Cruiser HARVARD.
The event becomes known as the "Harvard Incident."
July
6: Hobson and his crew exchanged.
July
8: Spanish squadron heading for the Philippines is forced to
turn around to protect the Spanish coastline.
July
10: Santiago bombarded by the U.S. Navy.
July
17: Spanish Santiago garrison surrenders.
July
25: US Army invades Puerto Rico.
July
26: Spanish ask for terms of peace through the French ambassador.
July
31: Night attack by the Spanish on the American lines at Manila,
P.I.
August
9: Battle of Coamo, Puerto Rico results in U.S. victory; Spain
accepts McKinley's terms of peace.
August
11: American Troops entered Mayaguez, Puerto Rico's third largest
city.
August
12: Peace protocol is signed (truce).
August
13: US Forces take Manila with a minor fight.
August
20: Great naval review in New York harbor.
August
23: General Merritt appointed governor of Manila. Command of
8th Corps in P.I. given to General Otis.
August
25: General Shafter leaves Cuba.
August
29: Efforts to raise MARIA TERESA and CRISTOBAL COLON begun
by Hobson.
September
10: Spanish Cortes approves peace protocol.
September
12: Admiral Cevera leaves U.S. to return to Spain.
September
13: "Rough Riders" mustered out of service; Spanish
senate approves peace protocol.
September
14: U.S. troops begin leaving Puerto Rico; Queen Regent of Spain
signs peace protocol.
September
20: First U.S. flag raised in Havana, Cuba.
September
24: Leonard Wood made military governor of Cuba.
September
25: MARIA TERESA raised by Hobson.
September
29: Spanish and American peace commissioners meet for the first
time.
October
12: OREGON and IOWA leave New York for Manila, P.I.
October
18: U.S. takes formal possession of Puerto Rico.
November
5: MARIA TERESA lost near Cat Island.
November
28: Spain agrees to cede Philippines Islands.
November
30: General Blanco leaves Cuba for Spain.
December
10: Treaty of Paris ends war.
December
23: Aguinaldo's cabinet resigns in the Philippines.
