The Spanish–American War (1898) in real time

[lordroel]

This war in real time is going to be diffrent than the others as there will be days where nothing happens. Because of that, unlike other Realtime projects where discussion is only allowed in Real time Discussion thread, i am going to allow discusion of this war in this thread.

Sources used for the Spanish–American War (1898) in real time:

Naval History and Heritage Command - Spanish-American War

Wikipedia - Timeline of the Spanish–American War

The World of 1898 - Spanish–American War

Spanish American War Centennial Website!

CORRESPONDENCE Relating to THE WAR WITH SPAIN

US marines in the Spanish-America War

A HISTORY OF THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR OF 1898

The Spanish–American War (1898) in real time



January 1st 1898

Spain

Spain grants limited autonomy to Cuba.

Japan

Commodore George Dewey takes command of his new flagship, the cruiser USS Olympia lying at anchor in the roadstead of Nagasaki.

[miletus12]

Some things happen pre-1898 that lay the seeds for the actual war.

1. 10 October 1868 Carlos M. Céspedes issued the Grito de Yara and initiated the Ten Years' War.
2. 30 October – 8 November 1873 the Virginius Affair occurs.
3. 1873 Mister H.H. Garnet (US rabble rouser) calls for invasion of Cuba to free slaves.
4. 1886 Garner gets his way. The Spanish abolish slavery in Cuba and impose peonage instead.
5. 1890 A.T. Mahan publishes and teaches. The Americans plan a war against Spain, "just in case".
6. 5 Jan 1892 Jose Marti v. Perez formed El Partido Revolucionario Cubano (The Cuban Revolutionary party). He organizes cells in Miami, Tampa, Key West, New York and Philadelphia. It will not be long before gun-running and other shenanigans begins to Cuba.
7. 26 February 1895 the Ejército Libertador de Cuba) issues in the Grito de Baire, and the Second Revolution begins.The Spanish end it 24 hours later.
8. 29 March Antonio Maceo returns to Cuba to support the revolution. He arrives a month too late.
9. 10 April Jose Martí and Máximo Gómez Baez return to Cuba to fight for independence; Gómez serves as military leader of the new revolution. The Cuban Revolutionary party (El Partido Revolucionario Cubano) has a New York cell that conspires for revolution with various US newspaper publishers (Hearst and Pullitzer.), instigated and urged on by José Martí.
10. 19 May The Spaniards kill José Martí during an ambush at Dos Ríos, Cuba.
11. 12 June U.S. President Grover Cleveland proclaims U.S. neutrality in the Cuban Insurrection. The US Navy General Board holds its first war operations meeting "just in case".
12. 1 September The Cuban Revolutionary Party (Cuban Junta), under Tomás Estrada Palma forms to relight the Cuban insurgency and to campaign for U.S. recognition of the Cuban belligerency.

More to come.

[lordroel]

January 12th 1898

Cuba

Anti-independence riots, incited by Spanish Army officers, occur in Havana, the capital of Cuba, offices of four newspapers are attacked. The protests are actually an action by some officers in charge of the Cuban "Voluntarios," or home guard, who are angered by anti-Weyler editorials that are printed in the newspapers. United States Consul in Havana, Fitzhugh Lee claims that these serious protests are full-scale riots and are evidence of the prevalent and dangerous anti-American feeling. Lee also claims that the protests show the instability within the Spanish military. The protests, in reality, have not been directed towards the Americans. Though it may have appeared that the Spanish military is losing control of its own troops, this probably would not have occurred on any large scale.

[lordroel]

January 17th 1898

Cuba

Since mid-December, the USS Maine has been held in readiness in Key West, Florida, to meet any crisis that would arise in Cuba. United States Consul in Havana, Fitzhugh Lee has worked out a plan directly with Captain Charles Sigsbee of the USS Maine. If Lee sends the message "two dollars", the Maine is to be put on alert to be able to steam to Havana beginning within two hours. If Lee sends the additional message that "Vessels might be employed elsewhere," the Maine is to proceed to Havana at once. The January riots have caused Lee to send the first of the two messages to Captain Charles Sigsbee.

United States

The armored cruiser USS New York departs Fort Monroe, Charleston for Key West.

[lordroel]

January 20th 1898

United States

Based on United States Consul in Havana, Fitzhugh Lee's reports and urging to the U.S. State Department,President McKinley finally decides to resume the naval courtesy visits to Cuba that have been stopped by his predecessor. Upon being notified of this decision, Spain, also responding to the tense international situation, stated that it would regard the naval visits as an unfriendly act. The U.S. State Department argues that it would be odd if the visits are not allowed, since the U.S. and Spain are, in fact, at peace. Spain accepts the proposal, provided that the Spanish naval vessel, Viczaya, will visit New York in response.

[stevep]

  lordroel ,

  Today's Spanish-American war post sets up an interesting scenario.  If the Spanish had refused the planned visit and Maine had still blown up, but in an American harbour it would have been a lot harder for the Hearst yellow press to drum up a fervor for war. 

  steve

[lordroel]

Jan 20, 2022 17:31:39 GMT stevep said:

  lordroel ,

  Today's Spanish-American war post sets up an interesting scenario.  If the Spanish had refused the planned visit and Maine had still blown up, but in an American harbour it would have been a lot harder for the Hearst yellow press to drum up a fervor for war. 

  steve

Hi stevep , moved this post to the The Spanish–American War (1898) in real time as this war in realtime will be free to post in.

Now think what would happen if the Viczaya blew up in New York instead of Maine in Havana. 

[stevep]

Jan 20, 2022 17:36:29 GMT lordroel said:

Jan 20, 2022 17:31:39 GMT stevep said:

  lordroel ,

  Today's Spanish-American war post sets up an interesting scenario.  If the Spanish had refused the planned visit and Maine had still blown up, but in an American harbour it would have been a lot harder for the Hearst yellow press to drum up a fervor for war. 

  steve

Hi stevep , moved this post to the The Spanish–American War (1898) in real time as this war in realtime will be free to post in.

Now think what would happen if the Viczaya blew up in New York instead of Maine in Havana. 

  OK thanks for moving it.  So used to posting in the general thread for the WW threads.  Probably outrage in Madrid but very little else as I suspect they would have known that war with the US would be disastrous for them.  Also the US would have probably insisted on some sort of independent inquiry, which assuming the case was the same as for the Maine would have cleared the US.

  The big issue would be could the war hawks drive the US to war without the Maine blowing up in Havanna?

[lordroel]

Jan 20, 2022 17:53:59 GMT stevep said:

  The big issue would be could the war hawks drive the US to war without the Maine blowing up in Havanna?

They would find something, had it not been the Maine, then it would be something else.

[stevep]

Jan 20, 2022 17:56:01 GMT lordroel said:

Jan 20, 2022 17:53:59 GMT stevep said:

  The big issue would be could the war hawks drive the US to war without the Maine blowing up in Havanna?

They would find something, had it not been the Maine, then it would be something else.

  Possibly.  There does seem to be some interests who wanted to demonstrate American 'strength'.  However its a lot easier with a destroyed warship, a lot of dead sailors and parts of the press crying murder.  Without that there would be more difficulty to get up that head of steam.

[lordroel]

January 24th 1898

Cuba

As time went by after the January 12th protests, United States Consul in Havana, Fitzhugh Lee realize that the actions are not actually directed against the Americans. Lee contacts Washington stating that a naval vessel is not be required at the moment and that more time should be allowed for the excitement of the protests to cool. At almost the same time, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, John Long, decides that the conditions in Cuba are now calm enough to resume the naval visits as agreed to with Spain. That same day the USS Maine receives her orders, and departs Key West to steam toward Havana harbor.

[lordroel]

January 25th 1898

Havana Harbor, Cuba

United States Consul in Havana, Fitzhugh Lee is surprised and a bit unnerved by the arrival of the USS Maine. He had been notified by New York Herald correspondent, John Caldwell, that the Maine will arrive this morning. Lee refuse to believe the news. Caldwell explains the source of his information. Caldwell needed cartridges for the revolver sent to him by the Herald, which were unavailable in Havana. He had wired the Herald's New York office stating "Camera received but no plates; please rush by next steamer." According to Caldwell, the Herald office decoded the message incorrectly, believing it to literally read "U.S. Consulate under attack." Caldwell mistakenly believed that this news was passed to Washington, and taken seriously. The response Caldwell received was "Send report Cuban cane crop. Want for main section.", which was decoded to state that the USS Maine was being sent. Lee scoffed at Caldwell's news until, moments later, the firing of salutes indicated the Maine's arrival. Caldwell reasoning of the chain of events triggering the Maine's visit was incorrect, but his timing was impeccable.

The United States Navy battleship USS Maine arrives at Havana Harbor from Key West, Florida, Maine anchors in the center of the port; she remains on vigilant watch, allowing no liberty, and takes extra precautions against sabotage.

Photo: USS Maine entering Havana Harbor. On the right is the old Morro Castle fortress

[lordroel]

January 27th 1898

Japan

Secretary of the Navy John Davis Long orders Commodore George Dewey, the station commander, to retain enlisted men serving with him whose term of service have expired.

[oscssw]

Jan 27, 2022 3:52:51 GMT lordroel said:

January 27th 1898

Japan

Secretary of the Navy John Davis Long orders Commodore George Dewey, the station commander, to retain enlisted men serving with him whose term of service have expired.

Today we, in the US armed forces, call it "stop-loss". 

[lordroel]

Jan 28, 2022 0:41:10 GMT oscssw said:

Jan 27, 2022 3:52:51 GMT lordroel said:

January 27th 1898

Japan

Secretary of the Navy John Davis Long orders Commodore George Dewey, the station commander, to retain enlisted men serving with him whose term of service have expired.

Today we, in the US armed forces, call it "stop-loss". 

I would assume in those times that when a sailor who had done their time would leave in the first port they got ore would they stay until they got to a US port.