July 1, 1898 · Cuba Theater
July 1, 1898
The Battle of San Juan Heights on July 1, 1898 was the bloodiest and most celebrated engagement of the Cuban campaign. The assault comprised two simultaneous charges: the regular infantry against the fortified San Juan Hill itself, and the Rough Riders — the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry — against the adjacent Kettle Hill. Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, whose superior was incapacitated, personally led the charge up Kettle Hill on horseback, then dismounted and led a second charge toward San Juan Hill. The fighting was brutal, and American forces suffered nearly 1,400 casualties in the day's assaults across the San Juan Heights. African American Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry played a decisive role in the assaults, though they would receive far less recognition than the Rough Riders.
Commanders