January lst-15th. The North Atlantic squadron of the United Stites navy was assembled near Dry Tortugas islands, Gulf of Mexico.
January 15th-20th. Demonstrations against Americans by Spanish
volunteers in Havana. Guard of Spanish soldiers placed about the U. S.
consulate.
January 25th. Battleship Maine arrived at Havana.
February 8th-9th. Letter from Spanish Minister De Lome, disparaging
President McKinley, is published. De Lome resigns. United States
discusses intervention in Cuba.
February 14th. Congress requests information from the president
relative to conditions in Cuba. Senor Luis Polo de Bernabe appointed
Spanish minister to succeed De Lome.
February 15th. Battleship Maine
blown up in Havana harbor. Lives lost, 260. Spain officially expresses
regret for the "incident." President appoints a board of inquiry to
inquire into the cause of the destruction of the Maine.
February 18th. Spanish cruiser Viscaya visits New York harbor for a week
February 20th The court of inquiry begins work at Havana. Cruiser Montgomery ordered to proceed to Havana.
March 5th. The United States refuses to recall Consul-General Lee at the request of Spain.
March 7th-9th. Congress appropriates $50,000,000 for the national defense.
March 11th-15th. Mobilization of the army commenced. Battleship Oregon
sails from San Francisco for Key West. Spain offers an armistice to the
Cuban insurgents. Spanish fleet sails from Cadiz for the Canary islands.
March 15th-30th. Report of the Maine
board of inquiry delivered to the president, and by him transmitted to
congress. Commodore Schley takes command of the Flying Squadron. Spain
grants permission to the president to relieve the Cuban reconcentrados.
April lst-15th. Spanish fleet arrives at the Cape Verde islands. Pope
intercedes with Spain for peace. Representatives of the great powers of
Europe call on the president with a plea for peace. United States
consuls recalled from Cuba.
April 15th-20bh. Congress declares Cuba free and directs the president
to use the United States forces to free Cuba from Spanish authority.
The president cables an ultimatum to Spain to Minister Woodford
at Madrid. The Spanish cortes receives a war-like message from the
queen regent.
April 20th-25th. Minister Woodford receives his passports from the
Spanish government. United States military establishment increased by
act of congress. British government notifies Spain that coal is
contraband of war. President issues a proclamation to the neutral
powers, announcing war with Spain. The North Atlantic Squadron, under
Rear Admiral Sampson, sails from Key West and begins the blockade of
Cuban ports. Spanish ship Buena Ventur captured by the gunboat Nashville,
first prize of the war. President McKinley calls for 125,000
volunteers. The powers of Europe, except Germany, issue proclamations
of neutrality. Spain formally declares war with the United States.
Congress declares war with Spain.
April 25th-30th. Congress passes an act increasing the regular army to
61,000'men. Mantanzas bombarded. Spanish fleet under Admiral Cervera
sails from Cape Verde islands for the West Indies.
May 1st. Battle of Manila bay. Spanish fleet totally destroyed by Commodore Dewey.
May 5th-15th. Riots in Spain follow the news of Dewey's victory. Dewey
is promoted to rear admiral. Cienfuegos and Cardenas attacked. San Juan
de Porto Rico bombarded. Spanish fleet appears off Martinique island.
American flying squadron sails for eastern Cuba.
May 15th-30th. A new Spanish minister comes into office with Senor
Sagasta as premier. Cervera's fleet arrives at Santiago de Cuba. The
cruiser Charleston sails from San Francisco for Manila. Battleship Oregon
arrives at Jupiter inlet, Florida. A call for 75,000 additional
volunteers is issued by the president. Admiral Sampson's fleet arrives
at Santiago and bombards the forts at the entrance of the harbor.
June 3d. Lieutenant Hobson and crew sink the collier Merrimac in the entrance of Santiago harbor.
June 4th. Captain Gridley, of the Olympia, Admiral Dewey's flag ship, dies at Kobe, Japan, while on his way home to the United States.
June 5th-15th. The Spanish Cruiser, Reina Mercedes,
destroyed by the American war vessels at Santiago. War revenue bill
passed by congress. The American army of invasion, 16,000 men, under
General Shafter, leave Key West for Santiago. Marines land at
Guantanamo and skirmish with Spanish soldiers. Port at Caimanera
bombarded by American war vessels.
June 20th-30th. General Shafter's army landed at Daiquiri. The Ladrone
islands in the Pacific surrender to the American Philippine expedition.
Auxiliary cruiser, St, Paul,
repulses an attack by Spanish torpedo boats off San Juan, Porto Rico.
General Merritt sails for Manila to take command of American forces in
the Philippines.
July lst-2d. Battle of El Caney, Santiago. Spanish earthworks carried by assault.
July 3d. Admiral Cervera's fleet destroyed while attempting to escape
from Santiago harbor. Surrender of Santiago demanded by American forces.
July 5th-15th. Hobson and the crew of the exchanged. German gunboat, MerrimacIrene,
withdraws from Subig bay, Philippine islands, when Dewey's ships appear
to take possession. General Miles arrives in Cuba. Admiral Cervera and
Spanish prisoners arrive at Portsmouth, N. H.
July 17th. Santiago surrendered. More than 22,000 Spanish soldiers became prisoners of war.
July 20th-25th. Four United States war vessels bombard and capture Nipe, Cuba; the last naval engagement in Cuban waters.
July 25th-30th. United States army, under General Miles, lands in Porto
Rico. General Merritt lands at Cavite, Manila harbor. Spain asks for
terms of peace through Cambon, French ambassador to the United States.
President replies, stating American terms.
July 31st. Battle of Malate, near Manila; Spanish repulsed.
August 9th Spain accepts terms of peace offered by the
president.
August 12th-13th. Peace protocol signed. An armistice proclaimed.
Blockade of Cuba raised. Manila surrenders after some fighting.
October 18th. American forces take formal possession of Porto Rico, at San Juan.
December 10th. Treaty of Peace signed at Paris, France.
Source:
Iowa Official Register, Published by the Secretary of State,
By Order of the General Asssembly, 1899.
G. L. Dobson, Secretary of State
Transcribed by Lynn Diemer-Mathews and
uploaded January 24, 2024.
