Siege of Santiago Siege of Santiago The Siege of Santiago also known as the Siege of Santiago de Cuba was the last major operation of the Spanish–American War on the island of Cuba. This action should not be confused with the naval battle of Santiago de Cuba. The primary objective of the American Fifth Army Corps' invasion of Cuba was the capture of the city of Santiago de Cuba. U.S. forces had driven back the Spaniards' first line of defense at the Battle of Las Guasimas, after which General Arsenio Linares pulled his troops back to the main line of defense against Santiago
USS Santiago de Cuba (1861) covered them as they reluctantly reembarked the next day, under orders of General Benjamin F. Butler, the army commander. Porter immediately began work organizing a new invasion force. The union warships and Army transports returned to the vicinity of Wilmington in mid-January 1865. After a bloody three-day fight, Fort Fisher fell on the 15th. The next day, "Santiago de Cuba" embarked men wounded in the battle and sailed for Norfolk, Virginia. During the Civil War, the following crewmen of the USS "Santiago de Cuba" were awarded the Medal of Honor: Before the war ended, "Santiago de Cuba" was the steamship