Action of 13 June 1898 decided to withdraw. At the outbreak of the Spanish–American War Cienfuegos was a strategically important port due to its facilities and good communications with Havana. Some prewar plans recommended its prompt capture, but instead it was blockaded, along with some other important ports of the southern coast of Cuba such as Santiago de Cuba and Manzanillo. The most powerful Spanish naval units of the island, meanwhile, had been gathered in Santiago, and submarine defenses consisting mainly of torpedoes had been installed in the major ports of Havana, Cienfuegos, Santiago and San Juan de Puerto Rico. The naval units based in
Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba S. SUMNER, U. S. V. 6 Brig.-General ADELBERT AMES, U. S. V. 7 Brig.-General WALLACE F. RANDOLPH, U. S. V. 8 Brig.-General CHAMBERS McKIBBIN, U. S. V. 9 Col. THEODORE ROOSEVELT, 1st U. S. Vol. Cav. 10 Lt.-Col. JOHN DAVID MILEY, Inspector-general, U. S. V. (Died at Manila, P. I., September 19, 1899) United Spanish War Veterans Spanish War Service Medal Spanish Campaign Medal Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba was an organization, the purpose of which was to record the history and conserve the memory of the events of