Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba 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 the campaign which resulted in the surrender, on July 17, 1898, of the Spanish army, the city of Santiago de Cuba, and the military province to which it pertained during the Spanish–American War. Organized in the Governor's Palace, Santiago de Cuba, July 31, 1898. Constitution adopted at Camp Wykoff, Long Island, N. Y., September 15, 1898. The membership of the Society shall consist of
Battle of Santiago de Cuba Ramon Blanco y Erenas, the top military commander in Cuba, ordered it to sortie from the harbor along the coast westward to Cienfuegos. In Cervera's eyes, the escape from the bay seemed nearly impossible. He strongly considered fleeing under protection of night, but opted to sail by day instead to ensure the safe navigation of his ships through Santiago's narrow channel. On Sunday July 3, 1898, Cervera, aboard his flagship "Infanta Maria Teresa", led the Spanish fleet out of the safety of Santiago harbor at seven minute intervals. The primary elements of the American forces in Cuban waters were initially