Spanish American War

The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States. Revolts against Spanish rule had been endemic for decades in Cuba and were closely watched by Americans; there had been war scares before, as in the Virginius Affair in 1873. By 1897–98 American public opinion grew more angry at reports of Spanish atrocities, magnified by the "yellow journalism". After the mysterious sinking of the American battleship Maine in Havana harbor, political pressures from the Democratic Party pushed the government headed by President William McKinley, a Republican, into a war McKinley had wished to avoid. Compromise proved impossible and first Madrid, then Washington, formally declared war.

Although the main issue was Cuban independence, the ten-week war was fought in both the Caribbean and the Pacific. A series of one-sided American naval and military victories followed on all fronts, owing to their numerical superiority in most of the battles and despite the good performance of some of the Spanish infantry units. The outcome was the 1898 Treaty of Paris, which was favorable to the U.S. followed by temporary American control of Cuba and indefinite colonial authority over Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. The defeat and subsequent end of the Spanish Empire was a profound shock for Spain's national psyche. The victor gained several island possessions spanning the globe and a rancorous new debate over the wisdom of imperialism. See Wikipedia

1898 - 1902

Obtaining Spanish American War Records

• Compiled Military Service Records

  • Rough Riders (Search by Surname)

  • How to Search the National Archives for Rough Riders

  • Recruitment of the 9th and 10th Cavalry

  • Sample Records

  • 1st North Dakota Volunteers

• National Archives

  • M871, General Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War With Spain, 126 rolls.
  • M233, Register of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914, 81 rolls.
  • T288, General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, 544 rolls.
  • M1328, Abstracts of Service Records of Naval Officers ("Records of Officers"), 1829-1924, 18 rolls.
  • M1052, General and Special Indexes to the General Correspondence of the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, July 1897-Aug. 1926, 119 rolls.
  • M1064, Letters Received by the Commission Branch of the Adjutant General's Office, 1863-1870, 527 rolls.
  • M1125, Name and Subject Index to the Letters Received by the Appointment, Commission, and Personal Branch of the Adjutant General's Office, 1871-1894, 4 rolls.
  • M698, Index to the General Correspondence of the Office of the Adjutant General, 1890-1917, 1,269 rolls.
  • M929, Documents Relating to the Military and Naval Service of Blacks Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor from the Civil War to the Spanish American War, 4 rolls.

• Spanish American War Chronology (hosted at Spanish American War Centennial)

• Personal Profiles

• Theodore Roosevelt

  • Field, Staff and Band
  • Troop A
  • Troop B
  • Troop C
  • Troop D
  • Troop E
  • Troop F
  • Troop G
  • Troop H
  • Troop I
  • Troop K
  • Troop L
  • Troop M
• Spanish American War Centennial - Military Rosters
  • Unit Profiles
• Maj. Micah Jenkins Camp #164 of the Sons of Spanish American War Veterans

Cemeteries

• US Military National Cemeteries (all Wars)
  • Burial Search
• US Military State Cemeteries
• Military Cemeteries by State
• Spanish American War, Centennial Website
  • Alabama Graves
  • Arizona Graves
  • Arkansas Graves
  • California Graves
  • Colorado Graves
  • Connecticut Graves
  • Delaware Graves
  • Florida Graves
  • Georgia Graves
  • Idaho Graves
  • Illinois Graves
  • Indiana Graves
  • Iowa Graves
  • Kansas Graves
  • Kentucky Graves
  • Louisiana Graves
  • Maine Graves
  • Maryland Graves
  • Massachusetts Graves
  • Michigan Graves
  • Minnesota Graves
  • Mississippi Graves
  • Missouri Graves
  • Montana Graves
  • Nebraska Graves
  • Nevada Graves
  • New Hampshire Graves
  • New Jersey Graves
  • New Mexico Graves 
  • New York Graves 
  • North Carolina Graves 
  • North Dakota Graves 
  • Ohio Graves 
  • Oklahoma Graves 
  • Oregon Graves
  • Pennsylvania Graves
  • Rhode Island Graves 
  • South Carolina Graves  
  • South Dakota Graves 
  • Texas Graves 
  • Tennessee Graves 
  • Utah Graves
  • Vermont Graves 
  • Virginia Graves 
  • Washington DC Graves 
  • Washington Graves
  • West Virginia Graves
  • Wisconsin Graves
  • Wyoming Graves

Records by State

Multi State Records

• Spanish American War Camps 1898-1899 (hosted at NEGenWeb)
• Films of the Spanish American War (hosted at American Memory)
• USGenWeb Archives (Records by state and County)
• Spanish American War (hosted at Library of Congress)
• Spanish American War Memorials (hosted at Waymarking)
• History of the Negro Soldier in the Spanish American War
• Yellow Fever in the Spanish American War (hosted at University of Virginia)
• Photographs of The Spanish American War (hosted at Library of Congress)
• Pensions, Rosters and Land Grants (hosted at USGenWeb Pension Project )

Alabama

• Alabama Digital Records (hosted at Alabama Department of Archives and History)
• 1st Alabama Volunteer Infantry

Arizona

• Alexander Brodie, Arizona Rough Riders (hosted at Arlington National Cemetery)

Arkansas

• Arkansas' Spanish American War Soldiers (hosted at Arkansas Research)
• Arkansas History Commission, Microfilm Records

California

• Roster of the 7th California Volunteer Infantry (hosted at South Orange County California Genealogy Society )

• Troops in Evergreen Cemetery Riverside (hosted at Genealogical Society of Riverside)

• Roster for the 1st California Heavy Artillery, Battery B (hosted at Spanish American War Centennial Web Site)

Colorado

• Colorado Troops in the War database (hosted at Colorado State Archives)
• Colorado Veterans Grave Registrations 1862-1949
• Colorado Volunteers (hosted at Genealogy Trails)
• Colorado in the Spanish American War (hosted at Colorado Genealogy)
• Connecticut Servicemen, Spanish American War $ Ancestry.com

Connecticut

• Muster Roll Spanish American War (hosted at USGenWeb Archives)
• Noble Pension Database (hosted at Connecticut State Library)
• Connecticut Military Records (hosted at Family Search)

Florida

• Florida and the War for Cuban Independence (hosted at Florida Memory)
• A Splendid Little War (hosted at Small Planet)
• Key West and the Spanish American War (hosted at Florida International University)

Georgia

• 3rd Georgia Volunteer Infantry (hosted at Spanish American War, Centennial Website)
• Spanish American War Service Summary Cards (hosted at Georgia's Virtual Vault)
• The Georgia Volunteers (hosted at City of Savannah)

Idaho

• Roster of the 1st Idaho Volunteer Infantry, Co B (hosted at Spanish American War, Centennial)
• Idaho in the Spanish American War (hosted at USGenWeb Archives)
• Old Age Pensions (hosted at Idaho State Historical Society)
  • Soldiers Home Index

Illinois

• Roster of Sixth Illinois Infantry Company B (hosted at USGenWeb Archives)

• Illinois Database (hosted at Illinois State Archives)

• Military Units (hosted at Spanish American War, Centennial Website)

• White County Illinois Soldiers (hosted at Genealogy Trails)

Indiana

• Indiana Volunteers in the Spanish American War (hosted at Mardos Library)
• Indiana in the Spanish American War (hosted at State of Indiana)
• Indiana Spanish American War Records $ Ancestry.com

Kansas

• Brown County Kansas Soldiers
• Kingman County Spanish American War Veterans (hosted at KSGenWeb)
• Roster of the 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry (hosted at Scott County KSGenWeb)
• Roster of the 22nd Kansas Volunteer Infantry, Company C (hosted at KSGenWeb)

Kentucky

• Roster of the 2nd Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, Co. M (hosted at KyGenWeb )
• Roster of the 4th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, Co. E (hosted at Spanish American War Centennial)
• Laurel County, Spanish American War (hosted at KYGenWeb)
• Cumberland County Veterans of War (scroll down)

Louisiana

• Co H, 2nd LA Inf Rgt (hosted at USGenWeb Pension Project)
• Lake Charles Rifles Co. G 1st Reg. (hosted at USGenWeb Pension Project)
• 9th U.S. Volunteer Infantry (hosted at USGenWeb Pension Project)
• Hammond Light Guards Tangipahoa Parish, LA (hosted at USGenWeb Pension Project)
• Spanish-American War Veterans St. Helena, LA (hosted at USGenWeb Pension Project)

Maine

• Battleship Maine (hosted at Spanish American War Centennial Web Site)
• Destruction of the Maine (hosted at Library of Congress)
• Remember the Maine (hosted at Home of Heroes)
• Spanish American War Project, list of names (hosted at USGenWeb Pension Project)

Massachusetts

• Military Units (hosted at Spanish American War Centennial Web Site)
• Roster of the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, Battery B
• Harold Albert Sinclair - Pension (hosted at USGenWeb Pension Project )
• Spanish American War Photos (hosted at Naval Historical Center)
• Worcester Massachusetts in Spanish American War (hosted at The Stuff of War)

Michigan

• Spanish American War (hosted at Department of Military and Veterans Affairs)
• War Medal Recipients (hosted at Michigan.Gov)
• Roster of the 34th Michigan Infantry, Co. F (hosted at Duluth, South Shore, and Atlantic)
• Roster of troops from Alpena County (hosted at Alpena County MIGenWeb)

Minnesota

• 13th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry
• Mower County Veterans (hosted at MNGenWeb)
• Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection $ Ancestry.com

Mississippi

• Spanish American War Rosters (hosted at USGenWeb Archives)
• 1st Mississippi Volunteer Infantry
• Company B, 2nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment (hosted at USGenWeb Archives)
• Spanish American War at Ocean Springs (hosted at Ocean Springs Archives)

Missouri

• Partial Roster of the 2nd Missouri Volunteer Infantry
• 1st Missouri Volunteer Infantry
• Soldiers Records 1812 through World War I (hosted at Missouri Digital Heritage)
• Missouri Volunteers, Battery A (hosted at History's Time Portal to Old St. Louis)

Montana

• Roster of the 1st Montana Volunteer Infantry
• Montana Military Museum (hosted at Montana National Guard)

Nebraska

• Roster of the 2nd Nebraska Volunteer Infantry, Co. K (hosted at NEGenWeb )

• Camp Alvin Saunders (hosted at NEGenWeb)

• Nebraska in the War with Spain (hosted at NEGenWeb)

• 1898 Nebraska 2nd Infantry Roster (hosted at MARDOS Memorial Library)

• Nebraska Veterans of the Spanish American War (hosted at NEGenWeb) 

New Jersey

• Partial Roster of 2nd New Jersey National Guard
• Spanish American War and Related Records (hosted at NJ Dept. of State)
  • Naval Officers
• General John A. Mather Camp 39 (hosted at DVRBS)

New Mexico

• Spanish American War (hosted at National Guard Virtual Armory)
• Politics of the Spanish American War (hosted at University of Virginia)
• Rough Riders of New Mexico (hosted at Genealogy Trails)

New York

• Roster of the 2nd New York Volunteer Infantry (hosted at Schenectady Public Library)
• Military Discharges (hosted at Delaware County New York Genealogy and History )
• Veterans from Schenectady County, New York (hosted at Schenectady Public Library)
• New York and the War with Spain (hosted at Internet Archives)
• Spanish American War Units (hosted at New York State Military Museum)
  • Name Index

North Carolina

• Goldsboro Rifles, 1898 (hosted at USGenWeb Pension Project)

• Roster (partial), 3rd NC Volunteers Colored Troops

• Roster of Co L (Cabarrus Light Infantry), 1st North Carolina Volunteers

• Bryson Hensley, Pension File

• Lt. Giddens Acts as War Correspondent

• Goldsboro News-Argus

• Roster for the 1st North Carolina Volunteer Infantry (hosted at Spanish American War Centennial Web Site)

  Company A - Mecklenburg Company B - Wayne Company C - Forsyth Company D - Rockingham Company E - Iredell Company F - Buncombe

  Company G - Cleveland Company H - Haywood Company I - Durham Company K - Wake Company L - Cabarrus Company M - Mecklenburg

North Dakota

• Roster for the troops of 1st North Dakota Volunteers
• North Carolina Volunteers, Spanish American War $ Ancestry.com

Ohio

• Roster for the 1st Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, Troop E (hosted at Nance's Genealogy and History)

  • Roster for the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Co. H

  • Partial Roster, 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Co. K

• Veterans buried in Wayne County (hosted by Marvin R. Oswald)

• Roster of the 1st Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Co. F (hosted at Spanish American War Centenial Web Site)

  • Surname Roster of the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company F

  • Roster of the 4th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

  • Roster of the 6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

• Known Veterans of Spanish American War (hosted at USGenWeb Pension Project)

• Ohio Soldiers in the War with Spain, 1898-99 $ Ancestry.com

Oklahoma

• Spanish American War (hosted at Oklahoma Historical Society)

• Oklahomans in the Spanish American War (edited by Rodney C. Murrow)

Oregon

• 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry
• Oregon Roster of Spanish War Veterans (hosted at A Place Called Oregon)
• Oregon Volunteers, Spanish American War and Philippine Insurrection $ Ancestry.com

Pennsylvania

• Spanish American War Soldiers Listed on the Ebenburg War Memorial (hosted at USGenWeb Pension Project )

• Rosters of Pennsylvania Volunteers (hosted at Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Spanish-American War)

• Veterans from Mercer County (hosted at Mercer County USGenWeb Project )

• Spanish American War Veterans' Card File of United States Volunteers (hosted at Pennsylvania State Archives)

  • A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

   

Rhode Island

• Roster of the 1st Rhode Island Vol. Infantry, Co. I (hosted at Spanish American War Centenial Web Site)

• Roster of the 1st Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry (hosted at Spanish American War Centenial Web Site)

South Carolina

• Spanish American War (hosted at SCGenWeb Project)
• America Becomes a Global Power (hosted at SC Confederate Relic Room)
• Company B, First South Carolina Volunteers (hosted at Genealogy Trails)

South Dakota

• Day County Veterans (hosted at Day County SDGenWeb)
• Roster of the 1st South Dakota Volunteer Infantry

Tennessee

• Service Abstracts in Tennessee Volunteer Units (hosted Tennessee Dept of State)
• Why were the names Buffalo Soldiers and Rough Riders used (hosted an Tennessee 4 Me)
• Pictures from the Spanish American War (by Joe Payne)
• Virtual Cemetery - Spanish American War (hosted at Find a Grave)

Texas

• Veterans from Hood County (hosted at Hood County Genealogy Society)

• Veterans from Mills County (hosted at Ivy Place )

• Partial Roster of the 2nd Texas Volunteer Infantry, Co E (hosted at Spanish American War Centenial Web Site)

Utah

• Utah in the Spanish American War (hosted at Utah History to Go)
• Roster of Utah Volunteers (hosted at Fort Douglas Military Museum)

Vermont

• Roster for the 4th Virginia Volunteer Infantry (hosted at Spanish American War Centenial Web Site)
• Our Military Heritage (hosted at Genealogy Center)
• Bibliography (hosted at A Few Family Genealogies)
• Vermont Rosters (hosted at USGenWeb Pension Project )

Virginia

• Virginia's Negro Regiment (hosted at Jestor)

Washington

• 1st Washington Infantry (hosted at WaGenWeb)
• Washington Veterans Home Cemetery (hosted at Find a Grave)

West Virginia

• Marshall County Obituaries (hosted at Marshall County WVGenWeb)
• Summers County Soldiers (hosted at WV Genealogy Trails)
• 2nd West Virginia Volunteer Infantry

Wisconsin

• Racine County Roster (hosted at USGenWeb Pension Project)

Wyoming

• Company H Rosters
• Wyoming and the Spanish American War (hosted at Wyoming State Archives)
• 2nd US Volunteer Cavalry Regiment

 

Suggested Reading

Rough Riders, by Theodore Roosevelt - Upon the 1898 Declaration of War launching the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt resigned from the Navy Department. With the aid of U.S. Army Colonel Leonard Wood, Roosevelt found volunteers from cowboys from the Western territories to Ivy League friends from New York, forming the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. The newspapers called them the "Rough Riders."

The Spanish War: An American Epic, 1898 - On the night of February 15, 1898, the U.S. battleship Maine was ripped in half by an explosion in Havana harbor with the loss of 266 American lives. War with Spain followed nine weeks later. After a three-month fight on two fronts half a world apart, the era of isolation was gone forever, as the United States formed alliances and gained spheres of influence that would shape its desstiny for decades to come.