General Vara del Rey was in command at El Caney during the Spanish-American-Cuban War. The American plan was to neutralize the garrison at El Caney before the assault on the kills above Santiago. Lawton’s division was supposed to roll up El Caney and then join Kent’s division for the assault. It didn’t work out that way. The Spanish resistance at El Caney was especially fierce and kept Lawton occupied most of the day. Early on Vara del Rey took a rifle bullet through his legs and turned command over to Lt. Col Punet. When things finally went south, the General was being evacuated on a stretcher when he was hit by a single .43 cal. Remington bullet fired from long range. His escort and stretcher bearers were similarly killed, most likely by Cuban sharpshooters, as the Americans at El Caney, mostly armed with Krags, were occupied elsewhere.

http://www.spanamwar.com/delreydeath.htm

The assaults on San Juan and Kettle Hills went forward anyway, with a couple mid-grade officers asked their commanders for permission to attack. Col Parker’s four Gatling Guns may have been worth as much as Lawton’s Division at the point of attack.

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