<P> The Americans planned to capture the city of Santiago de Cuba to destroy Linares' army and Cervera's fleet . To reach Santiago they had to pass through concentrated Spanish defenses in the San Juan Hills and a small town in El Caney . The American forces were aided in Cuba by the pro-independence rebels led by General Calixto García . </P> <P> For quite some time the Cuban public believed the United States government to possibly hold the key to its independence, and even annexation was considered for a time, which historian Louis Pérez explored in his book Cuba and the United States: Ties of Singular Intimacy . The Cubans harbored a great deal of discontent towards the Spanish Government, due to years of manipulation on the part of the Spanish . The prospect of getting the United States involved in the fight was considered by many Cubans as a step in the right direction . While the Cubans were wary of the United States' intentions, the overwhelming support from the American public provided the Cubans with some peace of mind, because they believed that the United States was committed to helping them achieve their independence . However, with the imposition of the Platt Amendment of 1903 after the war, as well as economic and military manipulation on the part of the United States, Cuban sentiment towards the United States became polarized, with many Cubans disappointed with continuing American interference . </P> <P> From June 22 to 24, the Fifth Army Corps under General William R. Shafter landed at Daiquirí and Siboney, east of Santiago, and established an American base of operations . A contingent of Spanish troops, having fought a skirmish with the Americans near Siboney on June 23, had retired to their lightly entrenched positions at Las Guasimas . An advance guard of U.S. forces under former Confederate General Joseph Wheeler ignored Cuban scouting parties and orders to proceed with caution . They caught up with and engaged the Spanish rearguard of about 2,000 soldiers led by General Antero Rubín who effectively ambushed them, in the Battle of Las Guasimas on June 24 . The battle ended indecisively in favor of Spain and the Spanish left Las Guasimas on their planned retreat to Santiago . </P> <P> The U.S. Army employed Civil War - era skirmishers at the head of the advancing columns . Three of four of the U.S. soldiers who had volunteered to act as skirmishers walking point at the head of the American column were killed, including Hamilton Fish II (grandson of Hamilton Fish, the Secretary of State under Ulysses S. Grant), and Captain Allyn K. Capron, Jr., whom Theodore Roosevelt would describe as one of the finest natural leaders and soldiers he ever met . Only Oklahoma Territory Pawnee Indian, Tom Isbell, wounded seven times, survived . </P>

How did the spanish american war affect asian states and nations