in the Thickest of Battle: Men Astor Battery Spanish-American War

The Spanish-American War is the shortest declared war in United States history. Ground combat ranged from the Battle of Las Guasimas in Cuba, in June 1898, to the assault on Manila in the Philippines just two months later. Given that information, what could a battery of cannons, a future Chief of Staff of the Army, the RMS Titanic, and the Battle of Manila have in common? As you might expect, it's both complicated and intriguing.The conflict produced colorful military units such as Roosevelt's Rough Riders. Rivaling the Rough Riders was the artillery battery known as the Astor Battery. The genesis of the battery reads like a fictional Gilded Age story. Funded by millionaire John Jacob Astor IV, the battery achieved fame during the assault on Manila in August 1898, by leading the advance, hauling their cannons by hand through mud and under constant enemy fire. Perhaps the high-water mark of their service was their charge against Spanish trenches, driving out the defenders while using only their revolvers. This detailed history of a singular military unit includes biographical information on all officers and men who made up its ranks.