The war of 1898 with Spain—­that great patriotic efflorescence—­was brief in its campaigning.  Immediately provoked by the blowing up of the U.S.S. Maine in Havana harbor on February 15, war was declared on April 19.  Admiral Dewey sank the Spanish fleet in Manila Harbor, May 1.  The first troops landed on Cuban soil June 1.  The first—­and last—­real land battle before Santiago occurred on July 1-2, with 13,500 troops on the American side against an available Spanish force somewhat less in number, but holding strongly fortified and entrenched positions around the town.  The advance and charges uphill necessary to capture El Caney and the steep heights of San Juan called for desperate courage.  It was there, however, and the Irish in the army exhibited dash and persistence, as duty demanded.  In the second day’s fighting the Spanish assaults on the American positions were repelled, and the land fighting was over.  The Americans in the two days lost over 10 per cent killed and wounded.  The destruction of Cervera’s fleet on its attempt to escape from Santiago on July 3 ended the struggle.  With the regiment of Rough Riders, under Theodore Roosevelt—­who says he reckons “an O’Brien, a Redmond, and a man from Ulster” among his for-bears—­were many gallant Irishmen—­Kellys, Murphys, Burkes, and Doyles, for instance.  His favorite captain, “Bucky” O’Neill of Arizona, fell at the foot of San Juan.  The white regiments of the regular army had their quota of Irish, as had most of the volunteers.  The 9th Massachusetts was all Irish.  The 69th New York, all Irish, never reached the front in the war, but shared the fate of the 150,000 troops cantoned through the Southern States, their only effective enemies being dysentery, typhoid, and malaria.

A little splash of Irish blood came with the Fenian dash into Canada on June 1, 1866.  There had been active preparations for a real invasion by some 50,000 Irish-born or Irish-fathered soldiers who had served in the Civil War.  The American government, using its army force, intervened to prevent the bellicose movement, not, however, before Colonel John O’Neill, who had served in the cavalry with Sherman on his march to the sea, with Captain Starr, one of Kilpatrick’s cavalry, Captain O’Brien, and about 700 well-armed men, all Civil War veterans, had slipped across the Niagara River at Fort Erie.  They made short work of all in sight, threw out a couple of hundred men who burned a bridge and tore up the railroad tracks.  Their scouts fired on a small British detachment, which ran.  On the morning of June 2 news came of a larger Canadian force advancing, and O’Neill went out to meet them.  Deploying his men in a field near the high road at a place called Ridgway, he sent his pickets forward.  They found heavy ground in front and about three-quarters of a mile away some 1,400 men of the “Queen’s Own” of Toronto and the Hamilton Volunteers advancing rapidly in line.  O’Neill, after a few rounds, withdrew