A Company
Along with the rest of the regiment, A Company is positioned on the "deployment ridge," about 1000 yards east of El Viso. As the rest of the regiment deploys and descends into the valley below, Company A (with Company D on its left) provides covering fire from this position.
B Company
B Company initially deployed to the right of A Company's position on the deployment ridge (the point marked "A" on this map) and advanced down off the ridge to the area marked by the "wire fence." B Company may have been the first element to engage Spanish forces between 6 and 7 o'clock.
Detailed Map
C Company
Along with the rest of the regiment, C Company is positioned on the ridge marked "A". Advancing west and dropping off the ridge into the valley below, C Company strikes the sunken road and follows it to the southwest (at the point marked "Co. concentrated & marched to 1st position").
Detailed Map
D Company
Along with the rest of the regiment, D Company is positioned on the "deployment ridge," about 1000 yards east of El Viso. As the rest of the regiment deploys and descends into the valley below, Company D (with Company A on its right) provides covering fire from this position.
E Company
E Company and the rest of the Second Battalion deployed initially to the right of the First Battalion on the "deployment ridge" about 1000 yards east of El Viso, then advanced north and west into the valley below.
F Company
F Company and the rest of the Second Battalion deployed initially to the right of the First Battalion on the "deployment ridge" about 1000 yards east of El Viso, then advanced north and west into the valley below.
H Company
The company is initially posted with the rest of the Second Battalion on the ridge marked "Deployment." As the rest of the battalion moves to engage the Spanish defenses, H Company may have remained on this ridge in reserve for a time.
Detailed Map
A Company
With most of the regiment engaged to the north and west, A Company maintains its position on this ridge firing at the Spanish works about 1000 yards to the west.
B Company
After about an hour of general engagement, B Company maintains its position in the brush (in the vicinity of the "wire fence"). Lieutenant Elliot notes that his position is under fire from both the stone fort on El Viso (700 yards to his front) as well as another Spanish blockhouse estimated to be 800 yards to hisright (north).
Detailed Map
C Company
By this time the 12th Infantry has been engaged with the Spanish defenses for about an hour. C Company has advanced down the sunken road to the point marked "'C' Co. 1st position". The company engages the stone fort at El Viso at a range of 400 yards, receiving fire in turn from the stone fort, the defenses of the town itself, and a blockhouse to the north.
Detailed Map
D Company
With most of the regiment engaged to the north and west, D Company maintains its position on this ridge firing at the Spanish works about 800-1000 yards to the west.
E Company
E Company has crossed the first sunken road and taken a position (at the point marked "E" on Lieutenant Willis Uline's map) about 600 yards east of El Viso.
F Company
As the rest of the Second Battalion engages Spanish positions to the north and west, F Company makes its way west down the sunken road toward the ridge overlooking El Caney.
H Company
By eight o'clock H Company has advanced north off the "deployment ridge" toward the sunken road. Private Palmer is wounded during this movement. Reaching the road, the company moves west toward El Caney.
Detailed Map
A Company
Companies A and D continue to hold their initial positions on this ridge as the rest of the regiment maneuvers to the west.
B Company
B Company maintains its position just south of the sunken road. Companies F, G and H of the Second Battalion have now advanced down that road to the ridge overlooking El Caney. Companies E and C are deployed to the left of B, engaging the stone fort and receiving the same crossfire from the northern blockhouse noted by Lieutenant Elliot in his report.
Detailed Map
C Company
Searching for a better position, Captain Millard Waltz has sent Lieutenant Dove to reconnoiter. Dove locates a small rise, and the company advances to the point marked "'C' Co. 2nd position". Here Lieutenant Dove and three other men are wounded; although this is a better position for firing into the Spanish works, it is swept by the enemy's fire and soon becomes untenable. C Company soon withdraws to its first position.
Detailed Map
D Company
Companies A and D continue to hold their initial positions on this ridge as the rest of the regiment maneuvers to the west.
E Company
At about this time Sergeant Barnett and the first platoon advances to a new position about 100 yards closer to El Viso. Sergeant Feldcamp and the second platoon maintain their first position.
F Company
By this time F Company has taken position on the ridge overlooking El Caney, engaging the stone fort to the south as well as the eastern defenses of the town.
H Company
H Company has now advanced down the sunken road toward the ridge overlooking El Caney. From here, the company moves at 10:30 to take an advanced position at a point of rocks near El Viso (the point marked "A" on Lieutenant Uline's map).
Detailed Map
A Company
Through most of the day, as other units methodically work their way west toward El Viso and the eastern defenses of El Caney, A Company maintains its covering position on the "deployment ridge."
B Company
The company has remained at its initial position for most of the day's action. E Company remains engaged on its left, but C Company has been withdrawn for lack of ammunition.
Detailed Map
C Company
Running low on ammunition, Captain Waltz has been forced to withdraw his company to the field hospital located where the two sunken roads fork (the point marked "Wounded left"). E Company assumes the position vacated by C. At the point marked "Col. Comba," Waltz encounters the regimental commander, who orders the company (after a brief rest) down the second sunken road toward the town of El Caney.
Detailed Map
D Company
Through most of the day, as other units methodically work their way west toward El Viso and the eastern defenses of El Caney, D Company maintains its covering position on the "deployment ridge."
E Company
By now C Company (engaged on the left of E Company) has been forced to withdraw for lack of ammunition. Captain R.K. Evans moves his company 500 yards down the sunken road to take the position vacated by C (the point marked "C" on Lieutenant Uline's map).
F Company
Companies F and H have now taken new positions closer to El Viso, with the latter sheltered by a rock outcropping and the former deployed to its right.
G Company
G Company remains deployed on the ridge overlooking El Caney. F and H Companies have taken positions on its left, engaging the stone fort and earthworks at El Viso (see the point marked "G" near the "Hedge" and "Ridge" on Lieutenant D.J. Baker's map).
Detailed Map
H Company
By twelve o'clock H Company has been hotly engaged at its advanced position for about an hour and a half. Around this time Lieutenant Clark Churchman is mortally wounded.
Detailed Map
A Company
As part of a general redeployment preparatory to the final assault on El Viso, Colonel Richard Comba orders Companies A and D down from the "deployment ridge." They advance west down the sunken road to the ridge just east of El Caney. From here, A Company will participate in the final charge on El Viso led by Captain H.L. Haskell.
B Company
As preparations are made for the final assault on the stone fort, Companies A, C, D and E move forward along the sunken road to take new positions near El Caney. B Company is ordered by General Chaffee to remain where it is and provide covering fire.
Detailed Map
C Company
At around 3:00 p.m., the final charge led by Captain Haskell has taken the stone fort. The action is now focused on the town itself and the blockhouse to the northwest. C Company remains at its third position on the ridge as the Spanish defense collapses between 3:45 and 4:30 p.m.
Detailed Map
D Company
As part of a general redeployment preparatory to the final assault on El Viso, Colonel Comba orders Companies A and D down from the "deployment ridge." They advance west down the sunken road to the ridge just east of El Caney. From here, D Company will participate in the final charge on El Viso led by Captain Haskell.
E Company
As part of the general redeployment of the Twelfth Infantry around two o'clock, E Company is withdrawn from its second position and ordered west to the ridge overlooking El Caney, there to join the bulk of the regiment for the final assault on El Viso.
F Company
F Company maintains its advanced position near El Viso. According to some accounts, journalist James Creelman identifies a sheltered position from which a charge can be made on the stone fort. At around three o'clock Captain Haskell leads F Company in the final assault on El Viso, with Companies A, D and E close behind.
G Company
As the regiment is redeployed for a final assault on El Viso, G Company remains posted on the ridge overlooking El Caney. It will be joined by C Company, whose commander, Captain Waltz, will take command of this part of the line.
Detailed Map
H Company
By two o'clock preparations are being made for the final assault on El Viso. H Company maintains its advanced position, firing on the stone fort and trenches. On its right F Company moves into position to charge the Spanish position at El Viso.
Detailed Map
A Company
Having taken the stone fort at El Viso, A Company and other units of the Twelfth Infantry now direct their fire down into the defenses of El Caney. Over the next hour, the Spanish forces will begin to withdraw from the town and the battle for El Caney will come to an end.
B Company
After the final charge on the stone fort, and as Spanish forces in the town of El Caney begin to withdraw, B Company moves to a position in reserve (the point marked "Line of Co. (withdrawn)"). This would appear to be in the area where the sunken roads come together, presumably near the field hospital set up at this point.
Detailed Map
C Company
At around 3:00 p.m., the final charge led by Captain Haskell has taken the stone fort. The action is now focused on the town itself and the blockhouse to the northwest. C Company remains at its third position on the ridge as the Spanish defense collapses between 3:45 and 4:30 p.m.
Detailed Map
D Company
Having taken the stone fort at El Viso, D Company and other units of the Twelfth Infantry now direct their fire down into the defenses of El Caney. Over the next hour, the Spanish forces will begin to withdraw from the town and the battle for El Caney will come to an end.
E Company
Following close behind Companies F and A, Companies D and E take part in the final assault on the stone fort at El Viso. From this high point the Twelfth Infantry turns its attention to the defenses of El Caney until that position falls and the action ends.
F Company
The stone fort on El Viso had been taken, and units of the Twelfth Infantry now fire from the height of El Viso into the town below. The action ends about an hour later.
G Company
After the Spanish position at El Viso is carried, C and G Companies maintain their position on the ridge, firing into the western defenses of El Caney until the Spanish defense collapses.
Detailed Map
H Company
The charge led by Captain Haskell and F Company takes the stone fort at around three o'clock. H Company then directs its fire to the defenses of El Caney, which begin to collapse by four o'clock.
