American Civil War / Spanish American War

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln

The War Between the States began when 11 Southern states demanding stronger state rights seceded and formed the Confederate States of America led by Jefferson Davis. The Union led by President Lincoln not only opposed the institution of slavery but also rejected any right of secession. Fighting began when Confederate forces attacked a Federal fort at the battle of Fort Sumter. Lincoln's historical Emancipation Proclamation not only put an end to slavery but it also ensured that Britain and France would not assist the Confederacy although General Robert E. Lee rolled up a series of Confederate victories. It was losses at the Battle of Gettysburg and the Battle of Vicksburg that ultimately split the Confederacy. The war came to an end when General Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House in 1865 with the end of slavery and the most devastating war on American soil. The reconstruction of a new "United States of America" would begin., Veteran(s) from Andrews , Andrew Jackson Williams , Spanish American War , 21 April 1898 - 4 July 1902 , U.S. President William McKinley

The Spanish American War was fought for the liberation of Cuba when the American battleship Maine was destroyed in Havana Harbor on 15 February 1898. Americans were made aware of a greater world around them and the need for the U.S. to play its part in the war as a "crusade” against an evil regime. President McKinley demanded the Spanish withdrawal from Cuba, declaring war on 24 April 1898. The command of forces sent to Cuba was under Major General Shafter, who had distinguished service on the Staked Plains of West Texas. Shafter Lake in Andrews County was named honoring Major General Shafter. Commodore George Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay in the Philippines in May. Armed forces did not a arrive until August and Manila surrendered 13 August 1898 with only a minor battle, proving the U.S. as a great power, the treaty of Paris was signed 10 December 1898 with Spain relinquishing her claims to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam , and the Philippines were ceded to the U.S. for payment of 20 million dollars.

Veteran(s) from Andrews , Dorsie Montgomery Pinnell, Sr.