The Spanish forces on Puerto Rico were approximately 18,000 and about equally divided between local volunteers (10,000) and Spanish regulars (8,000). However, the Spanish forces were spread over the 3,700 square miles of Puerto Rico (Herrmann 1907:14). By the end of the Puerto Rico campaign, the Spanish casualties would number 450 dead, wounded, and captured while the American forces lost 4 dead and 39 wounded (Herrmann 1907:14).
The speed with which American troops were moved once landing on the island was of strategic importance to the success of the American's campaign. In their first land engagement with Spanish forces, the Americans would land, defeat the small Guánica garrison, and occupy the town all within six hours, with no losses.
According to Albert Nofi the Guánica landing met only minor resistance,
The convoy arrived off Guánica at about 0520 hours on 25 July. The invasion began at 0845 hours . . . Within a short time a detachment of marines and sailors was put ashore, [from the GLOUCESTER] the customs house seized, and the stars and stripes run up the flagpole. A small contingent of Spanish troops -- probably the local militiamen from the 8th Volunteer Battalion -- opened fire [on the Americans from the north shore of the harbor]. The marines set up a Colt machine gun and the bluejackets opened up with rifle fire, while GLOUCESTER contributed a few 6-pounder rounds. The action lasted only a few minutes before the volunteers fled [northward out of the town to Hacienda Santa Rita where they regrouped with other Spanish forces for an attack on the Americans on the next day], leaving four of their number behind dead. There were no American causalities. Additional marines and sailors soon landed, and by 1000 hours the port area [of Guánica] was secured [Nofi 1996:238].
Of this first skirmish between American and Spanish land forces, Angel Rivero in his book Cronica de la Guerra Hispanoamericana en Puerto Rico (1972) provides specific details of the first fight. According to Rivero, the GLOUCESTER was able to quietly enter the harbor in the early morning hours before the sun was up and dispatched a launch with thirty armed seamen, with a six-millimeter Colt automatic rifle, under the command of Lt. H. P. Huse. They were able to land on the east side of the bay of Guánica at a pier. They proceeded to fan out and removed the Spanish flag over the small customs house on the beach and replace it with the American flag, at 9:00 AM.
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