Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - A ƙarshe an tsara shirin don kai hari kan Santiago. Shafter zai aika da 1st Division (a lokacin, brigade da kuma rarraba lambobi ba na musamman a waje da su iyaye tsari) don kai farmaki El Caney
yayin da rundunarsa ta 2 da rundunar sojan doki za su kai farmaki a kudancin El Caney da aka sani da San Juan Hill. Asali, Shafter ya shirya ya jagoranci sojojinsa daga gaba, amma ya sha wahala sosai daga zafin rana kuma an tsare shi a hedkwatarsa a baya kuma daga kallon fadace-fadace. Ba zai iya ganin yaƙin kai tsaye ba, bai taɓa haɓaka jerin umarni ba. Shirye-shiryen yakin basasa na Shafter sun kasance masu sauƙi da rashin fahimta. Ya zama kamar bai san ko kuma bai damu da tasirin kisan gilla na fasahar makamai na zamani da Mutanen Espanya ke da shi ba. Bugu da ƙari, ƙoƙarinsa na tattara bayanan sirri game da yanayin dakarun Spain da kayan aiki ba su da yawa, kodayake yana da wasu hanyoyin da yake da su, gami da rahotannin bincike na sojojin 'yan tawayen Cuba da kuma leken asirin da aka samu daga' yan asalin Cuba.