Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba the purpose of which was to record the history and conserve the memory of the events of the campaign which resulted in the surrender , on July 17 , 1898 , of the Spanish army , the city of Santiago de Cuba , and the military province to which it pertained during the Spanish – American War . Founding . Organized in the Governor ' s Palace , Santiago de Cuba , July 31 , 1898 . Constitution adopted at Camp Wykoff , Long Island , N . Y . , September 15 , 1898 . Membership . The membership of the Society shall consist of all officers and soldiers of the United States Army ( including Acting Assistant Surgeons and authorized Volunteer Aides ) , who constituted the expeditionary force to Santiago de Cuba and who worthily participated in the campaign between the dates of June 14 and July 17 , 1898 , and who shall signify their wish for membership by making application and paying the dues . There shall be three classes of membership , namely : First , Original Members ; Second , Members by Inheritance , to consist of lineal male descendants of Original Members ; and , Third , Members by Succession , to consist of those male blood relatives of the first or second class to whom in the absence of lineal descendants the right of inheritance to one ( 1 ) membership may be devised by decedent members . Members by inheritance shall include those who are lineal male descendants of any officer or enlisted man now deceased who was killed or died of wounds received or disease contracted in the line of duty in the Santiago campaign and who , had he survived , would have been eligible to membership . Honorary membership shall be conferred upon all duly accredited Military and Naval Attaches of foreign governments who were present on land in Cuba with the Fifth Army Corps at any time during the Santiago campaign . Honorary members shall be exempt from the payment of dues , and shall not be entitled to vote . Officers . PRESIDENT : Major - General WM . R . SHAFTER , U . S . V . FIRST VICE - PRESIDENT : Major - General JOSEPH WHEELER , U . S . V . SECOND VICE - PRESIDENT : Major - General J . FORD KENT , U . S . V . THIRD VICE - PRESIDENT : Major - General H . W . LAWTON , U . S . V . ( Killed in action at San Mateo , P . I . , December 18 , 1899 ) FOURTH VICE - PRESIDENT : Major - General JOHN C . BATES , U . S . V . SECRETARY AND TREASURER : Major ALFRED C . SHARPE , Assistant Adjutant - General , U . S . V . HISTORIAN : Major G . CREIGHTON WEBB , Inspector - General , U . S . V . REGISTRAR GENERAL : Major PHILIP READE , Inspector - general , U . S . V . FIRST DIVISION REGISTRAR : Capt . L . W . V . KENNON , 6TH U , S . Infantry . SECOND DIVISION REGISTRAR : Capt . JAMES T . KERR , 17TH U . S . Infantry . THIRD DIVISION REGISTRAR : Capt . CHARLES MORTON , 3rd U . S . Cavalry . FOURTH DIVISION REGISTRAR : Lt . Col . JOHN JACOB ASTOR , Inspector - General , U . S . V . Members of Council . 1 Major - General S . B . M . YOUNG , U . S . V . 2 Major - General H . S . HAWKINS , U . S . V . 3 Major - general A . R . CHAFFEE , U . S . V . 4 Major - General WM . LUDLOW , U . S . V . 5 Major - General S . S . SUMNER , U . S . V . 6 Brig . - General ADELBERT AMES , U . S . V . 7 Brig . - General WALLACE F . RANDOLPH , U . S . V . 8 Brig . - General CHAMBERS McKIBBIN , U . S . V . 9 Col . THEODORE ROOSEVELT , 1st U . S . Vol . Cav . 10 Lt . - Col . JOHN DAVID MILEY , Inspector - general , U . S . V . ( Died at Manila , P . I . , September 19 , 1899 ) See also . United Spanish War Veterans Spanish War Service Medal Spanish Campaign Medal