nyhistory:

The small Puerto Rican town of Coamo, situated in a valley several miles from the island’s southern coast, was the site of a key battle during the Spanish-American War. On August 9, 1898, American soldiers attacked the Spanish garrison in Coamo, killing a pair of high-ranking officers and taking 167 prisoners. It was then just a matter of days before a peace treaty was signed and Spain would cede control of Puerto Rico to the United States. 

Alongside the military history, however, are the often untold stories of Puerto Rican civilians living through this conflict between colonial powers. A photo album documenting the U.S. Army’s land campaign shows us at least some of the town and people of Coamo in the midst of a major transition. Some of the people photographed here were working at the American camp, an indication that many Puerto Ricans were less than sympathetic to Spanish rule.

“Vechini & son”; “a friend of Bethel’s”; “Spanish trench & breastwork, Coamo Aug. 9th”; “washerwomen”; “side street, Coamo”. [Album of photographs of military personnel, and scenes during the Spanish American War]. 1898. Album file, volume 245. New-York Historical Society.