Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-07-09
HOBSON EXCHANGED.
The Heroic Lieutenant Gets Liberty at
Last.


Last.
Lieutenant Hobson and his brave
men are no longer in the custody of
the Spaniards. They were exchanged
last Wednesday and are now back at
their respective posts.
Shortly after the Spanish authorities
consented to exchange Hobson and
his men, the Americans were on hand
at the appointed rendezvous with
Spanish prisoners.
The meeting took place under
tree, about half way between the op-
posing lines. Colonel John Jacob
Astor, accompanied by Lieutenant
Mallory, conducted negotiations on
the part of the Americans, and Major
Irles, Spanish staff officer, who
speaks English perfectly, represented
the Spaniards.
MAJ or Irles brought Hobson and his
men, and Colonel Astor had with him
three Spanish lieutenants-Amelio Va
lez, Aurelius and Adolfo Aries-to-
gether with IA officers and privates.
The prisoners were conducted through
the American lines mounted, but blind
folded. Colonel Astor offered Major
Irles the choice of the three lieuten-
ants, and he selected Aries. Aries
belonged to the most aristocratic regi-
ment in the Spanish army. After this
selection, Colonel Astor threw in all
the IA non. commissioned officers and
privates in exchange for the seven
other brave men.
The Spaniard talked in tone which
indicated considerable diidence. He
wanted the Americans to understand
that he desired a renewal of hostilities
without delay. When the conference
was over, he remarked: "Our under
standing is, gentlemen, that this truce
comes to an end at 5 o'clock" The
conference, however, was courteous
and digniied on both sides through
out.
The meeting of the two parties and
the exchange of prisoners had taken
place in full view of both the
American and Spanish soldiers who
were intrenched near the meeting
place and the keenest interest was
baden in the episode. AS Hobson and
the men of the Merrimac approached
the first line of intrenchments, occu-
pied by the Rough Riders, low
murmurs ran from one end of the
line of cowboys and eustern ath-
letes to the other, and by the time
the returning party reached them
every man was on his feet, refus-
ing to be restrained by the admonish-
ing of the officers, cheering wildly and
rushing over every obstacle that
CHANGED to be in their way, in their
efforts to reach Hobson and his party
and grasp them by the hand. The re-
leased prisoners were soon surrounded
and compelled to stop to receive the
greetings, congratulations and vigor-
Gus, heartfelt handshaking of men they
had never seen before. Sun-burned
cavalrymen, who had spent their lives
in the saddle on the plains of Arizona,
4NC" XhCAlSO VI otiSl "SolSih oVotNS W
territories, and who did not know the
difference between a ships maintop,
bilge or keep, threw their arms around
the sailor boys and literally dragged
them over the intrenchments, all the
time sending out yells that under 9TH
er circumstances would have struck
terror to hearts even as gallant as
those of the Merrimac heroes. No
mountain fastness of the west ever re.
sounded with shouts from an Indian
war dance that equalled the wild out
break of American spirit that occurred
at this meeting Of the sailors who did
their duty with every Spanish gun in
the harbor trained upon them and the
hardy men, who, from the day of their
arrival on the island of Cuba have
fought their way over the bodies of
their own dead and wounded to the
very gates of the city that they will
gladly storm when ordered to do so.