The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-16

Copyright 1893 by Associated press.)
With the United States Troops, before
Santiago de Cuba, July IA (6 p. m.,) via
Kingston, Jamaica, July 15( 1915 p. m.)
The reverse to the Spanish arms in East
ern Cuba is complete. Santiago has fall
len, and with it all the Eastern end of
the island. !.
General Toral. the Spanish comman-
der. agreed to the general terms of the
surrender at personal interview with
General Shafter this afternoon at which
General Miles was present.
Thevictorous American army after Il
precedented hardships for both officers
and men. accept the news with heartfelt
relief The victory is greater than ap-
peared at first. All the Spanish troors
in the Fourth army corps, the military
division of Santiago province, from a
line drawn from Asseradoro, eighteen
miles west of Santiago, north through
Las Pamas. Palmas Soriana, Alcantaza,
to Sagua de Tanamo. on the north coast,
and eastward to Cape Maysi are surren
dered and the territory is abandoned.
Between $4,000 and 10000 Spanish pris-
oners are taken, about 10000 of whom
are in Santiago. The remainder are at
Guantanamo and others are garrisoned
in the towns of Eastern Cuba. All these
troops are to be embarked and sent
back to Spain under parole.
General Shafter bears MS honors mod
estly. To a correspondent of the Asso
ciated Press he said
''The enemy has surrendered all the
territory and troops east of Santiago.
The terms were dictated from Washing
ton. 1t has been hard campaign. one
of the hardest / ever saw. The Difficult
ties to contend with were very great.
Never during our Civil War were more
difficult problems solved. The charac-
ter of the country and the roads made it
seem almost impossible to advance in the
face of the enemy. The transportation
problem was hard, but all difficulties
have been successfully surmounted. Our
troops have behaved galIantly. They
fought like heroes and ! am proud to
have commanded them. During all the
hardships they have suffered they have
shown resolution and spirit. They de-
serve to conquer.
The resistance of the enemy has been
exceedingly stubborn. General Toral
has proved foeman worthy of any
mans steel"
The negotiations which eliminated in
the surrender of General Toral have
been dragging on for ten days. with the
iDtermission of Sunday and Monday.
when our batteries and fleet bombarded
the enemy's position. Throughout
these periods of truce, General Toral has
shrewdly played for time. always de-
clinng TO surrender Internationally and
falling back. when hard pressed upon
the statement that he was simply a sub
ordinate and powerless to agree to the
proposals without the sanction of his SUI
reriors. except under penalty of being
court martialed. At the same time he
seemed to intimate that. personally, he
thought it useless to hold out any longer.
But, he and his garrison. were soldiers,
he said, and could not disobey orders. It
was at the personal interview held by
General Shafter with General Toral
yesterday that the American general
made the Spanish commander under
stand that temporizing must cease and
that before noon today categorical af-
tirmation of his offer must be received or
the bomhardment of the city would begin
in earnest.
In the meantime. all our plans had
been perfected. The delay had been
utilized to good advantage. Our lines
had been extended until Santiago was
nearly surrounded. and our light batter
les had been so posted as 10 be able to
do more effective work
In addition arrangements had bcen
made to land troops at Cabanas, west of
the entrance of the harbor of Santiago.
The Spanish batteries opposite MORO
Castle were to be bombarded and
stormed. their guns were then to be
turned upon the city. and General Law
tons division at the same time. was tc
fall on the enemy's left flank under the
cover of our artillery fire. We could
then have enfiaded their lines and bave
driven them into the city.
General Toral must have realized that
he was trapped and that to hold out
longer meant useless sacrifice of his
men: but he made ope last effort to gain
more time this morning. While nomin-
ally yielding to the terms General Shat
ter proposed. before 8 o'clock. he sent
communication to General Shafter
enclosing a copy Of a telegram from
Captain General Blanco explaining that