The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-09-07

A Soldiers Story OF the Surrender
OF Santiago.

| On our side all the preparations for
striking a final triple blow at the DOOM
ca city continued. On the other side
OF the city the fleet lay grimly ready.
Our men took their meals such as they
were. In the trenches. while those on
relief were ordered to be ready for a
general advance within thirty minutes
after the flag OF truce should so down.
In cur rear heavy trains OF artillery
went numbering up the hillside all the
hvelong day. During the day Gen.
Miles arrived, amid thunderous cheer
ing and betook himself and his staff tn
another conference with the weakening
spaniard. At this conference. so II was
reported to me later on the very best
authority. General Toral admitted that
II lay within his authority TO agree To
a general surrender on behalf of the
Spanish soldiers.
Well. then. why don't you surren-
der?' asked old Joe Wheeler. The blunt
question was translated TO General
Toral He hesitated minute then
shrugged his shoulders with pit!ful
smile. and said in a low voice: II sur
render
What followed is current history. Az
soon as the news OF the coming surren-
der spread. the many thousands OF
feeble women. children and aged Grip
pies who sought refuge in the little
pesthole known as III Caney. near San
tiago. poured back into the city. A
more pitiful and heartrendlng sight
than these starving people never saw.
To watch these hngyard decreplt Great
ures crawling their footsOre way along
the dusty high road. loaded down with
the only belongings left them In the
world, was enough 20 make salt water
run down the sunburned checks Of the
most happy-g -go-lucky Rough Rider
Three long days the procession kept on
without break from reveile until after
taps, and all that time tho American
soldiers stationed along the road went
hungry because they insisted oil giving
away the better part OF their meager
rations to those poberes Cubans.
On the third day. II fell TO my lot 10
stand on guard where the road from
Siboney runs into that from Caney My
orders were to let all women and chill
dren rest as long as they seemed to
need IL. but To make all the boys and
men move on. unless they had exhaust
ed women and children under their
charge. j was To permit no undue in
tcrcourse between our soldiers and the
disease e-stricken Cubans, and had fur
men and make them surrender their
arms
As soon as took my post my dinner
rations of five hardtacl<s disappeared in
so many seconds. Of machetes. drks
and pistols acquired enough TO fur
nish sale des armes. My command
OF the Spanish language grew in like
BY the time my six hours
watch was ended could give COM
mands with all the hauteur of a Castil-
ian conquistador or swear like a pirate
OF the Spanish Main.
The last horseman stopped to dsarm
proved to be correspondent OF New
York newspaper, with whom I had sat
cheek by jowl for two long years dur
ing the days of my apprenticeship un-
der the late Charles A. Dana. He re-
sisted my efforts toedisarm him in plain
American. and told me that the troops
had been ordered to line up on the
trenches thus to assist at the capitula-
ton Of Santiago. For this welcome
Item of news let him spur on his way
with his contraband six-shooter flap
ping at his hip.--Collier's Weekly.