The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1898-07-12

| tlnued atter Gen. Smarter had driven
the Spaniards within the city. The
American troops had been entrenched
in the meantime and did not suffer SO
heavily. The tremendous undertake
ing before him led the American com.
mander to assume less aggressive
attitude, and he evidently felt keenly
the loss of brave officers and men, as
the following dispatch to the war
department would show:
| We have the town well invested on
the north and east, bnt with a very
thin line. Upon approaching it we find
it of such n character and the defences
SO strong it will be impossible to carry
| it by storm with my present force Our
losses up to date will aggregate 200,
but list has not yet been made.
But little sickness outside of exhaus-
tion from intense heat and eXertion of
the battle and the almost constant fire
which is kept up on the trenches.
Wagon road to the rear Is kept up
with some difficulty, on account of
rains, but / will be able to use it for
the present.
Gen. Wheeler is seriously i'll and will
probably have to go to the rear to-
day. Gen. Young also very i'll ; con-
fined to his bed. Gen. Hawkins slightly
wounded in foot during sortie enemy
made last night, which was hand
somely repulsed. The behavior of the
troops was magnificent.
Gen. Garcia reported he holds the
railroad from Santiago to San Luis and
has burned a bridge and removed some
r.nll 10 sa1C t1,af 1. Il
at Palma, and that the French consul
with about 400 French citizens came
into his line yesterday from Santiago !;
have directed him to treat them with
every courtesy possible.
SHAFTER, Major-General.
Maj Gen. Shafter was apparently at
at the point of settling down to await
reinforements, or withdrawing .his adj
vance forces to the hills when the news
of the destruction of the Spanish fleet
was received. When the victory of
Sampson was announced to the troops
they well-nigh went mad with delight.
1t was the general belief that the
crushing of Admiral Cevera's fleet en-
tirely changes the situation, now that
Admiral Sampson can enter the harbor
and the army and navy can make
combined attack on the city. With
this idea in mind Gen. Shafter sent the
following despatch:
To the commanding-general' of the
spanish forces, Santiago de Cuba:
L shall be obliged, unless you surreE-
der, to shell Santiago de Cuba. Please
inform the citizens of foreign countries
n nd ell .1,,1 a
should leave the city before 10 o'clock
tomorrow (Monday) morning.
Very respectfully,
w. r. SHAFTER, Ma. Gen, U. S. A.
Following is the Spanish reply which
was brought back by Col. Dorst:
His EXcellency, the General Com
manding Forces of the Unh' States,
San Juan River:
Sir-l have the honor to reply to
your communication demanding the
surrender of this city; on the contrary
ease announcing to me that you will
lombard this city, and that L advise
the foreign residents and the women
and children that they must leave the
city before 10 o'clock tomorrow Mon
day. morning. 1t is my duty to say to
you that this city will not surrender,
and that / will inform the foreign
consuls and inhabitants of the contents
OF your message. Very respectfully,
JOSE ToRAL, Command Fourth Corps. |
Gen. Shafter reported this cores
pondence to the war department, and
also cabled that 1.-The British, Portu-
guese, Chinese and Norwegian consuls |
have come TO my line with Cox Dorst. |
They ask if non-combatants can occupy |
the town of Caney and railroad points, |
and ask until 10 o'clock of July 5, be- |
fore the city is fred on. They claim |
that there are between $4,000 and 90
900 people-many of them old, who will |
leave. They ask if can supply them
with food, which L cannot do for want |
of transportation to Caney, which is 13
miles from my landing"
The following is my reply:
The Commanding-Genera Spanish
Forces Santiago de Cuba
Sir-In consideration of the request
of the consuls and officers in your city
for delay in carrying out my intention
TO fire on the city, and in the interest
Of the poor women and children who |
suffer very greatly by their hasty and
enforced departure from the city, L
have the honor to announce that L will
delay such action solely in their inter-
est until noon of July 5, providing dur
ng the interval your forces make no
demonstration whatever upon those Of
my own. L am, with great respect,
Your obedient servant,
w. r. SHAFTER, Maj. Gen. u. S. V.
At the expiration of the unofficial
however, no reply had been
received to Gen. Skaters last letter,
out on the urgent request of the for
ign consuls at Santiago it was ex-
ended to permit the non-combatants
% leave the city. Every foreign YES
'el in the harbor was crowded with
'efugees and the roads leading from
santiago were black with people fee
ng-to avoid the bombardment.
Gen. Linares, the Spanish com
nander, is quoted by Santiago refugees
Is saying that he will burn the city to
he ground before surrendering.