The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-02
SHAFTER TRANSMITS REPORT.

Hardships: American Courage.
Washington. ID. c., August 1.-The
Secretary of War has received the fol-
lowing letter from General Shafter.
transmitting the commissioners report
Of the surrender of the Spanish army ut
Santiago:
Camp Before Santiago, Cuba, July Is,
1898.
Il take the liberty OF sending to you.
this morning copy of the agreement
between the commissioners on my part.
and the commissioners on the part of the
Government of Spain for the surrender
Of Eastern Cuba. The schedule just
submitted shows there to be a little over
$4,000 men and officers about G,0OO
more than ! have had myself, and | am
glad to say that we have got all these
men with very little loss Of life, com
pared to what it would have been had
we had TO fight them. The city OF
Santiago is simply a network of forti-
icationS AT every street corner. | had
no proper conception of its strength un-
til | went into it, although | knew these
old stone towns were naturally very
strong. Everything is going on admira-
bly,, so far as the transfer. is concerned;
and the Spanish troops are behaving
well. as they are perfectly delighted ut
the thoughts of getting home.
Il send you Il telegram Of General
Linares to his Government, which one of
the consuls gave me. 1t shows the
straits to which they were put, and the
feelings that animated them. He stated
the case exactly; did have him so sur
rounded, that it was impossible for him
to get away; and | could wait and he
could not
Il send out tomorrow morning to re-
ceive something over 1000 men up in
the interior, a short distance about 80
miles, and in two or three days will
send to Guantanamo. to receive the
1000 that have surrendered there.
They should be shipped from Guanta-
namo Bay direct to Spain. There are
also about 800 men each from Baracoa
and Sagua de Tanamo, on the north
coast, who will come into the port there
for shipment. | will send an officer
around with n Spanish officer to take
their arms and military supplies.
''We have gotten great deal more
than | had any idea of getting in the
way Of munitions of war. In everything
but food they were well supplied. Have
got few beautiful modern, high power
guns about dozen.
MY only fear is that we shall have
some sickness: and it is for that reason
that | have wired you SO earnestly about
getting these prisoners away, so that we
can go up in the mountains with my
command, Ii or 20 miles. ut the end
Of the railroad at San Luis. which is
said to be very healthy 1t is, ut any
rate about LOO feet above the sea, and
has communication by rail with San
tiago.
$50 far there is no fever in Santiago.
| suppose because there is no one there
except immunes. Three cases only so
far this year. and the English Consul
tells me there was very little last year.
'.Of those here who served through
out the Civil War. all declare they never
had anything that could compare with
it for hardship. With only one set of
clothes. officers have been until now
rained on nearly every day. carrying
three days. rations. like the men, on their
person, and suffering every privation
that any man can; added to all these
privations all the horrors of
disease in an unknown land. and
very limited accommodations should
they he wounded The spirit shown by
them and by the whole army was sim
ply grand. ] can recall no instance
where a greater surrender has been
made than this. The final surrender Of
General Toral and his generals to my
self and my generals was highly dra-
matte .as well as the hosting of the flag
over the city of Santiago, one of the
A IA 4,
II want to thank you and the Presi-
dent for the words Of cheer that have
come to us. and to say that none Of us
have ever doubted that every effort pos
sihle to make our lives rs secure, and
our situation as comfortable ads possible
would be made.