The record-union., 1898-08-02
SANTIAGO SURRENDER.
Letter From~Shafter to the Secre-
taPy of War.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-THE Secre-
tary of War has received the following
letter from General Shafter transmit
ting the commissioners report of the sur
render of Spanish territory at Santiago:
Camp before Santiago, Cuba, July
1S, 1898.
Il take the liberty of sending to you
this morning a 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 1900 men and Officers-about
5000 more men than I have had my
self-and l am very glad to say that
we have got all these men with very
little loss of life compared to what it
would have been had we had to have
fought them. The city of Santiago is
simply a network of Notifications at
every street corner.
Il had no proper conception of its
strength until / went into it, although
knew these old towns We're naturally
very strong. Everything is going ad-
mirably so far as the transfer is con-
cerned. and the Spanish troops are
behaving we'll, as. they are perfectly de-
lighted with the prospects of getting
home.
Il send to you personally a telegram
of General Lnares to his Government
which one of the Consuls gave me. 1t
shows the straits to which they We're
put and the feelings that animated
them. He stated the case exactly I
did have him so completely surrounded
that it was impossible for him to get
away, and i could wait and he could
not.
L send out tomorrow morning to re-
ceive something over 2000 men up in
| the interior a short distance, about
| thirty miles, and in two or three days
will send to Guantanamo to receive the
1000 that have surrendered there They
should be shipped from Guantanamo
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 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 every
thing but food they were well supplied.
Have got few beautiful modern high
power guns-about a dozen
MY only fear is that we shall have
some sickness. and it is for that reason
that l have wired you so earnestly
about getting these prisoners away, so
that we can go up in the mountains
with my command, fifteen or twenty
miles, at the end of the railroad at San
Luis, which is said to be very healthy.
IL is al any rate. about LOO feet above
the sea level. and has communication by
rail with Santiago
SO 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 throughout
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 pri-
walton that any man can; added to all
these privatiOns, in addition, all the
horrors of disease in an unknown land.
and very limited accommodations
should they be wounded. The spirit
! shown by them and by the whole army
was simply grand. / can recall no in
stance where a greater surrender has
been made than this. The final sur
render Of General Toral and his Cen
erals to myself and my Generals. was
highly dramatic. as was the hoisting of
| the flag over the city of Santiago one
of the oldest cities on this continent.
II want to think you and the Presi-
] n Fr,- -
come to us and say that none of US
have ever doubted that every effort pos
sible TO make our lives as secure and
our situation as comfortable as possible
would be done"