The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-08
HURRAH OVER H0BS0N.
Continued from First Page.

Gus man ana civ III Jus CAAiNNA- rNt'AN'9~
ed to him my sincere thanks and the
thanks of my men for taking this means
of relieving the anxiety OF our shipmateS
and our friends at home.
He repeatedly spoke TO me or his adj
miration of what he called once of the
most daring acts in naval history, though
l am sure we were not entitled TO the
commendatio We received, for there We're
hundreds of the other men on our ships
who would have been glad to undertake
to do the same thing.
while we were in Moro Castle We
were naval prisoners, but at the end of
four days we were transferred to the
Jurisdiction of the army and We're re-
moved to the Reina Mercedes hospital on
the outskirts of Santiago, where we re-
manned until to-day. We knew but lit
tie of what was going on in the city,
thought of course we could always tell
when our fleet was bombarding the shore
batteries and we could easily distinguish
the terrific explosions caused by the
Vesuvius throwing dynamite shells.
!'Several times at night we were also
fully aware that the land batteries were
fighting outside the city. Last Friday
and Saturday 1t would be difficult to eX-
plain how anxious we were for news of
| the success of our side during the en-
gagement. The little information the
| Spaniards would give us could not be re-
| lied upon.
zone thing that ! found out in the hospi-
tai was that a large number OF Spanish
| officers were wounded in Friday fight,
| for many were brought to the hospital
| for treatment. A number of badly aimed
bullets came into the hospital windows on
| Friday, but I do not believe any one was
| injured by them.
"Our quarters there were very clean and
| comfortable and the food was fairly good.
In fact, / have no reason to complain Of
our treatment as prisoners of war
tai afFtg ~ fnr dc
| showed against us during the first few
| days soon wore, away. We conducted our
selyes properly and simply forced them TO
| treat us well.
1--WE knew nothing about the destruc-
| ton of Cervera's fleet until told by our
| own people to-day. OF course, our con-
| tinement became very irksome, and / can
| not tell how great the relief We feel TO
| be free again. | cannot express my graft
| tude to our soldiers who gave US such
| welcome when we came into the lines.
All of us are in excellent health and glad
TO go back TO our posts again and see the
| war through TO the end"
Lieut.. Hobson proved himself to be as
| good a horseman as he is a sailor. The
| twelve-mile gallop from the front to Ju-
ragua was made very quickly though ow
| ing to the delay in reaching Gen. Skaters
| headquarters il was dusk when he arrived
on the beach and took the boat to the flag
ship.
| The same scenes of enthusiasm were
| repeated upon the arrival of the men at the
hospital station and at our base at Ju-
| ragua.
Lieut.. Hobson, who reached there in sd-
| vance of his companions, was taken on
| board the New York Immediately. The
! hagships decks were lined with officers
| and men and as Hobson sclambered up
| her side and stepped on board his vessel
| the harbor rang with the shouts and
cheers of his comrades, which were re-
echoed by the crews of the dozen Trans
ports lying nearby. '~
Lieut.. Hobson had little TO say in re-
gard to his experiences except that he and
his companions had been we'll treated by
the Spaniards and that they were all an
excellent health.
The Spanish authorities consented this
morning to exchange Lieut. Hobson and
his men, and a truce was established FOR
that purpose. The place selected for the
exchange was under a tree between the
American and Spanish lines, two-thirds
| of a mile beyond the entertainments oc-
cupied by Col. Woods Rough Riders,
near Gen. Wheeler's headquarters, and an
the center of the American line
The American prisoners left the Reina
Mercedes hospital at the outskirts of San
tlago. where they had been confined at
2:45 this afternoon, in charge of Maj: lrles,
a Spanish staff officer, who speaks Eng
lish perfectly The prisoners were con
Quoted to the meeting place en- foot, out
were not blindfolded
Col. John Jacob Astor and Lieut.. Miley,
accompanied by Interpreter Maestro, were
in charge of the Spanish prisoners
These consisted of Lieuts. Amelio VoleZ
and Aurelius, a German belonging to the
Twenty-ninth Regular Infantry, who were
| captured at Ell Caney on Friday last, ana
Lieut. Adolfo Aries Of the First Provi5-
ional Regiment of Barcelona, one OF the
most aristocratic military organizations of
the Spanish army and fourteen non-com-
missioned officers and privates.
Lieut. Aries and a number of the men
were wounded in the fight at Ell Caney
The Spanish prisoners were taken through
the American lines mounted and blind
folded.
The meeting between 'Col. Aston and
Mai. Irles was extremely courteous, but
very formal, and no attempt was made by
either of them to discuss anything but
the matter in hand
Mai. Irles was given his choice Of three
Spanish lieutenants in exchange for Lieut..
Hobson and was also informed that he
could have all of the fourteen men in ex-
change for the American sailors. The
Spanish officer selected Lieut.. Aries and
the other two Spanish officers were con-
Quoted back to Juragua.
It was then not later than o'clock, and
Just as everything was finished and the
two parties were separating, Mai Irles
turned and said courteously enough, but
in a tone which indicated considerable de-
fiance ard gave his hearers the impress
sion that he desired hostilities to be re-
newed at once: Our understanding is,
gentlemen, that this truce comes to an end
at O'clock
Col Aston looked at his watch, bowed
to the Spanish officer without making a
feply, and then started back slowly 10 the
American lines with Lieut.. Hobson and
his companions following.
The meeting of the two parties and the
exchange of prisoners had taken place in
fun view of both the American and Span
ish soldiers, who were entrenched near the
meeting place and the keenest interest was
taken in the episode.
The men whose return to their cont
rades has been secured by the negotia-
tons detailed above are