The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-08-02
SKATERS LETTER

10 the Secretary o. Rtar--hq ihelAp o. Nno
aAraahips the Army Enssantsrsd aud
bravery DiIpInysa ~ tho UHssra ana
Men.
WASHINGTON, D. c., August 1.-The
secretary Of var has received the fol-
lowing letter from General shafter,
transmitting the eommislIonerS' report
Of the surrender Of the Spanish army at
Santiago:
CAMP BEFORE SANTIAGO,
Cuba, July IS. 1888,
II take the liberty Of sending to You
This morning Q copy OF the agreement
between the commissioners on my part
and the commissioners on the part OF
the government OF Spain for the sur
render Of Eastern Cuba. The schedule
Just gnbmitted shows these to be q lit
Tie over 1900 men and offieers--about
5000 more men than have had myself;
and am glad to say that we have got
all these men with very little loss OF
ne. compared 10 what It would have
been had we 70 have foughtNthenl. The
city Of Santiago 10 simply network Of
Qualifications at every street corner,
81 had no proper conception or It's
strength until went Into Il, although
/ knew these old stone towns were
naturally very strong.
Everything Is going admirably so
far as the transfer is concerned; and
the Spanish troops are behaving well,
as they are perfectly delighted at the
thoughts OF getting home.
~ send TO you personally a telegram
OF General Llnares to his government,
which one Of the consuls gave me. It
shows the straits to which they were
put, and the feelings that animated
them. He stated the case exactly: 1
did have him 90 surrounded that 1t was
impossible for him 10 get away; and
could wait and he could not.
I send out tomorrow morning to re-
celve something over 1000 men I'D In
the Interior a short distance, about
thirty miles ana 10 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 Baracona and
Sagpa de TRnano on the north coast,
who will come into the port there for
shipment. will send an officer around
with Spanish offlcer to take their arms
and military supplies.
1--WE have gotten a great deal more
kluu ! AAh4 AAlN AAGfA VI aRNhAAE So NAAN
way Of munitions Of war. In everything
but food they were wen supplied. Have
got few beautiful modern, high pow
er guns-about a dozen.
"My only fear Is that we shall have
some sickness; and 1t 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 fifteen or twenty
miles at the end OF the railroad at San
Luis, which Is said to be very healthy.
II Is at any rate about 1900 feet above
the sea and has communlca ton by rail-
with Santiago.
$50 far there Is no fever In Santiago
suppose becauae there 10 no one there
except immuneA 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 hardships. With only one set Of
clothes, officers have been until now
,ralned on nearly every day, carrying
three days ratIons, and suffering every
prIvatlon that any man can; added to
all these prlVatlons in addition are 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 greater surrender has
been made than this. The Anal surren-
der Of General Toral and. his generals
to myself and my generals was highly
dramatic, as well as the holsting OF the
flag over the city Of Santiago, one Of
the Oldest cities on this continent.
"I want to thank you and the Presl-
dent for the words OF cheer that have
come to us and TO say that none OF US
have ever. doubted that every effort
possible to make our lives as secure and
our situation as comfortable as is possl-
BILE would be done"