Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-09-01
SOLDIERS FAREWELL.
Their Courtesy ExtraOrdinary.-.Part-
Ing With Their ConuuerOrs.

document entirely unique IN the
annals of warfare was cabled to-day
TO the. war department. by Con.
Shafter. 1t is in the form of aeon
gratulatory farewell. address issued
to the soldiers of tho American
army by Pedro Lopez dc Castillo, q
private Spanish soldier, on behalf of
1900 Spanish soldiers. No. similar
document was perhaps issued before
to q victorious army by. a vanquished
enomy.
The President was much impressed
by the address, and aftor reading it
carefully authorized its publication.
Following is tho text of the address
as cabled by Gen. Shafter:
SANTIAGO, August 20, 1851.
G. Corbin, Adjutant General, WASH
ington Tho following letter has
just been received from the soldiers
now embarking for Spain :
To Major General Shafter, Com
mandipg tho American Army in
Cuba-Sir: : The Spanish soldiers
who oapitulatod i'll this place on tho
10th of Jaly last, recognizing your
high and just position, pray that
through you all the courageous and
noble soldiers under your command
may receive our good wishes and
farewell, which we send them on
embsrking for our beloved Spain.
For this favor, which we have no
doubt you will grant, you will gain
tho everlasting gratitude and con-
sideration of eleven thousand Span.
is!i soldiers, who are your most hum
bic servants.
PEDRO LOPEZ DIE CASTILLO,
Private of Infantry.
Also the following letter addressed
to the soldiers of the American
Army:
Soldiers of the American Army {:
Wo would not be fulfilling our duty
as well-born men, in whose breasts
there live gratitude and courtesy,
should we embark for our beloved
Spain without sending to you our
most cordial and sincere good wishes
and farewell. We fought you with
ardor, with all our strength, endea~
voring to gain the victory, but with
out the slightest rancor of hate
toward the Americans. We have
been vanquished by you, $50 our gen
erals and chiefs judged, signing the
capitulation,) but our surrender and
the bloody battles preceding it have
left in our souls no place
for resentment against the men
who fought 20 nobly and val
iently. You fought and acted
III compliance with the same call of
duty as we, for we all but represent
the power of our respective States.
You fought us as men, face to face,
and '9ith great courage, as before
stated, quality which we mad not
met with during the three years we
have carried on this war against a
people without religion, without
morals, without conscience and of
doubtful origin, who could not con-
front the enemy, but, hidden, shot
their noble victims from am
bush and then Immediately fled.
This was the kind of warfare
we had to sustain in this unfortunate
land. You have complied exactly
with all the laws and usages of war
as recognized by the armies of the
most civilized nations of the world
have given honorable burial to the
dead and the vanquishcd have cured
their wounded with great humanity ;
have respected and cared for your
prisoners and their comfort, and,
lastly, to us, whose condition was
terrible, you have freely given of
your stock of medicines, and you
have honorcd us with distinction and
courtesy, for, after fighting, the two
armies mingled with tho utmost har-
mony. With this high sentiment of
appreciation from us all, there re-
mains but to express our farewell,
and with greatest sincerity we wish
you all happiness and health in this
land, which will no longer belong to
our dear Spain, but will be yours,
who have conGerod by force and
watered it with your blood, as your
conscience called for, under the
demand of civilization and human
ity; but the descendants of the
Congo and of Guinea, mingled with
the blood of hnscrupulous Spaniarde
and of traitors and advcmtarers, these
people are not ablo to exercise OF
} enjoy their liberty, for they WI find
it burden to comply with the laws
which govern civilized communities
From eleven thousand Spanish sol.