The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-16
Incidents of the Conference Between
the Spanish Officers and Amer
leans Last Thursday.
THE COMMISSIONERS AT WORK
NO REPORT YET AS TO DETAILS OF
THE CAPITULATION.
Rejoicing Among the SOldiers-War
When News of Surrender Came.



Copyright, 1898. by the Associated Press)
WITH THE UNITED STATES TROOPS,
via Kingston, Jamaica, July 10, 1915 p. m.--
The reverse to the Spanish arms in eastern
Cuba is complete. Santiago has fallen, and
with it all the eastern end of the island.
Generol Toral, the Spanish commander,
agreed to the general terms of the surrender
at personal interview with General Shat
ter this afternoon, at which General Miles
was present The victorious American
army, after a campaign of three weeks of
almost unprecedented hardships for both
officers and men. accepts the news with
heartfelt relief.
The victory is greater than appeared at
first. All the Spanish troops in the Fourth
Corps, the military division of Santiago
province, from a line drawn north from
Acerraderos, eighteen miles west of SAINT
iago, through Las Palmas, Palmas Sorian,
Alcantaza> to Sagua de Tanamo, on the
north coast, and eastward to Cape Maysi,
are surrendered, and the territory is aban-
doned. Between 5000 and 10000 Spanish
prisoners are taken, about 10000 of whom
are in Santiago The remainder are at
Guantanamo, and others are garrisoned in
the towns of eastern Cuba. All these troops
are to be embarked and sent back to Spain
under parole.
General Shafter bears his honors modest
ly To a correspondent of the Associated
Press he said. 'The enemy has surrendered
all the territory and troops east of SAINT
iago. The terms were dictated from WASH
ington. 1t has been a hard campaign one
of the hardest / ever saw. The difficulties
to contend with were very great. Never
during our civil war were more difficult
problems solved The character of the coun-
try and the roads made it seem almost i'm
possible to advance in the face of the enc
my. The transportation problem was hard,
but all the difficulties were successfully sur
mounted. Our troops have behaved gallant
ly. They fought like heroes, and / am proud
to have commanded them, During all the
hardships they have suffered they have
shown resolution and spirit. They deserve
to conquer.
TRIBUTE TO TORAL.
1.-THE resistance of the enemy has been
exceedingly stubborn. General Toral has
proved himself a foeman worthy of any
mans steel The negotiations which cul-
have been dragging on lor ten days, with
the intermisson of Sunday and Monday,
when our batteries and fleet bombarded the
enemys position. Throughout these periods
of truce General Toral has shrewdly played
for time, always declining to surrender un-
conditionally and falling back when hard
pressed on the statement that he was simply
subordinate and powerless to agree to the
proposals without the sanction of his SUI
periors, except under penalty Of being court
martialed. At the same time he seemed to
intimate that. personally, he thought it USE
less to hold out any longer. But he and his
garrison were soldiers, he said and could
die, if necessary, obeying orders"
1t was at the personal interview held by
General Shafter with General Toral yester-
day that the American general made the
Spanish commander understand that tenn
porizing must cease, and that before noon
to-day a categorical affirmation of his offer
must be received or the bombardment of
the city would begin in earnest. In the
meantime all our plans had been perfected.
The delay had been used to good advantage.
Our lines were extended until Santiago was
nearly surrounded and our light batteries
had been so placed as to do more effective
work. In addition arrangements had been
made to land troops at Cabanas, west of
the entrance of the harbor of Santiago. The
Spanish batteries opposite Moro Castle
were to be bombarded and stormed, their
guns were then to be turned on the city,
and General Lawton's division, at the same
time, was to fall on the enemys left flank,
under the cover of our artillery fire. We
could then have enfiladed their lines and
have driven them into the city
III \, kI,ak I,
was trapped, and to hold out longer must
mean a useless sacrifice of his men, but he
made a last effort TO gain more time this
morning While nominally yielding to the
terms General Shafter proposed, he sent a
communication to General Shafter contain
ing a copy of telegram from Captain Cen
eral Blanco, explaining that the surrender
of such an important position as Santiago
and the abandonment of eastern Cuba
would require the direct sanction of the
Madrid government. At the same time
Captain General BIanco authorized General
Toral if 1t was agreeable TO the American
general, to appoint commissioners for each
side to arrange terms for the captulation of
the forces under his command, on the con-
dition of their parole and transportation to
Spain, pending the sanction of Madrid. He
also communicated the names OF the cCm-
missioners ho had selected, namely-Mr.
Robert Mason, the British vice consul, Cen
eral roraPs chief of staff, Colonel Fontaine
and General Escaraao.
UNDER THE MANGO TREE.
The communication was so ambiguous
that it might all be upset by the refusal OF
Madrid to sanction the terms agreed to by
the commissioners. and General Shafter re-
solved to have all the ambiguity removed
before proceeding further. At II O'Clock he
mounted his horse. and, together with Gen.