The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-23
Praise for the Victorious Army from
Eleven Thousand of General To-
rails vanquished Men.
$1,000 TO BE SENT BACK HOME
MESSAGE FROM SKATER REGARD
ING THE SPANISH PRISONERS.
Cubans Accused of Stealing Tents,
Arms and Personal Effects of
American Soldiers.

WASHINGTON, Aug ga document
entirely unique in the annals of warfare
Was cabled to the War Department by Gen.
Shafter. 1t is in the form of a congra tula-
tory farewell address issued to the soldiers
of the American army by Pedro Lopez de
Castill, private Spanish soldier on behalf
of eleven thousand Spanish soldiers. No
similar document, perhaps, was ever be-
fore issued to victorious army by a van
quished enemy. The President was much
impressed by the address and after reading
it carefully authorized its publication. Fol-
lowing is the text of the address, as cabled
by General Shafter:
THE following letter has Just been re-
ceivcd from the soldiers now embarking for
Spain:
Major General Shafter, Commanding the
American Army in Cuba:
Sir-The Spanish soldiers who capitu-
lated IN this place on the 18th of July last,
recognizing your high and just position,
pray that through you all the courageous
and noble soldiers under your command
may receive good wishes and farewell
Which we send them on embarking for our
beloved Spain. For this favor, which we
have no doubt you will grant you will
Grafton of II eco Spanish soldiers, who are
your most humble servants
F" PEDRO LOPEZ DE CASTILLO,
" Private of Infantry
Also the following letter addressed to the
SoldlerS OF the American army:
We 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
wishes and farewell. We fought you with
ardor, with all our strength, endeaVoring to
gain the victory, but without the slightest
rancor or hate towards the American Ma
ton. We have been vanquished by you $50
our generals and chiefs judged in signing
the capitulation), but our surrender and the
bloody preceding ha of in
souls no place for resentment against the
men who fought us nobly and valiantly
You fought and acted in 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 with
great courage. as before stated, quality
which we had not met during the three
years we have carried On this war against
a people without morals, without conscience
front the enemy, but hidden, shot their
noble victims from ambush and then i'm
medlately ned. RMS was the kind of war
fare 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 of the vanquished, have cured
their wounded with great humanity: have
ers and their comfort, and l'' lastly f.'0t to
us. whose condition was terrible, you
have given freely of food, of your
bonored Oh f HdHnf ana you nave Eve
after the fighting the two armies mingled
with the utmost harmony. With this high
sentiment of appreciation from us ALL there
remains but to express our farewell, and
with the 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 conquered it by
force and watered it with your blood as
your conscience called for, under the de-
mand of civilization and humanity, but the
descendants of the Congo and of Guinea,
mingled with the blood of INSCRIPTIONS
SpaniardS and of traitors and Adventures,
these people are not able to exercise or en-
joy their liberty, for they will find 1t bur-
den to comply with the laws which govern
civilized communities.
T" From 1900 Spanish soldiers.
PEDRO LOPEZ DE CASTILLO,
Soldier of Infantry"