Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-07-22

''iNAA
all its troops and munitions of war took
place Sunday morning. There were sew
eral bitches in the arrangements for the
surrender, owing to demands made by Gen
Toral, and the officials at Washington be-
came very impatient before the end was
reached.
The Spanish garrison marched out of
its lines with the houors Of war that is
with its colors living and stacked arms, at
the command of its own officers, after
which it returned to the city as prisoners
a detachment of our troops entered the
city and hosted our flag over the public
buildings, thus formally taking possession
of the place. Gen. McKibbin was appoint
ed military governor and the local officials
were retained in their position to discharge
their customary municipal function. The
final acts of capitulation were carried out
without friction of any kind Following
is the story as toll by the news dispatches:
Hosting the Stars and stripes.
The ceremony Of hosting the stars
and stripes was worth all the blood and
treasure it cost. a concourse of 1000
people witnessed the stirring and thrill
ing scene that will live forever in the
minds of all the Americans present.
finer stage setting for a dramatic
episode it would be difficult to imagine.
The palace a picturesque dwelling in
the Moorish style of architecture faces
the principal public square. Opposite
rises the imposing Catholic cathedral
Across the plaza was drawn up the
Ninth infantry, headed by the Sixth
cavalry band. In the street facing the
palace stood picked troop of the Sec
ond cavalry with drawn sabres, under
command Of Captain Brett. Massed on
the stone tagging between the band and
the line of horsemen We're the brigade
commanders of General Skaters divi-
sion, with their staffs. on the red
tiled roof of the palace stood Captain
McKittrick, Lieutenant Miley and Lieu
tenant Wheeler; Immediately above
them upon the Flagstaff We're the il
Illuminated Spanish arms and the legend
"Vive Alf1nzo MIL All about, press
ing against the veranda rails, crowding
to windows and doors and lining .he
roofs, were the people of the town, prn-
cipally women adm on-combatants.
AS the chimes of the old cathedral
rang out r. the infantry and cavalry
presented arms. Every American un-
covered, and Captain McKittrck hoist
ed the stars and stripes. AS the bril-
liant folds unfurled in gentle breeze
against a freckless sky, the cavalry
band broke into the strains of The
Star Spangled Banner making the
American pulse leap and the American
heart thrill with joy. At the same in
slant the sound of the distant booming
of Captain Capron's battery. firing a
salute of q guns, drfted in. When the
music ceased from all directions around
our lines came flying across the plaza
the strains of the regimental bands and
the muftled, hoarse cheers of our troops.
The infantry came to order arms"
moment later after the flag was up, and
the band played Rally Round the Flag,
Boys"
The formal sanction by the Madrid
government of the terms of capitulation
Saturday unravelled the tangled skein
of demands and counter-demands be-
tween the opposing commanders which
threatened to end the negotiations and
compel a return to arms. After nu-
merous conferences had resulted in the
agreement already sanctioned by Cen
e1al bIahco' EeneraI 1oIdl ueclueu IhdI
the approval Of the Madrid government
was necessary before he would leave the
city.
General Shafter maintained that such
approval was not necessary that when
General Toral agreed to surrender the
province of Santiago ana General Blanco
sanctioned it, the agreement became an
accomplished fact. He insisted that
General Toral had either surrendered
Thursday or acted in bad faith, but doc
umentary evidence bore out the lact
that General Toral mentioned that ne
only captulated subject to his govern
ments approval and the SIX conhnl5-
siorers by whom the articles We're signe
al 2:10 Saturday afternoon so ruled.
The whole matter was cleared up Sat
urday morning, however, when General
Toral received the necessary sanction
from Madrid.
The agreement consisted Of nine ar
ticles. The first declares that all hos
tilities shall cease, pending the agree
ment Of final capitulaUon; second, that
the capitulation Includes all the Spanish
forces and the surrender Of all war ma
terial within the prescribed limits; third
the transportation of the troops to SPAN
at the earliest possible moment each
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