The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-02
LETTER FROM SKATER
INCIDENTS OF THE SANTIAGO DE
CUBA CAMPAIGN.
Official Report of General Linares ON
the Situation Before the Surren-
der-Deaths Since July IL.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-The secretary OF
war has received the following letter from
General Shafter, transmitting the commits
sioners' report of the surrender of the
Spanish army at Santiago:
Camp Before Santiago, Cuba, July 10.
Il take the liberty of sending to you tnlS
morning a copy of the agreement between
missioners on the part of the government
of Spain for the surrender of eastern Cupa.
The schedule just submitted shows there 10
be a little over $4,000 men and ofhcers-aDouI
5000 more men than | have had myself; ana
] am glad to say that we have got all these
men with very little loss of life compared
to what it would have been had we had 10
have fought them. The city of Santiago is
simply a network of fortitications at every
street corner. l had no proper conception
of it's strength until | went into 1t, although
j knew those 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 or
getting home
II send to you personally telegram Of
General Lnares to his government. when
one of the consuls gave men. 1t shows the
straits to which they were put and the
feelings that animated them. He stated the
that il was impossible for him to get away,
and / could wait and he could not.
II send out tomorrow morning to re-
ceive something over 1900 men up in the I'M
terror, short distance, about thirty miles,
and in two or three days will send to Guam
tanamo to receive the 1000 that have sur sur
Guantanamo bay direct to Spain. There are
also about eight hundred men each from
Baracoa and Sagua de TanamO, on the north
coast, who will come into the, port there
for shipment. 1 will send an officer around
with Spanish officer to take their arms
and military supplies.
I'VE have got a great deal more than j
had any idea of getting in the way of mu-
nitions of war. In everything but food
they were well supplied. Have got few
beautiful, modern, high-power guns-about
a dozen.
my only fear is that we shall have some
have wired you so earnestly about getting
these prisoners away, so that we can go
up in the mountains with my command,
railroad, at San Luis, which is said to be
very healthy. 1t is, at any rate, about l.5OO
feet above the sea, and has communica-
ton by rail with Santiago. So far there
is no fever in Santiago, l suppose because
there is no one there except immunes.
Three cases only so far this year, and the
English consul tells rue there was very III
tie 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 rained on near
ly every day, carrying three days rations,
like the men, on their persons, and suffer-
ing every privation that man can; added
to these privations in addition, all the hor-
rors 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 L
can recall no instance where greater sur,
render has been made than this The final
surrender of General Toral and his generals
to myself and my generals was highly dra-
matte, as well as the hosting OF the nag
over the city of Santiago, one of the oldest
cities on this continent.
Il want to thank you and the President
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 possible would be made"