The record-union., 1898-08-02
LETTER FROM LINAREs.
Reporting the Situation at San
tiago Before Surrender

t1agO Before surrender.
correspondence of the Associated Press.l
GUANTANAMO province of Santi-
ago de Cuba), July 25.-An official re-
port of General Linares to the Madrid
Government, transmitted on July 18th,
is full of pathos, as it tells Of Span
iards, thousands Of miles from home,
striving to defend property which the
owners have deserted. The report, sent
by cable on July 18th, was addressed
to the Minister of War. 1t was trans
lated for the Associated Press by Com
modore Schley. The text in full is as
follows:
Although confined to my bed by
great weakness and in much pain, the
situation of the long-suffering troops
here occupies my mind to such an ex-
tent that / deem it my duty to ad-
dress your excellency. that the state
of affairs may be explained. The en-
emy's lines are very near the town.
On account of the nature OF the
grounds, our lines are in full view OF
them. Troops weak; sick in consld-
erable proportion not sent to the nos
pitfalls owing to the necessity for Keep
ing them in the intrenchments. Horses
and mules without the usual allowance
Of forage. In the midst OF the Wet
season, with twenty-four hours daily
fall of rain in the trenches, which are
simply bitches dug in the ground WITH
out any permanent shelter for the men.
The men have nothing but rice to eat,
and no means of changing or drying
their clothing.
Considerable losses; field officers ana
company officers killed, wounded, sick,
nf
ders in critical moments.
Under these circumstances, 1t is I'M
possible to fight our way out, because
in attempting to do so our forces woulu
be lacking one-third of the men, who
could not leave, and we would be weak
ened besides by casualties caused by
the enemy, resulting finally in YER
liable disaster without saving our dl-
minished battalions. In order TO get
out. protected by the Holguin Division
it will be necessary for them to come
and break the enemy's lines in one
place, so that my forces may break IN
another and act in conjunction. For
this operation the Holguin Division Will
require eight Gays, and will have TO
bring a large amount of rations, wnich
it is impossible to transport. The So
posed upon US; our surrender Is III
evitable and we can only succeed IN
prolonging the agony. The sacrlhce IS
useless. and the enemy understands
this They see lines. and theirs beng
well established close up, they tire out
our men without eXerting themselves.
They cannonaded us yesterday with
such an elevation that We We're unaple
to see their batteries, and from the sea
by the squadron, which had perfect
range, and bombarded the town in sec
tions with mathematical precision.
The complete exodus of the inhab-
iants, insular as we'll as peninsular,
includes the occupants of the public
offices, with few exceptions. There only
remains the clergy. and they to-day
started to leave the town with their
Bishop at their head.
The defenders here cannot now be-
gin the campaign full of energy and
vim. They are defending the property
of those that have abandoned it, and
of those that are now being fed by
the American forces. The honor of
arms has it's limit and / appeal to the
opinion of the whole nation as to
whether these long suffering troops
have not kept it safely since May 18th,
when they were subjected to the first
cannonade. If it is necessary that the