Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-11-09
AFTER ONE YEAR.
Dons Comment Officially on the
Santiago Siege.
Supreme Council of War ExOnerates
Gen. TOraI and His Officers for
Failing to Hold the City and
Describes the Distress Of
Its Defenders.

washington, Oct. oo.-I ne bureau
of naval intelligence was made public
an interesting document published in
the official organ of the minister of war
at Madrid and containing the sentence
of the supreme council in the proceed
ings instituted because of the capitula-
ton of Santiago in the summer of 1898.
The defendants named in the proceed
ings are Jose Toral Nelasquez, general
of division and the successor of Gen.
Linares in command of the Fourth
army corps of Cuba; Gen. Mesa, chief
of the brigade of Guantanamo; Lieut..
Col. Nelarde, military commander of
Baracoa; Lieut.. Col. Algeria, COM
mander of Sagua De Tanamo; Capt.
IIidalgO, commander of Alto Songo;
Capt, Garcia. commander of San
Louis; Capt. Martinez, commander of
Palma Soriano, and Capt. Clemente
Peyro, commander at El Cristo. The
defendants named, besides Gen. Toral,
are the commanders of the outlying
posts which were included in the ca
litulation of Santiago.
The most interesting feature of the
report is the fact that the court lays
great stress upon the Importance of
the American naval forces and de-
clares that without their cooperation
it would have been impossible for the
American forces to have compelled the
surrender of Santiago. The sentence
of the court concludes by indicating
Gen. Toral from any ccnsure for the
surrender of the city, stating that he
had FUSED every means of defense re-
auired by the laws of honor and duty
as atteSted by the brilliant battles sns-
tanned from June % to the day OF
capitulation and the many casualties
in generals, commanders, officers and
privates during said battles The
other defendants are eNoncratcd, hav-
ing acted under the instructions of
their commanding general. who In
turn had the sanction of his home gov
ernment for each step taken.
Before reaching this conclusion,
however. the court goes into what may
be characterized as a brief but COM
prehensive history of the whole Cuban
campaign from the Spanish stand
point, the various reverses met with
from time to time being cited as eX-
plantations of the final surrender of
the city. which was pointed out as be-
ing inevitable from the time the Amer
lean squadron blockaded the harbor
and cut of all hope of outside assist
RnCe.
1t is declared that during the Dom
bardment of Santiago on May 81 about
100 shots were fred by Spanish bat
tcries and the Colon in a space of 45
minutes The fact that the Colon
aided this bombardment is new. Re-
fcrring to the sinking of the Merrima0
in the channel at the mouth OF the
harbor, the court declares that she
was sunk by the combined fire OF the
Reina Mercedes and the water bat
teries. n statement not in agreement
with Lieut.. Hobson's view of the affair
on board the Merrimac.
OF the bombardmcnt by the Amer.
lean squadron on June the court
says that over 1000 proicctiles were
discharged by the hostile feet, result.
ing in serious injuries to the Reina
Mercedes and the garrison quarters
at the Moro. 1t says, however, that
no guns were dismounted by this bonn.
bardment. zone chief was killed,
however, and eight men killed, two
chiefs. five officers and Sc men wound.
Gt. IllS - ldlllII a l'ii 9tI Casualty
list than was credited to this lombard.
ment at the time.
Following the loss of San Juan and
Cancy the court declares that the
water supply was cut off and that the
military force surviving the two days
fighting of July l and was entirely
inadequate tie defend the protective
works around the city. The total
force available is placed officially at
1000 infantry and 1000 guerillas. The
remainder of the forces were garri-
soning the Moro, and the bat
teries at Socapa and Punta Gor,la.
Referring to garrison stores the
court says that at the time of the sur
render all that was left to the army
was a million Spanish cartridges.
These would not have lasted for more
than two attacks on the part of the
enemy. The Argentine Muuser am
munition, of which there was con-
siderable supply, could not be utilized
for want of weapons of that t. pc. nor
could the Remington ammunition,
these weapons being in the hands of
the irregular forces only.
The provisions in the city at the time
of the surrender consisted only Of rice.
salt, oil, coffee, sugar and brandy, and
of these only about ten days ..fnn..
remained. There were over 1,7O0 sick
in the hospitals who had to he fed,
to say nothing of the soldiers who
spent day and night in trenches after
three years of campaign. dueu., ..
last three months of which they sell
dom had meat to eat and we're often
reduced to the rat1ons mentioned
above"
In addition to the decree of the
court eXonerating the ahove-named de-
PENDANTS there are two supplemental
DEGREES directing the captain general
of New CASTLE to take steps 10 fix the
responsibility for the fact that there
were not sufficient war materials in the
city to provision Santiago at the time
of the outbreak OF the war.
Martin Says ''kecp the lsIruds."
TODeka Kan Oct 30-EX-I Jnited