The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-01

| work on July 1st, ~ SoA' 81
as has been stated. Shafter said that
1000 of Cerveras sailors were in the
works that day. It is only another evil
dence of the desperate straits in which
| the soldiers found themselves after San
Juan ridge had been carried that events
like Cervera's escape and destruction
made little impression there in the
trenches, but that trifies which brought
relief are remembered in detail Off
GERS and men alike could name the day
and hour when they got the first apollo
gy for meal, the first variation of diet
the first chance to wash and the first
Red Cross aid. They could also tell
of the fluctuations of misery in the
trenches, the downpour of rain, the
chill air and the depth of mud. When
the flag of truce appeared, word passed
| along: Firing will cease! Get out Of
the works!" Later would sound the
warning: Lie down. Firing will be-
gin!"
Mauser shots found victims all that
Sunday morning until the white flag
was displayed These were chiefly
sharpshooters' bullets, for the last squirt
of volleying was the wind up Of the
dttdCk Lie uiSul UclOIt
The proposition to retire the army on
the night of July I'd to it's position of
June 10Th on the hills back of Ell Poso
will long remain bone of contention,
and may take twenty-five years to set
| tie, as was the case with Mead at Get
| tysburg. Every one interviewed at
Camp Wikoff mentioned the subject
without restraint. No one. criticised the
plan. Officers said that the idea was
| not favored by the men; but, as before
stated, this view was modified by the
universal admission that the line of
| battle was dangerously weak and the
men suffering terribly from heat and
hunger The reasons given why the
| idea of retiring to shorter lire nearer
| the base of supplies was abandoned
show that the idea was natural one.
All agreed. that it was abandoned be-
cause of the repulse of the Spaninrds
the night of July I'd and the cool wave
bringing relief from heat. OF course it
would not have been proposed to retire
because of the discomforts of heat. Sa-
villa and Ell Poso were no better in that
respect than San Juan heights. No; the
effects of the heat were feared, and the
| real danger was Spanish sorte.
| Some time after midnight on the I'd
decision was made at headquarters to
| hold the line on San Juan ridge. It has
been stated that Skaters demand for
the surrender of Santiago was drafted
that night Shafter says that he wrote
! the demand on the morning of the Sd.
1t was dated $50 a. M, and Toral ac-
| cepted that as it's date, although he
| did not receive it until l p. M, at
which hour, although neither he nor
! Shafter knew it, Cervera's fleet was a
wreck
Toral replied that he would not sur
render, but that he had notified the for
eign Consuls and others interested.
That afternoon the Consuls entered the
| American lines and secured further
respite of twenty four hours, or until
| 10 o'clock July 9TH.
Shafter said that he believed that the
Spanish army would gladly surrender
| if it were known that the prisoners OF
war would be humanely treated by
their captors In order to give an ex-
ample of American ideas of hunien nifty,
he paroled and sent into Santiago a
number of wounded prisoners, all who
could stand the trip.
Meanwhile Cervera's escape and SUBJ
sequent fate were not mentioned. Next
day, however-that is,July 4th-Shafter
sent the news to Toral with the sugges-