The Indianapolis journal., 1899-10-30
THE SANTIAGO CAMPAIGN.
Spanish Report on the Defense of the
Beleagured City.


WASHINGTON, Oct. 29.-The Bureau Of
Naval Intelligence has made public very
interesting document published in the off,
cial organ of the minister Of war at
Madrid and containing the sentence Of the
Supreme Council in the proceedings insti-
tuted because of the capitulation of San
tiago in the summer of 1898. The defendants
named in the proceedings are Jose Toral
Velazquez, general Of division and the sue
cessor Of General Lnares in command Of
the Fourth Army Corps of Cuba; General
Mesa, chief Of the Brigade Of Guanata-
namo; Lieutenant Colonel velarde. mill
tary commander of Baracoa; Lieutenant
Colonel Rafael Alegri commander of Sagua
de Tanamo; Captain Arturo Hidalgo, COM
mander of Alto Songo; Captain Jose Garcia,
commander of San Louis; Captain Romual-
do Martinez commander of Palma Sor-
iano, and Captain CIemente Peyro, COM
mander at FL Cristo. The defendants named
besides General Toral are the commanders
Of the outlying military posts which were
included in the capitulation Of Santiago.
The most interesting feature Of the re-
port is the fact that the court lays great
stress on the importance Of the American
naval forces and declares 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 vindicating General
Toral from any censure for the surrender
of the city, stating that he had used
every means of defense required by the
laws Of honor and duty as attested
by the brilliant battles sustained from June
% to the day of capitulation, and the many
casualties in generals, commanders, off,
GERS and privates during said battles" The
other defendants are exonerated, having
acted under the instructions Of their COM
manding general. who in turn had the
sanction of his home government for each
step taken. Before reaching this conclusion,
however, the court goes into what may be
characterized as brief but comprehensive
history Of the whole Cuban campaign, from
the Spanish standpoint, the various reverses
met with from time to time being cited as
explanations Of the final surrender of the
city, which was pointed out as being in
evitable from the time the American squad
ron blockaded the harbor and cut off all
hope of outside assistance.
THE MERRIMAC EPISODE.
It is declared that during the lombard
ment OF Santiago. on May 81, about one
hundred shots were fired by Spanish bat
teries and the Colon In space of forty
five minutes. The fact that the Colon aided
the batteries of the MORO, Socopa and
Punta Gordo during this bcmbardment Is
new. Referring to the sinking OF the Mer-
rimac 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 batteries, a state
ment not in agreement with Lieutenant
Hobson's view OF the affair on board OF the
Merrimac.
OF the bombardment by the American
squadron, on June g. the court says that
over 2co0 projectiles were discharged by the
hostile fleet resulting In serious injuries to
the Reina Mercedes and the garrison quar-
ters at the Moro. 1t says. however, that
no guns were dismounted by this lombard
ment. "One chief was killed however, and
eight men killed. and two chiefs, five off,
GERS and fifty-six men wounded" This is
rather larger casualty list than was cred
tied 20 this bombardment at the time The
landing OF the American forces at Daiquirl
and the bombardment OF that town and Of
siboney are described in considerable de-