* e « o ° ^ o 4 -y C . o V vv S , "I ° A^> v>* .' '. T v^ "IrV. ■5°** ^ J> \ ^ o « * „ " <•> ° o V V* :J ^<* *^*' Copyright, /Sq$, by B. J. F.ilk, Neio York MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM R. SHAFTER, U. S. V. IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER BY JOHN D. MILEY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL AND INSPECTOR-GENERAL, UNITED STATES VOLUNTEERS ; FIRST LIEUTENANT, SECOND UNITED STATES ARTILLERY WITH PORTRAITS AND MAPS NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1899 UWv Copyright, 1899, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS TWOCOPlEa TROW DIRECTORY PRINTING AND BOOKBINDING COMPANY NEW YORK PREFACE In this volume it is my object to put before my readers a clear and intelligent narrative of the Santiago campaign, showing the orders re- ceived and how they were executed ; the plans formed and how they were carried out ; the obstacles met and how they were overcome. The work is not in any sense a criticism of persons or military movements, but a plain state- ment of facts as the writer knows them. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War I left San Francisco with General Shafter as one of his aides-de-camp, remaining continuously on his staff until the present, and for that rea- son feel competent to speak from knowledge. J. D. MI LEY, Lieutenant- Colonel and Inspector- General \ United States Volunteers. Governor's Island, N. Y., January 5, 1899. x CONTENTS CHAPTER I Assembling at Tampa, i CHAPTER II The Embarkation of the Santiago Expedition, . 15 CHAPTER III The Embarkation of the Santiago Expedition (Continued), 30 CHAPTER IV The Disembarkation, 52 CHAPTER V The Advance on Santiago, 82 CHAPTER VI The Battles of San Juan and El Caney, . . 101 CHAPTER VII The Battles of San Juan and El Caney {Con- tinued), 119 vii CONTENTS CHAPTER VIII The Siege of Santiago, 129 CHAPTER IX The Siege of Santiago {Continued), . . . 148 CHAPTER X The Capitulation, 164 CHAPTER XI The Capitulation (Continued), . . . .189 CHAPTER XII Re-embarkation, 215 PORTRAITS Major-General William R. Shafter, U. S. V., Frontispiece FACING PAGE General Shafter and Staff at Tampa, . .12 Major-General Joseph Wheeler, U. S. V., . . 26 General Calixto Garcia, 54 Brigadier-General H. S. Hawkins, U. S. V., . 68 Brigadier-General William Ludlow, U. S. V., . 76 Brigadier-General A. R. Chaffee, U. S. V., . 84 Brigadier-General J. Ford Kent, U. S. V., . .110 Brigadier-General John C. Bates, U. S. V., . 122 Brigadier-General Samuel S. Sumner, U. S. V., . 140 Brigadier-General Henry W. Lawton, U. S. V., . 152 General Jose Toral, 186 I MAPS Santiago de Cuba and Vicinity, . At end of volume Map showing intrenchments and position of the Fifth Corps U. S. Army and those of the Spanish after the taking of Caney and San Juan Hill, evening of July i, 1898, . . . At end of volume Map showing intrenchments and position of the Fifth Corps U. S. Army and those of the Spanish at beginning of truce, 12.30 p.m., July 3, 1898, ...... At end of volume Map showing intrenchments and position of the Fifth Corps U. S. Army and those of the Spanish the day of the surrender, July 14, 1898, ...... At end of volume IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER CHAPTER I ASSEMBLING AT TAMPA PURSUANT to orders from the War De- partment General Shafter, with his staff — Lieutenants R. H. Noble and J. D. Miley, Aides- de-camp ; Colonel J. B. Babcock, Adjutant-Gen- eral ; Colonel Charles P. Eagan, Chief Commis- sary ; Major S. W. Groesbeck, Judge Advocate ; and Lieutenant Frank Greene, Signal Officer, left San Francisco April 21st for New Orleans, to take command of the United States forces assembling there. He arrived at New Orleans on the morning of the 25th, assumed command, and the following day left for Washington, in obedience to orders. Here he was informed that he had been se- lected to lead the first expedition into Cuba, and instead of returning to New Orleans would pro- ceed direct to Tampa. The expedition was to IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER be in the nature of a reconnoissance to gather in- formation for use in subsequent movements, and to furnish supplies to the insurgents. No exten- sive movement was contemplated at the time, but while waiting for events to shape themselves it was intended to give all possible aid to the Cu- ban insurgents, in order that they might continue to wage warfare against the Spanish troops. The navy entered into its part of the campaign with so much vigor and with such brilliant re- sults that the feeling prevailed throughout the army that there would be little left to do after the navy and insurgents had completed their work. This feeling seemed to be very general until the army finally faced the enemy before Santiago. On the 29th General Shafter received formal orders to remove his head-quarters to Tampa, as- sume command of all troops there, and prepare them for this expedition, which was to be com- posed of Company E, Corps of Engineers ; the Ninth United States Cavalry ; Light Batteries A and F, Second Artillery ; C and F, Third Artil- lery ; B and F, Fourth Artillery ; D and F, Fifth Artillery; and the First, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, Tenth, Thirteenth, Twenty-second and Twenty- fourth United States Infantry. All these troops ASSEMBLING AT TAMPA were either at Tampa or en rotcte for that place. The expedition was to sail under convoy of the navy, on as early a date as possible, with a large quantity of all kinds of supplies for distribution to the insurgents, and also arms and ammunition sufficient to enable the expedition to successfully engage any Spanish troops that might be en- countered. The first landing was to be made on the south coast of Cuba, to communicate with General Gomez, supplying him with arms, am- munition, and food. It was expected that this visit would infuse spirit into Gomez's army, when they realized that the strong power of the United States was actually behind them. After the in- terview with Gomez, the expedition was to pro- ceed to the northwest coast of Cuba and furnish supplies to the insurgents on that coast, unless, in the meantime, the movements of the Spanish navy had been such as to render this hazardous. In that event the expedition was to seek safety in the nearest American port. It was enjoined upon General Shafter that he was expected to stay in Cuba but a few days ; that the expedition was in the nature of a reconnoissance in force ; and that he should give aid and arms to the in- surgents, injure the Spanish forces as much as possible, and avoid serious injury to his own 3 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER command. The idea of giving moral and mate- rial aid to the insurgents was now paramount, and the movements throughout the month of May all had that object in view. Hardly had General Shafter reached Tampa when he received orders from the head-quarters of the army, dated April 30th, to delay any movement, for the rea- son that the Navy Department did not feel that ships could be spared at that time to act as a con- voy. Those responsible for the conduct of the war believed that the first object was the destruc- tion of the Spanish sea-power, and that nothing should in the slightest degree interfere with this. While the expedition was not to sail until further orders, active preparation of the transports was to be continued. Care was taken that the lading of the trans- ports should be such as to enable all, or any part of them, to be sent as an expedition whenever the opportunity might arise. In the orders delaying the sailing of the expedition it was suggested that General Shafter confer with the naval officer in command of the blockading squadron on the north coast of Cuba, in order to learn his opinion of the feasibility of convoying the expedition at this juncture. Accordingly, he despatched Gen- eral Lawton on May 4th to Key West, to have 4 ASSEMBLING AT TAMPA an interview with Commodore Watson, then in command. In this interview Commodore Wat- son gave assurance that a small expedition of one or two vessels fitted out to land arms and ammu- nition on the north coast of Cuba could be con- voyed in absolute safety at any time. It was also considered by the Commodore safe to undertake the expedition ordered on April 29th to com- municate with Gomez, but he did not feel that he could undertake to convoy both expeditions at the same time. General Lawton had been in- structed by General Shafter to ascertain definitely the practicability of convoying an expedition of five to seven thousand men as a reconnoissance in force to the northwest coast of Cuba in the vicinity of Mariel. This was pronounced by Commodore Watson to be absolutely safe with- out any consideration of Cervera's fleet. On General Lawton's return on May 7th, General Shafter prepared a letter to the Adjutant-General of the army forwarding General Lawton's report. In his letter he said that there was so much uncertainty about the operations of the Spanish fleet, that he did not at that time consider it pru- dent for his command to sail as a body. He stated further that his expedition would be com- pletely fitted out by May 12th, and he would be 5 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER ready at any time after that date to execute the orders of April 29th, or to take possession of, and hold permanently, some point on the north coast of Cuba, to be used as a base of operations. As there had been received on May 6th orders to push forward a quantity of arms and stores to the insurgents, he informed the War Department in his letter that a small expedition for this purpose would be sent without delay. This expedition was organized by Captain (now Lieutenant-Colonel) Dorst, having in view the landing of stores to the westward of Havana. It was known as the Gussie expedition, and the troops engaged in it were two companies of the First Infantry. On account of the publicity given to the movements of this expedition by the newspapers throughout the country, the Spanish authorities in Havana were aware of the sailing of the expedition and of its destination. For that reason, the expedition was repulsed and wholly failed in its object. General Lawton's report and General Shafter's letter were sent by me to Washington, where I arrived on the morning of the 9th, and delivered my letters and plans to General Miles. It was on this day that General Wade superseded Gen- eral Shafter in command at Tampa. Some time 6 ASSEMBLING AT TAMPA in the morning, shortly after my arrival, General Wade was ordered by telegraph to inform Gen- eral Shafter that his suggestion of delay, in view of the uncertainty of the movements of the Spanish fleet, was accepted as satisfactory, and that the expedition would wait until further re- port from the fleet However, on the afternoon of the same day telegraphic orders were sent to General Shafter, through General Wade, to move the troops originally intended for the reconnois- sance in force on the south coast of Cuba, to the vicinity of Mariel, or other important point on the north coast of Cuba. There he was expected to take up a strong defensive position and occu- py enough territory to permit all of the regular army available, as well as the volunteer troops, as fast as they were equipped, to be rendezvoused behind the lines thus held ; and there they were to be prepared for a campaign against Havana. The reason that General Shafter was superseded in command by General Wade was this: Prior to this date both these officers had been at Tamp;: holding the rank of Brigadier-General in the regu- lar army, General Shafter being the senior by date of appointment. On the 9th, however, these two officers were confirmed as Major-Generals of Volunteers, and the law is that when officers of 7 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER the same grade are appointed on the same day the one with the longest service is senior. As General Wade had entered the service in 1861, a few weeks before General Shafter, he became senior under this law, and, therefore, assumed command. Only one day elapsed before the orders con- cerning the movements of the expedition were again changed. On the 10th, the orders given on the 9th to take a defensive position on the north coast of Cuba were directed to be suspend- ed until Monday, May 16th. In the meantime, however, General Wade was instructed to send the infantry at Tampa to Key West and there disembark them, continuing the movement until twelve thousand had been assembled at that place. The instructions further stated that these troops would be moved later from Key West to Cuba and the Dry Tortugas on ships coming from New York. There were objections to this plan, for, as early as May 5th, on account of the insufficient supply, water had been sent from Tampa for the naval vessels rendezvoused at Key West and vicinity. If the infantry was to be moved, as just described, all the water for their use would have to be carried from Tampa. In view of this, and the lack of convoy, these 8 ASSEMBLING AT TAMPA instructions were never carried out. All the strength of the navy was now concentrated for the destruction of Cervera's fleet. As it would be necessary to detach at least a few of the naval vessels for any movement of troops that might be made, all idea of moving an expedition of land troops was abandoned. It was not until May 26th that any further orders were received, and these were the preparatory orders to sail against Santi- ago. On the 20th General Shafter again assumed command, General Wade having been relieved and ordered to the command of the camp at Chickamauga. On May 2d, Colonel C. F. Humphrey, of the Quartermaster's Department (now Brigadier-Gen- eral of Volunteers) was, at the request of General Shafter, ordered by the War Department to take general charge of the Quartermaster's Depart- ment at Tampa, in addition to the duties of fit- ting out the ocean transportation for the expedi- tion, to which he had been assigned the previous day. There were at Tampa, at the time, a Depot Quartermaster and a Chief Quartermaster on General Shafter's staff, and the resulting lack of harmony in the management and methods de- cided the General to place everything pertaining to the department under one head. The trans- 9 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER ports began to arrive immediately after General Shafter took command, and, superintended by Colonel Humphrey and his assistant, Captain MacKay, a shipmaster, were coaled, watered, and policed as rapidly as possible. Both coal and water were expensive and very difficult to place on board, owing to the limited facilities for loading ; and, to prevent waste, the fires were drawn. A few of the transports came fitted with bunks and stalls for the reception of men and animals, but in the greater number the work of putting these in was done at Tampa. The object kept steadily in view was to have trans- ports prepared for any expedition that might be ordered. Events followed one another in rapid succession, making frequent changes of orders necessary by the War Department. At each change the expedition ordered would increase in size, and when the order finally came to sail for Santiago a long delay was still necessary in which to carry on the work of preparation. As soon as the transports began to arrive, the work of loading ordnance stores and all the heavy, bulky parts of the cargoes was begun and carried on simultaneously with the work of coaling and watering. During the time that General Wade was in command, from the 9th to the 20th, this 10 ASSEMBLING AT TAMPA part of the work practically ceased, and no prog- ress was made in that direction until General Shafter assumed command the second time. Af- ter that the loading of the cargoes was resumed and continued without regard to hours or fatigue. Regiments of regulars and volunteers were arriving continually from the different camps throughout the country, and, at first, were all en- camped in the city of Tampa and near the Port of Tampa. As the command at Tampa increased, it was found that new camping grounds must be selected or the water-supply would prove insuffi- cient. Quite a large number of regiments were put in camp in Ybor City, a continuation of Tampa, and three regiments at Lakeland thirty miles to the northeast. General Lawton was sent to Jacksonville to examine the grounds of- fered there for camping purposes, and on his fa- vorable report nine volunteer regiments en route for Tampa were stopped there. The fleet of transports, which consisted of only three or four vessels on May ist, was slowly growing at Port Tampa, and by the 26th of May numbered about thirty. A second small expedition, under Lieutenant-Colonel Dorst, left Tampa, on the transport Florida, on the 17th, for the same purpose as that of the Gussie expe- IX IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER dition. General Lacret, a Cuban general, with three hundred Cuban soldiers, which he had re- cruited from among the Cuban refugees in Tampa and vicinity, was on board, to be landed at some port on the north coast with a large quantity of ammunition, arms, clothing, and food. Colonel Dorst, on his arrival at Key West, found the navy unable to convoy him at the time, and the expe- dition was delayed there for several days. Finally General Lacret, his command and supplies, were safely landed to the eastward of Havana. When the Florida expedition was about to sail, General Shafter, in order to avoid on this occasion the publicity that had been given to the Gussie expedition at the time it sailed, caused orders to be issued to all the war corre- spondents then at Tampa not to publish anything in their papers concerning the expedition until it had accomplished its object. Each correspondent was notified that he would be held responsible if anything concerning the expedition appeared in the paper he represented, and a copy of his paper was filed daily for examination by the press cen- sor. He was also notified to inform his paper that his credentials would be revoked in case the above instructions were violated. The corre- spondents realized the necessity for this order 12 ASSEMBLING AT TAMPA and heartily approved of it. Some of them, how- ever, thinking that the expedition would soon be an accomplished fact, sent written accounts of it, and failed to notify their papers not to pub- lish these accounts when the delay arose at Key West. The result was that the story of the expedition appeared in several papers having correspondents at Tampa — the New York Press, Jacksonville Times- Union, and Chicago Tribune. The order was promptly put into effect against the offending papers, but after a satisfactory ex- planation to the War Department, their corre- spondents were again permitted to furnish them with news from the front. General Shafter, on his arrival at Tampa, had established his head-quarters in the Tampa Bay Hotel, where it remained until his departure. The different staff officers also had their offices in rooms of the hotel. On the 24th General Shafter was asked to submit a plan for the for- mation of the Fifth and Seventh Army Corps from the troops then under his command. In submitting his plan he proposed that the Fifth Army Corps, of which he was to be the com- mander, should be exclusively of the regular troops, and the Seventh Army Corps, under command of General Lee, of the volunteers. 13 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER He stated, as his reasons for this, that his corps was to form the first expedition into Cuba, and should be composed of tried troops. This suggestion was adopted, and the Fifth and Seventh Army Corps were formed on these lines. The wisdom of this was soon demon- strated. 14 CHAPTER II THE EMBARKATION OF THE SANTIAGO EXPEDITION HTHE period from the ioth to the 26th of May, * during which no orders were received, though a very busy one, was filled with anxiety. Due to the enterprise of the war correspondents the bul- letin-board in the hotel rotunda was covered with despatches, giving the predicted movements of the Spanish navy, with comments and sug- gestions in reference to them. After reading these despatches daily for some weeks one was in a frame of mind to expect anything. On the morning of the 26th a telegram was received which indicated that the period of sus- pense was broken, and that an expedition would soon leave Tampa. This telegram contained in- structions to General Shafter to be prepared to load on transports twenty-five thousand men, including infantry, four batteries of light artil- lery, eight siege-guns, including siege-mortars, and one squadron of cavalry. The movement 15 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER of the expedition was to depend upon informa- tion concerning the Spanish fleet. If it was found inadvisable to send these forces, then it was expected that all the transports would be loaded at Tampa for another movement on Cuba similar to that ordered on April 29th. This tel- egram stated that definite instructions would be sent later. This was the first intimation General Shafter had that the troops at Tampa would be sent against Spanish forces. Up to this time a con- flict was to be avoided if possible ; now an expedition was to be sent to seek one. No intimation, however, was given, so far, that the expedition was to go to Santiago, and many felt that Porto Rico was to be the destination. As the subsequent orders were sent in cipher and known only to General Shafter and a few of his staff, even after the sailing of the expe- dition many still felt that it was bound for Porto Rico. On May 29th orders were received to have thirteen volunteer regiments fully armed and equipped, and to place on the transports the most effective regiments of regulars and volunteers. Many of the volunteer regiments had come to Tampa not fully equipped ; one had no uniforms, 16 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION others were without serviceable arms, and nearly every regiment lacked something. On the 30th all doubt was removed in the mind of General Shafter as to the ultimate des- tination of the expedition, by the receipt of a cipher telegram, directing him " Go with your force to capture garrison at Santiago and assist in capturing the harbor and fleet." The order is so important that I quote it in full, as well as the order received the following day. Head-quarters of the Army, Washington, D. C, May 30, 1898. Major-General William R. Shafter, Tampa, Fla. Referring to my telegram last night. Admiral Schley reports that two cruisers and two torpedo- boats have been seen in the harbor of Santiago. Go with your force to capture garrison at Santiago and assist in capturing the harbor and fleet. Load your transports with effective force of infantry and artillery, both regulars and volunteers, taking siege- guns and howitzers and mortars and two or four field batteries. You can take any dismounted cavalry that you desire. Limit the animals to least number for artillery, as it is expected that you will go but a short distance inland. Your troops should have five hundred rounds of ammunition per man with possibly two months' supplies, and in ad- dition you can load supplies to last six months if practicable. Take five thousand rifles, with ammuni- 17 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER tion for insurgents. You can organize your com- mand under Generals Arnold, Burt, Hawkins, Kent, Henry, Lawton, and Chaffee. Have your command embark as rapidly as possible and telegraph when your expedition will be ready to sail. I leave for Tampa to-night. (Signed) Miles, Major-General, Commanding the Army. The second cipher telegram received gives fur- ther detailed instructions. Washington, D. C, May 31, 1898. Major-General William R. Shafter, Tampa, Fla. With the approval of the Secretary of War, you are directed to take your command on transports and proceed, under convoy of the navy, to the vi- cinity of Santiago de Cuba, land your forces at suc- cessive places east or west of that point, as your judgment may dictate, under the protection of the navy, and move up on to high ground and bluffs overlooking the harbor or into the interior, as shall best enable you to capture or destroy the garrison there, and cover the navy as it sends its men in small boats to remove torpedoes; or with the aid of the navy capture or destroy the Spanish fleet now re- ported to be in Santiago Harbor. You will use the utmost energy to accomplish this, and the Govern- ment relies on your good judgment as to the most judicious use of your command. It is desired to im- press upon you the importance of accomplishing this with the least possible delay. You can call to 18 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION your assistance any of the insurgent forces in that vicinity, and make use of such of them as you think advisable to assist, especially as scouts and guides. You are cautioned against putting too much confi- dence in any persons outside of your own troops. You will take every precaution against ambuscade or surprise, or positions that have been mined or are commanded by the Spanish forces. You will coop- erate most earnestly with the naval force in every way, agreeing beforehand on a code of signals. Communicate your instructions to Admiral Samp- son and Commodore Schley. On completion >of this enterprise, unless you receive other orders or deem it advisable to remain in the harbor of Santi- ago, re-embark your troops and proceed to the har- bor of Banes, reporting, by the most favorable means, for further orders in future important ser- vice. This with the understanding that your com- mand has not sustained serious loss, and that the harbor is safe for your transports and convoys. When will you sail ? By Order of Major-General Miles, (Signed) H. C. Corbin, A djutanU General. General Miles with his staff arrived in Tampa on June ist, and from that time until the expe- dition finally sailed he and General Shafter united in their efforts to hasten its departure. Up to May 26th, while the work of prepara- tion had been energetically pushed, it had been 19 \ IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER done quietly, but now there was a change, and head-quarters and the different departments began to work under a strain. Working hours were no longer confined to the day, but were prolonged into the night, and for several days before sailing the embarkation was kept up continuously all night. The troops in camp at Lakeland were brought to Tampa and a camp of volunteer regi- ments was established close to the Port, so that they would be more convenient when the time came to embark. This camp of volunteers con- sisted of nine volunteer regiments of infantry, organized as a provisional division to accom- pany the expedition, when it was thought that the carrying capacity of the ships would be about 27,000. This was soon found to be an error and the Provisional Division, much to the regret of General Shafter, had to be left behind. The supplies from the storehouses in Tampa and trainloads of supplies that had not been unloaded all now began to move down that single track of railroad between Tampa and the Port, and out on the narrow tongue of land alongside of which the transports were moored. On one side of this narrow strip of land a channel had been dredged, in which vessels could lie while loading. There was no dock, however, alongside the channel, and 20 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION everything had to be carried on these ships up an incline. The transports had been fully supplied with coal and water by the 31st, and on that date the rations for the command began to be loaded. Colonel Weston, the Chief Commissary of the expedition, was directed to place on board rations for twenty thousand men for six months. This order was modified, on account of the necessity for haste, and he was instructed to cease loading when he had two months' rations on board. Sub- sequently, he was ordered to place one hundred thousand rations on each of several vessels des- ignated by Colonel Humphrey. These vessels had no reserve rations on board, and this action was taken so that there should be ample food supplies on each vessel in case of separation. The Chief Commissary was also directed to have proper arrangements made on each transport for making coffee in quantity, and ground coffee was directed to be issued with the travel ration. By the 31st, the coaling, watering, and polic- ing of the transports, as well as fitting them with bunks and stalls, was completed, and on June 1st the loading of wagons, guns, and caissons of the light artillery began. This work was carried on simultaneously with the loading of commissary 21 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER stores and continued for a week, when the em- barkation of troops began. The animals were left on shore as long as possible and embarked just before the troops. The loading of the trans- ports with supplies was a very difficult operation, because the wharf facilities were so limited. The railroad track was about fifty feet from and par- allel to the channel in which the vessels were placed, and the boxes and packages had to be carried from the cars across this sandy space on the backs of stevedores or trucked over impro- vised platforms. Eight vessels could lie for load- ing in the channel, and two at the pier built at the extremity of the narrow strip of land. On the latter vessels the supplies could be trucked direct from the cars. The components of the ration came direct from the contractors in different cars of the same train or on different trains. Therefore, in order to place a given number of rations on a trans- port, it was necessary to go from car to car on a train, or even to some car on another train to complete the cargo. Often the components needed to complete the ration were on trains that could not be brought to the wharf at the time, and the transport then being loaded would have to be pulled into the stream and another 22 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION brought into its place to receive what remained on the train being unloaded. If the train-loads of commissary supplies had reached Tampa in time to be placed in storehouses and sorted, this difficulty would have been avoided. Even at this time, perhaps, it would have been better to "make haste slowly" by placing the food supplies in store- houses, sorting them, reloading complete rations, and running train-loads made up in this way to the Port. Now, however, cars of meat would come to the Port direct from some place in the North, cars of hard bread or flour from another place, cars of other components from still another place, and these cars were scattered along the con- gested track from the Port to Tampa City, a dis- tance of ten miles. There were in round numbers about ten million pounds of rations placed on board, a great deal of it carried there on the backs of stevedores. These stevedores, days before the loading was completed, were so worn out that they could be seen lying about everywhere, asleep, just where they happened to be when their working hours came to a close. Of course, it was very important that each ration should have its full proportion of bread and meat, but how much more important was it that each siege-gun should have its breech 2 3 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER mechanism complete in every part and the proper fuse for the projectile. The siege-artillery and ammunition had come from different arsenals and at different times, and much delay arose in gathering all the parts and mounting the guns on the carriages. For several reasons it was believed necessary to mount the guns before placing them on board the transports, and the artillery troops worked night and day to hasten the work. To / add to this congestion of the railroad, passenger trains were continually running between Tampa and the Port, carrying crowds of sightseers and tourists; and the regular freight, passenger, and express business of the Plant System between Tampa and Key West went on without interrup- tion. Large quantities of naval supplies were also shipped from Tampa to the blockading squad- ron on the north coast of Cuba, and on one occa- sion in one of the transports. The whole trouble lay in the fact that the place in all particulars pos- sessed most insufficient facilities for the embar- kation of so large a command. Many have won- dered why the Government did not seize the railroad or parallel it. To build a track from Tampa to the pier, under the most favorable cir- cumstances, would have taken a month or per- haps two. If the present track had been seized, 24 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION with green employees, it is feared the Quarter- master's Department would simply have increased its difficulties. All the organizations composing the expedi- tion were notified on the 31st of the order in which they would embark, but no troops went on board until the 7th of June. Commanding officers of regiments were ordered to see that their commands were furnished with five hun- dred rounds of ammunition per man and ten days' travel rations. When the embarkation of troops began, officers from head-quarters watched the progress made, and as soon as one organi- zation had been started for the Port, the next in order was put in readiness to follow. The trains were made up of both baggage and pas- senger cars, so that a regiment with its baggage would occupy an entire train. Upon arrival at the port the commanding officer of each organi- zation was directed to apply to Colonel Hum- phrey, or his representative, for assignment to a transport. As far as practicable, regiments and battalions were unbroken when placed on board. On the evening of May 31st General Shafter telegraphed General Miles, who was then on his way to Tampa, that he was making fair progress in the loading of supplies, and that he 25 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER thought it would take three days to complete it. The enormous amount of labor to embark an expedition of this size was not yet appreciated, for it took more than twice that time. There were five regular regiments of cavalry and one volunteer regiment of cavalry, the Rough Riders, available for the expedition. To take them with their horses was out of the question ; there was absolutely no transportation for the horses. The five regiments of regular cavalry were as fine troops as any in the army, and the volunteer regiment gave great promise. The cavalry could be dismounted and go as infantry, the al- ternative being to take untrained volunteer regi- ments of infantry. The instructions contained in the telegram of May 30th, "Take any dis- mounted cavalry that you desire," were promptly complied with, by directing the commanding gen- eral of the cavalry division, General Wheeler, to select one squadron in each of the six regiments. These squadrons were to be dismounted and pre- pared for field service. This order was quickly modified to include two squadrons from each of the regiments, the remaining squadrons taking charge of all the horses and baggage belonging to the departing squadrons, and finally bringing them to Montauk, where the regiments were re- 26 Copyright, iSgS, by Aime Dnpont, Neiu York. MAJOR-GENERAL JOSEPH WHEELER, U. S. V. EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION united after the campaign. Everybody was in a fe- verish haste to go on board the transports ; often, before one regiment was completely embarked the next would arrive, impatient and chafing at any delay in giving them the assignment of a vessel. The channel could accommodate but eight vessels in one line, and often the embarkation would have to be made across these vessels on to a second line of vessels tied alongside of them. The canal, or channel, in which the vessels lay when moored to the pier, was just wide enough to accommodate three vessels abreast, and as the embarkation proceeded, vessels were being drawn out into the stream to be replaced by others. This was a delicate operation, tending to in- crease the confusion, and one of the transports, the Florida, was cut down amidships and had to be abandoned for this expedition. The anxiety to go on board a transport, no matter which one, was heightened when it was discovered, on June i st, that the fleet of transports, which by some mistake in calculation was supposed easily to ac- commodate twenty-seven thousand men with all their necessary impedimenta, had only a carrying capacity of eighteen or twenty thousand. It was very evident that many organizations would have to be left, and the frantic efforts for places on the 27 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER transports were only equalled by similar efforts to get back to the United States after the expe- dition had been in Cuba a short time. On June i st General Shafter telegraphed the War De- partment that he was making rapid progress in loading the transports with supplies ; that he ex- pected to have sixteen regiments of regular in- fantry, forty-eight troops of dismounted cavalry, four light batteries, two heavy batteries, and two companies of engineers, with a few volunteer regiments of infantry, to make the eighteen or twenty thousand. He said he thought he could start by June 4th, but on that day he telegraphed, " Everything possible is being done to get off, but it is impossible to complete the embarkation before Monday night, June 6th. The regiments ordered from Chattanooga and Mobile have not yet arrived, and the difficulties attending the loading cannot be appreciated." Later in the day he sent a second telegram de- scribing the situation in detail : Tampa, Fla., June 4th. Adjutant-General U. S. Army. Replying to your dispatch that the President wishes a report of the situation, I have to say that everything possible is being done to get away, but delays occur that cannot be prevented or foreseen. 28 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION Siege-guns have been assembled only late this after- noon. These will be loaded on the cars late to-night and sent to transports early in the morning and the loading rushed. Will begin putting on men to- morrow p.m., if possible, and be ready to start Mon- day night or Tuesday morning. The last of the troops from Chattanooga are expected to night. Officers engaged in loading transports have worked night and day. The main cause of the delay has been the fact that great quantities of stores have been rushed in promiscuously, and I have no facili- ties to handle all or a part of them. The last ten miles before reaching the wharf is a single track, and there is a very narrow place at wharf in which to work. The capacity of this place has been greatly exceeded. Could have put the troops on and rushed them off, but not properly equipped as I know the President wishes them. I will not delay a minute longer than is necessary to get my command in con- dition, and will start as early as practicable. (Signed) Shafter, Major- General, The loading of commissary stores, ammuni- tion, arms, accoutrements, forage, wagon transpor- tation, medical supplies, and animals, was com- pleted at ii a.m. June 6th. Orders had been given that troops should begin to go on board at noon the same date, but owing to the inability on the part of the railroad to move the trains, the first troops did not arrive until 2.30 a.m., June 7th. 29 CHAPTER III THE EMBARKATION OF THE SANTIAGO EXPEDITION {CONTINUED) QUCH was the situation on the evening of June ^ 7th. Many of the troops were embarked, and head-quarters was to be transferred the fol- lowing day from the Tampa Bay Hotel to the Seguranca, the ship selected as the flag-ship. The hotel was full to overflowing with followers of the expedition, friends and relatives of officers, with Cuban officers and their friends, and sight- seers. About six o'clock on the evening of this day, the operator of the Western Union office in the hotel came to General Shafter's office to in- form him that a through line to the White House had just been made, and that the President and Secretary of War wished him to come to the telegraph office, so that they could talk to him. It caused much excitement in the crowded lobby when the General was seen going in person to the telegraph office. It was felt that some crisis had arrived. As soon as the President was told that General Shafter was in the office he asked if 30 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION General Miles was there, and if not, that he also be sent for. The General was close by and came at once, and he, General Shafter, Captain Brady — an officer of the signal department who handled the key — and the writer, were the only persons present in the room, when the following conver- sation took place: " General Shafter : "You will sail immediately, as you are needed at destination. " (Signed) R. A. Alger, " Secretary of War" " Secretary of War : " I will sail to-morrow morning. Steam cannot be gotten up earlier. There are loaded to-night one division of infantry (nine regiments), sixteen troops of dismounted cavalry, four light batteries, two bat- teries of siege artillery, and two companies of engi- neers, and the troops from Mobile. I will try and get on the rest of the cavalry and another division of regular infantry by morning. Will sail then with whatever I have on board. " (Signed) Shafter, ' ' Major- General. ' ' "General Shafter: " That you may know the situation, the President directs me to send you the following from Sampson : " ' Port Antonio, June 7th. " * To Secretary of Navy, Washington : " ' Bombarded forts at Santiago 7.30 to 10 a.m., to-day, June 7th. Have silenced works quickly, 3i IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER without injury of any kind though stationary at two thousand yards. If ten thousand men were here, city and fleet would be ours within forty-eight hours. Every consideration demands immediate army movement. If delayed city will be defended more strongly by guns taken from fleet. "'(Signed) Sampson.' He further says that you will sail as indicated in your message, but with not less than ten thousand men. "(Signed) H. C. Corbin, " Adjutant-General." " General Shafter : " The last thing before sailing telegraph roster of regiments. By order of Secretary of War. "(Signed) H. C. Corbin, " Adjutant-General!' All night long every energy was bent toward hastening embarkation. Staff officers were dispatched to all concerned notifying the commanding officers that their or- ganizations must be on board in the morning or be left behind. This was incentive enough for rapid work. Since 2.30 in the morning the embarka- tion of troops had been going on rapidly and continuously, but at 10 p.m. the railroad became so congested that there was an interval lasting until daylight when no troops reached the pier. At the Tampa Bay Hotel, head-quarters was rap- idly packed up, and a special train ordered to be in front of the hotel at two o'clock in the morn- 32 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION ing. Owing to the congestion this train did not reach the Port until six o'clock. Early in the morning the loaded transports had begun to slip their moorings and move toward the entrance of the bay, and by two in the afternoon nearly all the transports had left the Port and proceeded down the bay so as to be in a position for an early start next morning, as it was expected the expedition would sail at that time. About two o'clock in the afternoon General Shafter, while on his way to board the Seguranca, and to order it to join the fleet down the bay, had a telegram handed to him which read as follows : " Wait until you get further orders before you sail. Answer quick. " (Signed) R. A. Alger, " Secretary of War" It was not until late that night that the reason for the delay was learned. Then it was found that the Navy Department had requested a delay, as the Eagle had reported that a Spanish armored cruiser, second class, and a Spanish torpedo-boat destroyer had been seen the evening before in the Nicholas Channel, off the north coast of Cuba. This had been confirmed by the Resolute, which reported she was pursued the previous night by two vessels. 33 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER Notwithstanding the order for delay, the em- barkation of troops on the remaining vessels con- tinued throughout the afternoon and was entirely completed at 9 p.m. If there were Spanish vessels in Nicholas Chan- nel the previous night, it was thought that their object must be to attempt the destruction of the transports then lying in the bay. Certainly enough publicity had been given to every move- ment to provide the enemy with all the informa- tion necessary for such a design. Taking into consideration the time that had elapsed since the vessels were supposed to have been seen, the dis- tance, and probable rate of sailing, it was esti- mated that about 10 p.m. on the 8th the enemy might be within a few hours' sail of Tampa Bay. At this time orders were received from Gen- eral Miles, at the Tampa Bay Hotel, to have all the transports down the bay recalled ; to place as many as could be accommodated in the channel ; and to close in the rest as near to it as possible. For some days field-guns had been in position at the end of the pier, and this movement would bring the transports under their protection. The whole night and some of the next morning was spent in notifying the transport captains to return to the Port, and in placing the ships three 34 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION abreast in the channel, while the few naval vessels at hand stationed themselves at the entrance of the Bay to engage the enemy when his vessels should put in an appearance. The next day was hot, making it fairly stifling on the vessels thus huddled together, and neither men nor animals could remain in serviceable con- dition if kept there very long. On the morning of the 9th it looked as if there would be several days' delay in the sailing of the expedition, as General Shafter received a telegram from the Secretary of War asking if it were practicable to disembark the command. After consultation with the general officers it was decided that it would be much better to keep the command on board the vessels and send them off in detach- ments for a few hours at a time, as there was no place in the vicinity where the whole command could be encamped with comfort. Moreover when the orders should come the second time for the expedition to sail, if the command was in camp the result would be that it could not get off inside of three days. Accordingly the following arrangements were made. Orders were issued allowing the men of the different commands the greatest liberty in going ashore. Passes were directed to be given 35 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER in limited numbers, but not for the purpose of going beyond the Port, except upon the most important business, and then only for a few hours. The whole command was to be on board every night at nine o'clock, and a roll call was held at that hour. Orders were given to the various commanding officers while lying in the channel to practise their men in disembarking and embarking. Most of the animals were taken off and sent a short distance up the rail- road and picketed. This could be done with- out causing much delay, as their re-embarkation would occupy, it was thought, only a few hours. By the ioth the transports were nearly all pulled out into the stream, where it was much cooler, and where the men had an opportunity of bath- ing in the bay. General Shafter was informed that he might take the opportunity presented to increase his command, if he thought it desirable. The transports, however, had been crowded to their fullest extent, and no more troops, except a few recruits in some of the regiments, were placed on board. A board of officers was ap- pointed on the ioth to examine all the trans- ports and report whether any of them were too much overcrowded, and whether any of them could be still further utilized. The only recom- 36 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION mendation of the board was that two companies of the Second Massachusetts be taken from the Seneca and placed on the Knickerbocker. As early as the first of the month Captain Hunker, the commanding officer of the U. S. S. Annapolis, with his command, composed of the Annapolis, Helena, Castine, and a few other ves- sels, came to Tampa from Key West to act as a convoy. He had been directed by Commodore Remey, in command of the blockading squadron on the north coast of Cuba, to convoy the expe- dition to the neighborhood of Santiago, taking the northern route through the Windward Pas- sage, and to notify the commodore commanding of the time when the expedition would arrive off the Dry Tortugas. Here preparations were being made to increase the convoy by adding other vessels. Everything concerning the order of sailing and the formation of the transports en route, and in fact everything connected with the general charge of the expedition, as far as the passage was concerned, was turned over to Captain Hunker by General Shafter. The detailed instructions prepared by Captain Hunker provided that the transports as they left the Port should form inside the bay near the entrance, in three columns, eight hundred yards 37 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER apart, and the vessels in column at four hundred yards interval. A diagram was prepared show- ing the position of each transport in the column to which it was assigned, and a copy of this diagram furnished each transport captain. The lighters and water-tenders were to be towed by the rear vessels at double interval. When the final order to sail was given, the vessels of the left column were to pass out over the bar first, followed by the centre column, and this in turn followed by the right column, and on the outside the original formation was to be resumed. Each column was led by a naval vessel, the other naval vessels either scouting some distance ahead, or on the sides of the fleet and in rear. If the enemy at any time was sighted, all but two of the naval vessels were to leave the transports and form in order of battle, the two vessels left di- recting the movements of the transports. Ex- plicit directions were given in case a transport was disabled or became separated from the main body. All vessels, both transport and naval, ex- cept the scouts, were directed to carry from sun- set to sunrise only a red light at the stern so screened as to " show only from right astern to two points on each quarter." All other lights were to be extinguished or carefully screened, so 38 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION that each ship would be as dark as possible. The transports, however, were to be prepared to show side-lights instantly if there was any danger of collision. Certain signals were to be made for change of speed, and in changing course the transports were to follow their naval leaders, turning in succession on the same ground. Ves- sels in the pivot column were to take steerage way only, in turning ; those of the centre column about six knots, and those in the outer column eight or nine knots an hour. On June ioth orders were received from Washington stating that the part of the convoy to be added at the Dry Tortugas was to be rein- forced by ships from Admiral Sampson's fleet, and would be coaled and ready to sail for Santi- ago by the evening of Monday the 13th or by the morning of the following day, without re- gard to Spanish ships. The fleet of army trans- ports was directed to be in readiness to move from Tampa when orders were given from Washington, which would be about twenty-four hours before the naval convoy was ready to start. Sunday, June 12th, about one o'clock, orders came the second time from the Secretary of War for the expedition to move immediately. During the delay every effort had been made to perfect 39 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER the equipment of the command. In the hurry- on the 7th and 8th many small things and some of importance had been forgotten, and these defects were gradually being remedied. When the orders came, they found everyone still busy. Medical supplies, that had been expected for some time, had just arrived in Tampa, and every effort was made to get them aboard before sail- ing. The animals were ordered on board at once, and the final preparations were carried on that afternoon and during the night. It was fully expected there would be no difficulty in sail- ing at daybreak, and Captain Hunker was noti- fied accordingly. But early the next morning about half the ves- s sels in the fleet displayed water signals, and on investigation most of these vessels were found to be really in need of water. The water-tenders worked all day supplying these vessels, and the- loading of stock and supplies still continued. About noon Captain Hunker, in charge of the convoy, began to send the transports that were ready to sail, to the mouth of the bay ; but by night many were still left at the Port. At six o'clock the next morning, the 14th, all of the ships remaining in the Port were directed to cease loading, and sail at once, regardless of 40 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION everything. By nine o'clock all of the trans- ports, the Seguranga in the rear, were steaming to the rendezvous at the mouth of Tampa Bay. The transports soon passed over the bar, and formed outside according to instructions. Just at dusk, on the 15th, the light at Dry Tortugas could be seen, and a little later the light on the Rebecca Shoals. On the water beyond, lights could be seen in every direction, and we knew that the additional vessels of the convoy were awaiting us. In the morning we were surround- ed by war vessels, large and small. The Indiana, the flag-ship of the convoy, commanded by Cap- tain Taylor, who as senior officer had taken over the command from Captain Hunker, was well to the front, and about ten in the morning the Cap- tain came on board the Seguranga to pay his respects to General Shafter. Before coming on board Captain Taylor wrote the General, saying that the Navy Department was extremely anxious to have some of the forces arrive before Santiago at the earliest moment pos- sible, and had directed him to inquire of General Shafter whether a division of his forces would be approved by him. It was proposed to place the swifter transports in one division, which would push rapidly ahead, and the slower transports in 41 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER a second division, which would follow as best it could. General Shafter did not favor the plan, and when Captain Taylor came on board the Segu- ranca, a little while later, after discussing the matter, it was decided to try to gain time by increasing the speed of the expedition to the ut- most capabilities of the slowest vessel, and see if the formation could be maintained. After this had been kept up the rest of the day and through the night, the morning of the 17th found the transports scattered over a distance of thirty or forty miles, so the speed was lessened to enable the vessels in the rear to close up, and before the day had passed the original formation was re- sumed. It was also decided that nothing would be gained by dividing the expedition into two di- visions, and the rest of the voyage was made at a moderate rate of speed, maintaining a compact formation. Communication was maintained among all the transports by having on board each one a naval cadet and two or three members of the Signal Service detachment, who were provided with signal flags and a set of International Code signals, by the use of which messages were easily and freely sent. 42 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION About five o'clock in the afternoon of Sunday, June 19th, the expedition was abeam of Cape Maysi, and expectations began to run high,for we knew that early the next morning the objective point of our expedition would be in sight. This was the first time in the history of our country that an expedition of this size had ever left our shores, and the second time that an expedition of the kind had ever left. The expedition consisted of thirty-two transports, bearing troops ; two water-tenders ; one steam lighter and two decked- over lighters — one towed by the City of Wash- ington and one by the Concho. The one towed by the Concho was lost the night of the 16th, and it proved to be a very serious loss. A large steam lighter, in addition, had been chartered for the expedition, but failed to reach Tampa in time, owing to some break in machinery. A tugboat, the Captain^ Sam, started with the fleet, but de- serted the first night out. Each of the steamers had from ten to twenty days' coal on board, com- puted on the basis of their going at nine knots an hour. In addition, large reserve supplies of coal were stored in the holds of twenty-one of the transports. The fleet of transports carried 153 small boats, with a total carrying capacity of 3,034 men ; in 43 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER addition, the steam lighter could carry 400 men. The total number of animals taken was 2,295 ; 390 pack mules, 7 bell mares (forming six pack trains) ; 946 draft mules ; 571 Government horses, and 381 private horses for general, field, and staff officers. The transportation consisted of 114 complete sets of six-mule harness, and 114 army wagons (six-mule wagons); 84 com- plete sets of four-mule ambulance harness ; 81 escort wagons, and 7 ambulances. There were many more ambulances at Tampa, but it was a question of putting them on and taking fewer army wagons. As the latter could do the double duty of transporting supplies and also the wounded and sick, it was decided to take wagons rather than ambulances. All the litters belong- ing to the various organizations, and those on the ambulances left behind, were ordered taken. On June 26th, four days after the expedition began to disembark, the transportation was increased by the arrival of two pack trains and ten ambulances. The strength of the expedition was 819 officers and 15,058 enlisted men ; 30 civilian clerks ; 272 teamsters and packers, and 107 stevedores. The field artillery carried consisted of four light batteries of four guns each ; one Hotchkiss revolving cannon ; one pneumatic dynamite gun ; 44 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION four Gatling guns ; four 5-inch siege-rifles ; four 7-inch Howitzers; and eight field mortars, calibre 3.6 inches. Eighty-nine war correspondents, representing the principal newspapers and magazines in the country, accompanied the expedition. Seven of the correspondents were on board the Seguranc^a, a few of the others were with the different bri- gade and division head-quarters, and the remaining number were given accommodations on board the Olivette. Eleven foreign officers, sent by their respective governments, had presented themselves to General Shafter at Tampa, with proper creden- tials, and these officers sailed with the expedition, having accommodations assigned them on board the Seguranga. Upon the request of General Shafter, a sum of money was placed at his disposal by the War De- partment for the entertainment of these officers during the campaign. The names of the officers who had been designated to observe the opera- tions of our forces in the field were : Colonel Yermoloff, Military Attache to the Imperial Rus- sian Embassy at Washington ; Major Clement de Grandpre, Military Attache to the French Embassy in Washington ; Major G. Shiba, of the Japanese Army; Captain Wester, Military 45 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER Attache to the Legation of Sweden and Norway at Washington ; Captain Abildgaard, of the Royal Norwegian General Staff, and Military Attache to the Legation of Sweden and Norway at Washington ; Captain Arthur H. Lee, Royal Artillery, British Army, Military Attache to the British Embassy at Washington ; Count Von Goetzen, First Lieutenant of the Imperial Ger- man Army, and Military Attache to the German Embassy at Washington ; Lieutenant J. Roedler, Naval Attache to the Austro- Hungarian Lega- tion at Washington ; Commander Lieutenant Von Rebeur Paschwitz, of the Imperial German Navy, and Naval Attache* to the German Em- bassy at Washington ; Commander Dahlgren, Naval Attache to the Legation of Sweden and Norway at Washington ; Lieutenant Saneyuki Akiyama, of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Af- ter our arrival off Santiago, Captain Alfred Paget, of the British Navy, and Naval Attache to the British Embassy at Washington, joined the expedition. The designation of the regiments composing the expedition ; the commanding officers of each ; the ship or ships on which each was embarked ; the designating number of each ship, which num- ber was painted in large figures on the smoke- 4 6 EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION stack or on the sides of the vessel ; the names of the division and brigade commanders, and the ships on which the head-quarters of each was em- barked, are all set forth in the tabulated state- ment given on page 48. The staff of General Shafter at this time was made up as follows: Lieutenants R. H. Noble, First United States Infantry, and J. D. Miley, Second United States Artillery, Aides-de-Camp ; Lieutenant-Colonel E. J. McClernand, Assistant Adjutant-General United States Volunteers (Cap- tain Second United States Cavalry), Adjutant- General ; Captain J. C. Gilmore, Jr., Assistant Adjutant - General, United States Volunteers (First Lieutenant Fourth United States Artillery), assistant to the Adjutant-General ; Captain C. G. Starr, First United States Infantry, Acting In- spector-General ; Major Stephen W. Groesbeck, Judge Advocate United States Army, Acting Judge Advocate Fifth Corps ; Lieutenant-Colonel C. F. Humphrey, Deputy Quartermaster-General United States Army, Chief Quartermaster of the Expedition ; Major J. W. Jacobs, Quartermaster United States Army, Acting Chief Quartermas- ter, Fifth Corps ; Colonel J. F. Weston, Assis- tant Commissary General of Subsistence, United States Army, Chief Commissary of the Expedi- 47 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER & * o ro >- 1 _ 0) j_T *: *j »— i c '-' c5 f 5 3 £ s.2 £\£ .5 cr c £ u JTi Q in u rt CJ O £ § 8 § e ■rH O* 3 3 - tit) I ITl C J" 3 £ 'So Pi £ o U d *o PS oj rt e *J 3 T3 . 5 c ^/R >•» G £ a c5 £ e W • 5 « « cr f„ < J .5 • c K £ £ j e4 a,a,ww^ SJ g o o«« g o CJ +± *J c O 3 3 O *3 .a .a -s . o uu CJ CJ ^ , 3 CJ O O o o U'o'o W *o 'o -hUU uu JJ »j ° ° ffiuu .^3 3 cj S 3 W J2 CJ CJ •^ HH I— I £ CJ CJ C CJ -a -5 -5 to ^-vO u c 3 Si C 3 ^cJ ^ >, >, X >N rS rS "5 4 8 CJ C "£ tj c c vS £ rt CJ v2 «i5 51 *« "c ^^'q www > , . * cj 5 > > > CJ CJ CjOCJ too o^ EMBARKATION OF THE EXPEDITION bo a t3 bio pi -a £ o SO o „ U rt - o fc McT-] >- t- CJ 1) "^ "^ . • t; r; c e ~. >> b o £> & *C 'C .2 L)(jffl«OOf^ -S s s s00*O o* t*» t>. ©\ s '^- Tj-^ =! o s-ts^s 6 2 c £ • >— > a c c a c a '— > fe JU o ^_ s, 3* §* &• S 4 §* §* e^'ifi? u pq Ml a W PQ S3 "S Q PQ >> 1 •3 K g < §1 .2 "3 co PQ 03 )-, "-J 03 o HH < tf >o ■**- lO *>. M NO 1 G -2^ >0 hi J3 wj :o P^-^CO g- ~co£ ^£^ .2-<« C W S.2 a— 3| bJ3-2, WS a fj tx>« o Jffi d 'a! F 3 CJ 5 £ C . « a « *n ^ '»- <* £ ?,'z « os PQSPQCJ'o.UCQOU ««— 2 .5 2fe- >^H V j_, ,— c < C g «l §9g§ 0) d J o ft W 1-1 .X, oPQ h^ •U . CO . 1-1, . bfl ^^ I) o 03 CO c3 i-J ^ "tl v • ft a> ° 'S •§ 'S „ os iS o3 o 10 4) D d > 13 t3 aj oJ 03 -a Q b/o bO a "ft o fr PQ PQ head-quarters. While talking to the General, Grimes's battery opened fire on the blockhouse on Fort San Juan Hill, the order for Grimes to open fire having been given by Colonel McCler- nand, whom General Shafter had dispatched to El Pozo to give the order when he considered the proper time had arrived. This was about eight o'clock, and I again left head-quarters, by direction of General Shafter, to personally supervise the carrying out of his orders for the attack on San Juan Heights. Grimes's battery soon drew the fire of all the Spanish guns that could be trained upon him, and as he had no smokeless powder he made an excellent target. The artillery duel lasted from a half to three-quar- ters of an hour, and as at 8.45 a.m. the artillery firing had ceased, General Wheeler's and General Kent's Divisions were formed in the road and moved forward. Colonel McClernand remained at El Pozo to represent General Shafter, with whom he was in communication, both by orderlies and by telephone, while I went forward with the troops to represent him at the front, and kept in com- munication with him and Colonel McClernand by 107 \S IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER mounted orderlies I took with me. As soon as the arrangements for communication had been made I left El Pozo and went forward about a quarter of a mile. The road was filled with troops, with the head of the column almost to the Aguadores River, but just at this time the troops were standing still. Roosevelt's regiment was the first regiment I passed. Colonel Wood, its Colonel, was in com- mand of Sumner's Brigade, while the latter was commanding the division. The head of the brigade was soon reached, and here General Sum- ner and Colonel Wood, and in a few minutes General Kent and General Hawkins, came up. General Sumner had ordered his leading brigade to cross the river, and had temporarily halted Colonel Wood's Brigade. The enemy's earth- works could be seen about one thousand yards away, it looked then, but actually about two thousand yards distant. Fears were entertained that rapid-fire guns would be directed down this road, and the Commanding General gave orders to Grimes's Battery to protect the advance by shelling the Heights. This battery resumed firing in a little while, and kept it up until the troops were ready for the final charge. This was about ten o'clock, and then there was no firing of any 108 BATTLES OF SAN JUAN AND EL CANEY kind on the part of the enemy. Just at this time Captain Howze, on General Sumner's staff, came up and reported that Colonel Carroll's Brigade had crossed the river without drawing the enemy's fire, and General Sumner at once put his second brigade in motion. General Kent had the head of his division about El Pozo waiting for the troops in front of him to move. The Cavalry Division was soon across the Aguadores and in position to advance, where it remained under cover until General Kent's Division had been deployed. The war balloon, which had been prepared for service the previous afternoon, followed in rear of the Cavalry Division. In it were Colonel Derby and Lieutenant Maxfield, and the balloon was towed by four men holding on to the guy-ropes. Winding their way among the troops the balloon was soon within a few hundred yards of the Aguadores River. The enemy's musketry fire was already becoming quite spirited, but when the balloon reached this point it was opened upon by a heavy fire from field-guns, and the musketry fire also increased. The third shell or shrapnel fired at the balloon struck it, and the next one tore it so badly that it at once descended. Time enough, however, was afforded Colonel Derby to 109 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER discover a road leading from the main road to the left and crossing the Aguadores River four or five hundred yards farther down the stream. This was a most opportune discovery, as the main road was congested with troops, and the fire so heavy as to tend to demoralize the men. Colonel Derby reported the existence of this road to General Kent, who at once turned his division into it. About this time General Kent, with General Hawkins, who commanded his First Brigade, came forward and joined me at the crossing of the Aguadores River. General Kent said that he and General Hawkins consid- ered that the key to the position was a height directly in front of us, crowned by a block-house. This is known now as Fort San Juan Hill. The two Generals advanced far enough to gain an un- interrupted view of this place, and both decided that the principal attack should be directed against it, and General Hawkins with his brigade was assigned to the attack. He at once went back to the division, detached his brigade and brought it up the main road. In the meantime, the dynamite gun and the battery of Hotchkiss guns had come forward, and the latter were given to General Hawkins in order to clear his advance. The rest of General Kent's Division had taken no BATTLES OF SAN JUAN AND EL CANEY the side road to the left, and the greater part of it was now across the Aguadores River. The advance forward then became general through- out the whole length of the line. Immediately in front of the Cavalry Division, and just across the San Juan River, was an elevation known as Kettle Hill, and the cavalry lost no time in taking this, the enemy retreating on to the San Juan Heights. In the meantime, General Lawton had found much more opposition than he had anticipated. General Shafter during the greater part of the day was on an elevation to the front of his head- quarters, and so situated that he could observe the movements at El Caney as well as those at San Juan. He accordingly despatched General Bates's brigade, which had come up from Siboney the evening before, to reinforce General Lawton. General Shafter was in communication with Gen- eral Lawton through his two staff officers, Lieu- tenant (now Major) Noble and Captain Gilmore. About two in the afternoon, General Shafter, fearing for the safety of the troops engaged at San Juan, despatched the following order to General Lawton : July 1st. LAWTON: I would not bother with little block- houses. They can't harm us. Bates's Brigade and in IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER your Division and Garcia should move on the city and form the right of line, going on Sevilla road. Line is now hotly engaged. (Signed) Shafter. When this order was received by General Law- ton, his command was engaged in the final assault upon the place, and it was impossible to withdraw until El Caney fell. At 4.45 in the afternoon he informed General Shafter that the enemy had been driven from the town about half an hour earlier, but it was impossible to tell to what ex- tent his troops had suffered. He reported that everybody was at work burying the dead, caring for the wounded, and gathering up the property preparatory to leaving. He further informed General Shafter that he had made an effort to communicate with his brigade commanders dur- ing the fight in order to withdraw them, but it was impossible to do so. The only alternative was to take the place, and this was done very soon after the order had been received. His head-quarters, he said, would be near the Ducrot House, but his men were completely worn out, and he doubted if he could get them beyond there that night. Upon the receipt of General Lawton's message, General Shafter sent him the following : BATTLES OF SAN JUAN AND EL CANEY July i st. Dear General: Very glad to hear of your suc- cess. Gather in your wounded and leave a sufficient force to take care of them — I should say a regiment and troop of cavalry, which I shall send over in a few moments. Rest and feed your men, but some time during the night or before daylight, you should be down at Santiago on the extreme right, joining Sumner, who is in front of the big barracks on this side of town. Keep the four men I send you, and Captain Brett, with his troop, will soon join you to remain with the force you leave at Caney, from which point messages can be sent in to me if any- thing should turn up. If you have any more ammunition than you need to-night and to-morrow, send it back here immedi- ately. Get your battery in a good position within easy range, and we will knock the town to pieces. Very sincerely, Wm. R. Shafter. I have just found that Troop D is with you, so keep that and I will not send the additional troops. Send back the messengers. W. R. S. To Brigadier- General H. W. Lawton. Returning to the battle at San Juan, the American lines at noon were entirely deployed and rapidly advancing. The Gatling Battery commanded by Lieutenant Parker had worked its way along the road crowded by soldiers, "3 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER crossed the Aguadores River and moved from position to position supporting the advance of the line. [f This battery did most excellent service and was one of the most important factors in the capture of the Spanish works. An emergency, or dressing station was established at the cross- ing of the Aguadores River, where, sheltered by the river-bank, a space was cleared, and as the wounded were brought to the rear they were placed here for temporary treatment. The block- house on San Juan Hill was taken by the Infantry Division about half-past one o'clock, and about the same time a block-house on the crest, several hundred yards to the right, was taken by the Cavalry Division. These two divisions now occupied the crest of the hill between these two points and for a considerable distance to the right and left. At about two o'clock, a light battery (Best's) went to the front, to take a position on the firing line. About this time the am- munition in charge of Lieutenant Brooke began to arrive, both by pack-train and wagon-train. Fears were entertained that the ammunition car- ried by the soldiers upon their persons would be exhausted before a new supply could reach them. This was not the case, and the hundred rounds 114 BATTLES OF SAN JUAN AND EL CANEY carried by the soldier when he entered the fight in the morning lasted him throughout the day. After the ammunition supply had been replen- ished attention was turned toward sending food to the troops. The regiments, just before reach- ing the San Juan River, threw aside their blanket, rolls and the three days' rations which had been issued to them the previous evening, and their advance found them at night almost a mile from their supplies, but late in the evening pack-trains of rations were distributed to the troops at San Juan. The intrenching tools, of which each com- pany carried three, had also been thrown aside, and as soon as possible after the Heights had been taken these were gathered up by wagons sent along the roads for the purpose and carried to the front, that they might be used that night. The empty wagons returning from the firing- line all stopped at the emergency hospital, and were filled with wounded men, who were carried back to the field hospital established near head-quar- ters. The firing ceased at sundown, leaving the American troops in full possession of the line < f hills along the San Juan River about one mile and a half from the city of Santiago. During the night the Cavalry Division and General Kent's Division securely intrenched themselves. General Bates, 115 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER ordered detached from General Lawton's com- mand, was sent to the left of the line adjoining General Kent, where he arrived some time early in the morning of the 2d. General Lawton, after being ordered to place himself on General Wheel- er's right, marched along the El Caney road, but darkness overtook him before reaching his posi- tion. Major Webb, Inspector-General on his staff, had been sent ahead to find the right of General Wheeler's line, but he was fired upon by Spanish pickets. General Lawton, hesitating to advance into an unknown country, reported the situation to General Shafter, who ordered him to retrace the road he passed over the previous night, go forward on the road by El Pozo, and passing in the rear of General Wheeler's Division, place him- self on Wheeler's right. This movement was completed by about noon of the 2d. During the night the four light batteries were sent to the front, and directed to take positions along the San Juan Heights. General Shafter's orders to these batteries were to place themselves so that they could open upon the town early in the morning, and destroy the buildings in front of them. Instructions were sent to General Duffield that if the enemy were in force at Aguadores, where 116 BATTLES OF SAN JUAN AND EL CANEY he had attacked them, he should keep the Thirty-third Michigan there, and continue his demonstration upon the enemy the next day. It was enjoined upon him that this was very important, in order to keep our left from being turned, and to protect the depot at Siboney. He was directed to send the Thirty-fourth Michigan and the Ninth Massachusetts, which had arrived on the i st, to report to General Shafter at his head-quarters. These regiments arrived about nine o'clock in the evening, and were guided to the front by Major Noble and Captain Gilmore. The intrenchments of San Juan were defended by two companies of Spanish infantry, numbering about two hundred and fifty to three hundred men. At about eleven o'clock in the morning reinforcements were sent to them, bringing the number up to about seven hundred and fifty men. There were two pieces of mountain artillery on these hills, the rest of the artillery fire against our troops on that day being from batteries close to the city. On the same day there were in position, close to the city, on a line running from the El Cobre Road to the Punta Blanco battery, a distance of about five miles, one thousand sailors and ma- rines from the fleet and about twenty-five hun- 117 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER dred soldiers. At El Caney the Spa; sh forces consisted of three companies of the Battalion of the Constitution, 430 men ; infantry of Cuba, 40 men; and volunteers, 30 men; total 550 men, under command of General Vara del Rey, who was killed. I have not attempted to describe these battles in detail, but only to give a general idea of the movements of the day. Much has been written about them, but no description can convey to the reader a just appreciation of the gallantry and heroism displayed by officers and men alike. 118 CHAPTER VII THE BATTLES OF SAN JUAN AND EL CANEY {CONTINUED) THE morning of July 2d found the American * Army in a very exhausted condition. The men had had but little food during the previous twenty-four hours. After the tremendous exer- tions of the day before under a tropical sun they had had little rest or sleep during the night, as nearly the whole of it was spent in digging trenches and preparing for the next day's fight ; their clothing was wet from wading the Aguadores and San Juan Rivers, and toward the morning they were thoroughly chilled, as their blankets still lay back along the road where they had thrown them the morning of the 1st. Promptly at daybreak the enemy opened a fire upon the American lines from a line of trenches just outside of Santiago. Our troops were now safely placed behind earthworks, and did not re- turn the fire very vigorously. A watchful care was exercised, however, upon the enemy's lines 119 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER / to prevent surprises. General Shafter, who had been ill for the past two days, having been almost prostrated by his exertions on the first day of the battle, remained in camp on July 2d, until late in the afternoon. Quite a number of prisoners capt- ured at El Caney, and a few 7 captured at San Juan, were brought to head-quarters during the morn- ing. These prisoners were searched and fed, and then sent to Siboney, where they were held until the final surrender. So thoroughly had the idea possessed the Spanish soldiers that the Americans would kill their prisoners, that these men expected to be shot this morning. A small detachment which was being guarded by two or three men, saw a party coming to relieve the guard, and, think- ing it was a firing-party, they dropped down on their knees and awaited their death. While we" had heard that this feeling had been spread among the men by the Spanish officers, it was not realized that it had taken such firm root until this J incident occurred, and it is thought by many that this explains the desperate fighting of the Span- iards at El Caney. The interpreter at head-quar- ters, Mr. Ord, spent some time in assuring the prisoners that their lives would be spared, and that they were to be well taken care of, and a 120 BATTLES OF SAN JUAN AND EL CANEY few days later, when some of the prisoners were exchanged for the captured American sailors, they went back to Santiago very reluctantly. Throughout the day the Signal Corps was at work completing lines of telephonic communi- cation between head-quarters and the various division camps. The work of bringing forage and rations from Siboney and Daiquiri to the depot established at General Shafter's head- quarters was pushed forward with the utmost energy, and this was a most important factor in the situation. These supplies were carried to the depot in wagons, and as the empty wagons re- turned they picked up the sick and wounded at the hospitals, and carried them to the general hospital at Siboney. From the depot to the dif- ferent divisions the supplies were carried by pack- trains, and often, where it was practicable, in wagons. Ammunition was distributed behind the firing-line on the 2d, and a large reserve was accumulated at head-quarters. Ammunition was now carried at the expense of rations. General Bates, with his brigade, reported to General Kent about 1.30 a.m. on the morning of the 2d, and was assigned a position on General Kent's left. At 11.00 a.m. the Ninth Massachu- setts reported to General Kent, and was placed in 121 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER position to support General Bates's brigade. At i.oo p.m. the Thirteenth Infantry, which had been withdrawn from General Kent's Division on the ist, and sent to support General Wheeler's Divi- sion, was returned and given a place in his lines by General Kent. The Thirty-fourth Michigan was held in reserve in the rear of General Wheeler's head-quarters. At twelve o'clock noon General Lawton had completely formed his divi- sion on General Wheeler's right, with his right brigade thrown forward so as to partially encircle the town. A force of about six hundred Cubans, under Colonel Gonzales, was placed by General Lawton on his extreme right. General Garcia, early in the morning, informed General Shafter that he was covering General Lawton's right flank, and would so place his forces as to pre- vent reinforcements entering Santiago. In reply, the position of General Lawton was explained to General Garcia, and he was told that General Pando, with 5,000 men, who was reported on the march from Manzanillo to Santiago, must be intercepted, and to do this it was necessary for General Garcia to close the gap between General Lawton's right and the Santiago Bay. Thirty hours later 2,800 Spanish troops, under General Escario, entered the city by the Cobre road. 122 Photo by Strauss, St. Louis. BRIGADIER-GENERAL JOHN C. BATES, U. S. V. BATTLES OF SAN JUAN AND EL CANEY The light batteries which had been placed on the San J n Heights during the night of the ist, found their position untenable during the morning of the 2d, and Major Dillenback received orders to place his four batteries on the El Pozo Heights. At 3 p.m. these batteries were reported in posi- tion, but not a shot was fired from them, as they were entirely too far away from the enemy. The First United States Infantry was ordered as a support for the battalion of light artillery. The exhaustion incident to the second day's fight began to tell very severely upon both of- ficers and men by the afternoon of the 2d, and several officers went to Generals Wheeler and Kent and urged them to advise a withdrawal from the heights of San Juan. Several reports were made to head-quarters that siege and field guns had been placed by the enemy so as to enfilade our lines or take them in reverse, and it was feared that our batteries could not, from El Pozo, dis- lodge those guns, and some officers even came back to head-quarters and importuned General Shafter to withdraw. The long-range bullets of the Mausers were constantly dropping all day along the road for at least a mile in the rear of the American lines, often striking down men who were going to or coming from the front. This 123 v IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER led to the belief that the jungle on both sides of the road was infested by sharpshooters, and this belief was very demoralizing. Companies of in- fantry and a mounted troop of cavalry were de- tailed to hunt down the sharpshooters, but they never found one. Still the fear of them existed, until the firing of the enemy ceased on the morn- ing of the 3d. A heavy fall of rain on the afternoon of the 2d had made the single road from Siboney to the front almost impassable, and it was greatly feared that one or two days' more rain would make it utterly impossible to bring supplies to the front. At six o'clock that evening, General Shafter direct- ed me to summon the different commanders to a meeting at El Pozo at seven o'clock. Generals Wheeler, Kent, Lawton, and Bates were present, and General Shafter invited them, beginning with the junior, to express their views on the situation. The discussion then became general and lasted about two hours. The methods to be adopted in the event a withdrawal was decided upon, were carefully gone over, and finally General Shafter said that for the next twenty-four hours the troops would remain in their present position, and that at the end of that time he would again summon the generals for a second conference. Just as 124 BATTLES OF SAN JUAN AND EL CANEY General Shafter reached his head-quarters, at 10 p.m., the Spaniards opened upon our lines with a terrific musketry fire, which lasted about an hour. It was thought at the time that the Spaniards were attempting to break through our lines, but this afterward proved to be without foundation. During the night General Shafter decided to send a flag of truce into Santiago early the next morn- ing demanding the surrender of the town. On the morning of the 3d the firing from both sides was desultory, and was kept up until about ten o'clock. The Secretary of War had been constantly informed of all our movements, and early on the morning of the 3d General Shafter cabled him that he was seriously considering withdrawing his forces to high ground about five miles in the rear. Santiago had been found to be so well defended that General Shafter feared he could only take it with great loss of life, and he informed the Secretary that he must have re- inforcements, but that while waiting for them he was afraid he could not supply the army in its present advanced position. The Secretary cabled in reply that he desired him to hold the San Juan Heights if possible, but left the matter en- tirely to his judgment. Directly after cabling the Secretary, General Shafter directed a letter 125 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER to the commanding general of the Spanish forces, demanding his surrender, and informed him that if this demand was not complied with by 10 a.m., the morning of the 4th, the town would be shelled, and he was asked to notify the citizens of foreign countries, and women and children, to leave the city before that hour. To prepare for the proposed bombardment, Colonel Derby and I reconnoitred the country to the front and left of El Pozo, and selected some high ground, on which two of the light batteries were placed that evening and the morning of the 4th. This brought the two batteries at least one thousand yards nearer the enemy, and in a position eleva- ted considerably above him. A third light bat- tery was ordered to report to General Lawton to be placed in position by him on high ground to the right of his division. On the morning of the 2d General Shafter had asked Admiral Sampson to force the entrance of the harbor, in order to avoid further sacrifice of life on the part of the army, but the Admiral explained that he was deterred from entering on account of the mines in the channel, and one or more of his ships, he thought, would be sunk in the attempt, which result would render the positions of both the army and navy only more 126 BATTLES OF SAN JUAN AND EL CANEY difficult. He had hoped, he said, that General Shafter would make an attack on the rear of the shore batteries, and reduce them, which would permit him to raise the mines and enter. He also informed General Shafter that he had a counter-mining outfit at Guantanamo, which would be brought up, and an attempt to destroy the mines in this manner would be made, if the General desired it, but, as the work was unfamiliar to the navy, it would probably require consider- able time. By appointment, Admiral Sampson was com- ing on the morning of the 3d to General Shatt- er's head-quarters, to discuss the situation, and he was on his way to Siboney, where saddle horses were awaiting him and his staff, when Cer- vera's fleet steamed out of the harbor. It was not until one o'clock the same afternoon, however, that this news reached head-quarters. The firing could be heard, but it was thought the navy was simply shelling the batteries at the mouth of the harbor. Captain Allen, with a troop of mounted cavalry, was on the extreme right of General Lawton's Division, with some Cuban troops near him, and these saw the fleet going out. A courier from Captain Allen brought the news to General Shafter, but we did not learn the fate of the fleet 127 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER until late in the afternoon. The transport cap- tains at Siboney, at the first indications of the naval battle, followed in the wake of our vessels, and it was not until they returned that the news of the destruction of all the Spanish ships, ex- cept the Colon, was telephoned to head-quarters. That the Colon had also been destroyed was not known until some time the following day. 128 CHAPTER VIII THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO AX J HEN the flag of truce left the American * * lines at 10 a.m. on July 3d, the firing on both sides ceased, and, with the exception of about two hours the evening of the 10th and a few hours the morning of the 1 ith, was not again resumed. On the 3d, General Shafter felt that the situation warranted him in thinking that the forces in Santiago would surrender, if given time, and he decided that the problem before him now was to thoroughly invest the city by land, and, in connection with the navy, cut off all hope of re- inforcements or supplies of any kind. On the firing-line everything was done to make the men as comfortable as possible, and on the afternoon of the 3d all the clothing and rations which they had thrown by the wayside the morning of the 1 st, were gathered up and brought to them. The roads leading to the river were now free from dropping bullets, and water was plentiful once more. The men were taken out of the trenches 129 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER in reliefs, and this refreshed and inspirited the whole command. Very little sickness had de- veloped so far, but the past three days had sown the seeds of disease which a few weeks later pros- trated almost the whole of our forces. The reply to the letter carried to the Spanish lines demanding the surrender, was received at 6.30 p.m. that day. General Toral, now in com- mand in place of General Linares, who was wounded on the 1st, announced that he declined to surrender, and that he had informed the for- eign consuls and inhabitants that they must leave Santiago before 10 a.m. on the 4th. The Brit- ish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Norwegian consuls came to the American lines with Colonel Dorst, who had gone in with the flag of truce, to ask if the non-combatants could occupy the town of El Caney, and begged that the bombardment be de- layed until ten o'clock the morning of the 5th. They stated that there were from 15,000 to 20,- 000 people who would leave the city, and asked that they be supplied with food. Acting upon the representations of the consular officials, Gen- eral Shafter informed General Toral that he would delay the bombardment of Santiago until noon of the 5th, provided that in the interval there was no demonstration made upon the 130 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO American lines. At the same time, General Toral was asked to send the representatives of the foreign governments to the American lines the next morning (July 4th) at 9 a.m., for further conference as to the disposition of for- eign subjects and caring for them after leaving the city of Santiago. The problem of feeding 20,000 people in addition to the troops, seemed well-nigh insoluble, and great suffering among them was inevitable. El Caney, where the bulk of the refugees wished to go, was about fifteen miles from the base of supplies, and so far it had been difficult to feed our own troops with the limited transportation at hand. For these rea- sons General Shafter felt doubtful of the justifi- cation of the extreme measures he had threat- ened, and submitted the matter for the action of the President, and his decision to bombard San- tiago on the 5th was approved. At nine o'clock the morning of the 4th, I was sent by General Shafter to interview the repre- sentatives of the foreign governments who had been asked to come between the lines at that hour for further consultation. There were present at this interview : Mr. Mason, British Vice-Consul ; Mr. Augustin, Swedish and Norwegian Consul ; Mr. Ros, Portuguese Consul ; Mr. Navarro, 131 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER Secretary to the Civil Governor of the Province of Santiago, and First Lieutenant John D. Miley, of the Second Artillery, U. S. A. It was ex- plained to the consuls that El Caney had been badly shelled on the ist of July, and that many wounded were still in the houses at that place, and also that some of the dead were still unburied, but that any persons leaving Santiago could go there if they wished. To a limited number (3,000 or 4,000) General Shafter could furnish the rougher components of the ration — bread, bacon, sugar and coffee — but it was impossible at present to render assistance to a greater number. These gentlemen were told that the question of bombardment of the city had been submitted to the home government, and that a reply was ex- pected that day ; that in the event of a bombard- ment not being ordered, a close investment of the place would be made and the garrison starved out ; in the latter case, the people who could get something to eat had better remain in the city and come out gradually as the provisions failed, as by that time General Shafter would undoubt- edly be in a position to assist them, a thing which he could not do if they were all forced out at once. General Shafter had therefore advised a short wait, and a meeting for the next morning 132 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO was arranged, the consuls being assured that they would be given ample time to leave the city after it was decided that they would be obliged to do so. The Secretary to the Civil Governor insisted upon the importance of the broad use of the term " non-combatant " when indicating persons who could leave Santiago. He stated that there were many inhabitants of Spanish birth and sympath- ies, now engaged in civil pursuits, who would be glad to leave the city if given permission by Generals Shafter and Toral. Before I could meet the consuls again the morning of the 5th, as agreed, the entire popu- lation of Santiago had poured out of the city. The night of the 4th, near midnight, there was a terrific bombardment near the mouth of the har- bor, and the population of Santiago thought it was the American fleet forcing an entrance. The consuls at the meeting in the morning had told me that the fleet was hourly expected to come into the harbor, and that the inhabitants were prepared to flee at the first indication of its ap- proach. This they did the night of the 4th, and the morning of the 5th the road leading to El Caney was filled with women and children and old men. I went out between the lines to meet the consuls, as agreed, but not one of them came. *33 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER The firing arose over the attempt of the Span- iards to sink the Reina Mercedes in the mouth of the harbor, which drew a heavy fire from the American fleet. On the 4th Major Coolidge, commanding the Infantry Battalion at El Caney, was directed to provide burial for General Vara del Rey and others killed in the battle on the 1 st. At different times on the 4th, General Shafter sent the following three letters to General Toral. These letters I give in full, as well as the others that followed in the remarkable series of nego- tiations carried on by General Shafter to induce General Toral to capitulate. Head-quarters Fifth Army Corps. Camp near San Juan River, Cuba. July 4, 1898. To the Commanding Officer, Spanish Forces, Santiago. Sir : It will give me great pleasure to return to the city of Santiago, at an early hour to-morrow morning, all of the wounded Spanish officers now at El Caney who are able to be carried and who will give their parole not to serve against the United States forces until regularly exchanged. I niake this proposition as I am not so situated as to give these officers the care and attention that they can receive at the hands of their military associates and i34 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO from their own surgeons ; though I shall, of course, give them every kind treatment that it is possible to do under such adverse circumstances. Trusting that this will meet with your approbation, and that you will permit me to return to you these persons, I am, Your very obedient servant, (Signed) William R. Shafter, Major-Generaly Commanding United States Forces. Head-quarters Fifth Army Corps. Camp near San Juan River, Cuba. July 4, 1898. The Commanding General, Spanish Forces, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Sir : The fortune of war has thrown into my hands quite a number of officers and private sol- diers, whom I am now holding as prisoners of war, and I have the honor to propose to you that a cartel of exchange be arranged to-day, by which the pris- oners taken by the forces of Spain from on board the Merrimac, and any officers and men of the army who may have fallen into our hands within the past few days, may be returned to their respective gov- ernments on the terms usual in such cases, of rank for rank. Trusting that this will meet with your favorable consideration, I remain, Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, (Signed) William R. Shafter, Major-General, Commanding United States Forces. i35 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER Head-quarters, Fifth Army Corps, Camp near San Juan River, Cuba, July 4, 1898. The Commanding General, Spanish Forces, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Sir: I was officially informed last night that Admiral Cervera is now a captive on board the U. S. S. Gloucester, and is unharmed. He was then in the harbor of Siboney. I regret also to have to an- nounce to you the death of General Vara del Rey at El Caney, who, with two of his sons, was killed in v the battle of July 1st. His body will be buried this morning with military honors. His brother, Lieu- tenant-Colonel Vara del Rey, is wounded and a prisoner in my hands, together with the following officers : Captain Don Antonio Vara del Rey, Cap- tain Isidor Arias, Captain Antonio Mansas, and Captain Manuel Romero, who, though severely wounded, will all probably survive. I also have to announce to you that the Spanish fleet, with the exception of one vessel, was destroyed, and this one is being so vigorously pursued that it will be impossible for it to escape. General Pando is opposed by forces sufficient to hold him in check. In view of the above, I would suggest that, to save needless effusion of blood and the distress of many people, you may reconsider your determination of yesterday. Your men have certainly shown the gallantry which was expected of them. I am, Sir, with great respect, Your obedient servant, (Signed) William R. Shafter, Major-General, Commanding United States Forces. 136 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO To these three communications General Toral replied as follows : Army of the Island of Cuba, Fifth Corps, General Staff. To his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief of the American Forces. Excellency : I have the honor to reply to the three communications of your Excellency, dated to- day, and I am very grateful for the news you give in regard to the Generals, chiefs, officers and troops that are your prisoners, and of the good care that you give to the wounded in your possession. With respect to the wounded, I have no objection to re- ceiving in this place those that your Excellency may willingly deliver me, but I am not authorized by the General-in-Chief to make any exchange, as he has reserved to himself that authority. Yet I have given him notice of the proposition of your Excellency. It is useless for me to tell you how grateful I am for the interest that your Excellency has shown for the prisoners, and corpse of General Vara del Rey, giving you many thanks for the chivalrous treat- ment. The same reasons that I explained to you yester- day, I have to give again to-day — that this place will not be surrendered. I am, yours, with great respect and consideration, (Signed) Jose Toral. In Santiago de Cuba, July 4, 1898. The idea of sending back the wounded prisoners had occurred to General Shafter when he saw how 137 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER confident the Spanish prisoners were that they would be shot after capture. It was thought that if these prisoners could go back into Santiago and tell of their treatment, it would create a reaction in the feeling entertained for the American forces. The consent of General Toral to receive the wounded prisoners necessarily postponed the commencement of the bombardment at noon on the 5th. Early that morning General Toral was informed that ambulances, with surgeons in charge, had gone to El Caney to convey the wounded prisoners into the city, and that they would arrive at his lines early in the afternoon, flying a Red Cross flag. Lieutenant Brooke and Dr. Goodfellow were sent by General Shafter to take charge of conveying the wounded men into Santiago. Four officers and twenty-four men were placed in the ambulances and driven to a point near the defences of the city. There they were met by a large number of Spanish officers and soldiers, who gathered about the ambulances and assisted in removing the men. Two com- panies of Spanish Infantry had been drawn up on either side of the road, and arms were presented as Lieutenant Brooke and his escort came up. The affair made an excellent impression upon the Spaniards, and very soon after General Toral 138 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO thanked General Shafter most profusely for his generous treatment. On the 5th General Toral informed General Shafter that the General in Chief of the Army of the Island of Cuba (General Blanco) had accepted the proposition for the exchange of prisoners proposed the day before. He asked that the names of the Spanish officers who were prisoners be sent him, that he might select one to be exchanged for Hobson. If General Shafter wished, he also agreed to exchange the seven sailors taken with Lieutenant Hobson for seven soldiers. Three Spanish officers had been taken prisoners, two Second Lieutenants and one First Lieutenant, the latter slightly wounded in the left arm. The names of the prisoners were sent to General Toral, and the afternoon of the 6th, at two o'clock, was designated as the time the two commissioners, one from each side, should meet between the lines to effect the exchange. I was designated by General Shafter as his Commissioner, and Major Irles was designated by General Toral. The letter from General Toral naming the officer selected to be exchanged for Lieutenant Hobson did not arrive before it was time to leave head-quarters to keep the ap- pointment, so General Shafter sent the three capt- 139 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER ured officers that there might be no delay. They and the seven men, blindfolded while passing through our lines, were brought to the place of meeting by Major Noble. I was instructed by General Shafter to effect the exchange, even if I had to give the three captive officers. On arriving at the place of meeting, Major Irles handed me a letter from General Toral, in which he designated Lieutenant Arias, the wounded First Lieutenant, as the one selected for exchange. I invited the Spanish Commis- sioner's attention to the fact that Lieutenant Arias was wounded, but after his assurance that it would not alter the decision, nothing further was said. The agreement was soon signed, and I still kept the two Second Lieutenants prisoners. Lieutenant Hobson, on entering the American lines, was given an ovation. After stopping a few minutes at General Wheeler's head-quarters, he accompanied me to General Shafter's head-quar- ters, and a little later in the evening went to Si- boney, and thence on board the New York. On July 5th Admiral Sampson and General Shafter were directed to have a conference, and as the Admiral was ill, his chief of staff, Captain Chadwick, came to General Shafter's head-quar- ters to represent him. An agreement was made 140 BRIGADIER-GENERAL SAMUEL S. SUMNER, U. S. V. THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO that the army and navy should make a joint at- tack on Santiago at noon, July 9th. The city is in easy range of large guns on board ships, and the navy proposed to throw 8-inch, 10-inch, and 13-inch shells into the city for twenty-four hours, and if this did not prove effective to force the entrance with their smaller vessels. After effecting the exchange of Hobson, my instructions were to notify the Spanish Commis- sioners that hostilities would be resumed in an hour. Before any shots were exchanged, a sec- ond demand for the surrender of the city was made, as follows : Head-quarters Fifth Army Corps, Camp near San Juan River, Cuba, July 6, 1898. To the Commander-in-Chief, Spanish Forces, Santiago de Cuba. SlR: In view of the events of the 3d instant, I have the honor to lay before Your Excellency certain propositions to which, 1 trust, Your Excellency will give the consideration which, in my judgment, they deserve. I enclose a bulletin of the engagement of Sunday morning which resulted in the complete destruction of Admiral Cervera's fleet, the loss of six hundred of his officers and men, and the capture of the re- mainder. The Admiral, General Paredes, and all others who escaped alive, are now prisoners on board the Harvard and St. Louis, and the latter ship, in which are the Admiral, General Paredes, and the 141 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER surviving Captains (all except the Captain of the Almirante Oquendo, who was slain), has already sailed for the United States. If desired by you, this may be confirmed by Your Excellency sending an officer under a flag of truce to Admiral Sampson and he can arrange to visit the Harvard, which will not sail until to-morrow, and obtain the details from Spanish officers and men on board that ship. Our fleet is now perfectly free to act, and I have the honor to state that unless a surrender be ar- ranged by noon of the 9th instant, a bombardment of the city will be begun and continued by the heavy guns of our ships. The city is within eas}^ range of these guns, the 8-inch being capable of firing 9,500 yards, the 13-inch, of course, much farther. The ships can so lie that with a range of 8,000 yards they can reach the centre of the city. I make this suggestion of a surrender purely in a humanitarian spirit. I do not wish to cause the slaughter of any more men, either of Your Excel- lency's forces or my own ; the final result under cir- cumstances so disadvantageous to Your Excellency being a foregone conclusion. As Your Excellency may wish to make reference of so momentous a question to Your Excellency's Home Government, it is for this purpose that I have placed the time of the resumption of hostilities sufficiently far in the future to allow a reply being received. I beg an early answer from Your Excellency. I have the honor to be, Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, (Signed) W. R. Shafter, Major-General Commanding. 142 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO The period of truce was employed in straight- ening our lines, and making minor changes in the position of the troops. General Lawton's Divis- ion was pushed from day to day farther to the right and closer to the bay. Two light batteries were placed on high ground on the north of the city, and the other two remained to the east of the city, where they were placed on the 3d. The eight field-mortars were taken off the ship and placed in position east of the city on San Juan Heights, and the two heavy artillery batteries, left as a guard at Daiquiri, were ordered to the front to man them. One of the siege-guns was disembarked, but the road was in such a frightful condition that it was considered impossible to bring it to the front. When General Toral received the second de- mand for his surrender, he asked that the em- ployees of the Submarine Cable Company be permitted to return to the city from El Caney, whither they had fled on the night of the 4th, in order that he might communicate with his home government. These employees were promptly placed within the Spanish lines early on the 7th, and on the 8th General Toral submitted his reply to the demand. He accepted the statements concerning the loss of the Spanish fleet without 143 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER investigation, and proposed to evacuate the Di- vision of Cuba, which embraced the eastern half of the Province of Santiago ; the territory which was surrendered eight days later. He would do this if permitted to retreat to Holguin with his troops, their baggage, arms, and ammunition, without being attacked during the march. He said that the loss of the Spanish Squadron in no way influenced the defences of Santiago, and that the Spanish column, which General Shafter had doubted could get in the city, arrived on the 3d. Notwithstanding the water supply of the city had been cut off some days before, he declared he had water in cisterns in abundance, and was well pro- vided with ammunition and rations for a reason- ably long time. Besides his own supplies, he counted on those of the inhabitants who had fled. The bombardment would only be felt by house- owners, most of whom were the natives the Amer- icans had come to protect, for the troops were placed outside the city. He pointed out that the Spanish troops were acclimated, while the Amer- icans were not, and would successfully stand a siege, while the latter would succumb to the dis- eases incident to the climate. He urged that his proposition be accepted, but if not, the suspension of hostilities would cease at noon the next day. 144 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO General Toral's proposition was submitted at once to Washington and he was informed what had been done, General Shafter adding that he doubted if the authorities at Washington would accept it. Orders were given on both sides that the troops were to remain quiet until further or- ders. General Shafter submitted General Toral's proposition to Washington early on the 9th, and in the afternoon, after interviewing the division commanders, he sent a second despatch to Washington. Head-quarters Fifth Army Corps, Camp near Santiago, July 9, 1898. Hon. Secretary of War, Washington, D. C. : I forwarded General Toral's proposition to evacu- ate the town this morning without consulting any- one. Since then I have seen the General Officers commanding divisions, who agree with me, in that it should be accepted : 1st. It releases at once the harbor. 2d. It permits the return of thousands of women, children, and old men, who have left the town, fear- ing bombardment and are now suffering fearfully where they are ; though I am doing my best to sup- ply them with food. 3d. It saves the great destruction of property which a bombardment would entail; most of which belongs to Cubans and foreign residents. 4th. It at once releases this command while it is i45 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER in good health for operations elsewhere. There are now three cases of yellow fever at Siboney in a Michigan regiment, and if it gets started, no one knows where it will stop. We lose by this simply some prisoners we do not want and the arms they carry. I believe many of them will desert and return to our lines. I was told by a sentinel who deserted last night that two hun- dred men wanted to come, but were afraid our men would fire upon them. W. R. Shafter, Major-General, United States Volunteers. The reply to this was : Washington, D. C, July 9, 1898. Major-General Shafter, Playa, Cuba. In reply to your telegram recommending terms of evacuation as proposed by the Spanish Com- mander, after careful consideration by the President and Secretary of War, I am directed to say, that you have repeatedly been advised that you would not be expected to make an assault upon the enemy at Santiago until you were prepared to do the work thoroughly. When you are ready, this will be done. Your telegram of this morning said your position was impregnable and that you believed the enemy would yet surrender unconditionally. You have also assured us that you could force their surrender by cutting off their supplies. Under these circum- stances your message recommending that Span- ish troops be permitted to evacuate and proceed without molestation to Holguin is a great surprise 146 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO and is not approved. The responsibility for the de- struction and distress to the inhabitants rests entirely with the Spanish Commander. The Secretary of War orders that when you are strong enough to destroy the enemy and take Santiago, you do it. If you have not force enough, it will be despatched to you at the earliest moment possible. Reinforce- ments are on the way of which you have already been apprised. In the meantime, nothing is lost by holding the position you now have, and which you regard as impregnable. Acknowledge receipt. By order of the Secretary of War. (Signed) H. C. Corbin, A djutant- General. Immediately upon the receipt of this despatch General Toral was informed that his proposition had not been favorably considered by the home government, and that his unconditional surrender was again demanded. An answer was requested by 3 p.m. of the ioth, and if unfavorable, he was informed that active operations would be resumed at 4 p.m. General Toral promptly declined to surrender, and the truce was at an end. i47 CHAPTER IX THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO (CONTINUED) ON the 9th of July a battalion of light artil- lery, commanded by General Randolph, and the First Illinois Volunteers arrived at Daiquiri. On the 10th General Randolph was directed to disembark the batteries as rapidly as possible and send them to the front. The roads were so bad that only two of these batteries were put in position by the 14th, when the negotiations to arrange terms of surrender began. The First Infantry, which had been held in support of the light batteries near El Pozo, was ordered on the 10th to report to General Lawton, as well as the Seventy-first New York, which had been em- ployed for some time in repairing the road be- tween El Pozo and the front. Every effort was now made, not only to strengthen the right, but to extend it so as completely to encircle the city, to prevent any attempt on the part of General Toral to escape, and also to prevent any rein- forcements from reaching him. 148 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO In spite of General Toral's assertions to the contrary, it was absolutely known that the food supplies in Santiago were almost exhausted. Water, it is true, was still to be found in cis- terns, and this supply was replenished from day to day by the rains ; but each day found the total supply less than on the preceding day. This fact was reported from time to time by deserters, and when the city finally capitulated, the water had become so low that one of the first things insisted upon by General Toral was the immediate re-establishment of the water supply. It was felt, therefore, that General Toral must either be meditating escape, or had information that reinforcements would posi- tively reach him. In fact, daily there were re- ports, coming through our Cuban allies, that the rest of Pando's forces, which were at Man- zanillo, or a force from Holguin and San Luis, were marching to the relief of Santiago. The right of the line, therefore, was the place to be made the strongest. At Siboney and all along the coast as far as Aguadores, there was still a considerable force to guard against any at- tempt of the enemy to turn the left of the lines. The following telegram sent by General Li- 149 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER nares to Madrid describes very graphically the condition of the garrison in Santiago : Santiago de Cuba, July 12, 1898. The General-in-Chief to the Secretary of War. Although prostrated, in bed from weakness and pain, my mind is troubled by the situation of our suffering troops, and therefore I think it my duty to address myself to you, Mr. Secretary, and describe the true situation. The enemy's forces very near city ; ours extended fourteen kilometres (14,000 yards). Our troops are exhausted and sickly in an alarming proportion. Cannot be brought to the hospital — needing them in trenches. Cattle without fodder or hay. Fearful storm of rain, which has been pouring continuously for past twenty-four hours. Soldiers without per- manent shelter. Their only food rice, and not much of that. They have no way of changing or drying their clothing. Our losses were very heavy — many chiefs and officers among the dead, wounded, and sick. Their absence deprives the forces of their leaders in this very critical moment. Under these conditions it is impossible to open a breach on the enemy, because it would take a third of our men who cannot go out, and whom the enemy would decimate. The result would be a terrible disaster, without obtaining, as you desire, the salvation of eleven maimed battalions. To make a sortie pro- tected by the Division of Holguin, it is necessary to attack the enemy's lines simultaneously, and the 150 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO forces of Holguin cannot come here except after many long days' marching. Impossible for them to transport rations. Unfortunately , the situation is desperate. The surrender is imminent, otherwise we will only gain time to prolong our agony. The sacrifice would be sterile, and the men understand this. With his lines so near us, the enemy will an- nihilate us without exposing his own, as he did yes- terday, bombarding by land from elevations without our being able to discover their batteries, and by sea the fleet has a perfect knowledge of the place, and bombards by elevation with a mathematical ac- curacy. Santiago is no Gerona, a walled city, part of the mother-country, and defended inch by inch by her own people without distinction — old men and women who helped with their lives, moved by the holy idea of freedom, and with the hope of help, which they received. Here I am alone. All the people have fled, even those holding public offices, [/ almost without exception. Only the priests remain, and they wish to leave the city to-day headed by their archbishop. These defenders do not start now a campaign full of enthusiasm and energy, but for three years they have been fighting the climate, privations, and fatigue, and now they have to con- front this critical situation when they have no en- thusiasm or physical strength. They have no ideals, because they defend the property of people who have deserted them, and those who are the allies of the American forces. The honor of arms has its limits, and I appeal to the judgment of the Government and of the entire 151 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER Nation, whether these patient troops have not repeatedly saved it since May 18th — date of first bombardment. If it is necessary that I sacrifice them for reasons unknown to me, or if it is neces- sary for someone to take responsibility for the issue foreseen and announced by me in several telegrams, I willingly offer myself as a sacrifice to my country, and I will take charge of the command for the act of surrender, as my modest reputation is of small value when the reputation of the Nation is at stake. (Signed) Linares. To get more troops to strengthen General Lawton's Division, the Sixth and Sixteenth United States Infantry, the remaining two regi- ments of the brigade to which the Seventy-first New York belonged, were detached from Gen- eral Kent's Division, and ordered to report to General Lawton on the ioth. The First District of Columbia and the Eighth Ohio arrived at Siboney on the ioth. The First Illinois, which had arrived the previous day, and the First Dis- trict of Columbia were ordered to provide them- selves with three days' rations and march to the front. These two regiments were placed to the right of General Wheeler's Division on the morn- ing of the nth, General Lawton's Division hav- ing been moved far enough to the right to make room for them. 152 Photo by B. J. Falk, New York. BRIGADIER-GENERAL HENRY W. LAWTON, U. S. V. THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO At five o'clock on the evening of July nth, General Lawton's right brigade, commanded by- General Ludlow, rested on the bay, and the in- vestment of Santiago was complete. General Garcia's troops, which had up to this time been guarding the gap between the right of the line and the bay, were now placed in the rear of Gen- eral Lawton's Division, with instructions to act as a reserve for his division and also to thor- oughly picket the interior for many miles, in order to give timely warning of the approach of reinforcements. Promptly at 4 p.m. on the 10th the Spanish troops opened a vigorous fire upon the American lines with musketry and field-pieces. The fire was returned by all of the American artillery with much effect, and before the firing ceased, at about six o'clock, all of the enemy's artillery, except one gun, had been silenced. The infantry kept under cover in their trenches, and did little fir- ing. The navy threw 8 and 10-inch shells into the city, and continued their firing on the nth until the second period of truce began. The shells thrown by the navy could be seen falling in the city, and once or twice fires were started by them, which, however, were apparently quickly extinguished. The town was built solidly of *53 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER stone, and the shells produced little or no effect. The second day the American artillery did a little firing, but the infantry practically none, and the Spanish fire was very weak. *j The situation in regard to supplies for Ameri- can troops was now at its worst. The rains had been unusually heavy, and not only were the roads practically impassable for wagons, but the streams were so swollen that at times they were unfordable by pack-trains. A limited amount of food had, up to this time, been carried to the refugees, but on the nth and 12th the supplies were entirely cut off from El Caney, and the refugees were urged to go to Firmeza, in the neighborhood of the mines, a few miles north of Siboney. Prior to this time the command- ing officer at Siboney had been ordered not to permit the Cuban refugees to enter that place, and again he was directed that this order must be strictly complied with, and that all Cubans in his immediate vicinity must at once be sent to the iron mines, as food could be taken to them at that point by rail. However, there were thousands in El Caney who could not walk to this place, which was ten miles distant, and the suffering of these people was acute. The Red Cross Society, as well as the army, had provisions *54 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO at Siboney in great profusion, but to get them to these people at El Caney was an impossibility. Yellow fever had now most unmistakably made its appearance, the first cases being manifested at Siboney. At first it was attempted to keep the command at the front in ignorance of it, but this, of course, was impossible for any length of time, and by the nth the whole army was aware that it would have to fight a foe more dangerous than the Spaniards. Every effort was made to carry out the hygienic measures to prevent the spread of the disease, but when an army is fighting battles it has little time to fight anything else. All possible measures were taken to confine the disease within the limits of Siboney, and the com- manding officer at that point was directed to use every possible means to check its spread, and on the morning of the nth he was directed by General Shafter to burn all of the buildings in the town designated by the surgeon in charge. At noon on the i ith the surrender of Santiago was again demanded in the following letter : Head-quarters United States Forces, Camp near San Juan River, Cuba, July II, 1898. To His Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief of the Spanish Forces, Santiago de Cuba. SlR: With the largely increased forces which have come to me, and the fact that I have your line *55 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER of retreat securely within my hands, the time seems fitting that I should again demand of Your Excel- lency the surrender of Santiago and Your Excel- lency's army. I am authorized to state that, should Your Excellency so desire, the Government of the United States will transport your entire command to Spain. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, Your obedient servant, (Signed) Wm. R. Shafter, Major- General Commanding, A telegram had been received from the Secre- tary of War early that morning, authorizing the offer to return the Spanish command to the home country. General Toral's reply was as follows : Army of the Island of Cuba, Fourth Corps, July ii, 1898. To His Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces of the United States, in the Camp of the San Juan. Esteemed Sir : I have the honor to advise your Eminence that your communication of this date is received, and in reply desire to confirm that which I said in my former communication, and also to ad- vise you that I have communicated your proposition to the General-in-Chief. Reiterating my sentiments, I am, Very respectfully, your obedient servant, (Signed) Jose Toral, Commander-in-CJiicf of tJie Fourth Corps, and Military Governor of Santiago. 156 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO General Miles, with reinforcements, arrived on the afternoon of the nth. He remained at Siboney that night, and came to General Shatt- er's head-quarters about 3 p.m. the next day. During the morning of the 1 2th General Toral informed General Shatter that he must insist upon his former proposition to evacuate the " plaza" and the territory of the Division of Cuba under conditions honorable to the Spanish arms, and trusted that General Shatter's chivalry and sentiments as a soldier would find a solution that would leave the honor of his troops intact. He invited the General's attention to an advance of the American troops on the north, and asked that they be ordered back to their original posi- tion and remain there during the armistice. General Shatter gave assurances that there would be no further movements of his troops, and sent explicit orders on this point to all of the division commanders. Referring to General Toral's desire that the honor of the Spanish arms be preserved, Gen- eral Shatter informed him that the Commanding General of the American army had just arrived, and would probably be at his head-quarters some time during the day, and that the matter would be submitted to him. iS7 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER General Toral's letter, stating that he had sub- mitted the proposition for surrender to the home government, though dated on the nth, was not received until shortly after daybreak on the 1 2th, as after sundown it was considered unsafe to attempt to pass a letter through the lines. As soon as this letter was received, General Shafter took under consideration the matter of asking General Toral for a personal interview ; and, shortly after the arrival of General Miles in the afternoon, sent the following letter to General Toral : Head-quarters Fifth Army Corps, Camp near Santiago de Cuba, July 12, 1898. To His Excellency, Commander-in-Chief of Spanish Forces, Santiago de Cuba. Sir : I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that I have already ordered a suspension of hostili- ties, and I will repeat that order, granting in this manner a reasonable time within which you may re- ceive an answer to the message sent to the govern- ment of Spain, which time will end to-morrow at twelve o'clock, noon. I think it my duty to inform Your Excellency that during this armistice I will not move any of my troops that occupy the advanced lines, but the forces that arrived to-day and which are debarking at Siboney, require moving toward this camp. I wish that Your Excellency would honor me with a personal interview to-morrow morning at nine 158 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO o'clock. I will come accompanied by the Com- manding General of the American Army and by an interpreter, which will permit you to be accompa- nied by two or three persons of your staff who speak English. Hoping for a favorable answer, I have the honor to be, Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, (Signed) William R. Shafter, Major-General Commanding, General Toral answered as follows : Army of the Island of Cuba, Fourth Corps, Santiago de Cuba, July 12, 1898, 9 p.m. To His Excellency, the General of the American Troops. Esteemed Sir: I have the honor to answer your favor of this date, informing Your Excellency that in deference to your desires I will be much honored by a conference with His Excellency, the Command- ing General of your army, and Your Excellency, to- morrow morning at the hour you have seen fit to appoint. Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, (Signed) Jose Toral, Commander-in-Chief of the Fourth Army Corps. At the hour appointed, Generals Toral and Shafter met between the lines, and the result of the interview is best described by quoting from 159 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER a telegram sent by General Shafter to the Adju- tant-General at Washington immediately upon his return to the American lines : I have had an interview of an hour and a half with General Toral, and have extended the truce until noon to-morrow. I told him that his unconditional surrender only would be considered, and that he was without hope of escape and had no right to continue the fight. 1 think it made a strong impres- sion upon him, and hope for his surrender. If he refuses, I will open on him at twelve o'clock, noon, to-morrow, with every gun I have, and have the as- sistance of the navy, who are ready to bombard the city with 13-inch shells. There is a good deal of nervousness throughout the army on account of yellow fever, which is among us certainly. Before the two Generals separated, it was agreed that General Shafter should come again the next day at eleven o'clock to the same place, to meet General Toral and receive his final an- swer. Before the time appointed for the meet- ing on the 14th, General Toral wrote General Shafter a letter stating that on the evening before, at 7 p.m., he had received the following telegram from General Blanco : Believing that business of such importance as the capitulation of Santiago should be known and de- cided upon by the government of His Majesty, I 160 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO give you notice that I have sent the conditions of your telegram, asking an immediate answer. You may show this to the General of the American Army, to see if he will agree to await the answer of the government, which cannot arrive before the ex- piration of the time he has set, for the reason that communication by the way of Bermuda is much slower than via Key West. In the meantime, Your Honor and the General of the American Army may agree upon the terms of capitulation upon the basis of repatriation. In sending this telegram to General Shafter, General Toral remarked that he hoped the con- tents would be satisfactory, and that General Shafter would be pleased to designate commis- sioners to meet commissioners appointed by him, who might agree, in advance of the decision of the Spanish government, upon the terms of capit- ulation. At the meeting a little later, General Toral insisted that he was certain the Spanish government would approve of the capitulation of the place, but without this approval he would not surrender. General Shafter insisted that he sur- render unconditionally at that time and without any further waiting. The discussion of the matter between the two lasted for some time, carried on by means of interpreters, who in some way conveyed to both General Shafter and Gen- 161 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER eral Miles, who was also present, that General Toral finally did agree to an unconditional sur- render, and both of the Generals returned to the American lines confident that General Toral had unqualifiedly surrendered without waiting for any approval beyond that of General Blanco. In his letter in the morning, General Toral had designated as his commissioners, Brigadier- General Don Federigo Escario, Lieutenant-Col- onel Don Ventura Fontan, and Mr. Robert Mason, the British Vice-Consul. General Shaff- er, immediately upon his return to head-quarters, designated as his commissioners, Major-General Joseph Wheeler, Major-General Henry W. Law- ton, and First Lieutenant John D. Miley, Aide- de-Camp. The siege was now at an end, and the negotia- tions for a surrender began. Orders were sent all along the lines directing that all of the men be withdrawn from the trenches, and only a small guard left over them. During the 12th, 13th, and 14th active prepara- tions for an assault in the event of the failure of all negotiations were vigorously carried on. The disembarkation of the artillery that had arrived with General Randolph continued, and arrange- ments were made by General Miles to land a 162 THE SIEGE OF SANTIAGO strong force of infantry under General Henry at Cabanas, to march against the city from that point, a preliminary reconnoissance of the country west of the bay having been made on the 13th by Major J. C. Webb, of General Lawton's Staff. Many thought that General Toral was simply try- ing to gain time, and General Shafter was contin- ually advised and urged to break off negotiations and assault the town. He felt, however, that Gen- eral Toral would surrender in time, and the thanks of this country are due him that he allowed his better judgment to prevail. The trenches just outside the city had an entanglement in front of them made by running two parallel lines of barbed-wire fence around the city with a few openings at intervals which could be closed very quickly, thus presenting a complete barrier. Each line of fence was made with six or seven strands of wire, and the fences were placed in such a position that the American troops would be temporarily halted under a deadly fire. With the Spaniards fighting as desperately as on the 1 st of July, the probable result is something fear- ful to contemplate. 163 CHAPTER X THE CAPITULATION THE hour of meeting for the Commissioners had been set for 2.30 p.m., and punctually at that time they assembled. The meeting took place midway between the lines, under a magnif- icent ceiba tree,* where all the conferences be- tween General Shafter and General Toral had been held, and it was here, also, that the ex- change of Lieutenant Hobson had been arranged. The American Commissioners brought as inter- preters Mr. Ramon Mendoza and Mr. Aurelius Mestre, two Cubans, who had volunteered their services for the war and had been assigned as Volunteer Aides-de-Camp, the former to General Lawton and the latter to General Wheeler ; Mr. Wilson, General Wheelers Secretary, acted as Secretary of the Commission. Mr. Robert Ma- son, the civilian member of the Spanish Commis- * This tree is now called " El Arbol de la Paz," and the authorities have had to put a double wire fence around it to prevent its being re- moved piecemeal by relic-hunters. 164 THE CAPITULATION sion, acted in the capacity of interpreter. Be- lieving that the surrender had been made without qualification, the American Commissioners before the hour for the meeting arrived had drawn up a rough 'draft of an agreement for the capitulation which embodied the points agreed upon by Gen- erals Shafter and Toral, a memorandum of which had been furnished. The draft being translated, was then discussed point by point, and the Span- ish Commissioners' views on each were obtained and some slight changes made to incorporate their ideas. After this, the Spanish Commis- sioners proposed the clauses they wished in the agreement, and these were taken up for discus- sion. As the negotiations lasted two days and the army and the people at home were waiting breathlessly the outcome, fearing that every min- ute some complication would arise by which active operations would be precipitated, I will give a detailed account of every stage. The draft drawn by the American Commis- sioners included : i st, that all hostilities cease from the signing of the agreement ; 2d, that the capitulation includes all the forces and war material in the surrendered territory ■ 165 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER 3d, that the Spanish Commander immediately make arrangements for the entrance into the harbor of Santiago of the Red Cross ship Texas ; 4th, that the inhabitants of the City of Santi- ago at El Caney be permitted to return at once ; 5th, that the Spanish authorities afford every facility for transporting by rail from Siboney to Santiago food for the returning refugees ; 6th, that the United States agrees with as little delay as possible to transport the Spanish troops back to Spain ; 7th, that the officers of the Spanish Army be permitted to retain their side arms and all officers and enlisted men their private property ; 8th, that the Spanish authorities agree to re- move at once, or assist the American Navy in re- moving, all mines in the mouth of the harbor ; 9th, that the Spanish Commander deliver with- out delay a complete inventory of all arms, etc., and a roster of the capitulated foroes ; 10th, that the Commander of the American forces re-establishes the water system of the city without delay. There was little discussion over the above points, and wherever the words "surrender" or "surrendered" occurred, the Spanish Commis- sioners desired them changed to "capitulation" 166 THE CAPITULATION or "capitulated," and this and other changes in wording were agreed to. The points covered seemed at that time perfectly satisfactory to them. They then requested that the Spaniards be permitted to carry back to Spain the military records and documents in the offices throughout the district. This was agreed to and a clause covering it was added to the agreement. The second point that the Spanish Commis- sioners wished put into the agreement was one covering the retention in Cuba of a large number of troops known as Volunteers, Movilizados, and Guerillas, recruited from Spanish sympathizers in the native population. These troops desired to remain in Cuba, it was stated, and a clause was added permitting them to stay, after giving a parole not to bear arms against the United States during the present war. The next point presented by the Spanish Com- missioners involved more difficulty. They desired that the Spanish troops be permitted to retain their arms, carrying them back to Spain. This, of course, could not be done. The troops, it was explained, would be prisoners of war and cer- tainly would have to be disarmed, but the Amer- ican Commissioners said that they would gladly recommend to their Government that the arms 167 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER belonging to the Spanish regular troops be gratu- itously returned to Spain, when the Spanish pris- oners were sent back. It was evident the Span- iards felt very keenly over this point, and that it was their earnest desire to remove the sting from the surrender as much as possible. A clause was finally added in which the American Commis- sioners recommended the return of the Spanish arms to Spain. This in no way bound the Gov- ernment, but at the time had the effect of dispos- ing of the question in a way satisfactory to the Spanish Commissioners. Later the wording of this clause was altered, permitting the Spanish troops to march out of Santiago with their arms, depositing them at an agreed point, to await their disposition by the United States Gov- ernment, and a separate paper signed by the American Commissioners was forwarded to the War Department, recommending the return of the arms. This effectually disposed of this matter. The agreement embracing all the points pro- posed was drawn up in terms so as to make the instrument a final one, and the Spanish Commis- sioners having been asked if they were ready to sign, replied that they must first return with a copy to consult General Toral. An adjournment until 6 p.m. was taken, to afford them time to go 168 THE CAPITULATION to the city and return, while the American Com- missioners remained at the place of meeting. During the interval a tent was put up, candles provided, and all preparations for a night session made. On the return of the Spanish Commis- sioners, shortly after six o'clock, it was fully expected that nothing remained for the Commis- sioners to do except sign the agreement after copies were made. For that reason it was sug- gested that the Spanish troops be drawn at once from the fortifications and from the trenches in front of the city ; also that the work of removing the obstructions from the mouth of the harbor, that our supply ships might enter, would begin immediately. Nothing definite on these points could be ar- rived at, and the Spanish Commissioners stated that they would like to adjourn until the follow- ing day, in order to consult General Linares about certain things before signing. This ap- peared to the American Commissioners a re- markable request, as they had just returned from consulting General Toral, and now to ask for time to consult General Linares, who, as it was well known, was not in command on account of wounds received on July ist, was hardly to be expected. The American Commissioners had 169 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER come with full powers to settle all disputed points, and presumed that the Spanish Commissioners had come empowered likewise. Something seemed to be wrong, and the Commissioners on the two sides were working at cross purposes. The American Commissioners were determined not to adjourn, but to press the negotiations to an end that night. It began to appear as if the Spanish Commissioners were playing for time, or that there had been a mis- understanding on the part of General Shafter at the meeting with General Toral at noon. The situation was serious, for if an amicable under- standing could not be speedily reached, the only alternative was to break off negotiations. General Escario suggested that he return to the city and fetch General Toral, who could clear up the mat- ter. For fear that General Linares would have to be sent for, even after the arrival of General Toral, the American Commissioners offered, if there was no objection, to go into Santiago and continue the negotiations there, in order that the matter might be concluded the more speedily. This suggestion was not favorably considered by the Spanish Commissioners, and they again urged an adjournment until the next morning. It was plainly stated that on the part of the American Commissioners there was no desire to 170 THE CAPITULATION inconvenience General Toral by having him come out to the place of meeting at such a late hour, and further, that there was no desire to unneces- sarily force matters, but that the question whether there was to be a capitulation or whether there was to be further fighting must be determined be- fore adjournment for the night. The Command- ing General of the American forces and the Home Government demanded that there be no delay. So finally General Escario went for Gen- eral Toral and returned with him at 9.40. I had met the General before at his interviews with General Shafter, and so had General Wheeler, General Lawton was introduced to him, and a short time was passed in conversation. The General is a genial, courtly gentleman, and soon won our respect for his fair dealing. Proceeding to business he explained his position, which was still as he had described it in his letter to General Shafter early in the morning, which was that he was willing to surrender, and that he had the per- mission of General Blanco to do so, but the entire matter had been referred to Madrid for approval there. An answer had not yet been received, though he felt it would certainly come after General Blanco's sanction. Considerable time, two or three days, must elapse before the answer 171 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER could be received, and both he and General Blanco desired that the points to be included in the formal surrender be decided upon while waiting. He was as anxious as the American Commander for a speedy solution of the matter, but without the approval of Madrid, he would not surrender. He owed it to his army and to himself that this sanction be first obtained, and without it he would resume fighting. With this sanction, he and his command would be permitted to return home, without it, there was much doubt. All this, he said, he had stated to General Shafter at noon through the interpreters, and now he wished it made plain to the Commissioners. More than this, he had never conceded at any time. It was obvious to us now that General Toral had been misinterpreted at the meeting with General Shafter, and that while General Shafter had come away under the impression that Gen- eral Toral had made an unqualified surrender, he really had not departed from his position set forth in the letter of the morning. Either this or General Toral had news of reinforcements and had decided to delay matters, if possible, until their arrival. The American Commissioners consulted Mr. Mason, in whom they had great confidence, and 172 THE CAPITULATION he assured them that General Toral was honest in all his statements. We felt that Mr. Mason would not be a party to any stratagem on the part of the Spaniards, and it is the writer's opin- ion that the negotiations would not have been successful if Mr. Mason had not been one of the Commissioners on the Spanish side. The duty of the Commission was now plain. A form of agreement must be prepared which could be made final when the approval of Spain arrived. To facilitate the preparation of such an agreement, the Spanish Commissioners were invited to draw the clauses as they wished them. General Toral and his Commissioners did this, and really from this time on the General was sole Commissioner on the Spanish side, the gentlemen appointed by him merely signing the instrument. The form of agreement as prepared and signed by the Spanish Commissioners was handed to the American Commissioners for their consideration. It was so nearly in accord with their views, now that it was felt the surrender had not been abso- lute, that it was believed the end of the negotia- tions were close at hand. It now being half an hour past midnight, the Commission adjourned until 9.30 the next morning. There was little doubt then in the minds of the American Com- 173 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER missioners that General Toral was sincere in his declarations. It was necessary, however, to get at the bottom of the matter that night, for if there were reasonable grounds that the Spaniards were playing for time, the negotiations could not be broken off too quickly. The Spanish draft of the agreement was taken up for consideration at once next morning. To avoid discussion, and possibly friction, it was sug- gested by the American Commissioners that the clauses referring to the immediate entrance into the harbor by the Red Cross ship Texas, the return of the refugees from El Caney, the use of the railroad running into Santiago from Siboney, and the repair of the water system, be stricken out, and there being no objection, this was done. The main object was to get signatures to an instrument in which the Spanish Commissioners acknowledged they capitulated ; for after that there would be no trouble with other minor matters. Now that the instrument had been purged of as many sub- jects of contention as possible, there was little or no further delay. The clauses remaining were adopted, and nothing was left to do but to prepare English and Spanish copies for signatures. With our facilities this was a long and tedious operation. The final drafts were run off on a typewriter 174 THE CAPITULATION placed on a camp-stool, and were ready to receive the signatures at 3 p.m. The Spanish Commis- sioners signed the Spanish copy, and were followed by the American Commissioners ; but in signing the English version the reverse order of signing was adopted. The Spanish Commissioners took the Spanish copy and an unsigned English copy to be delivered to General Toral, while the Amer- ican Commissioners took the signed English copy and an unsigned Spanish copy for the American Commanding General. The preliminary agree- ment made by the Commission is given here in full. Preliminary agreement for the capitulation of the Spanish forces which constitute the division of Santiago de Cuba, occupying the territory herein set forth, said capitulation authorized by the Com- mander-in-Chief of the island of Cuba, agreed to by General Toral, and awaiting the approbation of the Government at Madrid, and subject to the following conditions : Submitted by the undersigned Commissioners — Brigadier-General Don Frederick Escario, Lieuten- ant-Colonel of Staff Don Ventura Fontan, and Mr. Robert Mason, of the city of Santiago de Cuba, representing General Toral, commanding Spanish forces, to Major-General Joseph Wheeler, U. S. V., Major-General H. W. Lawton, U. S. V., and First Lieutenant J. D. Miley, Second Artillery, A. D. C, i75 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER representing General Shafter, commanding Ameri- can forces, for the capitulation of the Spanish forces comprised in that portion of the island of Cuba east of a line passing through Aserradero, Dos Palmas, Palma Soriano, Cauto Abajo, Escondida, Tanamo, and Aguilera, said territory being known as the Eastern District of Santiago, commanded by General Jose Toral. i. That pending arrangements for capitulation all hostilities between American and Spanish forces in this district shall absolutely and unequivocally cease. 2. That this capitulation includes all the forces and war material in said territory. 3. That after the signing of the final capitulation the United States agrees, with as little delay as pos- sible, to transport all the Spanish troops in said dis- trict to the kingdom of Spain, the troops, as near as possible, to embark at the port nearest the garri- sons they now occupy. 4. That the officers of the Spanish Army be per- mitted to retain their side arms, and both officers and enlisted men their personal property. 5. That after final capitulation the Spanish author- ities agree without delay to remove, or assist the American Navy in removing, all mines or other ob- structions to navigation now in the harbor of Santi- ago and its mouth. 6. That after final capitulation the commander of the Spanish forces deliver without delay a complete inventory of all arms and munitions of war of the Spanish forces and a roster of the said forces now in 176 THE CAPITULATION above-described district to the commander of the American forces. 7. That the commander of the Spanish forces, in leaving said district, is authorized to carry with him all military archives and records pertaining to the Spanish Army now in said district. 8. That all of that portion of the Spanish forces known as Volunteers, Moviiizados, and Guerillas, who wish to remain in the island of Cuba are per- mitted to do so under parole not to take up arms against the United States during the continuance of the present war between Spain and the United States, delivering up their arms. 9. That the Spanish forces will march out of San- tiago de Cuba with honors of war, depositing their arms thereafter at a point mutually agreed upon, to await their disposition by the United States Gov- ernment, it being understood that the United States Commissioners will recommend that the Spanish soldier return to Spain with the arms he so bravely defended. Entered into this fifteenth day of July, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, by the undersigned Com- missioners, acting under instructions from their re- spective Commanding Generals. (Signed) Joseph Wheeler, Frederico Escario, Major-General, U. S. Vols. Ventura Fontan, H. W. Lawton, Rob't Mason. Major-General, U. S. Vols. J. D. Miley, 1st Lieut., 2d Art., A. D. C. to General Shafter. 177 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER The following is the recommendation made by the American Commissioners for the return of the Spanish arms : At Neutral Camp, near Santiago, Under a Flag of Truce, July 14, 1898. Recognizing the chivalry, courage, and gallantry of Generals Linares and Toral, and of the soldiers of Spain who were engaged in the battles recently fought in the vicinity of Santiago de Cuba, as dis- played in said battles, we, the undersigned officers of the United States Army, who had the honor to be engaged in said battles, and now are a duly organized commission, treating with a like commis- sion of officers of the Spanish Army, for the capit- ulation of Santiago de Cuba, unanimously join in earnestly soliciting the proper authority to accord to these brave and chivalrous soldiers the privilege of returning to their country bearing the arms they have so bravely defended. Joseph Wheeler, Major-General, U. S. Vols. H. W. Lawton, Major-General, U. S. Vols. J. D. MlLEY, 1st Lieut., 2d Art., A. D. C. During the negotiations the anxiety of Gen- eral Miles, who was on board his ship at Siboney, and that of General Shafter was intense. Both 178 THE CAPITULATION were kept informed by telephone of the progress being made, for they felt that hostilities could not be resumed too quickly, if there was a dead- lock in the negotiations. General Miles was ready to sail for Porto Rico, but did not wish to leave under the circumstances. Early on the morning of the 16th all doubts as to a favorable outcome to the negotiations were dispelled by the receipt of this letter from General Toral : Army of the Island of Cuba, Fourth Corps, Santiago de Cuba, July 15, 1898, 10 P.M. To His Excellency, the General-in-Chief of the American Forces. Esteemed Sir : As I am now authorized by my Government to capitulate, I have the honor to so advise you, requesting you to designate the hour and place where my representatives should appear to concur with those of Your Excellency to edit the articles of capitulation on the basis of what has been agreed upon to this date. In due time I wish to manifest to Your Excellency my desire to know the resolution of the United States Government respecting the return of the arms, so as to note it in the capitulation ; also for their great courtesy and gentlemanly deportment I wish to thank Your Grace's representatives, and in return for their generous and noble efforts for the Spanish soldiers, I hope your Government will allow them to return to the Peninsula with the arms that 179 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER the American Army do them the honor to acknowl- edge as having dutifully defended. Reiterating my former sentiments, I remain, very respectfully, Your obedient servant, JOSfi TORAL, Commander-in-Chief of the Fourth Army Corps. Words cannot express the feeling of relief throughout the command that followed. Gen- eral Shafter promptly despatched to General Toral the following letter : Head-quarters Fifth Army Corps, Camp, July 16, 1898. To His Excellency, General Josh Toral, Com- manding Spanish Forces in Eastern Cuija. Sir : 1 have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency's letter of this date, notifying me that the Government at Madrid approves your action, and requesting that I designate officers to arrange for and receive the surrender of the forces of Your Excellency. This I do, nominating Major- General Wheeler, Major-General Lawton, and my Aide, Lieutenant Miley. I have to request that Your Excellency at once withdraw your troops from along the railway to Aguadores, and from the bluff in rear of my left ; also that you at once direct the removal of the obstructions at the entrance to the harbor, or assist the navy in doing so, as it is of the utmost importance that I at once get vessels loaded with food into the harbor. 180 THE CAPITULATION The repair of the railroad will, I am told, require a week's time. I shall, as I have said to Your Ex- cellency, urge my Government that the gallant men Your Excellency has so ably commanded, have returned to Spain with them the arms they have wielded. With great respect I remain, Your obedient servant and friend, William R. Shafter, Major-General Commanding. So much time was necessarily consumed in taking a letter through the lines that General Toral replied as follows : Army of the Island of Cuba, Fourth Corps, Santiago de Cuba, July 16, 1898. To His Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces of the United States. Esteemed Sir: At half-past eleven I received your communication of this date, and I am sorry to advise you that it is impossible for my representa- tives to come to the appointed place at mid-day, as you wish, as I must meet them and give them their instructions. If agreeable to you, will you defer the visit until 4 P.M. to-day, or until 7 to-morrow morning, and in the meanwhile the obstacles to the entrance of the ship of the Red Cross will be removed from the harbor. I beg Your Honor will make clear what force you wish me to retire from the railroad, as if it is that 181 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER in Aguadores, I would authorize the repair of the bridge at once by your engineers; and if it is that on the heights to the left of your lines, I beg you will specify with more precision. I have ordered those in charge of the aqueduct to proceed at once to repair it with the means at their command. Awaiting your reply, I remain, very respectfully, Your obedient servant, Jose Toral, Commander-in-Chief of the Fourth Army Corps. General Shafter adopted the earlier hour sug- gested, and at four o'clock the Commission met, with the same personnel as before. The wording of the preliminary agreement was simply changed to make it read as a final document, the English and Spanish copies typewritten, and the instru- ment was made binding by the signatures of the Commissioners at 6 p.m. During the two hours thus occupied, Generals Shafter and Toral were present talking over and arranging the details for the formal ceremony of surrender to take place the next morning. The final document reads as follows : Terms of the Military Convention for the capitulation of the Spanish Forces occupying the territory which constitutes the Division of Santiago de Cuba and described as follows: All that portion 182 THE CAPITULATION of the Island of Cuba east of a line passing through Aserradero, Dos Palmas, Cauto Abajo, Escondida, Tanamo, and Aguilera, said troops being in com- mand of General Jose Toral ; agreed upon by the undersigned Commissioners: Brigadier-General Don Federico Escario, Lieutenant-Colonel of Staff Don Ventura Fontan, and as Interpreter Mr. Robert Mason, of the city of Santiago de Cuba, appointed by General Toral, commanding the Spanish Forces, on behalf of the Kingdom of Spain, and Major-Gen- eral Joseph Wheeler, U. S. V., Major-General H. W. Lawton, U. S. V., and First Lieutenant J. D. Miley, Second Artillery, A. D. C, appointed by General Shafter, commanding the American Forces on behalf of the United States : i. That all hostilities between the American and Spanish forces in this district absolutely and une- quivocally cease. 2. That this capitulation includes all the forces and war material in said territory. 3. That the United States agrees, with as little delay as possible, to transport all the Spanish troops in said district to the kingdom of Spain, the troops being embarked, as far as possible, at the port near- est the garrisons they now occupy. 4. That the officers of the Spanish Army be per- mitted to retain their side arms, and both officers and private soldiers their personal property. 5. That the Spanish authorities agree to remove, or assist the American Navy in removing, all mines or other obstructions to navigation now in the har- bor of Santiago and its mouth. 183 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER 6. That the Commander of the Spanish forces deliver without delay a complete inventory of all arms and munitions of war of the Spanish forces in above described district to the Commander of the American forces ; also a roster of said forces now in said district. 7. That the Commander of the Spanish forces, in leaving said district, is authorized to carry with him all military archives and records pertaining to the Spanish Army now in said district. 8. That all that portion of the Spanish forces known as Volunteers, Movilizados, and Guerillas who wish to remain in the island of Cuba are per- mitted to do so upon the condition of delivering up their arms and taking a parole not to bear arms against the United States during the continuance of the present war between Spain and the United States. 9. That the Spanish forces will march out of San- tiago de Cuba with the honors of war, depositing their arms thereafter at a point mutually agreed upon, to await their disposition by the United States Government, it being understood that the United States Commissioners will recommend that the Spanish soldier return to Spain with the arms he so bravely defended. 10. That the provisions of the foregoing instru- ment become operative immediately upon its being signed. Entered into this sixteenth day of July, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, by the undersigned Com- missioners, acting under instructions from their 184 THE CAPITULATION respective commanding-generals and with the ap- probation of their respective Governments. (Signed) Joseph Wheeler, Frederico Escario, Major-General, U. S. Vols., VENTURA FONTAN, H. W. Lawton, Rob't Mason. Major -General, U. S. Vols., J. D. MlLEY, 1st Lieut. 2d Art., A. D. C. to General Shafter. Between the lines, at 9.30 the next morning, General Shafter, with the officers of his own stall and his general officers with their staffs, escorted by one hundred cavalry mounted, met General Toral and his staff, escorted by one hun- dred foot soldiers, and there General Toral for- mally surrendered the " Plaza" and the Division of Santiago de Cuba. At the time all the regiments were drawn up in line along the trenches, from which nearly everyone had a full view of the ceremony. Gen- eral Toral then escorted General Shafter to the Governor's Palace in the city and withdrew to his home. At the palace the civil officers of the province and of the town and the Archbishop were waiting to pay their respects to General Shafter. Precisely at twelve o'clock the American flag was raised over the palace by Captain William 185 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER H. Mc Kit trick, Aide-de-Camp to General Shafter ; Lieutenant Joseph Wheeler, Jr., Aide-de-Camp to General Wheeler ; Lieutenant J. D. Miley, Aide- de-Camp to General Shafter, while the escort of cavalry and the Ninth United States Infantry, which had been designated as the first regiment to occupy the town, presented arms. A salute of twenty-one guns was fired from Captain Capron's Battery, and the regiments again drawn up in line at the trenches, while all the bands played national airs. After saluting the Spanish flag General Toral had hauled it down before leaving the city to meet General Shafter between the lines. Since early in the morning the Spanish troops, by reg- iments and battalions, had been turning in their arms at the arsenal, a rambling stone structure which covered several acres in the heart of the town. Lieutenant Brooke, General Shafter's ordnance officer, with a troop of cavalry, re- ceived and inventoried them. As fast as an or- ganization was disarmed it was marched out of the city and placed in the camp on the San Juan Hills selected for the Spanish prisoners. Passing by the camp in the afternoon I saw the prisoners cooking horses that had been brought out with them ; but rations were soon 186 GENERAL JOSE TORAL THE CAPITULATION issued to them from the stores on hand, and as the supply-ships entered the bay the next day, making it easy to get rations for everyone, the prisoners from that time on had the same ration as the American troops. About two hundred sailors on a gun-boat in the harbor were included in the surrender, and an officer and a detail of men were at once sent to take possession of it, and similar details to take possession of five Spanish transports. This action was approved by the War Depart- ment at the time ; but two days later the Depart- ment directed that these ships be turned over to the navy, in view of the fact that the captures made jointly by the army and the navy were held by the United States Supreme Court not sub- jects of prize-money. This was done, and the vessels removed to Guantanamo Bay ; but on the 24th, by direction of the President, the transports were returned to the army. Details from the artillery were sent, early on the 17th, to all the batteries to take possession of the property in them, and the following day flags were raised at the Morro and other points. The work of clearing the entrance to the har- bor of mines was begun early on the 1 7th by the navy, and on the 19th the entrance was pro- 187 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER nounced perfectly safe for any vessel. Eighteen mines had been laid in the mouth of the harbor, nine contact, and nine electric mines, but five of the electric mines had been fired at the Merri- mac. Seven of the nine contact mines were taken up and placed on shore, and the two re- maining ones, which could not be raised at the time, had their positions marked by buoys. Fort- unately, these positions were such with respect to the channel that the failure to raise them did not interfere in the slightest with navigation. The electric mines were destroyed by sending a current through them and exploding them in position, and to prevent any possibility of danger from two that failed to explode, the cables were broken and the key-boards carried away from the firing-station. This was also done at the Estrella Battery Station, from which the mines had been fired when the attempt was made to sink the Merri- mac, because it was not absolutely known that all of the five had exploded. Part of the transports entered the harbor on the 1 8th, and the remaining vessels on the 19th. The refugees at El Caney and other points began to return to the city on the 16th, and by the night of the 1 7th were once more in their homes. 188 CHAPTER XI THE CAPITULATION (CONTINUED) T^HOUGH the troops in the city of Santiago * had laid down their arms, there still remained an equal number of troops of General Toral's command at various points in the province who did not even know of the capitulation and that they were included in it. There were garrisons at Guantanamo, at Baracoa, and Sagua de Tan- amo, small towns along the coast, and at the inte- rior towns, or villages, of El Cristo, El Songo, Dos Caminos, Moron, San Luis, and Palma Soriano. On the morning of the 18th I was sent by General Shafter to consult with members of General Toral's staff, in order to make the arrangements for notifying the different outside garrisons of the capitulation, and at the same time receiving their surrender and collecting the small bodies of troops at points convenient for shipment to Spain. It was agreed that an offi- cer representing General Shafter, accompanied by one of General Toral's staff officers and es- 189 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER corted by a body of cavalry, should go from town to town in the interior of the surrendered dis- trict bearing a letter from General Toral to the commandants notifying them of the details of the capitulation and directing them to recognize the authority of General Shafter's representa- tives. The coast towns were to be visited in like manner. I was designated by General Shafter as his representative to take the surrender of the inte- rior towns ; Captain Ramus was sent by Gen- eral Toral, and the escort consisted of two troops of cavalry, commanded by Captain Lewis. A pack-train was taken with ten days' supplies for the command, and a Spanish pack-train, which had been surrendered the day before, went also, loaded with supplies for the hospitals at the various towns to be visited. These interior towns had heretofore drawn upon Santiago for their supplies, which were sent to them over a railroad running from Santiago, through El Cristo, Moron, Dos Caminos, and terminating at San Luis, with a branch running from El Cristo to El Songo. Palma Soriano lay about twelve miles beyond San Luis, the latter place being about twenty-two miles from Santiago. The expedition left head-quarters camp about noon 190 THE CAPITULATION on the 19th, passed through El Caney and began the ascent of the mountains which lie in the rear of Santiago. A guide had been secured, and the whole party, closely following him, went over the mountain-trail in single file. The trail was so rough in places and so overgrown with bushes alongside that it was a very difficult matter to force a way through. Finally the column reached the small town of San Vicente, and there being a little open ground at that place, it halted to permit the pack-train, which was scattered along the trail for miles in the rear, to close up. The Spanish pack-train was manned by Spanish packers taken from among the Spanish prisoners. No apprehension was felt about their escaping, for it was thought they would be only too glad to re- main close to the train of supplies. The column soon reached Dos Bocas, a little town two miles farther on, and at this place the column struck the railroad. The rest of the journey to San Luis was made either over the ties of the rail- road or on a path alongside, and while this afforded a very poor road, it was infinitely better than any of the trails in the country. In fact, the country was utterly devoid of either roads or passable trails. The few that had once 191 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER existed were so overgrown as to have entirely disappeared. And the country travelled over on this trip was almost entirely a wilderness. After passing over the mountains, which were about a thousand to twelve hundred feet in elevation, we found the interior to be a vast table-land on a level with the summit of the mountains. Before the war this table-land had been cut up into well- tilled plantations producing sugar, tobacco, coffee, and bananas. Now from El Cristo to San Luis, a distance of twelve or fourteen miles, all traces of these plantations had disappeared except the ruins of dwellings in two places. The whole country was covered with a rank growth of grass, often as high as the back of a horse and with a scrubby growth of guava. The soil was a deep black loam, and, as it rained every afternoon, often quite heavily, the mud along the trail was dreadful. El Cristo was the first of the Spanish garrisons on our line of march. On approaching it a white flag was displayed, carried by one of the troopers, and this trooper rode ahead with Captain Ramus. There were two block-houses to be passed be- fore entering the town, and while the Captain was visiting these the column was halted. After informing the little garrisons in the block-houses 192 THE CAPITULATION of his mission, he rode into the town and pre- sented his letter to the Spanish commanding offi- cer. Both the Spanish garrison and the native population were overjoyed to see us ; the gar- rison at the thought of going home to Spain, and the natives at the thought of having something substantial to eat. The few supplies in the town were in the hands of the Spanish troops, and the natives subsisted mainly on mangoes and vege- tables. Surrounding each of the towns that were vis- ited there was a little cultivated zone with a radius of half a mile or a mile, depending on the size of the place, planted mainly to corn and sweet potatoes. The mango-trees were to be found everywhere loaded with fruit. The natives in the towns consisted of old men, women, and children, while the able-bodied men were all soldiers in the insurgent army. I found all these towns surrounded by bands of insurgents, and the Spanish garrisons could not lay down their arms in safety unless I had American troops to leave as guard. For that reason, the garrisons at El Cristo, Moron, and Dos Caminos were not disarmed until I came back on my return to San- tiago. The column camped just outside the town 193 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER of El Cristo on the night of the 19th, and just before leaving in the morning, Mr. H. E. Arm- strong, of the New York Evening Szm, joined it. He had left Santiago the day before, shortly after the expedition, and had been unable to overtake us until this time. The column soon reached Moron, where there was a small garrison of a little over a hundred men, and after staying there a very short time pushed on to Dos Cami- nos. Here we were received without any trouble, though the comandante at San Luis had or- dered the comandante at this place to resist us to the utmost. Captain Ramus had ridden ahead of the column some distance and when he showed his letter to the Spanish commander, he said there was nothing for him to do but to obey his superior commanding officer's orders. How- ever, he said at San Luis we would meet with re- sistance, for the commanding officer of San Luis had declared to him that he would not surrender as long as he had a man to fight. From Dos Caminos the column soon reached San Luis and halted about three hundred yards from the trenches on the outside of the town. Captain Ramus, riding forward, saw the soldiers being ordered into the trenches, and, spurring his horse, he galloped up to them and ordered them 194 THE CAPITULATION not to fire. The officer second in command at this place, and who, apparently, was responsible for the resistance encountered, then came out in front of his trenches and I went up to meet him. He declined to believe in the genuineness of General Toral's letter, and declared that the whole affair was a ruse of war and that the Captain was a traitor. After explaining the situation to him, I asked him to designate a place where the two troops of cavalry could camp for the night, and that I would come into the town at three o'clock for the comandante's decision. We were di- rected to the plantation of a French citizen, Mr. Rousseau, who lived near the town, and here we found the first, and only, evidences of civil- ization during the trip outside of the mean little villages we visited. Mr. Rousseau, at the time, was sick in bed, but on learning of the arrival of American troops, he was so much strengthened that in a very short time he came out to receive us and offer all facilities for the comfort of the troops. For three years, he said, he had seen his prop- erty, cattle, and farm -produce slipping away from him gradually, either from exactions on the part of the Spaniards, or thefts on the part of the insurgents, and he was overjoyed now at the 195 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER thought that he might be secure in possession of what remained to him. He had been a prosper- ous sugar-planter, and his mills and buildings were still standing. At the beginning of the war he had paid the Cuban Government $10,000, and in return he was guaranteed the security of his prop- erty, but he soon found the guarantee worthless. At his own expense he had erected a block-house, which was garrisoned by a small body of Spanish troops, fed by him, but with these troops only about two hundred yards from his buildings, Mr. Rousseau had an armed man in his pay patrol the little corral alongside his house where every night he gathered the small remnant of what was once a large herd of cattle. That night he in- vited the six officers with the column, and the war correspondent, to dine with him, and I do not think that anyone ever enjoyed a meal more. His supplies were limited, but he had managed to hide away some things, which were now brought out, in honor of the Americans. It had been nearly a month since we had been on land, living on hardtack, bacon, and coffee, and we were prepared to thoroughly enjoy whatever was set before us. Before the hour set at which I was to enter the city for the comandante's answer, he came 196 THE CAPITULATION out himself, with some of his staff, to my camp, and informed me that he could not agree to sur- render the place until he had sent a commission of two or three of his officers into Santiago to learn for themselves the true state of affairs. It was useless to argue the matter any further, and as the animals in the command sorely needed rest, I readily consented to his idea of a com- mission, and sent two troopers along as a guar- antee for its safety. The commission returned about five o'clock the next day, and half an hour later the comandante rode out to camp and said he was satisfied, and at seven o'clock in the morn- ing came to camp to escort me into the town, where we repaired to his house, to arrange the de- tails of the surrender. The hospitals and the ar- senal were inspected and arrangements made to begin receiving the arms the next morning. One troop of cavalry, under Lieutenant Clark, was left at San Luis to carry out this work and guarantee the safety of the Spanish prisoners, and with the other troop I pushed on to Palma Soriano, leav- ing that afternoon at one o'clock. There was communication between San Luis and Palma by means of heliograph, and word had been sent that if the American column came there it would be fired upon, but no attention was paid to this, and 197 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER the column reached Concepcion, a little place two miles from Palma, about 5 p.m., and from there the Spanish staff officer rode ahead and presented General Toral's letter. As the commanding officer had come out to meet the column, there was but a short delay, and in spite of his brave assertions of the previous day, we were more cordially received than at any other place. While the command was going into camp, I rode into town and made all the arrange- ments for beginning to execute the details of the surrender early the next day. Captain Ramus had told me that I should find a great many sick and wounded in the hospital at this place, and as I intended removing the garrison at once to San Luis, I engaged all the bullock-carts, eighteen, in San Luis, and directed them to follow the col- umn to Palma as quickly as possible, where they arrived the next day at noon. These carts are two-wheeled affairs called carretas, and drawn by six or eight oxen. It was arranged that the regular troops at Palma Soriano should march to San Luis and there deliver up their arms. This was the suggestion of the Spanish com- mander, and as I had intended to transport the arms on bullock-carts, which would require a sec- ond trip, I gladly adopted it. There were about 198 THE CAPITULATION two hundred volunteers and guerillas at Palma, and these delivered up their arms and gave their parole. I was especially impressed with the manner in which the battalion of volunteers took the parole. The parole, written by me, was taken by the Major commanding the battalion, and as it was raining at the time, his two companies were formed facing each other in a narrow hall in his barracks. He addressed his men for a few mo- ments, telling them of the events which had just happened, and then read to them the parole, which he was about to take himself and in behalf of his command. On asking them if they agreed to its conditions, they all shouted "Si, Si" (yes, yes). Ranks were broken and the officers of the bat- talion were brought and introduced to me, and after a short conversation I found that they were delighted at the prospect of being able to go back to peaceful pursuits once more in security. By night all the arms of the paroled prisoners and all the ammunition were loaded on the carts, and these were brought out and parked at the camp. At this place there existed an intense feeling of hatred between the insurgents in the neighbor- hood and the Spanish volunteers and guerillas, and it was represented that a troop of cavalry 199 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER would not be sufficient to enforce security of per- sons and property. The insurgents here, as well as at the other towns visited, were a part of General Garcia's command, sent to prevent the Spanish garrison from going into Santiago. Learning that General Sobreco, in command of the insurgents around Palma, was near the camp that morning, I sent a message asking him to come and see me, which he did, about noon. He talked a little broken English, but his Adjutant- General, who was with him, and had been edu- cated in the United States, spoke it fluently. The General was a full-blooded negro, and his entire command was made up of blacks and mulattoes. General Escario, with the reinforce- ments that entered Santiago on July 3d, passed through Palma, and were stubbornly opposed by Sobreco's command, the Spanish suffering quite severely, and it was on account of this engage- ment that the hospitals were so full. After some conversation with the General, it was very evident that the fears of the paroled prisoners in Palma were groundless, A courier from General Garcia had just informed him of the capitulation of the Spanish forces, and di- rected him to refrain from further acts of hos- tility. General Sobreco asked me to visit his 200 THE CAPITULATION camp, and that evening about six o'clock, with Dr. Jordan, United States Army, Mr. Mendoza, and Mr. Armstrong, I started with a guide for the insurgent camp. No description can convey a proper idea of the wild picturesqueness of this mountain fastness of the insurgents. Quickly descending to the bottom-lands along the Cauto River, the trail ran alongside until a narrow ribbon or ledge of rock was reached running across the stream. The water over the ledge was only a few inches deep, but on either side it was not fordable. We quickly picked our way across the stream, and then in single file followed the guide, now through grass as high as the horse, then through brush and thickets covering the trail, so that often the rider in front would be lost to sight, and one would have to depend upon the sense of hearing to make sure he was on the right path, until finally some open ground was reached, and for a short distance we went along a fairly good road. The trail soon left this road and led through an abandoned banana plantation, with the trees literally covered with morning-glories and other trailing vines, then over a second river with little water in it, and then through a forest of magnificent royal palms, and at last arrived close to the insurgent camp, where we were 201 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER halted by an insurgent picket. We were asked to wait a few minutes until the troops could be drawn up to receive us, and after a short de- lay we were escorted to the General's tent with much ceremony. The troops presented very much the same ap- pearance as those seen in General Garcia's camp the day of the arrival of the expedition in Cuba, except that these were all blacks and mulattoes. They certainly were leading a wretched existence, for the only visible sources of food were wild fruits and a few vegetables that were grown in some small cultivated spots. They had dried beans and rice in small quantities, and also coffee. The mem- bers of the party were invited by the General to be seated on some rude stools, and small cups of delicious black coffee offered to them. Many of the insurgents had their families with them, and lived in huts made from the leaves of palm-trees, which was excellent building material. These leaves form an immense cluster at the extreme end of the trunk, the stem of the leaf being from six to ten feet long and from one to two feet wide, and the leaf proper very much resembling a very large coarse fern leaf. The stems are cut off and used to form the sides of houses and the rest of the leaves to thatch them. The heart of the cluster 202 THE CAPITULATION of leaves is called a cabbage, and eaten either raw or cooked. I found it very palatable when pre- pared as a salad, but it was not in the insurgent camp that this elaborate method of preparing it was used. The stay in camp was short, and, after a formal leave-taking, we began to retrace the trail, this time in the dark. The number of guides was in- creased to three, and we reached our camp with- out mishap, though I had some misgivings until the rock ribbon in the Cauto River was crossed. One of the guides had a little boy on the saddle in front of him, and he said that he had come to see the American doctor and find out if he could not give the child something to cure him of sickness that he had suffered from for years. Dr. Jordan gave the child something, but the only medicine the poor child needed was some nourishing food. The little boy was his only child, and since the death of the boy's mother, about two years before, the father had carried the child with him wherever he went, even in battle. Four or five days later, when the San Luis rail- road had been put in operation, going along in a car about twenty miles from the place where I had first seen the child, and happening to look out of the car window, I saw the father on his little 203 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER Cuban pony, with the child in front of him, trot- ting alongside the railroad track. Though a few of the families were in the insurgent camp, gener- ally they lived in the little villages. Sometimes, if the insurgent father, son, or brother made him- self particularly obnoxious to the Spaniards, the whole family would be driven out of the village to live as best they could. The troop of cavalry (Captain Lewis's) that had come to Palma with me was left as a garrison for the place, and all preparations were made for returning to San Luis the next morning with the prisoners and stores. Shortly after daybreak the carts in the camp were ready for the march, and they were soon joined by the rest of the carts which had been left back in the town to be loaded with such of the sick in the hospitals as were able to travel. The train of carts had been brought over to Palma the previous afternoon, escorted by a guard of twenty-five Spanish cavalry, for, with the coun- try full of insurgents, a long string of bullocks was so much of a temptation that it was not wise to send them unguarded. At six o'clock in the morning the march for San Luis began, and such a motley procession has seldom been seen. With me marched one trooper, as an orderly, immediately behind came 204 HE CAPITULATION the Spanish cavalry which had come over the previous afternoon, and next came the ox-carts loaded with arms and the sick. After the carts came the Spanish commander marching at the head of about six hundred Spanish regulars, some of whom had families, and, as the families were to be transported to Spain with the troops, they came following after, with their household goods on pack-mules and some of them even carrying chickens and leading pigs. Behind these came the Spanish pack-train which had been brought from Santiago, now empty of the provisions, but laden with possessions belonging to the Spanish troops, and a great number of pack -mules belonging to merchants, who had come from San Luis two days before under the escort of the American troops. The fear of the insurgents was so prevalent that it was necessary to have a strong American garrison in each of the towns visited before pro- ceeding further with the disarming of the Span- ish prisoners. I arrived at San Luis from Palma about noon, and went on to Santiago the same afternoon, reported the situation to General Shafter, and returned to San Luis about mid- night. The railroad was in good repair as far as Boni- 205 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER ato, five or six miles from Santiago, and the trip was made that far by rail, horses that had been carried in a freight-car being ridden the rest of the way. The First United States Infantry was detailed to garrison the towns, and the next day it marched to Boniato and was brought to San Luis by rail. Barely half the regiment was able to make the march, and this fact was considered when, about ten days later, orders were given to take the whole command to San Luis. The regi- ment was distributed among the towns, and the disarming of the prisoners proceeded very rapidly until the 29th, when it was completed and all the prisoners gathered at three points — San Luis, El Cristo, and El Songo. I returned to Santiago on July 29th, and two weeks later left to take the surrender of the gar- risons at Baracoa and Sagua de Tanamo, towns on the north coast of Cuba. On this expedition I was accompanied by Major Irles, one of Gen- eral Toral's staff officers, and by Mr. Ferrer, a Cuban volunteer aide of General Chaffee's staff, as interpreter. There were also on board the steamer Mr. Malcomb McDowell, the corre- spondent for the Chicago Record, whom I had invited to go with me, three Spanish officers, and a doctor in charge of the Red Cross stores. No 206 THE CAPITULATION troops were taken as an escort, as no trouble was anticipated at either place. The trip was made on the San Juan, one of the Spanish trans- ports in Santiago Bay at the time of the surren- der, and about thirty tons of rations were put on board for the garrisons at the two places, and about twenty tons for the Spanish prisoners at Guantanamo. About twenty-five or thirty tons of Red Cross supplies were also put on board for Baracoa and Sagua de Tanamo. We started down the bay at 4 p.m. on the 12th, and in half an hour the ship was passing out of the narrow mouth, past the sunken Merrimac and Reina Mercedes. Off to the right, sev- eral miles distant, could be seen the wrecks of Cervera's ships. Guantanamo was reached about midnight, and as the arrival of the ship had been telegraphed, requesting a detail of Spanish soldiers ready to unload the stores, by daybreak they were off and the San Juan at once pulled away from the wharf and continued on her trip. Just before leaving Caimanera, which is the seaport of Guantanamo and connected with it by a railroad, Commodore McCalla came alongside and read a cablegram telling of the signing of the protocol and of the suspension of hostilities. Some time that night the San Juan ran into 207 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER the little harbor of Baracoa, dropped anchor, and early in the morning Major Irles went ashore in one of the ship's boats. He had been in the town but a few minutes when he sent me a note, tell- ing me that the comandante was ready to sur- render, but that ever since our arrival, in the night, the troops had been at the guns mounted along the shore ready to fire upon the San Juan at the first suspicious movement. Though nearly a month had elapsed since the surrender, nothing was known of it here. The fleet of transports, on its way to Santiago, passed near enough to this place to be seen, and the officers of the garrison informed the men that the ships were Spanish vessels loaded with Span- ish troops, and that soon they would hear of wonderful victories. After a few minutes' con- versation with the Spanish comandante, he put his entire office force at work preparing rolls of his men and lists of his stores, and, while these were being made up, the time was spent in visit- ing the forts, hospital, and the insurgent troops just outside the town. It was arranged that the arms carried by the troops here would not be given up until a force of American troops was sent to the place as a garrison. When I started on the expedition there were no troops 208 THE CAPITULATION available for this duty; the immune regiments that had already arrived were on duty in Santiago or Guantanamo, but other regiments were on their way, and a battalion from one of these was sent to this place soon after my return to San- tiago. The main object of my visit was to give timely notification of the capitulation of Santiago, which had included these garrisons, in order that when the time arrived for them to embark upon ships which were to carry them back to Spain, there should be no delay. About two o'clock I went out to see the Col- onel commanding the regiment of insurgents, for at this place, as at all the others that I visited, the Spaniards professed to have a great dread that the Cubans would now attempt to take the town and wreak vengeance upon them. Some time before I went out I sent a note to the Colonel asking for an interview, and received an affirmative an- swer in a very little while, but I was not prepared to find the insurgents as close to the city as I did. After passing the Spanish outposts, about three or four hundred yards from the town, on slightly elevated ground, three or four hundred yards farther on, the insurgent breastworks could be seen, constructed with logs banked with earth. I found the insurgent Colonel not inclined to be 209 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER very cordial, but, on the other hand, rather distrust- ful. He had heard of the surrender of Santiago but seemed to know very little of the particulars. All his men, he said, owned little patches of ground, from which they could make a fair living if they had money with which to buy a few do- mestic animals and also food until they could raise crops, and he declared that his command were not disposed to lay down their arms until they had received some compensation for their services. I thought then, and think yet, that it would be a wise course if the United States Government would give these men a years pay, making pro- vision to be reimbursed from the revenues of the island, with a stipulation that an organization should not receive the money until its arms were given up. In this way, the insurgent soldiers would soon be scattered on their little patches of ground and be no longer a menace to the peace of the island. The principal products of this section of the country were bananas, cocoa-nuts, sugar, and to- bacco. The finest bananas produced on the island are raised here, and before the war there was a large export trade in them carried on. Now the banana groves are all ruined, but as it takes only eighteen months from planting to get a full crop, THE CAPITULATION the industry will soon revive. In times past a manufactory for the making of cocoa-nut oil had carried on a large business here, and the owners of this were anxious to get to work once more. Baracoa is regarded as a place which gives much promise for future development. The town itself is situated on high ground, and, judging from the statistics, a very healthy place. The harbor, while not large, affords ample room for a consid- erable amount of shipping and is accessible for vessels having considerable draught. The coun- try back of it is rich and fertile and capable of sus- taining a large population ; growing all kinds of fruits and vegetables indigenous to a Southern climate. Here, as elsewhere in Cuba, except in high altitudes, there is absolutely no frost. Before leaving Santiago I could learn very lit- tle about the facilities for reaching Sagua de Tan- amo, but at Baracoa it was found that this place was about seven miles inland from the head of Tan- amo Bay, and that this bay ran back from the sea about seven miles. The water in the bay was so shallow that the San Juan would only be able to enter its mouth and then be obliged to cast anchor. Half of the supplies brought had been landed at Baracoa, the remainder being intended for Sagua de Tanamo. For fear there was no lighter in Tan- 211 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER amo Bay, a steam-launch was taken from Bara- coa, and with this, if found necessary, the ship's boats loaded with stores could be towed ashore. The coast not being very well known to the transport captain, the services of a pilot were se- cured, and just before dark the San Juan started for Sagua de Tanamo, towing the steam-launch, and arrived at the mouth of Tanamo Bay early the next morning. There was a Spanish outpost at the mouth of the bay connected by telephone with a consider- ably larger force at a little place called Esteron, at the head of the bay, and this place, in turn, was connected with the main body of troops at Sagua de Tanamo. Major Irles rowed ashore to the outpost and telephoned to the com- manding officer at Sagua that an American officer had come to receive his surrender, and asked him to send saddle animals to meet the party at Esteron. Using the steam-launch, Este- ron was reached in an hour, passing over a beauti- ful sheet of water. The bay was only a few hun- dred yards wide, smooth as glass, fringed with mangoes and tropical trees, back of which the hills arose to a considerable height. No doubt some day this will become a beautiful winter re- sort. At Esteron a schooner was found, and ar- 212 THE CAPITULATION rangements were made with its captain to lighter the food supplies on board the San Juan. The saddle animals had not yet arrived, and it was feared that the cool demand on the commanding officer to send means of transportation for an officer to come and take his surrender was not going to be complied with, but after a few min- utes' conversation over the telephone, Major Irles was informed that the animals had just started. In an hour they arrived, and, along with them, a considerable escort of infantry. I was much sur- prised to see this, but, after reaching Sagua de Tanamo, it was found that one of the Spanish officers who had come with Major Irles was a paymaster, and had a considerable sum of money with him with which to pay the garrison here, and then I realized that it was for the paymaster, and not the American officer, that the escort was intended. Returning, late that night, there was no escort of any kind. While waiting at Esteron for the saddle animals, the lieutenant in command at that place invited the party into his house, where we were introduced to his wife, and aston- ished to find a woman evidently of some refine- ment in such surroundings. The building was really a barrack accommodating fifteen or twenty soldiers, and one end of it had been partitioned 213 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER off by rough boards, forming one small room, in which the lieutenant and his wife lived. This room served as bed-room, kitchen, dining-room, and reception-room. Once at Sagua de Tanamo, there was little delay in arranging the details of the surrender, for everyone was delighted at the prospect of returning to Spain. Posted on the wall just outside the door of the comandante's office was a very remarkable bulletin. It invited attention to two telegrams, one from the Spanish Admiral at Manila, in which he described a won- derful victory he had won in the battle with the American Navy, and the other from Sagasta, sending the thanks of Spain to the Admiral for his glorious victory. We returned to the San Juan that night, and sailed for Santiago, which was reached the second morning after. The Spanish garrison at Guantanamo surren- dered to General Ewers, who was sent there by General Shafter as his representative. In round numbers, 23,500 Spanish troops in the Division of Santiago de Cuba laid down their arms, and of these, 13,000 were in garrisons out- side of Santiago. 214 CHAPTER XII RE-EMBARKA TION AFTER the surrender of General Toral's army General Shafter urged the War Department from time to time to hasten the shipment of the Spanish prisoners to their homes, in order that the American Army, whose condition was now deplorable, might be transported to the United States. At this time about half the command had been attacked by malarial fever, with a few cases of yellow fever, dysentery, and typhoid fever. The yellow-fever cases were mainly confined to the troops at Siboney, and the few cases found among the troops at the front were at once transferred to that place. Stringent orders were given to enforce a quarantine there, the depot was broken up, and all non-infected persons were removed. There was great fear, and excellent grounds for it, that the yellow fever, now sporadic through- 215 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER out 'the command, would become epidemic. With the command weakened by malarial fevers, and its general tone and vitality much reduced by all the circumstances incident to the campaign, the effects of such an epidemic would practically mean its annihilation. The first step taken to check the spread of disease was the removal of all the troops to new camping grounds. Only sufficient troops were left as a guard for the prisoners, and the rest of the command put on ground hitherto unused for camps. The cavalry division was taken into the foot-hills several miles to the interior, but the other troops moved only a short distance. These steps were taken in accordance with the best medical opinion, formulated in orders and trans- mitted to General Shafter for execution. It was directed that the command be moved in this way every few days, isolating the cases of yellow fever as they arose, and it was expected that in a short time the yellow fever would be stamped out, and the command could then be sent without danger of infection wherever the War Department directed. The tentage had been taken off the transports as soon as the harbor was entered and issued to the troops, but the effect produced on the com- 216 RE-EMBARKATION mand by the work necessary to set up the tents and in the removal of the camps increased the number on the sick report to an alarming degree. Convalescents from malarial fever were taken again with the fever, and yellow fever, dysentery, and typhoid increased. It was useless now to attempt to confine the yellow-fever cases to Siboney, and isolation hos- pitals were established around Santiago. It was apparent that to keep moving the command every few days simply weakened the troops and increased the fever cases. Any exertion in this heat caused a return of the fever, and it must be remembered that the convalescents now in- cluded about seventy-five per cent, of the com- mand. The Commanding General was now directed to move the entire command into the mountains to the end of the San Luis railroad, where the troops would be above the yellow-fever limit; but this was a physical impossibility, as the troops were too weak and sick to march, and the work of repairing the bridges on the railroad had not yet been completed. Even after this was done the rolling stock was so insufficient that only a comparatively small number could be transported in a day, and when once San Luis was reached 217 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER the camps would have been less comfortable than those around Santiago. The situation was desperate ; the yellow-fever cases were increasing in number, and the month of August, the period in which it is epidemic, was at hand. It was with these conditions star- ing them in the face, that the officers command- ing divisions and brigades and the Chief Surgeon were invited by General Shafter to discuss the situation. As a result of this conference the General sent the following telegram giving his views and the letters addressed to him by the General Officers and by the Medical Officers. Santiago de Cuba, August 3, 1898. Adjutant - General United States Army, Washington, D. C. In reply to telegram of this date, stating that it is deemed best that my command be moved to end of railroad, where yellow fever is impossible, I have to say that under the circumstances this move is prac- tically impossible. The railroad is not yet repaired, although it will be in about a week. Its capacity is not to exceed one thousand men a day, at the best, and it will take until the end of August to make this move, even if the sick-list should not increase. An officer of my staff, Lieutenant Miley, who has looked over the ground, says it is not a good camping ground. The country is covered with grass as high as a man's head when riding a horse, and up in the 31$ RE-EMBARKATION hills there is no water, and it will be required to pump water two miles. He also states that the rainfall is twice as great as it is here, and the soil is a black loam that is not suitable for camping. Span- ish troops that have been sent to that locality have been housed in barracks. In my opinion there is but one course to take, and that is to immediately transport the Fifth Corps and the detached regiments that came with it, and were sent immediately after it, with the least delay possi- ble, to the United States. If this is not done I believe the death-rate will be appalling. I am sustained in this view by every medical officer present. I called together to-day the General Officers and the senior Medical Officers, and telegraph you their views. There is more or less yellow fever in every regiment throughout the command. As soon as it develops they are sent to hospital, but new cases arise ; not very many it is true, and it is of a mild type, but nevertheless, it is here. All men taken with it will of course have to be left and have to take their chances. Some will undoubtedly be taken sick on the ships and die, but the loss will be much less than if an attempt is made to move this army to the in- terior, which is now really an army of convalescents, at least seventy-five per cent, of the men having had malarial fever, and all so much weakened by the ex- posure and hardships which they have undergone that they are capable now of very little exertion. They should be put at once on all the transports in the harbor, and not crowded at all, and this move- ment should begin to-morrow and be completed be- fore the 15th. All here believe the loss of life by 219 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER doing this will be much less than if more time is taken. If the plan is adopted of waiting until the fever is stamped out, there will be no troops moved from here until the fever season is past, and I believe there will then be very few to move. There are other diseases prevailing : typhoid fever, dysentery, etc., and severe types of malarial fever, which are quite as fatal as yellow fever. The matter of re- moving this army has been placed before you, and you have the opinions of all Commanding Officers and Chief Surgeons, who fully agree with me as to the only course left open for the preservation of this army. There can be no danger to the people at home, and it seems to me that infected ships are a matter of small moment. The following letter, giving the opinion of the Medical Officers of this command, is sent for the consideration of the War Department : The Adjutant-General, Fifth Army Corps. Sir: The Chief Surgeon of the Fifth Army Corps, and the Chief Surgeons of the divisions, con- sider it to be their imperative duty, after mature de- liberation, to express their unanimous opinion that this army is now in a very critical condition. They believe that the prevalent malarial fever will doubt- less continue its ravages, and that its mortality will soon increase; that there is imminent danger that the yellow fever, now sporadic and of a very mild type, may any day assume a virulent type and become epidemic. They unanimously recommend that the only course to pursue to save the lives of thousands of our soldiers is to transport the whole army to the United States as quickly as possible. Such transport they consider practicable and reason- 220 RE-EMBARKATION ably free from danger. The proposed move to the plateau of San Luis they believe dangerous and im- practicable. Very respectfully, V. Harvard, Major-Surgeon U.S.A., Acting Chief Surgeon. H. S. Kilbourne, Major and Surgeon U. S. A., Chief Surgeon Second Division, Fifth Army Corps. M. W. Wood, Major and Chief Surgeon, First Division Fifth Army Corps. Frank J. Ives, Major and Surgeon U. S. Volunteers, Chief Stirgeon Provisional Division. H. S. T. Harris, Major and Stirgeon U. S. Volunteers, Chief Surgeon Cavalry Division. The following letter, giving the views of the Gen- eral Officers of this command, is sent for the con- sideration of the War Department : To Major -General William R. Shafter, Com- manding United States Forces in Cuba. We, the undersigned General Officers, command- ing various Brigades, Divisions, etc., of the United States Army of Occupation in Cuba, are of the unan- imous opinion that this army must at once be taken out of the Island of Cuba, and sent to some point on the northern sea-coast of the United States ; that this can be done without danger to the people of the United States ; that there is no epidemic of yellow fever in the army at present, only a few sporadic cases ; that the army is disabled t>y ma- larial fever to such an extent that its efficiency is destroyed, and it is in a condition to be practically entirely destroyed by the epidemic of yellow fever 221 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER sure to come in the near future. We know from reports from competent officers, and from personal observations, that the army is unable to move to the interior, and that there are no facilities for such a move if attempted, and will not be until too late ; moreover, the best medical authorities in the island say that with our present equipment we could not live in the interior during the rainy sea- son, without losses from malarial fever, almost as deadly as from yellow fever. This army must be moved at once, or it will perish as an army. It can be safely moved now. Persons responsible for preventing such a move will be responsible for the unnecessary loss of many thousands of lives. Our opinions are the result of careful personal ob- servation, and are also based upon the unanimous opinion of our medical officers who are with the army, and understand the situation absolutely. Jos. Wheeler, Major- General Volunteers. Samuel S. Sumner, Commanding First Cavalry Bri- gade. William Ludlow, Brigadier-General United States Volunteers, Commanding First Brigade, Second Division. Adelbert Ames, Brigadier-General United States Volunteers, Com'ding Third Brigade, First Division. Leonard Wood, Brigadier- General United States Volunteers, Commanding City of Santiago. Theodore Roosevelt, Colonel, Commanding Second Cavalry Brigade. J. Ford Kent, Major-General Volunteers, Com- manding First Division, Fifth Corps. J. C. Bates, Major-General Volunteers, Com- manding Provisional Division, Fifth Corps. Adna R. Chaffee, Major- General United States Volunteers, Com'ding Third Brigade, Second Division. H. W. Lawton, Major-General Volunteers, Com- manding Second Division, Fifth Corps. C. McKibben, Brigadier-General United States Volunteers, Commanding Sec- ond Brigade, Second Division. (Signed) Shafter, Major- General. 222 RE-EMBARKATION In connection with the foregoing telegram, a fairer opinion of the conditions can be formed by reading the telegram which follows : Santiago de Cuba, August 8, 1898. Adjutant-General of the Army, Washington, D. C. In connection with my telegram of the 3d instant, and the letter of the General Officers to me on the same date, I have the honor to say that since then I have talked with the Division Commanders, and they join me in saying that the first report was made so strong because of the weakened and exhausted condition of the command, more than seventy-five per cent, of which have been ill with a very weak- ening malarial fever, lasting from four to six days, and which leaves every man too much broken down to be of any service, and in no condition to with- stand an epidemic of yellow fever, which all regard as imminent, as there are more or less cases in every regiment here. For strong and healthy regiments coming here now and a little later, with plenty of tentage to cover them, and not subject to any hard- ships, and with plenty of nourishing food, the dan- ger, in my opinion and that of the Division Com- manders, would be reduced to a minimum. For days this command lay in trenches without shelter, exposed to rain and sun, and with only hard bread, bacon, and coffee, and these hardships account for its present condition, to none of which will troops coming now be subjected. (Signed) Shafter, Major- General. 223 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER On August 4th instructions were received from the War Department to begin the removal of the command to Montauk Point, Long Island. Some of the immune regiments were on the way to Santiago, and other regiments were at once ordered there to garrison the district as General Shafter's command was withdrawn. The first of the fleet of vessels to return the Spanish troops arrived in time to be loaded and leave August 9th, and by the end of the month nearly all were transported. After the surrender the relations between the American and Spanish troops were very cordial. There could be little or no conversation between individuals, but in many ways the respect each had for the other was shown, and there seemed to be no hatred on either side. Most of the Spanish officers remained in their quarters in town, and they shared in the feeling displayed by their men. Salutations were generally exchanged between the officers, and American ways and manners became very popular among the Span- iards. The feeling is well illustrated by a letter addressed to General Shafter which reads as follows : 224 RE-EMBARKATION To Major-General Shafter, Commanding the American Army in Cuba. Sir : The Spanish soldiers who capitulated in this place on the 16th of July last, recognizing your high and just cause, pray that, through you, all the cou- rageous and noble soldiers under your command may receive our good wishes and farewell, which we send to you on embarking for our beloved Spain. For this favor, which we have no doubt you will grant, you will gain the everlasting gratitude and consideration of eleven thousand Spanish soldiers, who are your most humble servants. (Signed) Pedro Lopez De Castillo, Private of Infantry. Santiago de Cuba, August 21, 1898. A second letter addressed to the soldiers of the American army is surely the most remarkable letter ever addressed by vanquished soldiers to their conquerors : Soldiers of the American Army: We would not be fulfilling our duty as well-born men in whose breasts there lives gratitude and cour- tesy, should we embark for our beloved Spain with- out sending you our most cordial and sincere good wishes and farewell. We fought you with ardor and with all our strength, endeavoring to gain the vic- tory, but without the slightest rancor or hate toward the American nation. We have been vanquished by you, so our generals and chiefs judged in signing the capitulation, but our surrender and the blood- 225 IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER battles preceding it have left in our souls no place for resentment against the men who fought us nobly and valiantly. You fought and acted in compliance with the same call of duty as we, for we all but rep- resent the power of our respective States. You fought us as men, face to face, and with great cour- age, as before stated — a quality we had not met with during the three years we have carried on this war against a people without a religion, without morals, without conscience, and of doubtful origin, who could not confront the enemy, but shot their noble victims from ambush and then immediately fled. This was the kind of warfare we had to sus- tain in this unfortunate land. You have complied exactly with all the laws and usages of war as rec- ognized by the armies of the most civilized nations of the world ; have given honorable burial to the dead of the vanquished ; have cured their wounded with great humanity ; have respected and cared for your prisoners and their comfort ; and lastly, to us, whose condition was terrible, you have given freely of food and of your stock of medicines, and have honored us with distinction and courtesy, for after the fighting the two armies mingled with the ut- most harmony. With this high sentiment of appreciation from us all, there remains but to express our farewell, and with the greatest sincerity we wish you all happi- ness and health in this land, which will no longer belong to our dear Spain, but will be yours. You have conquered it by force and watered it with your blood, as your conscience called for under the demands of civilization and humanity ; but the de- 226 RE-EMBARKATION scendants of the Congos and Guineas, mingled with the blood of unscrupulous Spaniards and of traitors and adventurers — these people are not able to exer- cise or enjoy their liberty, for they will find it a bur- den to comply with the laws which govern civilized humanity. From eleven thousand Spanish soldiers. (Signed) Pedro Lopez De Castillo, Soldier of Infantry. Santiago de Cuba, August 21, 1898. The captured ordnance, arms, and ammunition included 100 cannon, 6,800 projectiles of all cali- bres, 15,000 pounds of powder, 25, 114 small arms, made up of Remington, Spanish Mauser, and Argentina Mauser rifles; and 5,279,000 rounds of small arms ammunition for these three kinds of rifles. Of the 100 cannon, seven were modern breech-loading 8-inch rifles, and four similar guns with a calibre of 6 inches. These guns were all mounted at the mouth of the harbor. There were also eighteen rapid-fire and machine guns distributed among the forts at the entrance to the harbor and the defences immediately around the city. The rest of the cannon were obsolete bronze and cast-iron pieces. The rifle with which the Spanish troops were armed was the Spanish Mauser, and for this particular rifle there were only 1,500,000 rounds among the captured am- munition. 227 1/ IN CUBA WITH SHAFTER The first troops for Montauk left Santiago on August 7th, and from that date the departure of the remainder was as expeditious as the necessary preparations would permit. A board of officers was appointed to inspect each ship to see that it was properly supplied with everything necessary for the trip, and also that there was no overcrowding of the transports. Another board, composed of medical officers, was appointed to examine each regiment before leaving camp for the transport, and all suspected cases of yellow fever were sent to temporary hos- pitals to await developments. The regiment was examined a second time just before sailing, and suspected cases that might have developed since the last inspection were sent to the hospitals, and the men left behind were forwarded as rapidly as it was shown they were free from yellow fever. By the 25th of the month General Shaft er's en- tire command, with the exception of a few organ- izations just ready to embark, had departed, and, turning over the command to General Lawton, he sailed that day with his staff on the Mexico, one of the captured transports, and at noon Sep- tember 1 st went ashore at Montauk Point, Long Island. 228 Mt$ I * » Lt MS SCALE ll MAR 6 1899 ** 13& • ^ * ,* 6 ... ^- 4.' ^ G •"°o o