CLOSING EVENTS.
That Sunday morning, after General Shafter received the telegram from
the War Office, he took a step which in the end proved very
successful. He sent men to Santiago bearing a flag of truce and a
message to the Spanish general. When a flag of truce is sent to an
enemy all fighting stops for a number of days or hours, according to
the time fixed for the truce, or quiet, and plans are then made. This
message told the Spanish general that if he did not surrender within a
certain time the American Army would attack the city. The Spanish
general sent word back that he would not surrender, but that he would
give notice to the people in Santiago that they might leave the city
before the attack. Of course, before that day was over, our Army heard
of the great victory of our Navy, and felt more hopeful.
During the week that followed that important Sunday, crowds of women,
children, and old men; Spaniards, Cubans, and people of other nations,
went out of Santiago. They hardly knew where to go. Men who saw that
sight said it was pitiful. All the roads leading from Santiago were
filled with people and wagons, toiling on to some place of safety.
Most of these people had very little food, except the fruit then ripe
on the mango-trees, and so had to be fed by our Army and by the Red
Cross Society. Ever since General Shafter's army had landed, it had
been feeding the hungry Cubans in the country around Santiago--people
who were nearly starved on account of their long war with Spain. Food
was scarce in our Army, because there was trouble in landing the
supplies sent by the United States, and more trouble in sending the
supplies forward to the soldiers. Still, the hungry people from
Santiago could not be neglected, and they were given a share of food
daily.
And with all those crowds upon the narrow roads from Santiago were
many of our wounded soldiers, trying to make their way back to the Red
Cross tent at Siboney. There were not enough army wagons to take the
wounded from Las Guasimas, El Caney, and San Juan, and they could not
all be treated in the field tents. So the men limped and hobbled along
as best they could--wounded, sick, feverish--to Siboney, eight miles
away. To add to the suffering, this was the wet season in Cuba, and
rain fell for hours every day.
During that week of truce, General Shafter arranged with the Spanish
general in Santiago for the exchange of Lieutenant Hobson and his
crew. Half way between the American camp and the city there was a
beautiful ceiba-tree, or silk-cotton tree, so called from the large
seed-pods, full of soft, cotton-like stuff. Under this tall, shady
tree many important councils were held between the Spanish and
American officers. And under this tree, one morning, our officers gave
up eight Spanish prisoners in return for Lieutenant Hobson and his
men. Our soldiers welcomed these brave fellows with shouts of praise
and joy.
[Illustration: The Treaty Tree.]
On July 10th, the truce being ended, our Army and our Navy fired upon
Santiago, and kept up the fire on the morning of the next day. Then a
new truce was made, for the Spaniards wanted time to consult their
Government. General Miles, the Commander-in-Chief of the whole United
States Army, arrived and held councils with the Spanish officers. At
last the Spaniards agreed to surrender the eastern part of Cuba, and
at noon, on July 17th, our flag was hoisted on the governor's palace
in Santiago. Our soldiers took possession of the city, and the
citizens, who had gone away in such sorrow, now returned in joy
because the United States had taken charge.
When General Miles arrived in Cuba with reinforcements, he at once
took charge of the negotiations between General Shafter and the
Spanish General Toral. General Shafter had made such a mess of the
whole campaign that he was inclined to make trouble, thinking he was
to be superseded; but General Miles told him that he had instructions
to settle all matters according to his own discretion. After he had
completed the negotiations with General Toral, General Miles
generously left the honor of receiving the surrender of the Spanish
forces to General Shafter. From the moment of his arrival on the
island, General Miles had control of all military affairs. No greater
discretion was ever given to an officer, but he used it wisely, and
then allowed the honors to pass to another.
[Illustration: General Nelson A. Miles.]
Some of our naval officers went into the harbor and exploded all the
"mines," and the harbor was once more safe and open to all vessels.
The war was not really at an end, but it was known that Spain could
not hold out much longer.
One of the devoted Red Cross workers tells this story: "One of the
most dramatic incidents of the war was the entrance of the Red Cross
into Santiago, a few days later. Recognizing the great services
rendered, the army officers experienced almost a change of heart, and
the relief ship State of Texas was put ahead of anything, even
Shafter, Sampson and Schley following respectfully in the rear. There
were the two armies, the conquerors and the conquered, the wrecked
ships of Spain, the starving Cubans, the silence of the grave hung
over all; the memory of horrors gone before--of battle, murder and
tragedy; and now was coming the first gleaming hope to a perishing
people. Said Miss Barton:
[Illustration: General José Toral.]
"'Can somebody sing the Doxology?'
"'Praise God from whom all blessings flow' rang out in quavering
chorus from the dozen men and women on the deck of the State of
Texas, taken up and repeated here and there on battleships and shore,
till the green hills that mirror Santiago re-echoed the song of
thanksgiving, while gallant soldiers were not ashamed of tears, and
the dying waved their feeble hands."
One of the problems of the war was how to dispose of the Spanish
prisoners. It would cost a big sum to feed them and to guard them, and
so it was decided to send them back to Spain. Ships were provided and
this was done. The Spaniards who were sick and wounded received the
same care and consideration that was given to the Americans who were
in the same conditions. The humorous side of the affair was that, the
contract to convey the troops to Spain was given to a Spanish
Steamship Company.
I have spoken before of the other large island belonging to Spain--the
island of Porto Rico. Late in July General Miles took a large body of
troops there to take possession. These troops had much better supplies
than the troops in Cuba, and they had not such hard work. The people
in Porto Rico welcomed our soldiers. The Spanish soldiers made a few
efforts to fight, but one place after another was taken by our troops,
without any great trouble.
Ponce, near the southern coast of Porto Rico, is a city of importance,
as I have told you. It was named for Ponce de Leon, the famous voyager
of the sixteenth century, who wandered around in search of a fountain
of youth. When our troops approached Ponce, the city and the port
were given up to them gladly, as the Spanish soldiers had gone away.
Our troops now began moving on by different roads to San Juan, on the
northern coast, the capital and chief city. It was known that the
Spaniards were making great preparations to defend this city. As our
Army pushed on, from day to day, there were some skirmishes with the
enemy. On August 12th there seemed likely to be very serious fighting
at different places near San Juan, but messengers arrived suddenly,
saying: "The War is ended; Spain and the United States are arranging
terms of Peace." Spain had lost Cuba and Porto Rico forever.
That afternoon, at four o'clock, the first paper of the Peace was
signed at the White House, in Washington, though the full Treaty was
not made until four months later. Spain agreed to give Porto Rico to
the United States, Cuba to be independent, but our country to govern
the island until the Cubans were able to manage their own affairs. The
officers and soldiers chosen by the United States to stay in Cuba and
Porto Rico to restore order and help the islands to recover from the
effects of war, soon made many improvements.
As the navy began the war with Spain, it was proper that the navy
should finish it. The greater events at Santiago obscured the last
naval battle of the war, but it was a grand triumph for the navy. You
will remember that the Wilmington was in the fight at Cardenas where
brave Ensign Bagley was killed. After the destruction of Admiral
Cervera's fleet, Commander Todd, of the Wilmington, was in command of
a little fleet and at Manzanillo, off to the westward of Santiago, he
destroyed nine Spanish vessels. This engagement gave him the title of
"the Dewey of Manzanillo," and his report of that spirited affair was
as modest as that of his namesake.
[Illustration: Commander Chapman Todd.]
As our troops came pack to the United States, from time to time, they
were received with great joy. But many of our men were very ill after
the war, and had to stay a long time in a sickcamp on Long Island.
On the twentieth of August there was a great naval parade in the
harbor of New York, and the leading vessels from the war made a fine
display.
Later, there were Peace Jubilees held in a number of cities of the
United States. The one in Philadelphia was a splendid affair. There
were receptions and illuminations, but what pleased the spectators
most was the great parade. A great many of the military and naval
commanders of the men who won the splendid victories over the Spanish
were present, and thousands of the men themselves marched past the
miles of spectators who lined the sidewalks, as they passed along the
streets.
It was an inspiring spectacle. General Miles, the Commander-in-Chief
of the Army of the United States, rode at the head of the monster
procession. Cheer after cheer arose from the enthusiastic crowds as
the men who fought with Dewey swung past with rifles at "right
shoulder." They shouted themselves hoarse when a squad of "Rough
Riders" trotted by; Hobson and his men received an ovation; Colonel
Huntington marched at the head of the brave marines who made the bold
stand at Guantanamo. It was a day of heroes, and all were welcomed and
cheered royally.
[Illustration: (Troops on parade ground)]