FootNote
The new kid on the block, FootNote is known for digitizing historical
documents... many of which are genealogical gems. With naturalizations,
city directories, war records, newspapers, town records, etc... this new
kid is quickly being recognized as an alternative to Ancestry.
While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
When reveille sounded Sunday morning half the great
semi-lunar camp was awake and eager for the triumphal
entrance into the city. Speculation ran rife as to which
detachment would accompany the General and his staff into
Santiago. The choice fell upon the Ninth Infantry. Shortly
before 9 o'clock General Shafter left his headquarters,
accompanied by Generals Lawton and Wheeler, Colonels Ludlow,
Ames and Kent, and eighty other officers. The party walked
slowly down the hill to the road leading to Santiago, along
which they advanced until they reached the now famous tree
outside the walls, under which all negotiations for the
surrender of the city had taken place. As they reached this
spot the cannon on every hillside and in the city itself
boomed forth a salute of twenty-one guns, which was echoed
at Siboney and Aserradero.
The soldiers knew
what the salute meant, and cheer upon cheer
arose and ran from end to end of the eight
miles of the American lines. A troop of
colored cavalry and the Twenty-fifth colored
infantry then started to join General
Shafter and his party.
The Americans waited under the tree as
usual, when General Shafter sent word to
General Toral that he was ready to take
possession of the town. General Toral, in
full uniform, accompanied by his whole
staff, fully caparisoned, shortly afterward
left the city and walked to where the
American officers were waiting their coming.
When they reached the tree General Shafter
and General Toral saluted each other gravely
and courteously. Salutes were also exchanged
by other American and Spanish officers. The
officers were then introduced to each other.
After this little ceremony the two
commanding generals faced each other and
General Toral, speaking in Spanish, said:
"Through fate I am forced to surrender to
General Shafter, of the American Army, the
city and the strongholds of Santiago."
General Toral's voice grew husky as he
spoke, giving up the town and the
surrounding country to his victorious enemy.
As he finished speaking the Spanish officers
presented arms.
General Shafter, in reply, said:
"I receive the city in the name of the
government of the United States."
General Toral addressed an order to his
officers in Spanish and they wheeled about,
still presenting arms, and General Shafter
and the other American officers with the
cavalry and infantry followed them, walked
by the Spaniards and proceeded into the city
proper.
The soldiers on the American line could see
quite plainly all the proceedings. As their
commander entered the city they gave voice
to cheer after cheer.
Although no attempt was made to humiliate
them the Spanish soldiers seemed at first to
feel downcast and scarcely glanced at their
conquerors as they passed by, but this
apparent depth of feeling was not displayed
very long. Without being sullen they
appeared to be utterly indifferent to the
reverses of the Spanish arms, but it was not
long ere the prospect of regulation rations
and a chance to go to their homes made them
almost cheerful. All about the filthy
streets of the city the starving refugees:
could be seen, gaunt, hollow-eyed, weak and
trembling.
The squalor in the streets was dreadful. The
bones of dead horses and other animals were
bleaching in the streets and buzzards almost
as tame as sparrows hopped aside as
passers-by disturbed them. There was a fetid
smell everywhere and evidences of a pitiless
siege and starvation on every hand.
The palace was reached soon after 10
o'clock. Then, General Toral introduced
General Shafter and the other officials to
various local dignitaries and a scanty
luncheon, was brought. Coffee, rice, wine
and toasted cake were the main condiments.
Then came the stirring scene in the balcony
which every one felt was destined to become
notably historic in our annals of warfare,
and the ceremony over, General Shafter
withdrew to our own lines and left the city
to General McKibbin and his police force of
guards and sentries. The end had come.
Spain's haughty ensign trailed in the dust;
Old Glory, typifying liberty and the pursuit
of happiness untrammelled floated over the
official buildings from Fort Morro to the
Plaza de Armas--the investment of Santiago
de Cuba was accomplished.
History of
Negro Soldiers in the Spanish-American War,
and other items of Interest, 1899
