. The library of American history, literature and biography .. . n the afternoon ofJuly 4th General Toral posted no-tices upon the walls of Santiagoadvising all women, children, andnon-combatants that between fiveand nine oclock on the morning ofthe 5th they might pass out by anygate of the city, all pilgrims going onfoot, no carriages being allowed, andstating that stretchers would be pro-vided for the crippled. Promptly at five oclock on thefollowing morning a great line of pilgrims wound out of Santiago. It was norabble, l)ut well-behaved crowds of men and women, with great droves of chil-d
. The library of American history, literature and biography .. . n the afternoon ofJuly 4th General Toral posted no-tices upon the walls of Santiagoadvising all women, children, andnon-combatants that between fiveand nine oclock on the morning ofthe 5th they might pass out by anygate of the city, all pilgrims going onfoot, no carriages being allowed, andstating that stretchers would be pro-vided for the crippled. Promptly at five oclock on thefollowing morning a great line of pilgrims wound out of Santiago. It was norabble, l)ut well-behaved crowds of men and women, with great droves of chil-dren. About four hundred persons were carried out on litters. Many of thepoorer women wore large crucifixes and some entered El Caney telling theirbeads. But there were many not so fortunate as to reach the city. Along thehighroads in all directions thousands of families squatted entirely without foodor shelter, and many deaths occurred among them. The Eed Cross Society didmuch to relieve the suffering, but it lacked means of transporting tothe MAJOE-GENEKAL WILLIAM R. SHAFTER. 26o THE LAST BATTLE. Wliile the flag of truce was still flying on the morning of July (Jih a com-munication was received from General Toral, requesting that the time of trucebe further extended, as he wanted to communicate again with the Spanishgovernment at Madrid concerning the surrender of the city; and, further, thatthe cable operators, who were Englishmen and had fled to El Caney with therefugees, be returned to the city that he miglit do so. General Shafter extendedthe truce until four oclock on Sunday, July 10th, and the operators returnedfrom El Caney to work the wires for Genei-al Toral. During all this time therefugees continued to throng the roads to Siboney and El Caney, until 20,000fugitives wei-e congregated at thetwo points. It is a disgraceful fact,however, that while this truce wasgranted at the request of the Spanishgeneral, it was taken advantage ofby the troops under
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