We were up, however, standing until daylight in a drenching
rain, for it was so dark that any movement was impossible.
Our rest was broken, without accomplishing anything that I
know or heard of.
However, the rain and storm were providential, for I will
always believe if the movement had been started we should
have met with disaster. The ground was broken, deep ravines
and underbrush with wire fences running through it. I have
never learned who was "the father" of this order, and
possibly never will. He must be ashamed of it.
The afternoon of the 12th the regiment advanced several
hundred yards to the front and dug more intrenchments. They
were still on this work the afternoon of the 14th when it
was announced that the Spanish army had agreed to surrender.
This came none too soon, for our men were coming down with
malarial fever. A few days later nearly half the regiment
were on the sick list, and the balance could not have done
much.
The regiment was moved the same afternoon to higher ground
in rear of the trenches. Strong guards were kept to look out
for our prisoners and to prevent "our allies," the Cubans,
from going into the city.
On the morning of the 17th the formal surrender of the city
and Spanish army took place.
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