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,
W. R. SHAFTER,
Major-General, Commanding.
Headquarters Fifth Army Corps,
Camp near Santiago, July 9, 1898.
Hon. Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.
I forwarded General Toral's proposition to evacuate 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, fearing bombardment,
and are now suffering fearfully where they are, though I am
doing my best to supply 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.
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