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 General Shafter had made such a mess of the whole campaign that he was inclined to make trouble, thinking he was to be superseded; but General Miles told him that he had instructions to settle all matters according to his own discretion.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 Jose 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.