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