THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 396 Garcia's Cuban irregulars. As for the Spanish regulars who had survived the siege,they openly fraternised with the victors. Most of the American soldiers were forbidden to go into Santiago, but the Spaniards would come up to the line of the trenches, give them bottles of wine in exchange for biscuits or tobacco, and heartily shake hands with their late foes. Before they embarked to Spain many of them addressed letters to General Shafter, thanking him for the kind treatment they had received after the capitulation, and expressing their admiration for the way in which the American soldiers had acted, both as brave foes in fight and as generous friends when battle was. done.

werein no condition to resist the unhealthy and enfeebling influences to which they were now exposed. Unsheltered from the weather, or huddled together in the small houses,drinking foul water and eating scanty food, no wonder they diedby hundreds.

The Spanishgarrison, too, had suffered more lossby want and sickness than from the fire of the besiegers. When the Americans entered the city the hospitals were full, and every regiment had a heavy death roll. Most of the Spanish volunteers, after behaving steadily in the early days of the siege, had abandoned all share in the defence as soon as they saw that victory was hopeless. Some disappeared in the civil population; others deserted and joined U.S. TROOPS THROWING UP A HASTY ENTRENCHMENT.