e flag on a bastion of the old
walls. Orders were then given to cease firing, and by one o'clock the
terms of capitulation were being negotiated. General F. V. Greene then
sent an order to the troops for the rear regiments to muster on the
Luneta Esplanade, and there half the American army waited in silent
expectation. The Spanish entrenchments extended out from the city
walls in different directions as far as three miles. The defenders were
about 2,500 in number, composed of Spanish regular troops, volunteers,
and native auxiliaries; about the same number of troops being in the
hospitals inside the city. The opponent force amounted to about 15,000
rebels and 10,000 Americans ashore and afloat. The attacking guns threw
heavier shot and had a longer range than the Spanish artillery. The
Americans were also better marksmen than the Spaniards. They were,
moreover, better fed and in a superior condition generally. The
Americans were buoyed up with the moral certainty of gaining an
easy victory, whereas the wearied Spaniards had long ago despaired
of reinforcements coming to their aid; hence their defence in this
hopeless struggle was merely nominal for "the honour of the country."

For some time after the white flag was hoisted there was
street-fighting between the rebels and the loyals. The rattle
of musketry was heard all round the outskirts. The rebels had
taken 300 to 400 Spanish prisoners and seized a large quantity
of stores. General Basilio Augusti, who was personally averse to
useless bloodshed, relinquished his command of the Colony about a
week prior to the capitulation. Just before the attack on the city
he went on board a German steam-launch which was waiting for him
and was conveyed to the German cruiser _Kaiserin Augusta_, which
at once steamed out of the bay northwards. General Fermin Jaudenes
remained as acting-Captain-General. [203] Brig.-General of Volunteers
and Insp.-General Charles A. Whittier and Lieutenant Brumby then
went ashore in the Belgian Consul's launch, and on landing they
were met by an interpreter, Carlos Casademunt, and two officers,
who accompanied them to the house of the acting-Captain-General,
with whom the draft terms of capitulation were agreed upon. In his
evidence before the Peace Commission at Paris, General Whittier said:
"I think the Captain-General was much frightened. He reported in great
trepidation that the insurgents were coming into the city, and I said
that I knew that th