y 17 the city formally surrendered. The surrendered territory
covered many miles, and the Spanish soldiers to lay down their arms
numbered upward of twenty thousand.

There was great cheering in the American trenches when the glad news was
brought in, and soon Old Glory was planted on every height, while the
trumpets sounded out triumphantly. Possession of Santiago was immediate,
and in a few hours the Stars and Stripes floated from the flagstaff of
the civil government buildings. Our gallant army had won on the land
just as our gallant navy had won on the sea. The war had been, for us,
one of triumph from start to finish.

In foreign countries the news was received with an astonishment that can
scarcely be described. After Dewey's wonderful victory in Manila Bay,
many naval experts said that such a fight could not be duplicated, yet
it was duplicated two months later off Santiago Bay in a manner that
left no doubt of American supremacy on the sea. Then when it came to
fighting on land, our army was designated as "paper" soldiers, that is,
soldiers on paper or in name only, and it was said that their guns would
be found of little use against the Mausers of Spain. But this was
likewise false; and to-day the army and navy of the United States are
respected everywhere. And more than this, foreign powers have come to
our country for many of their war-ships, asking us to build and equip
them, and also asking us to make cannon and rifles for them.

While the war was on in Cuba, a part of the United States army under
General Miles was sent to Porto Rico, another island belonging to Spain.
Here the inhabitants hailed the Americans with delight, and the
resistance by the Spanish soldiers was only half-hearted.

With the downfall of the navy and Santiago, Spain knew not what to do
next, and gladly received the terms of peace offered by President
McKinley and his advisers. The terms were accepted on August 9, and thus
the short but sharp war came to a termination. By the treaty of peace
Cuba was given her liberty, and Porto Rico and the Philippines passed
into the possession of the United States.

CHAPTER XVIII

LAST DAYS IN CUBA--THE DEPARTURE FOR HOME--ARRIVAL AT MONTAUK--CARING
FOR THE SICK AND WOUNDED--PRESENTATION TO THEODORE ROOSEVELT BY HIS
MEN--MUSTERING-OUT OF THE ROUGH RIDERS

Four days after the surrender of Santiago the Rough Riders found
themselves in the hills four or five miles back from the intrenchm