Shortly before 9 o'clock General Shafter left his headquarters, accompanied by Generals Lawton and Wheeler, Colonels Ludlow, Ames and Kent, and eighty other officers.

The party walked slowly down the hill to the road leading to Santiago, along which they advanced until they reached the now famous tree outside the walls, under which all negotiations for the surrender of the city had taken place.

As they reached this spot the cannon on every hillside and in the city itself boomed forth a salute of twenty-one guns, which was echoed at Siboney and Aserradero.
The soldiers knew what the salute meant, and cheer upon cheer arose and ran from end to end of the eight miles of the American lines.

A troop of colored cavalry and the Twenty-fifth colored infantry then started to join General Shafter and his party.
The Americans waited under the tree as usual, when General Shafter sent word to General Toral that he was ready to take possession of the town.

General Toral, in full uniform, accompanied by his whole staff, fully caparisoned, shortly afterward left the city and walked to where the American officers were waiting their coming.