Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-06-23
AFTER TWO MONTHS.
What Has Been Accomplished by a
Peace-Loving Nation.
GEN. SKATER TO BE REINFORCED.
spain's Fighting Force at santiago Must
be Met with Equal or Greater Mum.
bers-Arrival of Troop Ships
and Convoys.

WASHINGTON. June sa.-Two months
ago yesterday wal broke out between
the United States and Spain. according
to the proclamation of the president
and the declaration Of congress. The
end of that period finds nearly 10. COO
United States troops lying of Santiago
preparing to land; II finds cable COM
munication established between the
government at Washington and the id
vance guard Of the expedition In Cuba,
and it finds Cuban territory In the pos
session OF United States marines
backed by q squadron, and nearly all
of the commercial ports of Cuba block
aided.
This Is all apart from Dewey's great
victory at Manila, and from the splen-
did results achieved in organising sew
cral armies now in camps. Therefore,
the officers of the administration feel
that they have a right to look back
with pride yer what has been accom-
plished in the short space of two
months, working In a large part with
raw material. in both the army and
the navy.
The government has now determined
to send heavy reinforcements to Gen.
Shafter at Santiago. To this end the
first expedition will leave Newport
News Thursday morning. carrying
Brig. Gen. Duf1eld's separate brigade
of the second army corps, made up Of
the ninth Massachusetts,, the thirty
third and thirty-fourth Michigan and
the third Virginia regiments. In all
about 1900 men.
Expeditions will follow rapidly by
way Of Tampa. for while Fernandina
and Miami are considered to have many
good points for concentrating troops.
yet army officials are now satisfied
that Tampa can be retained with ad-
vantage as the main point Of embark
ation.
The next forces to go will include
those Of Brighten. Garretson of the
second brigade OF the first division,
second army corps, embracing the
sixth Illinois. the sixth Massachusetts
and eighth and ninth OHIO regiments
Brighten Guy v. Henry. q distin-
guished cavalry officer of the regular
army, arrived here yesterday from
Tampa, and the present plans are for
Gen. Henry to command o division,
madeup of the brigadesof Gen. Duf1eld
and Gen. Garretson, this division. com.
prising 5000 men, to be for the speedy
reinforcement of Gen. Shafter. 1t will
ut once swell the American forces at
Santiago de Cube to about 1900 men.
But the expeditions will not stop at
that number, as there Is q determined
purpose to send forward o sufficient
force to crush any Spanish command
which can be concentrated at that
point.
The reports from Santiago that about
Al, 900 Spanish troops are In and about
the city do not agree with the reliable
estimates In the possession of the war
department. According to the latter
figures, there are not to exceed 1a.OO0
Spanish troops at Santiago de Cuba;
while 100 miles away to the northwest.
at Holguin, the Spanish corps COM
mander, Gen. Pando, has 10000 men.
The war department Is satisfied that
the Cuban forces, under Garcia, can
keep Pando from reinforcing Santiago.
Should this not be accomplished the.
Spanish forces at Santiago would be
augmented to about q 5000 men. They
are well armed; we'll disciplined, sea-
soned to the climate, know the fight
ing grounds OF that locality, aud are
probably IS good an all-round fighting
force as the S%paniardS can bring to
bear.
There Is no purpose on the part Of
the authorities to leave Gen. Shafter
with III inadequate force TO meet these
seasoned Spanish soldiers. 1t is for
this reason, in part, that o division,
probably under Gen. Henry, will REIN
force Gen. Shafter, followed by such
additional troops az the needs Of the
situation seem to demand.
Up to the close of Office hours yester-
| day neither the war nor navy depart
ment had received any detailed infor-
| nation as TO the arrival Of troops at
| Santiago. The entire information was
| confined to the brief dispatch from
Capt. Allen, of the signal service, to
| Gen. Greedy, stating that the troop
transports had arrived.
This was enough, however, to start
baseless rumors that the actual landing
| of troops was In progress, and one re-
| port went to the extent of stating that
| the troops were landing under q heavy
| fire from the Spanish forces. Secre-
tary Alger and Gen. Miles disposed of
these reports, saying that no such In
| formation was at hand, and Secretary
| Long made the same disclaimer for
the navy department.
1t may DO true, however, that the
landing Is now in progress, and al.
| though II is not impossible, officials
consider 1t improbable that any land
ing is going on under q Spanish FIRE.
The landing itself may take considera.
bly, longer than was anticipated, and
officials believe that at least three days
more will be required before the troops
are on shore, and In any sort Of organ
lied condition. Some of the army Of.
| fcers allow even more time, one OF
them holding that 1t will take quite q
month to get all the stores, as well rs
the troops, of the transports. The
| purpose, however, Is to get off the
troops first leaving the stores to be
taken off later. and the siege train last
| Of all.
The officials of the navy department
were not deeply concerned over the
report from Hong Kong that the Chi
nese authorities had ordered the
United States dispatch boat Zafro out
Of Chinese waters without allowing
Dr.. zimmerman to Build.