The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-19
SHORT Campaign
That Is What the War De-
partment Expects.


notable differences between the plans for
the coming expedition and those for the
stately naval pageant that sailed away
from Tampa under General Shafter' s
command to attack Santiago.
First, there will be practically no naval
conveys as the navy department. has de-
clared that they are unnecessary and that
there is not a Spanish warship in the
West Indies that dares thrust its bow out
of port. sE
In the second place the expedition does
not start from one point, but will be
divided among several ports, thus pre-
venting the tremendous congestion en-
the big feet.
Lastly, there will be no attempt made
to get the ships away together but the
transports will be allowed to find their
own way to their destination without
concerted movement.
General Brooke viii be the senior officer
in Miles's command and upon him will
fall the responsibility for the execution of
the details of his superior's plans. Porto
Rico is 500 miles from Siboney. 1t is
estimated that General Miles should ar
rive by Wednesday night at the point
selected for the landing and will hoist the
American flag at once over Porto Rican
soil. Tbs point chosen for his landing is
kept secret as the General will land be-
fore the full body Of the expedition is at
hand and it is consequently not desirable
that the enemy should be able to assemble
tance from Charleston, whsre the frs
body Of troops for Miles's expedition was
to start today, is mora than double the
distance from Santiago to Porto Rico SO
that the transports which sail from the
former city can scarcely reach General
Miles before the early part of next week.
The Charleston troops are the first brigade
of the first division Of the first army corps
and are commanded by Brigadier General
George H. Ernst. The brigade comprises
the second Wisconsin, third Wisconsin
and 1lth Pennsylvania regiments.
The purpose of Secretary Alger is to
make the Porto Rican campaign short
one. An overwhelming force will be
shown up on the island and it is possible
that bloodless victory will be achieved
when the Spanish become convinced that
they have no reasonable chance to resist
successfully. The expedition is to.comprise
Sc, 600 men at the start and it will be soon
swelled to 40, 900 men and if necessary to
70, 900 men, the equipment Of the volun-
teer forces having now progressed SO we'll
as to warrant the statement that that
number of men can be ready for service
in Porto Rico within very short time.
The entire body of troops at Tampa will
be taken, numbering about $4,000 men
and including a lot of heavy and light
artillery under command of General
Rodgers. The expedition will be particu-
larly strong in artillery as some of that at
Santiago commanded by General Ran
dolph, Is to be drawn upon. The Tampa
troops are known as the Fourth Corps
under Major General Coppinger. They
comprise the second division under Briga-
dier General Simon Snyder made up of
the first brigade. Brigadier General Swan,
1lth and 10Th u. S. infantry; second
brigade, Brigadier General Carpenter,
second New York and fifth Mary land;
third brigade, Brigadier General Hale,
third Pennsylvania, 157th Indiana and
first Ohio, and of the third division,
Brigadier General Kline commanding,
first brigade, Col. G. L. Kennan, fifth
Ohio, first Florida and 32d Michigan;
second brigade. Brigadier . General Lin
coin, Goth New York, third Ohio and
second Georgia; the provisional cavalry
brigade, Col. Noyes, 9Th U. S. and de-
tachments of first, second, third, sixth
and tenth United States cavalry and eight
troops of rough riders; Artillery brigade.
General Randolph, two light and ten
heavy batteries 1t is possible that all of
the cavalry will not be called upon.
Gen. Brooke will take with him from
Chickamauga Park most of the first and
second brigades of his army corps, the
first. These are in addition to Gen.
Ernest's brigade at Charleston, and in
clude the fecond brigade, first division,
Gen. .Haines's, fourth Ohio, third Illinois
and fourth Pennsylvania; third brigade,
Col. j. S. Culver, first Kentucky, third