Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-07-21
OFF FOB PORTO RICO.
GENERAL MILES HAS STARTED.
Forty Thousand Soldiers Will BE Hurled
Along as Fast as Possibie-They Go
From Several Ports.

Alger and General Brooke, during
which there was frequent cOmmunica-
ton with General Miles ut Siboney,
the details of the Porto Rlcan eXpedi-
ton Were perfected and the expedition
itself was gotten under way, General
Miles, with some artillery and troops,
sailing to-day for Porto Rico on the
converted cruiser Yale, to be followed
quickly by an army of about 10000
men.
There are some notable differences
In the plans for this, expedition and
for the stately naval pageant. that
sailed away from Tampa under Cen
eral Skaters command, to attack
Santiago. First, there will be practi-
cally no naval conveys. The Navy
Department has declared that they
are unnecessary, that there Is not II
Spanish warship in the West Indies
that dare thrust its bow out of port.
In the second place, the expedition
does not start from one point, but will
be divided among several ports, thus
preventing the tremendous congestion
that was encountered Mt Tampa In the
effort to start the big fleet. Lately.
there will be no effort made to get the
ships away together, but the trans
ports will be allowed to find their own
way to their destination without con-
certed movements.
General Miles leads the way. He
has been promised by the President
that he should go to Porto Rico. and
the promise was redeemed when the
Yale headed to-day from Siboney to
Porto Rico. 500 miles distant. General
Brooke will be the senior officer In
General Miles command, and upon
him will fall the responsibility for the
execution of the details of his supe-
rior's plans.
1t is estimated that General Miles
should arrive by Wednesday night ut
the point selected for the landing.
and that he will hoist the American
flag at once over Porto Rican soil. The
point chosen for his landing IL Kept
secret. ns the general will land be-
fore the full body of the expedition IL
Mt hand and II Is consequently not de-
sirnble that the enemy should be able
to assemble n superior force to meet
him.
The distance from Charleston. where
the first body OF troops for General
Miles expedition was to start to-day.
is more 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 purpose of Secretary Alger Is
to make the Porto Rlcan campaign
short one. An overwhelming force will
be thrown upon the Island. and 1t Is
possible that bloodless victory will
be achieved when the Spanish become
convinced that they have no reason
able chance to resist successfully. The
expedition Is to comprise 10000 men
nt the start. and It will be swe1led
soon to 10000 men. and II necessary to
10000 men, the equipment OF the vol
untecr forces having now progressed
so well ns 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
ut Tampa Will be taken. numbering
about 13.OOO men. and including u lot
of heavy and light artillery. under
command of General Rodgers. The
expedition will be particularly strong
with artillery. MS some Of that at San
tIago. commanded by General Ran
dolph. is to be drawn upon. The
Tampa troops are known as the Fourth
corps. under command OF Major Gen
ernl Coppinger.
General Brooke will take with him
from Chickamnuga Park most of the
First and Second brigadcs of his
army corps. the First.
The part which the navy Is to take
In the assault against Porto Rico has
been fully matured. The several trans.
port fleets will have with them one or
two auxiliary craft, carrying strong
secondary batteries Of six or eight
six-poundcrs.
The movement of the ships from
Santiago to their new fields of action
will begin mt once. and 1t is probable
that some of Admiral SIMPSONS ships
were detached to-day and proceeded
with General Miles with the expedition
toward Porto Rico. They will be need
ed to cover the dcbarkntion OF the
troops on Porto Rican soil. The others
will follow rs soon ns the full army
expedition is ready to make landing,
when the attack will begin simultan-
cously from land and sea.