Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1898-12-09

IN the construction of our war ships.
With the catastrophe Of Santiago,
SPANS effort upon the ocean virtually
ceased. A spnsnodsc effort toward the
end OF June to send her Msditerra can
fleet under Admiral Camara 10 relieve
Manila was abandoned, the expedition
being recalled after It had passed
through the Seuz canal. The cauitula-
ton of Santiago followed The city was
closely beseIged by land, while the
entrance OF our ships into the harbor
cut off all relief on that side After a
truce TO allow OF the removal Of the
nor-comba tants, protracted negotia-
Hons continued from July 8 until July
l5 when, under menace of immediate
assault. the preHmnaries of surrender
were agreed upon.
SANTIAGO OCCUPIED.
On the nth, General shafter occunied
the city. The capituIatson embraced
the entire eastern end Of Cuba. The
number Of Spanish soldiers surrendered
was 22.000. all of whom were subse-
quertiy conveyed to Spain at the charge
OF the United States. The story of
this successful campaign Is told In the
report OF the secretary OF war, which
VIII be fa3d before you. The individual
valor of officers and soldiers was never
more strikingly shown than in the sew
eral ene'a gemenfs leading TO the sur
render of Santiago, while the prompt
] won instant and universal applause.
To those who gained this complete tri-
umph which established the ascendancy
/ of the United States upon land as the
hight off SaDs5ago had fixed our SUI
/ prenacy on the STA the earnest and
lasting gratitude of the nation is un-
sparingly due. Nor should we alone
remember the galbaIstry of the living;
the dead claim our tears, and our losses
/. by battle and disease must cloud any
exu'3Stion at the result and teach US TO
weigh the awful cost of war, however
rightfui the cause or signal Of victory
ADVANCE ON PORTO RICO.
With the fall of Santiago the occu
patton of Porto Rico became the nexs
straIteg gle necessity.
General Miles had previously been as
signed to organize an expedition for
that purpose; fortunately he was al
ready at Santiago, where he had
/ rived on the 18th of July with REIN
forcenensts for General Skaters army
WIKI these troops. consisting of 3,415
infantry and artillery, TWO companies
J of engineers and one company of the
signal corps, Gen. Miles left Guantana-
mo on July p, having nine transports
! conveyed by the fleet urder Captain
Higglnson. with the Massachusetts
(sagshlp), Dixie, Gloucester, Columbia
and Yale the two latter carrying
troops The expedition handed at Qua
j With little opposition. Here the flee
Z was Joined by the Annapolis, and Wasp
i while the Puritan and Amphftrjte wen
e t. san Juan and joined the New Or
t leans, which was engaged in blockadin
: that port. The major general com
4 manding was subsequently reinforce
by GeIssral Schvann's brigade Qf tn
n Third army corps, by Gen. WiSs2h, wit
4 a part of his division, and alsoxpy Ger
q erai Brooke, with a part of~nis corps
/ mum bering in all 1873 officers an
men
CAPITULATTON OF PONCE.
On July 81 he entered Ponce. one oil
the most important ports In the island.
from which he thereafter directed
operations of the capture of the island
I With the exception OF encounters with
| the enemy at Guayama. Hermigusrez.
| C0anDo and Yauco. and an attack on
a force landed at Cape San Juan, there
was no serious resistance The cam
paign was prosecuted with great vigor.
and by the 18th Of August much of tho
island was in our possession aEd the
ACQUISITION of the remainder was only
a matter Of short time. At most OF
the points in the island our troops
were enthusiastically welcomed Pro-
tes1ations of loyalty to the flag and
gratitude for delivery from Spanish rule
met our comma nders at every stage
As potent influence toward peace. the
OuTcO1n6 OF the fOTt0 fl-Can eApcGfllO0
was of great consequence. and generous
communication Is due 10 those who par
eicipated in IT.
CLOING CHAPTER OF WAR
The last scene of the war was en-
acted at Manila. its starting place. On
August Is, after a brief assault upon
the works by the land forces. in which
the squadron assisted the capital sur
rendered unconditfonally. The casual
- ~
conquest of the Philippine Islands, vir-
tually accomplished when the Spanish
capacftv for resistance was destroyed
by Admiral Dewey's victory Of the first
of May, was formally sealed To Gen
eral Merritt, his officers and men, for
the accomplishing and devoted services.
for their sallantry in action, the nation
Is sincerely grateful Their bong voy-
age was made with singular success
and the soldierly conduct of the men.
of whom many were without previous
experience in the military service, de-
serves unmeasured praise
The total casualties in killed and
wounded in the army during the war
was as follows: Officers killed %; en-
IIsi.esi men killed 257 total ESQ; officers
wounded I13; enlisted men wounded l.
464; total 1.57T; of the navy, killed II;
wounded 81; died as result Of wounds
1. invaded from service s.: total 81.
II will be observed that while our
navy was engaged in two great bat
ties and in numerous perilous under
takings in the blockades and bonn bard
ments, and more than $4,000 OF our
troops were transported to dkstanf
lands. and engaged in ASSAULT and seige
and battle ard many skirmishes in un-
familiar territory, we lost IN both arms
of the service a total OF 1.66S killed and
wourded; and in the entire campaign
by land and sea We did not lose gun
or flag or transport or ship, ana
with the exception of the Grew OF shs
Merriuac, not a soldier or sailor w~2
eaken prisoner.
On August 7th, forty-six days from
the date of landing of General Skaters
/ army in Cuba. and twenty-one days
/ from the surrender OF Santiago. the
u. S. troops commenced embarka-
ton for home. and our entire force was
returned to the United States as early
as August oath. They were absent
from the United States only two
Z 7 eborrf5 hear fegff-