The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1898-06-01


Have Opportunity to Gather Forces to
Attack Our Soldiers as They Land.
Suspicion That the Starting Points Are
Tampa and Mobile, to Converge at Key
Warships Provided by Admiral samp-
son-Four Separate Expeditions Likely
to BE Landed at Different Poin.s--ser-
vices of the Insurgents to BE UtiIised.
WASHINGTON, May 31.-The military
invasion Of Cuba has begun. At an
early hour the troops that have been
gathered at the gulf ports began to
break camp yesterday and march aboard
transports waiting to carry them to the
enemy's territory. About % of these
ships, the biggest and fastest that could
be obtained, suitable for the purpose,
had been gathered ready to receive the
troops. They accommodate about 3d..
900 men, for in short voyage like that
from one of the gulf ports to Cuba, it is
possible with safety and comfort. to
carry a much larger number of men
aboard ship than would be admissible
In the case of a cruise to the Philippines
| for instance.
How many troops started; where
| they took ship; where they are bound
are questions which the directing spir.
its of the campaign refuse positively to
answer. They have no desire that the
| Spanish should have opportunity af.
| forded them to gather forces to attack
our soldiers as they land. Therefore,
,,othir,ex ~ ba do tIc o. tc
ment can be learned There is a sus-
piciop that the start will be made from
Tampa and Mobile, and it is probable
| that in such case the fleets of transports
will converge at Key West to move I'M
der the conveys of warships which Ad-
miral Sampson has provided to insure
the safety of the troops during the pas
| sage across The Florida straits to insure
them against attack at the hands of
some stray Spanish cruiser or gunboat.
1t is probable that thert will be no
less than foar separate military expedi-
| lions, and that these will be landed at
| four different points. Whether Porto
Rico is one OF these points or not cannot
| be learned. Before the entire force
| which it is proposed to use in Cuba can
| be landed the transports must make
| four separate voyages across the straits.
Arrangements have been made to utilize
| the services OF the insurgents to the
| largest possible extent. The govern
ment alrea,..g has sent expeditions to
large NUM- er of points on the island
and landed arms for the insurgents.
| Most of the parties succeeded perfectly
in their objeo,, and it was said at the
war department that sufficient num-
Der of the Insurgents have been armed
to constitute a very effective support for
the troops as they land.
A war conference was held at the
White House yesterday afternoon, be-
tween the president and his two war
secretaries, Alger and Long, and Major
| General Miles, in command of the
army. Vice President Hobart, who ac-
companied the president to Arlington
and returned with him to lunch, was
present part of the time, and Secre-
tary Day, who had just returned to
Washington, also dropped in during the
conference. After the entire situation,
naval and rlil tary ,'had been gone over,
Secretary Long retired, and Secretary
Alger and General Miles remained to
discuss more in detail the military oper-
atoms now about to be put into execu-
ton as result of the definite official
information that the Spanish squadron
Is securely held within Santiago harbor.
Naturally those who participated in the
conference observed strict reticenoe re-
garding it.
1t was stated, however. in an authori-
tative quarter, that the discussion had
covered the entire range of naval and
military operations, with particular
view to the active movements about to
begin. General Miles brought with him
memorandum showing the exact dis
position of the military forces now con-
centrated at various points throughout
the country, with the number of men
at Tampa and other southern points
ready for embarkation. He also made
known that, Immediately following the
receipt of definite information as to the
presence of the Spanish fleet at Santi-
ago, he had gone to the war department
and had issued Geographic orders put
ting the troops in motion and thus
starting the forward movement of the
military arm Of the service.
1t was said at the war department
that chief reliance would be placed at
the outset on the United States regulars,
most of whom are conferred in Florida,
aINa in such volunteer regiments as were
well seasoned for service. Although
the officials will not state how many
troops are available for active service, it
is estimated that there are about 20, 900
regulars and $4,000 volunteers at
Tampa. These include II regiments of
regular infantry and IA regiments of
volunteer infantry, IL battalions of ar
tillery and five regiments of regular
cavalry. The infantry force, regular
end volunteer, is about $4,000 men, the
cavalry about 1000, the artillery about
1.200.. How manv of these have bean
or will be dispatched to any given
point or to several points is not dis
closed, as that is part of the secret
campaign plans of the government.
Back of this force are other available
other points easily accessible to Tampa
Still further back is the large volun-
teer camp at Chickamauga, comprising
about 10000 infantry volunteers, 1000
cavalry volunteers and three regiments
of artillery volunteers. 1t is under
stood to be the plan-although as to this
there is no precise official statement--to
have the troops at Chickapauga take
the place Of those at Florida ports as
fast as the latter leave for active service,
thus keeping ? large forge always ready
for efhbarkation nom Florida. Aside
from the troops already specified. there
are the $4,000 men at Camp Alger, near
Washington, and lesser bodies Of troops
on Long Island and In various states.
The $4,000 volunteers under the recently
issued secopd call constitute sill another
reserve, which, however, is yet to be
organized and eouinned.
MERRITT TAKES COMMAND.
He Formally Announced His Assuming
Charge of Philippine Forces.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 31.-Major Gen.
eral Wesley Merritt. commander of the
Manila expeditionary force and COVER
nor general of the Philippines, moved
his headquarters from the Palace hotel
to the Phelan building. and he and his