Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-07-07

OuF lOsSeS up ~ uutc WIZ uPPts6'N~
n thousand, but list has not yet been
made. But little sickness, outside OF
exhaustion from intense heat ana eX-
ertion Of the battle of day before yes
terday and the almost constant fre
which ia kept up ON the trenches.
Wagon road to the rear Is kept up
with some difficulty, on account OF
rains, but will be able to use 1t for
the present.
General Wheeler is seriously III and
viii probably have to go to the hear to-
day, General Young is very Ill; con-
fined to his bed. General Hawkins
slightly wounded in foot during sort!e
made list night, which was handsome
ly repulsed.
The behavior of our troops was
magnificent.
General Garcia reports that he holds
the railroad from Santiago to San LUIS
and has burned bridge and removed
some rails; also that General Pando mas
arrived Mt Palma and that the French
consul with about 400 French citizens
came into his line yesterday from San
tIngo; have directed him to treat them
with every courtesy possible.
SHAFTER.
Secretary Alger sent the following
reply to General Shafter:
To General Shnfter: The President
directs me to say that you have the
gratitude and thanks Of the nation for
the brilliant and effect work of your
noble army on Friday, July 1ss. The
stendy valor and heroism of officers
and men thrill the American people
with pride. The country mourns the
brave men who fell In battle. They
have added new names to our roll OF
heroes.
(SigneO r. A. ALGER,
Secretary Of War.
The dispatch speaks for itself. and,
as Adjutnnt General Corbin said, tells
what n desperate fight our gallant
troops have been in. 1t was received
mt noon to-day. md after IL lull Of near
ly thirty-slx hours In the official In
formation from the field.
AT first, when 1t become known that
the American commander had report
ed the defenses to be so strong II
would be impossible to carry them
with his present force, there was mo-
mentarily wave Of deep apprehen-
sion. But this was not shared by the
military authorities here. All their ell
ergies. all their attention, was turned
to meet the situation as presented by
General Shafter. There was neither
time nor disposition to take account OF
what had gone before, when the fact
WINS plain that the American army had
felt Its way, inch by inch. under Il
blazing sun. through n tropical vegetn.
tion, steadily advancing and beating
back the foe, taking position after pO-
sition, until, rs General Shaf,er report
ed, the town was well invested on the
north and east by the long drawn out
line Of American troops. This was a
sufficient tribute to the vnlOr Of our
brave men, and it sIlenced all cavil
over the conditions now presented by
General Shafter.
1t was time for action, for rein
forcements. and toward the execution
of this end every effort of the admin.
istratlon was Mt once turned.
But there was other information of n
more encouraging nature ut the
same time.
Shortly after IL o'clock this morning
left the White House hastily. and, go
Ing directly to the department. posted
the following on the bulletin board:
General Shafter telcgraphs:
Playa del Este, July 3.-Early this
morning l sent n demand for the sur
render Of Santiago. threatening to BON.
bard the city. l believe the place will
be surrendered.
This contradicts the report that Gen.
ernl Shafter had fallen back.
Following the receipt of General
Shafter's telegram there was Il hur-
ried war conference ut the White
House. Secretary Algcr, accompanied
by General COrbln, reached there n few
minutes before l o'clock and were i'm
mediately closetcd with the President.
The officials hope to rush the rein.
forcements TO General Shafter. SO that
| there will be from $4,000 to $4,000 men
under his command within the next
ten days, and sooner II this can be mr..
ranged. This is exclusive of the insur.
gents, of whom General Garcia has
been able to bring TO Skaters COM
mand approximately 1000 men. There
were about 15.O0O men and officers In
the expedition ihat set out from Tam.
pa less than month ago. These have
since been reinforced by the troops of
Brigadier General Dufiield's command,
amounting to 5000 men.
Colonel Humphries Is in charge of
the transport service with Skaters
army, and he will send back to Tampa
the vessels that can be spared as rap.
idly as possible: in fact. word has
been received that the transports had
started for the United States this
morning.
III possible. the War Department will
send $4,000 men from Tampa on these
transports. Six vessels have been re-
Gently loaded with men, ammunition
arms. supplies, etc.. and are now ei,heI
nt Key West or on their way to rein.
force Skaters army. Included in this
expedition are some batteries of nrtil.
lery. In all, these forces constitute
about $500 or 5000 men.