The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-11

He next speaks of the unsultabnty of
the transports and of the accumu' alton
of troops and supplies at Tampa, crowdlng
the facilities there and causing great de-
lay Finally the Santiago expedition sail
ed on June H. and Gen. Miles quotes an
order issued by him TO Gen. SKATER d.
recting the latter to make number of
Inquiries to ascertain whether every pos
sible provision had been made aboard the
transports for the supply OF rations, hos
pital supplies, wagons, landing boats etc"
June Is Gen. Miles received the following
dispatch: Washington, June l5.-MaJ.
Gen. Miles, Tampa, Fla.-Important bust
Less requires your presence here; report
at once. Answer. r. A. Alger, Secretary
Of War;
June "a, Gen. Miles submitted TO the
Secretary of War a plan OF campaign.
Briefly stated the points We're: That
provision be made for the reception of at
least $4,000 Spanish prisoners. That after
capturing Santiago some deep water ports
be taken on the north coast of Cuba. That
| Nuevitas be captured and that with 1900
cavalry and some light artillery and a
small body of infantry, an advance be
made into Puerto Principe, in the interior,
anG the troops would thence move toward
Havana. This movement would occupy
the time until Sept 80 The troops would
be in the most healthy part of Cuba dur
ing the rainy season, and the prisoners
could be used in road-making. Should a
Spanish force be advanced to Villa Clara,
the entire United States army could be
thrown between that point and Havana,
the Spanish army could be divided and
be beaten in detail Should that plan be
rejected, then, after capturing Santiago,
the entire force should be removed to the
western end of the island and a campaign
made against Havana.
Gen. Miles next recites an order TO him
| self from Secretary Alger ''To organize an
expedition for operations against the enc
my in Cuba and Porto Rico" Qtalics)
The italics are his own. From the order
dated June g. it appears that an eXpedi-
ton was to be organized under the inn
mediate command of Gen. Brooke for such
movement The command under Gen.
Shafter, or such part as could be spared
from the work in hand, was to join the
foregoing expedition, and, reads the or
der, you will command the forces thus
united in person." Gen. Miles at this point
mentions a project he had conceived at
that time for the capture of the Isle of
Pines, which was a smuggling base for
supplying food to Havana, and the harbor
of Nipe on the north coast as coaling and
refuge station for the navy.
At this point he refers to his recommen-
dations to move troops to places of refuge
in the Shenandoah valley and elsewhere
to escape yellow fever, which had broken
out in Mississippi, and to avoid overcrowd-
ing the larger camps at Chickamauga.
Coming to the Santiago campaign, Gen.
Mics quotes a telegram from Gen. Shaft
er, dated July 3, stating that the town of
Playa del Este was so strongly defended
1t would be impossible to carry 1t by storm
with his present force, and that he ser-
ously considered Withdrawing and taking
up a new position on the high ground be-
tween the San Juan river and Siboney.
A number of other dispatches are quoted,
which have already been published, refer
ring to Gen. Miles trip to Santiago and
i Skaters request for aid from Sampson.
Gen. Miles next treats of his visit 10
| Cuba at the head of reinforcements and
| of the preliminaries to the surrender.
A telegram from Secretary AIger is quot
ed dated July 13, to Gen. Miles, authoriz-
| ing him to accept the surrender of the
| Spanish forces and giving terms on which
this could be accomplished. If these were
rejected, Cen Miles was to use his discre-
| ton and order an assault shl ~'fa'
The details OF the surrender which are
now so well known, are gone into,and Gen.
Miles says that he informed Gen. Shafter
that he (ShafteD could appoint the com
| missioners to draw up the conditions and
arrangements for carrying out the terms
| of surrender.
The remainder of Gen. Miles report on
| the Santiago campaign contains number
of kilograms that passed between Seereta-
| ry Alger, Gen. Shafter and himself which
have heretofore been published. The le-
port treats next of Porto Rico.
Gen. Miles, on July IA, had cabled Sec
rotary Alger that it was important to go
direct to Port Fajardo, Cape San Juan.
He was anxious to proceed as rapidly as
possible, and after some delay authority
was granted, and he started. The story
of that successful campaign is well known
and the report adds little to the general
knowledge, except to clear up the change
of the destination of the first expedition,
which was so puzzling at the same time.
Gen. Miles writes that in the absence of
launches and lighters, which he had or
dered, but had not arrived, he decided to
land at Guanica as the enemy had doubt
less become aware of the original destlna-
ton and then to move on TO Ponce. OF
the nineteen days campaign in Porto Rico
Gen. Miles says: 1.-The success of the en-
terprise was largely due 10 the skill and
good generalship of The officers In COM
mand of the different divisions and bri-
gades Strategy and skillful tactics ac-
complished what might have occasioned
serious loss 10 achieve in any other way.
The loss of the enemy in killed, wounded
and captured was nearly ten times our
own, which was only three killed and forty
wounded. Thus, the island of Porto Rico
became part of the United States
He mentions by name the officers of his
staff and the general officers engaged and
recommends a small list of officers for pro-
motion and brevets. Generalizing upon re-
suits the report reads: 1t is gratifying to
record that during the war not SINCE de-
feat has been met and not prisoner. color,
gun or rifle has been captured by the enc
my. In this respect the war has been
most remarkable and perhaps unparallei-
ed. Under ali circumstances and In spite
Of many most trying difficulties the troops
have maintained the fortitude of the Am
erican character and the honor of their