The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-06-29
SPAN|ARDS EFFEC1UALLY BLOCKED.
CANNOT ESCAPE
Sampson Has the Ensmy's Fleet at His Ksrsy -esa.
Skaters Army and the Cuban Insurgents
within -Four Miles Of Santiago


and supplies.
Troops of the United States and
Spain are almost face to face and less
than four miles apart.
Sunday night the picket lines at cer-
tain points are within hailing dis
tance of the enemy. 1t seems certain
that the battle of Santiago must come
within a week.
The troops are all ashore at Juragua
and at Baiquiri, with the exception OF
a few scattered companies that have
gone forward. The supplies are suf-
flcient to enable the army to sustain a
weeks campaign at both landing
points.
There Is continual procession OF
small boats riding on the beach
through the pounding surf. and as one
weeks rations are already landed IL Is
believed the required supplies will all
be ashore in two days.
The landing of troops, horses and
supplies has been extraordinary. with
only one steam barge. and compelled
to depend on treacherous small boats,
General Shafter has landed over 10000
men, hundreds of horses and mules and
thousands of dollars worth of supplies
on the exposed beaches, and only two
men have lost their lives. No more
than 90 animals have been drowned
and scarcely package of supplies has
been lost.
Part of the warships sent over with
Skaters expedition have been re-
leased from Admiral Samps n and are
now on their way back to Tampa to
escort the additional troops Others
Will follow. and then another form
liable marine procession win start
across the Gulf of Cuba. Whether the
battleship Indiana will lead this ex-
pedition, as 1t did the last, Is not de-
tinitely settled. There will be several
heavy warships, however. as well as
lighter craft to give safe conduct to
General Snyders division.
Simultaneous with this, General
Henry's division will be moving along
the Atlantic coast and thence to SAM
tiago. In all, the reinforcements from
Tampa and Newsport News will be in
the neighborhood of $1,000 or 14,C00N
Drafts on Chickamauga are likely to
follow soon. as the hurry orders re-
Gently given have led to the full
equipment of several commands.
The entire army was landed at 1
o'clock Thursday morning.
BY the end Of another week certainly
1000, perhaps $4,000, wiz abe on the
way or will have arrived 10 aid Gen.
Shafter. The first detachment Of Duff
fields brigade is now due at Santiago.
Garretson's brigade, 1900 strong, will
embark as soon as transports are
ready.
1t is not denied by the War Depart
ment that 1000 regular troops now on
the shores of the Gulf will be embarked
on the first available transports. Sew
eral volunteer regiments will also go.
Gen. Miles may sail on the Harvard
or the Yale on the next trip.
The first official cablegram received
by the Cuban junta at New York di
rect from their government since tts
breaking out of the war, was re-
ccived by Senor T. Estrada Palma. 1t
was as follows:
Playa del Este, June o. 1898.
I'VE are at Guantanamo. Position
taken from the enemy, Playa del Este.
Fought with 200 Americans and fifty
Cubans against $50 Spaniards. Com-
plete rout. Enemy's flight shameful.
We captured eighteen prisoners, ont
officer. Sixty of the enemy are dead
and sixteen wounded two officers
killed.
"On our part we had two killed and
three wounded. We captured twenty
eight Mauser rifles and 5000 cartridges.
To-day the forces of Gen. Rabi and
Brig. Castillo took Daiquiri with tho
aid of the American vessels. Span.
ards set fire to the town on retreats
ing. Sixteen thousand American troops
disembarked at Daiquiri. Gen. Garcia
Is on board the cruiser New York.
COL. LABORDE."
Gen. Skaters troops just arrived at
Santiago must be reinforced. The
Spaniards at that place may at any
time receive aid from other Spanish
camps which would be too much of an
overwhelming force for Shafter to con-
tend with. To this end the first expedi-
ton left Newport News Thursday
morning, carrying Brig. Gen. Dufiield's
separate brigade of the Second army
corps, made up of the Ninth Massa-
chusetts, the Thirty-third and Thirty
fourth Michigan and the Third Vir-
ginia regiments. in all about 1000 men.
Expeditions will follow rapidly by way
of Tampa.
The next forces. to go will include
those of Brig. Gen. Garretson of the
Second brigade of the First division,
Second army corps, embracing the
Sixth Illinois, the Sixth MASSACHUSETTS,
and Eighth and Ninth Ohio regiments.
This division, comprising 5000 men, to
be for the speedy reinforcement of Gen.
Shafter. 1t will at once swell the
American forces at Santiago de Cuba
to about $4,000 men. But the expedi-
tions Will not stop at that number. as
there is a determined purpose to send
forward a sufficient force to crush any
Spanish command which can be con-
centrated at that point
The reports from Santiago that about
Al, 900 Spanish troops are in and about
the city do not agree with the reliable
estimates in the possession of the war
| department. According to the latter
| figures there are not to exceed 4,00O
Spanish troops at Santiago de Cuba.
| while 100 miles away to the northwest
| at Holguin, the Spanish corps COM
mander, Gen. Pando has 10000 men.
| The war department Is satisfied that
the Cuban forces under Garcia can
| keep Pando from reinforcing Santiago.
| should this not be accomplished, the