The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1898-08-15

ped to take a look AS at Guanca there
was not a fort, not gun in sight The
cluster of white md yellow buildings on
the shore. the bis and handsome custom
house and 4 score Of small sailing vessels
alone were visible. The sunboat went on
slowly as far as she thought it safe in
such uncertain quarters and then blew her
siren to notify any lurking Spaniards who
might be Sleeping on Their arms that she
waiting. Still no response. Then she
shot q BLANC G-pounder but the only re-
suit was to bring the Dixie sprnting in.
with the Wasp at her heels. both shifting
fight. The captain saw some toWnspeoprc
gathering on shore and he sent in an
armed launch to solve what seemed to him
the riddle of his life. The launch came
back with q delegation OF citizens from
Port Ponce-the main city lying three miles
inland-and they made the same little
speech Of welcome. passed about the same
sort Of proclamation and did exactly the
same things that other delegations had
been doing Iurthor down The coast. They
expressed regret that there was not room
In the launch for the band and the cap
tain may or may not have told the truth
when ne said that he regretted IT, too.
General Miles's Progress.
The Dixie went down to Guan.ca to let
General Miles know that the harbor OF
Ponce as open, and that the Annapols's
marines fdQ HOlSleu the nag on lNc blb
custom house. But by that time nearly all
of General Henry's division was ashore,
and the only troops left were those on three
transports which had been lost on their
way from Guantanamo, and, not having
received the change OF orders, went to Cape
San Juan. Here they found no sign of the
fleet, and put out i'll haste, moving back
into Mona passage, whore they were hang
ing around when the Montgomery finally
rounded them up and brought them to
Guanica. On board were the Third and
Fourth Wisconsin volunteers. the Sixteenth
Pennsylvania and two companies of the
Sixth Illinois. They We're sent to Ponce at
once. but did not begin landing until yes
terday morning. General Miles came in on
the City of Macon at The same time, and al
Q o'clock he and his staff went ashore. They
made their headquarters in the custom
house. and the generals first action was to
prepare a note to the alcalde of the city
of Ponce demanding the surrender of the
municipality at once
But the note was never delivered. Before
it could be Ponce surrendered. the mayor
sending word to General Miles that the
gates of the city were open to the Amer
leans, and that he would be proud to well
come them at any time it suited them TO
come. The general responded at once, and
directed General Wilson, who is acting
division commander in the absence of Gen
eral Brooke, TO take his men just beyond
Ponce and to so into camp, stopping en-
route to explain to the municipal and dis
trict authorities the circumstances under
which the Americans proposed to occupy
Porto Rico. The instructions to General
Wilson were official in character, and they
are of so much interest, IN view of our GER
tain possession of the island, | copied them.
All the other officers in authority viii be
furnished with similar directions together
with a lengthy and technical lego-mitary
document setting forth what constitutes
the division of responsibility between pro-
vost courts commissions and couras mar
tial and the character Of crimes which are
triabe by them. 1t also fixes the punish
mcnt but | glad to say the American
troops will not require that it be brought
into service often.
Fear of Native Uprisings.
A second message from the mayor of
Ponce set forth briefly the necessity of
the American troops coming quickly, be-
cause there was eminent danger of up
rising of the insurgent classes He eX-
blamed that there was a large element in
the island. mostly in the interior. which
had long nourished q hatred of Spain that
only the presence of Spanish soldiers had
kent smouldering. But the fire had not
been put out and the embers. famed by
So favorable u wind were likely to break
into flame and do great damage to lives and
property. This class he said, was largely
composed of veterans of the outbreak of
1897 and their friends, some of whom mad
o,1v lately returned to Porto Rico after
long Imprisonment in Spain and Africa. He
feared that they would Wreak their ven