The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-11
SPANISH FORCE AT SANTIAGO.
GARRISoN ESTIMATED AT 10000
MEN or ALL ARMS.


Chief Part of the Troops Infantry,
With Fair Contingent of Cavalry
and Field ArtiIIery-The Com
manders Preparing to Make Des-
perate Reststance-Five Thousand
Insurgents on n Mountain TO the
WestNVard-Tvo Thousand of
Them Unarmcd.
Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.
On Board the Associated Press Dispatch
Boat Wanda, Off Santiago de Cuba, Thurs
day Afternoon, June ., via Kingston, June
10, 1880 p. MIN Santiago de Cuba there
are now about 10000 Spanish soldiers,
chiefly infantry. with a fair contingent of
cavalry and field artillery drawn from the
surrounding country.
During the day the cavalry sklrmlsh In
the vicinity of the city returning at night
to the barracks.
During the last few days the activity of
the Spaniards had been particularly notice
able.
oxen have been continually making their
way to the batteries, detachments have
been working on emplacements, and there
have been other signs showing that the
spanlards are preparing a desperate re-
slstance
Some guns from Admiral Cerveras ships
may be removed to the forts.
The insurgents about 5000 strong have
taken a position on mountain to the
westward. Two thousand insurgents of
this gathering are unarmed.
Gen. Gomez, now about $50 miles inland,
is making his way toward the coast.
Amiral Sampson Is actively cooperating
with the insurgents.
Yesterday Gen Miniet of the insurgen,
forces and his staff went on board the
New York for long consultation.
The naval officers have been doing splen-
did and daring work in carrying communi-
cations to the insurgents, landing arms
and making trips ashore for the purpose
of gaining information.
Upon the gunboats Suwanee and Vixen
this work has chiefly devolved
Lieut.. Sharp of the Vixen and Lieut..
Commander Delehanty of the Suwanee
have been daily entrusted with important
missions and have carried them out sue
cessfully.
The Vixen's work has been chiefly con-
fined 10 carrying messages to and from,
but the Suwanee has been occupied In a
more serious task. This little gunboat has
landed 100000 rounds OF small arms am
munition, 800 Springfield rides 100 car
bines, 1000 machetes with equipments and
provisions. These were handed over to 800
insurgents yesterday wednesday,, about
fifteen miles west OF Santiago, the main
body remaining in the mountains.
The debarkation of supplies was tedious,
but uninterrupted. The insurgents report
ed that irregular engagements between
their forces and the Spanish cavalry were
OF daily occurrence. The Cubans were
hard up for supplies and ammunition, and
we're overioyed at the sight of the SUI
Wanee's cargo. Some, almost raVenoua,
hacked at the clices of bacon and ate raw
bacon. They had been living on lines, CO.
coanuts ana potatoes.
Ensign Gilpln of the Suwanee went
ashore and accompanied the Cubans to
their temporary camp inland where he
found ten or twelve wounded men badly
in need Of surgical attendance Bandages
for them were sent from the Suwanee.
The casualties were the results OF brush
on the previous night with Spanish cav
airy.
To the correspondent of the Associated
Press, on the dispatch boat Wanda, En-
sign Glpln, describing his experience at
the camp, which Is about ten miles in
land, said; II found the insurgents n
rough looking and mixed lot Of boys and
old men, rigged out any way, carrying
arms of all sorts, and all anxious to bor-
row anything / had from my blouse to
my revolver. Spanish soldiers, in uniform,
marched into camp carrying rifles, while
l was there, and said they wanted 80 Join
the insurgents They were enrolled, but a
close watch was kept on them, as they
belonged to the civil guard. A Cuban Of
ficer told me such additions were not in
frequent. The Spaniards had Mauser
rifles, which were In fairly good condl-
ton"
Conservative authorities say the United
States troops will have to carry out their
plans of campaign without placing much
reliance upon the insurgents.
Several plucky young officers like I'm
sign Giipiu have made trips ashore ard
taken observations OF the interior har5or
and the fortihcatons locating the exact
positions OF Admiral Cervera's four shlps.
1t Is hardly likely however that the
Spanish admiral keeps them moored at
the Same place both day and night. More
than once the officers engaged In this
shore duty have had narrow escapes from
falling In with tho euemye cavalry.