The Somerset reporter., 1898-05-19
WAR NOTES.


gun boat attempting To run blockade al
Manila.
Names FIRST regiment has been or
] dered to Chickamauga, and Names bat
/ terry of artillery To Mobile.
The 18th Regiment of Minnesota vol
unteers has been ordered to proceed to
San Francisco to join the expedition to
the Philippines.
! Lloyds agent at Manila cabled from
! Hong Kong, Friday, that the blockade
of the capital of the Philippine islands
| is strictly maintained and that the cable
| is on board an American vessel.
Tue Cape Verde fleet was sighted at
uracoa, one of the Dutch West India
islands, Satua day; SIMPSONS fleet was
off Puerto Plata, Hayti, and Schley's
| fleet was awaiting orders off hairless
ton, S. {.
Reports received at Adjutant Corbin' S
office show that up to and including
! Tuesday of last week, ID, 752 of the vol
unteers had been accepted as having
the requisite qualifications of soldiers
and had been mustered into the United
States service.
Companies b and d of the Second
htRlUtui viii iul hiSh thC nhihO bolNSa y
of heavy artillery The rest of the Sec
ond Regiment, signal Corps and Ambu-
lance Corps were ardered home, Satur-
day, with the exception of Companies
and K, who were ordered to 20, Mondoy.
The First Maine Regiment is expect
ed to start for the front, this week.
Gov. Powers advanced $4,000 from his
own funds tn pay the bounties due
these men ON enlistment 1t is ex-
pected the legislature will promptly re.
fund this amount when it meets in Jen-
urars.
The transport, Gussie, made several
unsuccessful attempts, saturday, to land
troops on Cuban soil near Matanzas 1t
is made apparent that when troops are
landed it must be by heavy lombard
ment by the war ships and the body of
troops must bee sufficient to hold the
position against Blanco's troops.
1t appears that the auxiliary cruis 2
Harvard is in French port on Martin,
ique making certain repairs, and a
Spanish gun boat is outside waiting for
her to come out. Spain demonstrated
with France because she allowed the
Harvard to take refuge there. To this
France replied that she was entitled to a
reasonable time to make repairs.
The war department, Friday, issued
orders for assembling of 1413 officers
and 29,0S7 volunteers to Chickamauga.
This embraces 20 regiments and five
batteries from the following States:
Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, In
diana, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, New
Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Penn
sylvania, Massachusetts,, Rhode Island
and Vermont.
Gen. Richards announced to the COM
pany commanders, Friday, that upon
their arrival home they would receive
orders to at once recruit their compa-
MES to their full strength and await a
second call. The officers expect that
the Second Regiment will be called into
service and will be placed along the
Skowhcgan, is in command OF the Sec
urday, for the homes of the several
companies.
The United States will establish a
temporary government over the Philip
pine Islands. Orders have been issued
for Major General Wesley Merritt, now
commanding the Department of the
East at New York, to proceed to Manila
with the least possible delay for the
purpose of assuming the Office of mill
tary governor of the Philippines. SINH
lar orders to proceed to the Philippines
were sent to Major General L. ). Otis,
commanding the Department of the
Colorado at Denver. The orders to
General Otis direct him to report to
General Merritt for duty under his di-
recton in the Philippine Islands. Gen.
eral Otis will lie second in command.
The navy department, Saturday,
received despatch from Commodore
Remey, at Key West, confirming the re-
port of a severe engagement at Cienfue-
Cos, Wednesday. He transmits the re-
port of Captain McCalla of the Marble
head, showing that one man was killed,
Herman Reagan, a marine on Marble
head, and several injured. Severe losses
were inflicted upon the Spaniards, and
the main object of the attack, which
was to cut the cable, was accomplished.
The destruction of communication be.
tween Havana and Cienfuegos and the
rest of the world is believed to be of
great strategical Importance. The
movement renders communication be-
tween the Spanish fleet and Spain i'm
possible and also prevents information
regarding the movements of the Amer-
can fleet from reaching Madrid. The
moral effect of the isolation of
Havana will be incalculable, particularly
upon the Madrid government.
The first set back to any part of our
naval force took place in Cardenas Har-
Dor. The torpedo boat Winslow was
disabled and 5 men killed, Wednesday
the 18th. The United states cruiser
Wilmington, the torpedo boat Winslow,
and the auxiliary gunboat Hudson were
engaged. The captain of the Hudson
said: 81 know we destroyed a large
part of their town near the wharves,
burned one of their gunboats, and
think destroyed two other torpedo de-
stroyers re were in vortex of shot,
shell and smoke and could not tell &C
curately, but we saw one of their boats
on fire and sink after the action began.
Then large building near the water-I
think the barracks-took fire and many
other buildings were soon burning.
The Spanish had masked batteries on
all sides of us, hidden in bushes and
behind houses. They set trap for us.
AS soon as we got within range of their
batteries they would move them.
think their guns were field pieces Our
large boats could not get into the har-
Dor to help us on account of the shallow
water"
AT 80 Friday morning the navy
department received the following
dispatch from Admiral Sampson. "A
portion of the squadron under my