Evening star., 1898-06-29

Cardenas fight May II.
Gen. Shafter has reported to Cen Miles
that he can take Santiago in forty-eight
hours, but indicates that the undertaking
might involve considerable loss 1t is be-
heved here that he intends to take the
town Immediately, and that news of a bat
tie may be expected at any time.
General Shafter has reported two i'm
pcrtant developments in the military sit
uation at Santiago. First, he reports, that
he expects to take the city soon as he
gets ready to move and that he will not
wait for reinforcements. Second, he re-
ports that Spanish reinforcements, num-
bering $500, accompanied by pack trains
and large droves of animals, are advanc-
ing from Manzanillo to the relief of San
u&go, and are now fifty-four miles from
that city.
A number of dispatches have been re-
ceived from Gen Shafter covering all the
details of the present military situation
Some of them are to the Secretary of War
and others to Maj Gen. Miles. They
cover substantially the same ground, but
the most essential features bearing on the
strategic situation are the two above
enumerated. He refers only briefly to his
determination TO strike quickly, and said
that he expected to take the place as soon
as he could get ready to move, and that
reinforcements would not reach him.
The reinforcements referred to is the
large body of troops now moving from
Tampa and Newport News. A small de-
tachment, under Gen. Duffield, has already
arrived. but the larger part, comprising
for some days. 1t is evidently Gen. Shaf-
ters purpose not to wait for these men,
but to make the attack before the 5000
Spanish troops approaching from the west
can reach the city. The statement that
they are now but fifty-four miles from
Santiago is the most definite information
thus far received. 1t is about one hundred
miles from Manzanillo to Santiago so that
the Spanish forces had covered about one
half the distance at the time they were
located by the American officers This
was probably day or two ago, for Gen.
SEafter's dispatch was sent last night,
and in the meantime the Spaniards have
advanced considerably further.
The droves of cattle which the Spanish
army is bringing slong shows a purpose
to lay In ample fresh meat in anticipa lion
Of a siege This and the pack trains ham,
Per rapid advance, but even with bad
road, the Spaniar6s will probably make
from ten to twenty miles a day. Much re-
lance has been placed on Gen. Garcia q
Cubans to prevent this advance of rein
forcements from the left. But 1t appears
that Garcia's entire force has been with
drawn from the left, and has now been
landed with Gen. Skaters main body on
the right of the city.
Transfer of Cubans.
Gen. Shafter also reports the details OF
this transfer of Garcia's forces He saws
the transfer from Asceraderos covered fifty
miles, and that 5000 of Garcia's troops
were landed on the right of the harbor
making in all over 1900 Cubans concen.
trated with the American troops on the
right Of the city. He does not mention
specifically. whether any Cubans remain
TO the left, but the inference is plain from
his detailed report on the transfer OF
Cubans to the r.s.4t, that most, if not all
of them accompanied Garcia in the trans.
fers. This move was doubtless made be-
fore word had reached Gen Shafter that
the Spanish refnforcements were fifty-fye
miles to the left of Santiago. else 1t is fel,
that Gatcia's forces would have been kep.
on tie left to hamper the advance of the
spariards, and II possible hold them back
Whether this can be done now is prob.
1ematic.
From the fact that Gen. Shafter REPORTS
that he viii take the city as soon as he
can get ready to move, before reinforce
ments reach him, 1t is evident that he