The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-22

o%y
dent, Secretary Alger and General
Brooke, during which there was fire.
uuent communication with General
Miles at Siboney, the details Of the
Porto Rican expedition were perfected
and the expedition was gotten under
way, General Miles with some artil-
lery and troops sailing today for Por-
to Rico on the converted cruiser Yale,
to be followed quickly by an army of
about 80, 600 men. There are some not
able differences in the plan for this
expedition and for the stately naval
pageant that sailed away from Tampa
under General Skaters command to
attack Santiago. First, there will be
practically no naval conveys the navy
department has declared that they are
Unnecessary; that there is not a Span
ish warship in the West Indies that
dare trust it's bow out of port. In the
second place, the expedition does not
start from one point, but will be di-
Vided among several ports, thus pre-
venting the tremendous congestion
that was encountered at Tampa in the
effort to start the big fleet. Lastly,
there will be no effort to get the ships
way together, but the transports will
be allowed to find their own way to
their destination without concerted
movements.
MILES LEADS THE WAY.
General Miles leads the way. He had
been promised by the president he
should go to Porto Rico, and the prom
Use was redeemed when the Yale head
ed today for Porto Rico. General
Brooke will be the senior officer I'M
der Miles command and upon him will
fall the responsibility for the execu-
ton of the details of his superior's
plans.
1t is estimated that General Miles
should arrive by Wednesday night at
the point selected for the landing and
will hoist the American flag at once
over Porto Rico. The point chosen
for his landing is kept secret, as
the general will land before the full
bOdy of the expedition is at hand, and
it is, consequently, not desirable that
the enemy should be able to assemble
a superior force to meet him.
The distance from Charleston, where
the first body of troops for General
Miles expedition was to start today,
is more than double the distance from
Santiago to Porto Rico, so that the
transports which sail from the former
city can scarcely reach General Miles
before the early part of next week.
These Charleston troops are the First
brigade of the First division of the
First army corps and are commanded
by B~rigadier General George H. Err
nest. The brigade comprises the Sec
ond Wisconsin, the Third Wisconsin
and the Sixteenth Pennsylvania regi-
ments.
A VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN.
The purpose of Secretary Alger is
to make the Porte Rican campaign a
short one. An overwhelming force
will be thrown upon the island and it
is possible that a bloodless victory will
be achieved when the Spanish become
convinced that they have no reason
able chance to resist successfully.
THE TROOPS TO BE SENT AT
ONCE.
The expedition is to comprise 10000
men at the start and it will be swelled
soon to 40, 900 and, if necessary, to TO-
600 men, the equipment of the volun-
teer forces having now progressed so
we'll as to warrant the statement that
that number can be ready for service
in Porto Rico within a very short time.
The entire body of troops at Tampa
will be taken, numbering about $4,000
men and including a lot of heavy and
light artillery in command of General
Rodgers. The expedition will be strong
with artillery, as some of that at San
tiago commanded by General Ran
dolph is to be drawn upon. The Tam
pa troops are known as the Fourth
corps, under Major General C%Oppinger,
comprising the Second division under
Brigadier General Simon Snyder and
made up Of the First brigade, Briga-
der General Schwann, Eleventh and
Nineteenth United States infantry;
Second brigade, Brigadier General Car
penter, Second New York and Fifth
Maryland; Third brigade. One Hun
dred and F~ifty-seventh Indiana,
Third Pennsylvania and First Ohio,
Brigadier General Hale; Third divis-
ion. Brigadier General Kline COM
handing, First brigade, Colonel Z. L.
Remnant, Fifth Ohio, First Florida and
Thirty-second Michigan; Second brig
ade, Brigadier General Lincoln, Sixty
ninth New York, Third Ohio and Sec
ond Georgia.: the provisional cavalry
brigade, Colonel Noyes, Fifth United
States and attachments of the First
Second. Third, Sixth and Tenth Unit
ed States cavalry, and eight troops OF
Rough Riders; artillery brigade, Gen
eral Randolph, two light and ter
heavy batteries. 1t is possible that al
Of the cavalry will not be called upon
General Brooke will take with him
from Chackamauga park most of the
First and Second brigades of his army
corps, the First. These are lin addi
ton to General Ernest's brigade. a
Charleston the Second brigade, FRS
division, General Haines', Fourth Ohio
Third Illinois and Fourth Pennsyl
vania; Third brigade, Colonel j. S. Gu
yer. First Kentucky. Third Kentucky
Fifth Illinois,; Second division. Colone
j. S. Poland commanding, First brig
ade. Brigadier General G. T. Roe
Thirty-first Michigan, First Georgia
One Hundred and SiXtieth Indiana
Second brigade, General Mckee, Sixtl
Ohio, One Hundred and Fifty-eightl
Indiana. First West Virginia.: Thir'
brigade, Brigadier General Rosser
Second Ohio, First Pennsylvania
Fourteenth Minnesota.
THE NAVY TO COOPERATE.
The part which the navy is to talk
in the assault against Porto Rico ha
been fully matured. The several trans