New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-19
OFF FOR PORTO RICO.
CEN MILES STARTS WITH
ADVANCE EXPEDITION.
rrvCRAL ERNSTS BRIGADE is ALSO
rvDER WAY. AND SIX THOUSAND
MEN HAVE BEEN ORDERED
TO SAIL FROM TAMPA.
Inv TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

TO SAIL FROM TAMPA.
fRy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRiDUNE.l
r,oo,,rgton. July lS-The advance expedition
N Porto Rico under General Miles. has already
..ar,ad and is 70 be landed that island be-
tore the end Of this week, according to final
o-dsrs which were issued from the War Depart
osnt to-day. and as rapidly as possible Major
General Brooke's troops will hasten after 1t. to
.o-operate IN the energetic campaign which has
been mapped out
The troops under General Miles's immediate
command aggregate nearly ten thousand, and
.nose assigned to-day to General Brooke exceed
e,,aen thousand men. General Niles reports hav-
tho already left the vicinity Of Santiago on the
.uxriarv cruiser Yale with General Randolph
.,d four batteries Of light artillery. stopping at
Guantanamo to-day TO await the strong naval
convoy. which will prepare a safe landing place
NV shelng the selected locality near San Juan
spontaneously General Ernsts brigade at
Charleston. which was all ready to depart for
Santiago last Friday, when that city surren-
Aered has embarked the transports La
crande Duchesse. Obdam and Mobile. to JOIN the
ysIs. and from Tampa 1t IS announced that six
thousand men, upon eight transports. VIII start
q, once TO meet the other vessels on the Porto
Rcan coast.
The transports at Tampa are the Cherokee. the
c,.s,s the Morgan. the Whitney. the Arcadia
.,s Florida. the Mohawk and the Fanita- The
.roops assigned to these vessels are wholly
1or,,lar consisting Of General Schwan's bri-
.ode ~ The 9TH Cavalry and 9th 1lth and 18Th
Infantry regiments. and General Rodgers's artil-
,arv brigade. aggregating $3.50 men. made up
~ Light Batteries and NJ Of the Ith ana
Heavy Batteries H and K ot the %. D Of the
l,b p G. K and Of the Sd, Of the 9th
and H and K Of the 7th Artillery These com
roands. with General Ernst's brigade. composed
of the 10th Pennsylvania and I'd and 90 WIS
consin Volunteer Infantry regiments. are relied
,,,on m secure and establish impregnable
base on the enemy's territory similar to that
secured at Baiquiri. and by aggressive opera
tions are expected 10 succeed in developing the
effective strength OF the Spanish force which
must be overcome.
BUT A SMALL FORCE MAY BE NEEDED.
II is possible that General Miles will learn
that his ten thousand men, with the assistance
OF Admiral sampsons feet. will be able to
seize the entire island Of Porto Rico. but
whether or NJ. the defence Is OF desperate
character. reinforcernents will be promptly hast
ened forward under the plans which have ma
tured during General BIookes stay in Wash
,ngton. He has been charged with the entire
matter Of furnishing prompt support TO General
Mnss and he has selected the best equipped
snd drilled volunteer regiments TO be quickly
embarked al Atlantic Coast ports for that pur-
pose To carry these men large number Of
transports are practically ready for sailing
Among them are five at NewYork. including
she Olivette which has just delivered her
wounded from Santiago. and the Massachusetts.
the Michigan. the Roumanian and the City OF
WASHINGTON. as well IS the auxiliary cruiser 81
Louis tust returned from Annapolis where she
took Admiral Cervera and his officers Ihe
4ransport steamer Breakwater is at Newport
News and the Harvard. after delivering her
prisoners at Portsmouth. y H.. will hurry down
70 Hampton Roads to take troops from there
The Seneca. which left Sboney with wounded
las; Thursday. is also expected at Hampton
Roads at any moment. and will be available at
once tor Transporting men. 1t is also likely that
the portion Of General Garretson's brigade.
consisting OF the 9th Massachusetts, and 9TH
Illinois Volunteer Infantry. which reached San
t!ago on the Yale and the Columbia July IL. too
late 10 participate in operations there. VIII re-
embark under General Mes's orders 10 inter
oept General Brooke's command of tbs Poto
Rican coast
GENERAL BROOKWs COMMAND.
The War Department tonight refused TO an
nounce the selected regiments assigned TO Cen
eral Brooke's command. TO avoid the pressure
that would surely result 70 secure the suosttu-
tion OF other forces at the last moment through
political Influences, but 1t is pretty well under