Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-06
THE PORTO RICO CAMPAIGN.
Spaniards offered No Serious Resistance
Campaign Prosecuted With Vigor.

Spaniards offered No Serious Resistance
Campaign Prosecuted With Vigor.
With the fall of Santiago, the occu-
patton OF Porto Rico became the next
strategic necessity. Gen. Miles had
previously been assigned to organize
an expedition for that purpose. For
tunately he was already at Santiago,
where he had arrived on the 18th of
July, with reinforcements
FOR GEN. SKATERS ARMY.
With these troops, consisting Of g.
AS infantry and artillery, two COM
panies Of engineers, one company OF
the signal corps, General Miles left
Guantanamo on July 21, having nine
transports conveyed by the feet under
Captain Hlgginson, with the Massachu-
sets (fagship), Dixie, Gloucester, Co
lumbia and Yale, the two latter carry
ing troops. The expedition landed at
Guanica, July 25, which port was en-
terrell with little opposition. Here the
fleet was joined by the Annapolis and
the Wasp, while the Puritan and Am
phitrite went to San Juan and joined
the New Orleans, which was engaged
in blockading that port. The Major
General commanding was subsequently
reinforced by General Schwdn's bri-
gade of the Third army corps, by Gen
eral Wilson, with a part of his division
and also by Geenral Beooke with a
part of his corps, numbering in ali
1878 officers and men
On July q he entered Ponce, one
of the most important ports in the
island, from which he thereafter di
rected operations for the capture of
the island.
With the exception of encounters
with the enemy at Guayas a, Hormi-
gueros, Camo and Yauco, and an at
tack on a force lanued at Cape San
Juan, there was no ss:lous resistance.
The campaign was prosecuted with
great vigor end by the 18th of August,
much of the land was in our possess
sion and the acquisition of the remain
der was only matter of short time
At Llost of the points in the island our
troops were enthusiastically welcomed.
prote.tationS of loyalty to the flag and
gratitude for delivery from Spanish
rule met our commanders at every
stage. AS potent influence toward
peace the outcome of the Porto Rican
exActiition was
OF GPEAT CONSEQUENCE
and generous commentator is due to
those WI i. participated in it.
The last scene of the war was enact
eG at Manila, rs strating place. On
August Is, after a brief assault upon
the works by the land forces, in which
the squadron assisted, the capital sur
rendered Internationally. The casual
tie3 were comparatively few. By this
the conquest of the Philippine islands,
virtually accomplished when the Span
ish capacity for resistance was destroy
ca by Admiral Dewey victory of the
LIST of May, was formally sealed. To
Gen. Merritt, his officers and men for
their accomplishing and devoted SER
vice and for their gallan+ry in action,
the nation is sincerely grateful. Their
loLg voyage was made with singular
success, and the soldierly conduct of
the men, most of whom were without
previous experience in the military ser
vice, deserves unmeasured praise.
The total casualties in killed and
wounded in the army during the war
with Spain were: Officers, killed, %;
enlisted men killed 257; total, ESQ; Off
GERS wounded, 113: enlisted lien
wounded, 1,464; total 1,577. OF the
navy: killed, It, wounded, 81; died as