The herald., 1898-06-30
ON TO SANTIAGO
PREPARATIONS MADE FOR A
GENERAL ADVANCE
SITUATION OF THE TROOPS
Spanish Strongly Entrenched-Con-
slant Work for Our Men-They
Stand the Work Well
Associated Press Special Wire

AT THE FRONT ON THE RIO GUIANA
SECOND CROSSING, Tuesday, June %. a
p. M, per the Associated Press dispatch
boat Dauntless, via Port Antonio, Jamaica,
Wednesday. June 20. a.. M. and Kingston,
Jamaica, $3.50 a. m.-The preparations for
the general advance of American troops
on Santiago are being pushed steadily for
ward and troops of all branches of the sary-
Ice are being hurried to the front. Gen.
Kent's division, consisting of the brigade
of Gen. Hawkins, Col Pearson and Col.
Worth, has Joined Gen. Lawton's divis-
lon, and with the cavalry division of Gen.
Wheeler and four batteries oflight artillery
will now be strung out in the rear of Gen.
1awton's division.
The front still rests on the second cross
ing of the Rio Guiana on the road to Santl-
ago de Cuba In the rear of the crest of the
Sevilla hills and a mile and a half back
The brigade Of Gen. Bates, the Thirty
second Michigan Regiment and battalion of
the Thirty-fourth Michigan Regiment, was
landed yesterday by the auxiliary cruiser
Yale and will remain at Juragua and ST.
honey.
The delay in the .genexal field movement
is due to the. inabilIty1ts get subsistence
stores to the front rapidly enough.
The advance, 1t is said, will not be ord
cred until every man has three days ra-
lions in his knapsack.
This, however. is impossible until the
road is passable for Wagon trains. The
pack trains can only convey one days ra-
tions in a day.
The men constructing this road have the
work almost completed and this afternoon
the first wagon train of four six-mule teams
will go through. In two or three days
every man will have three days rations
| in his knapsack and as soon as that occurs
the army will move on the enemy AL
though the Cubans affect to have thor
ough knowledge of the country and the
trails nothing is taken for granted.
The flank is being thoroughly recon
lnoitered and an accurate move has been
made by the engineers. Much of the in
formation thus obtained will be of ines
Unable value from a strategic point OF
view. Last night General Mendonca OF
General Lawton's staff made a recon
noissance up to the very trenches of the
enemy, their sentries on picket duty be-
ing plainly heard.
Corporal Dewey and nine sharpshooters
from the Seventh infantry went out of
dark last night with one days rations to-
ward the Spanish line, and they have not
yet returned, but no fear is entertained
for their safety. 1t is believed they are
lying in the bush waiting for the night.
At daylight this morning. Lieutenant
Smith of the Fourth infantry, with detail
of fifty men from the Seventh infantry
under Lieutenant Dearfoo crossed the San
Juan and went In u northeasterly direc-
| ton as far as Caney, or FL Quay, as 1t Is
marked on the maps. without encounter
ing any Spanish troops, and fifty men OF
Company G., Seventh regiment, Captain
Young, also made a reconnaissance in
force. The Spaniards have seemingly re-
tired to their Entertainments, as no pickets
or skirmishers were encountered. Generals
Lawton, Wheeler and fChaffee have had
riders out beyond our advance posts sew
eral times.
Captain Wright, of General Bates staff
today followed the line of the railroad run
ming out of Juragua towards Santiago to
within half a mile of our front, and 1t can
be utilized to bring up supplies and siege
guns, the first of which was landed at Bal
quiri this afternoon. So
AS soon as the remaining battalions of
the Thirty-fourth Michigan and Eighth
Massachusetts, which arrive on the Har-
ward tomorrow, and the six thousand re-
Inducements sent from Tampa, arrive
here, Aguadores, a town on the coast, four
miles west of Juragua, will be taken The
place was shelled today by several ships
of the fleet. Aguadores is on the line of
advance of the army into the interior and
close to the railroad. 1t will then prob