The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-17
(Our Special War Correspondent
Camp Cuba Libre, near

| dbSoI TOPIC VI ulSCUSSlou Ill tdlu
ever since Friday afternoon, when al
official bulletin. posted in every regi
ment, announced the terms of the sur
| render
The flying of the American flag owe
| Santiago may mean much to the Seventh
Army Corps. 1t may mean Il change il
| its probable destination. When Genera
| Lee first arrived here the military pro
| grammc was to assign to him and his com
| mand part i'll the conquest of Porto
| Rico. Later that was changed and the
| troops were held here pending Il cOntem
plated invasion of Cuba. But the de-
struction of Cervera's fleet, the fall OF
Santiago and the appearance of yellow
fever have wrought another change in
plans. The Porto Rican expedition will
be the next step in the military pro
gramme, and it is hoped the Seventh
Army Corps will he given n show in it,
This expedition is to be under com
mand Of General Miles. assisted by Gen
eral Coppingcr, and possibly by General
Lee, just as first planned In that case
the points of embarkation will be Tam
pa, Fernandina and Jacksonville. The
four thousand regulars at Tampa will
certainly be taken. For this preparations
are now going on there day and night
The conquest of Porto Rico. il is ar
gued is a necessary step in the progress
of the war. The capture of the city
of San Juan would not only give the
American troops Il desirable base of sup
plies, but it would leave Spain without
any place of refuge on the Western
hemisphere. 1t is not believed that
Spain, after her naval experience at
Manila and Santiago, would venture to
send out a fleet to try to intercept an cx-
petition sent out from the American
coast.
OF course these plans may be changed
ut any time. and the troops in camp
here may stay here until next fall when
the attack is made on Havana. but the
programme now is to send them to Porto
Rico. That subjugated they will be
taken back to join in the invasion of
Cuba at the end of the yellow fever sea-
son.
The Seventh Army Corps will certain
~ be the army of occupation in Cuba
after it is subjugated. and General Lee
is made Governor General of the island.
And unless the North Carolina soldiers
get a chance in Porto Rico they will see
no service until they go to Havana next
fall.
Speaking of the Porto Rican expedition
Yesterday. General Burt said: Il am
very anxious to be in it, with my brigade.
1t is one of the best in the service to-day.
! will put the First North Carolina, Sec
ond Illinois and Second New Jersey regi-
anywhere"
CAMP FOR TAR HEELS AT ST.
AUGUSTINE.
The two companies &C and II of the
Second North Carolina infantry, order
ed to st. Augustine will be quartcred in
st. Francis barracks. They are to he
joined there by two companies of Geor
gia volunteer artillery. Company i of
the Fifth infantry, which has been sta
toned in st. Augustine, will leave in Il
few days to join their regiment at Tam
pa.
Already some of the North Carolina
soldiers here are planning excursions to
st. Augustine to visit the Tar Heel boys
when they get in quarters there.
Geographically speaking, the COM
panes sent to st. Augustine are to be
congratulated Being the Oldest town in
the United States, it is fittingiy called
the Ancient City. Most quaint and beau
tiful it is. With all its picturesque sur
roundings, romanceS and traditions, il is
one of the most enchanting tow MS in even
this beautiful Land of Flowers. Its
magnificent hotels, historic spots, an
Gent towers, tropical plants, cool sea
hreezes and balmy atmosphere make it
the Mecca of n constant stream of
tourists. The weather is always pleas
ant, the prevailing wind coming from the
southeast directly off the ocean.
ST Francis barracks, where the
troops will be quartered, are on the bay,
Just below the old fort, a mile from the
city, They are painted spotless white
end most beautifully located. On one
side stretches away to the horizon the
blue waters of the bay, just behind are
field and wood of tropical luxuriance,
while on the one hand are the towers
and quaint homes of Americas most an
Gent city. An enchanted spot it seems,
sleeping in the MONDAY sun.
THEY ARE NOW OUT OF THE
FIGHT.
From military point of view, though,
these companies are not so fortunate.
The fact that they are sent to st. Au-
gustine to do garrison duty, mean that
The chances are that they will never see
actual service in Cuba, Porto Rico or
anywhere else. 1t is much to be regret
ted that the Second North Carolina has
been broken up in this style.
There are to-day sixty-siX cases of ty-
phoid fever in the Division hospital
Two of these are critically ill.,
Twelve recruitsn came in yesterday
seven from Lieutenant Christian and
five from Lieutenant Erwin. Christian
sent William +. Rowland William p.
McDade, Ruffin Pulley, Arthur j. Kelly,
Wayland A. Robbins, John +. Maddry
and John f. Bennett. All of them join
ed the Durham company. Erwin's men
were Wiley u. V. Cox, Henry S. Holler,
James A. Mason, VIM. G. Jones and
Hugh n. Neighbors Neighbors joined
the Statesvlle company; the others cast
their lot with the Waynesyille boys.
Mr.. Maddry is ii newspaper man. hav-
ing once been the Durham correspondent
Of this paper, and editor Of the Morning
Herald" More recently he has been q
student at Trinity college.
Lieutenant Powell. of the Hornets