The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-25
ADVANCING ON SANTIAGO.
United States Army Now Seven Miles
FROM MORO Castle.

Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.)
OFF JURAGUA, Province of Santiago de
Cuba, on board the Associated Press dis
patch-boat Dauntless, Thursday night
June %, via Port Antonio, Jamica, Friday
June "a, a. m.-The advance of the Ameri-
can army has reached the edge of the table
land in which the harbor of Santiago de
Cuba lies. Here, seven miles from Moro
Castle, as the crow flies, the main body of
the troops has united, and the Spaniards
are in full retreat towards Santiago They
might attempt a surprise, but decisive en-
gagement is not expected for several days.
General Lawton's brigade, which rested
last night at Demajaybo, four miles west of
Baiquiri, resumed it's march at daylight
Before noon his brigade, consisting of the
Twenty-second Infantry, the First Infantry
the Second Massachusetts Volunteers, with
companies of the Eighth Cavalry, half of
the Fourth Cavalry and several companies
of the Twenty-fifth Colored Cavalry occu-
pied Juragua, five miles beyond, and the
American flag was hoisted there. The Span
iards retired before the advance, which was
covered by Cuban skirmishers, burning the
blockhouses as they went
Colonel Wagner with small reconnois-
sance party with about forty men brushed
iards at Firmezes. A dozen shots were
fired by the Spaniards as Colonel Wagner
fell back Before General Lawton could
bring up the Twenty-second, the van regi-
ment, the Spaniards had decamped west
ward.
Juragua was abandoned by General Lin
ares and 1900 Spanish troops with such
haste that they had no time to burn the
town, though an Intellectual effort was made
to destroy the locomotives of the railroad
and the rolling stock. General Lnares re-
treated to Sevilla, seven miles west of Jul
ragua by road A detachment of 40 Gu
bans under Colonel Aguirra collided with
the Spanish rear guard. The Cubans had
two men killed and seven wounded, while
the Spanish loss is not known.
General Chaffee with the Ninth Cavalry,
the remainder of the Eighteenth, Fourth,
Seventh, Twelfth and Seventeenth Infantry
reached Juragua at dark. General Bats
with the reserve of the Twentieth Infantry
and Colonel Woods of the Rough Riders"
dismounted, with a dynamite gun, hurried
forward from Baiquiri at 8 o'clock, proceed
ing by forced marches
When the couriers brought the news that
Juragua had been occupied the transports
which had not disembarked their troops
steamed to Juragua with the view of land
ing them there. But the heavy sea beating
on the beach made it impossible to get the
boats through the surf
Dispatches from General Linares, which
have been captured, indicate that the Span
iards were forced to retreat toward Santiago
de Cuba. The Cubans expect the first stand
to be made at Savilla and they have proved
good prophets in the past.
General Lawtons men are badly tagged
by forced marches and the intense heat.
Their ratons are almost exhausted They
started with three days supplies and fur
Their food could not be forwarded to-day.
Strong outposts are maintained tonight
in order to prevent a surprise and Juragua
is also under the protection of the guns Of
the war ships. Thus the flank of the ad-
vancing American column is safe. The
Spaniards, to attack our troops, must make
a forced march through an almost impen-
etrable underground.
There were only two casualties during the
landing of the troops at Baiquiri. Corporal
Cobb and Private English, of Troop d,
Tenth Cavalry (colored), fell between a
lighter and the pier. Captain O'Neil, of
Woods Rough Riders, plunged into the sea
at the risk of his life, but the men were
crushed before he reached them. O'Neil is
a former mayor of Tuscon, A. T. Several
horses and mules were drowned while swim
ing to the shore through the surf
General Garcia's army of four thousand
men is to be conveyed by transports from
Acerradoes and landed at Baiquiri to-mor-
row to join the 1900 men under General
Castillo and cooperate with the American
troops The movement to-day almost
amounts to a change of base.
A brisk musketry fire was heard in the
direction of Savilla as the Dauntless left at
dark.
The Associated Press correspondent ac-
companied Colonel Wagner, of General
Lawton's staff, a topographer and Cuban
escort, yesterday afternoon, when the ad-
vance was made in the direction of SAINT
iago all around the American landing, and
found faithful Gordon of black, half
naked, hungry Cubans, armed with rifles
landed by Lieutenant Commander Dele
hanty's two expeditions. Further west, one
of the cutposts, who had had nothing to
eat since o'clock M, supped with them
on raw cocoanuts. The Cubans are cheer
full and apparently we'll satisfied. These
outposts are composed of from six to TWEEN
ty-five men each. Furnished with an es-
cort for a reconnaissance party to the next
post. Colonel Wagner proceeded to Dana
lava, which is marked on the military in
formation map as a town. but is really only
the ruins of a big hacienda. overgrown
with oleanders and other brilliant tropical
Towering plants, and sheltering the al
most naked sunburned outpost. They
cheerfuIly shared their cocoanuts with the
Americans. This point is four and a half
miles from Baiquiri. on the main Santiago
road.
The character of this main road is a reve-
lation to the American officers despite the
previous reports of its uniform badness. 1t
is overgrown on both sides. is an impene-
trsbIe jungle of tropical foliage. Colonel
Wagner mapped the road to Demajaya. Re-
turning he found the Second Massachu-
sctts, the Twelfth Infantry. the Tenth Cav
airy and the Twenty-fifth Infantry camped