Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-05-11

] to Cuba-GeneraI Brooke VIII BE In
mauga-GeneraIs Wade, Coppincer and
shafter to Have Commands Under
! General Miles.
! WASHINGTON, May 11.-One effect of
| the retreat of the Spanish fleet has
been to hasten even more the prepare
tons already under full Roadway for
the dispatching of military expeditions
! to Cuba. 1t also has caused a complete
change in the concentration plans.
Time is now believed to be the great
| factor. There is no longer opportunity
| to indulge III extensive drilling and
practice manonvreing. The regular
| army troops do not need these and are
| to be thrown at once into the fray.
| Many of the regiments of the national
| guard which are entering the volunteer
service are felt to be sufficiently trained
| from military point of view to follow
| the regulars Immediately and the de-
partment indicated its purpose of dis
| patching these volunteer troops directly
to the gulf coast for shipment, instead
of sending them TO Chickamauga. This
disposition was shown by the changes
in the new orders issued to the troops,
although there yet may be q return to
the original program Of concentration if
the plans show signs of weakness as
they develop.
The quartermaster general has al
ready gotten under charter 81 merchant
steamers for the transport of troops and,
roughly speaking, these should carry
about 10000 men. Others are being pro-
cured as rapidly as possible. The plan
of the war department is to have these
vessels assemble at the different gulf
ports, Tampa, Mobile, New Orleans and
Galveston, to take on troops which will
be sent there. The navy department is
expected to furnish conveys for these
transports. which would be absolutely
helpless against Spanish attack. At this
point there are no signs of friction.
First, the transports will be obliged to
await Admiral Sampson return in or
der to secure proper convoy; and sec
ondly, the navy objects very decidedly to
undertaking the task of conveying a
number of transports. 1t insists that to
assure the safety of the convoy of the
troops all Of the transports should be
gathered in one fleet to start from Tam
pa, and the navy is likely to prevail in
this.
Now that Major General Sewell has
been assigned to command the concen-
tration camp at Falls Church, near this
city, preparations are being rushed to
put the grounds there into shape for the
reception of the volunteers.
By Friday morning the commanding
general of the United States army,
Major General Miles, will have assem-
bled his staff around him at Tampa,
Fla. He is expected to leave Washing
ton tonight taking with him Colonel
Mueller, Colonel Maus, Colonel Green
leaf, Major Osgood, Major HUMPHREYS,
Captain Seaburn and Captain Scott.
Only one member of the staff, Captain
Davis, will remain at headquarters and
he will follow the general within two
or three days, or as soon as he can turn
over the care of the business at army
headquarters to another officer to be
designated for that duty. Unless pres
emit plans are changed the general will
go with the first expeditionary force to
Cuba. He is not expected to relieve the
major generals already selected for that
| task of the conduct of the campaign,
but both in Florida and in Cuba will
exercise the same general superintend-
does from his headquarters in Wash
ington.
The plan to have General Shafter
head an army of 5000 to establish a
base of communication with the insnr-
gents was completely swept aside.
General Wade, General Coppinger and
General Snafter respectively, in the
order of their rank, it is now determined,
will lead equal divisions of the army of
occupation under General Miles. Cen
| eral Brooke, now at Chickamagua, has
| been definitely selected to command the
entire volunteer force of $4,000 men,
which is designed to support the regu-
lars III the campaign. Most of the regu-
lar forces now in camp under him will
be sent to Mobile and New Orleans as
| quickly as possible. to depart simultan-
! eously with the expedition from Tampa,
and their places on the Chickamauga
battlefield will be speedily occupied by
the first volunteer corps, consisting of
30 regiments Of infantry, six light bat
teries of artillery and two regiments of
cavalry.
The arrangements for the move upon
Cuba are being fastened with such an
energy that it is evident to any OBJ
server that the beginning of the cam
paign is imminent. 1t is expected here
that within week the first troops will