Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-30

At the Front on the Rio Guiana, Sec
ond Crossing, June 2S-Per the Asso-
ciated Press Dispatch Boat Dauntiess,
via Port Antonio, June 29.-The
preparations for a general advance of
the American troops on Santiago de
Cuba are being pushed steadily forward
and troops of all branches of the SER
vice 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. Lawtons division and with the
cavalry division CT Gen. Wheeler and
four batteries of light artillery, will
now be strung out IN the rear Of Gen.
Lawtou's division.
The front still rests on the second
crossing OF the Rio Guiana river on
the road to Santiago de Cuba, in the
rear OF the crest OF the Seyilla hits
and mile and half back.
The brigade OF Gen. Bates, the Thir-
ty-second Michigan regiment and a
battalion OF the Thirty-fourth Michigan
regiment, which were landed yesterday
by the auxiliary cruiser Yale, remain
at Julagua or Siboney. The delay in
the general forward movement is due
to the inability to get subsistence stores
TO the front rapidly enough. The ad-
vance, it is said, will not be ordered
until every man has three days rations
in MS knapsack This, however, is i'm
possible until the read is passable for
wagon trains. The pack trains can
only convey one days ratlOnS in day.
The men constructing the bridge
reads 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 more every man
VIII have three days rations in his
knapsack, and as soon as that occurs
the army will move upon the enemy.
The day has been utilized to good adj
vantage. Although the Cubans affect
to have thorough knowledge of the
country and the trails, nothing is
taken for granted.
Our boys are cheerful, in spite of
the excessive heat and the hard fare,
which thus far has been confined ex-
clusively to coffee, hard tack and ba-
con, a diet hardly suitable for the
CilLidlS. IklC6 NUulu Iudh6 q SpIGuutu
staple here.
But the great deprivation is that both
men and officers are suffering from the
lack Of tobacco.
The men are remarkably steady and
confident. The pickets show none of
the nervousness which might be ex-
pected, and there are practically no
alarms or phantom firing" on the
lines at night.
Two accommodating parties, one of
the Ninth cavalry and the other of the
Twentyfourth infantry. collided this
morning and several shots were ex-
changed, fortunately without accident,
before their identity was established.
The whole country, front and flank.
is being thoroughly reconnoitered and
an accurate map has been made by the
engineers. Much of the information
thus obtained will be of inestimable
value from a strategy point of view.
Corporal Dewey and nine sharpshoot-
ers from the Seventh infantry went out
at dark last night with one DAYS ra-
lions toward the Spanish lines and they
have not yet returned, but no fear IS
entertained for their safety. 1t is be-
lieved they are lying in the bush wait
ing for night.
AT daylight this morning Lieut.
Smith, of the Fourth infantry, with a
detail of fifty men from the Seventh
infantry, uader Lieut.. Dearfoo. crossed
the San Juan and went in a northeast
erly direction as far as Caney, or Ell
Carney, as it is marked on the maps,
without eneountering any Spanish
troops, and fifty men of Company A,
Seventh regiment, under Captain
Young, also made reconnaissance in
force. The Spaniards have seemingly
retired to their intrenehments, as no
pickets or skirmishers were encounter
ed
Gen. Lewton, Gen. Wheeler and Gen.
Cbalfee have had riders out beyond our
advance posts several times.
AS soon as the remaining battalions
Of the Thirty-fourth Michigan and
Eighth Massachusetts, which arrive on
the Harvard tomorrow and the six
thousand reinforcements sent out from
Tampa reach here, Aguadores, a town
on the-eoast four miles west of Juraga,
and about the same distance east Of the
halbor entrance. will be taken.
Captain Wright on his reconnois-
Ssance, obtained information which is
believed to be reliable, to the effect that