The Holly chieftain., 1898-07-29
SK|RM|SH At PORTO RICO
Gen. Miles Lands His Troops at
Guanica After a Little Brush
with Spanish Troops.
A MOVE MADE TO CAPTURE A RAILWAY.
lea and Not Much Resistance Is Expect
ed In Taking the city. as the Garrison
Does Not Exeeed 1000 Men-A Post
master Appcanted for Porto Rico.

Does NOT Exceed 1000 Men-A Post-
master Appointed for Porto Rico
Washing ton, July 27.-The govern.
ment is waiting to receive contirma.
tion of the reported debarkation OF
Gen. Miles troop The war depart.
mcnt did not ex pect to hear of Gen.
Miles landing near Ponce, as men.
toned in newspa per dispatches, but IL
is admitted that Gen. Miles is master
of his own movements, and it is en-
tirelv conceivable that he acquired in
formation since the original plans
were formed for the campaign against
Porto Rico that led him to modify
them at the moment when they were
to be put into execution. While the
distance from Ponce to San Juan
is much greater thau from the point
originally selected for Miles landing,
there is, according to the, military in
formation charts, a splendid i4-foot
macadamized road leading directly
across the island to San Juan on the
north shore. Such road as this, II
it is properly described in the
archives of the war department, would
be very little affected by the torren.
| j
might be possible for our troops, ac-
companied as they will be by field ar
ullery, to march across the 20 miles
between Ponce and San Juan in less
time than would have been required
to cover the much shorter distance be-
tween the capita and some of the
other points that have been named rs
the landing place for the troops.
Wherever the landing may have been
made the war department expects to
hear from Gen. Miles very soon, for he
has been long enough on the coast of
Porto Rico to have established himself
somewhere ashore and to have for
warded some communication to the
government There will be no diff
Guilty in the prompt transmission OF
any dispatches the general may
file over the cable from St
Thomas 1t is probable that in the
beginning the govern ment at Madrid
will be in advance with the news
This is because there is a cable run
ming from Ponce around through
group of the West India islands to
Kingston, where communication with
the transatlantic cable can be had.
Thus the conditions at Ponce so far as
cable connections are concerned ap-
proximate those existing at Santiago
at the begin ming Of the campaign,
when the Spanish government was
able to communicate directly with the
Spanish general In the town while
Gen. Skaters communications were
subject to q delay of about "a hours.
However, all this will be rec;ified in
the course of few days and Gen.
Miles will be inquick communication
with Washingtdn.
Gen. Mu~s lAnding Near Ponce.
WashingtouS July a7.-The dis
patches receivtd here last night to the
effect that Geo. Miles was landing his
forces near Ponce indicate that he is
following outhis original plan, which
towns in Porto Rico, for a base, and,
after he has cap tured it, get his army
in thorough shape before proceeding
to San Juan for the largest under
taking before him 1t is not his
intention TO ppsh forward for San Juan
until all his forces have landed
at Ponce. Although Ponce is the Sec
ond city of Porto Rico in population
and importance, its defenses are weak
and its garrison is small. Not much
resistance is expected. The city of
Ponce proper has no military defenses,
but on the hills to the north of the
town series Of earth intrenchments
have recently been constructed. West
of Ponce, where the railroad and mill
tary road touch the shore, earthworks
have been cons tructed to guard this
strategic point There are about so
mountain howitlers in Ponce available
for the defense Of the city and rail-
road. The regular garrison at Ponce
does not exceed in number 1000 men.
Landing Made After = skirmish-
Port OF Guanica, Porto Rico, July 20,
via St ThomaA ID. ". l., July a,.-The
United States nilitary expedition un.
der the command of Maj. Gen, Nelson
A. Miles, comma nding the army Of the
United States which left Guantanamo
bay during the evening of Thursday
last, July 81, was landed here success
fully to-day, alter u skirmish with a
detach ment of The Spanish troops and
a crew of so belonging to the launch
of the United States auxiliary gunboa
Gloucester, fornerly Mr.. J. Pierpont
Morgan's steam Yacht Corsair. Four
of the Spauiards were killed and no
Americans hurt The troops were
pushed forward promptly in order to
capture the railroad leading to Ponce,
which is only about ten miles east of
this place.
Fostmssteef for Porto Rico.
Washington, July %. Nathan Smith.
in charge of the postal establishment
for Porto Rico, len yesterday for New
por, News, whence he is to sail on the
ST. Louis for his destination on the is
land, He carried with him an outfit
including $4,000 worth Of stamps and
all the blanks and books necessary for
transacting a money order and regis
tered letter businesS The rate of let
ter postage between Porto Rico and
the United S,ateswill be the domestic
rate. two cents an ounce
| Eyerv Nfat~ w1iled lta Quota.