Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-07-28
ism. but he does not believe Germany
will go beyond safe limits.
MONDAY.

A caDlegram from st. Thomas, Dan
ish West Indies, states that that United
States troops were landing near Ponce,
Porto Rico. Ponce is the principal
commercial city of the island, and
there is said to be a good road from
that place to San Juan. The distance
between the two places in a straight
line is 40 miles and by the main road
rs miles.
| Gen. Miles will have in Porto Rico
an army of $4,000 men-more than
Brooke, who will be second in com
and many additional troops have also
reached that place to emb ark. 1t is
not likely that the expedition will
leave Newport News before Friday.
| Gen. Hudson's new brigade, includ
ing the Fifth Maryland, First Florida
and Second Georgia regiments, has
been officially ordered to prepare for
service in Porto Rico, and to hold itself
in readiness 30 embark on transports
at Tampa today.
Seven thousand Spanish soldiers at
Guantanamo surrendered yesterday.
| Those at Baracoa and Sagua, which
were included in Gen, Toral's capitu
| lation, are yet to yield.
| Gen. Garcia has arrived at Jiguany,
Santiago province. An Associated
Press dispatch from Santiago states
that he did not, as reported, have a
fight with Spaniards after the recent
surrender.
| Cubaus who live in Cienfuegos have
appealed to Admiral Sampson to cap
ture that city and rescue them from
starvation.
Gen. Shafter cables that merchants
in Santiago refuse to accept American
silver dollars at their face value, but
insist upon discount of 80 cents, as
in the case of Mexican dollars.
| Confidence is expressed to-day by the
higher officials of the War Department
that the entire expedition for Porto
Rico, including the troops selected
from Chickamauga, will be on the sea
by the end Of the week. and that the
last regiments to join General Miles
| Thursday, August 8, by which time it
completed for the campaign, which
will begin soon afterward.
General Brooke's command, which
will leave Newport News, will number
altogether not less than 1900 men.
These, in addition to troops sent from
Santiago, Tampa and Charleston. will
bring the strength of the army
of Porto Rican occupation up to $4,000
or force greater than that at any time
commanded by General Shafter in the
Santiago operations.
| War Department officials expect that
the campaign will be short, but that it
may be several days after the last
| troops have been landed before il
opens. 1t has been found necessary to
utilize as troop transports many ships
! that were intended for the transporta-
| ton of provisions, and some delay IL
| the forward movement of the army
against San Juan may result until the
command is fully equipped and sup
piled with rations and medical neces
stiles.
Want of transports is still embar
RAISING the department, although it il
not believed that this will be felt after
q few days, by which time several ships
on their way North will have reached
American ports. There are available
but fourteen vessels for transporting
troops from Newport News, of which
six are now there.
| There seems to be an impression
which the authorities say has been er
roneous that three separate places on
| the island were to be selected for the
| declaration of troops, and that three
distinct commands would be formed
and marched on San Juan from differ
ent directions. Today the adjutant
| general of the army made an emphatic
statement that but one place had been
chosen, and that all troops would be
landed there, the army formed and the
\ !, hi al,
| he says is settled, but the direction
that will be taken and the disposition
of the troops after they are landed is a
| campaign secret that will not be of
| ficially divulged.
Tie entire direction of the troops
when once on shore falls to General
Miles. General Brooke, who is the
third ranking officer of the whole army,
will occupy about the same position
that General Wheeler did at Santiago.
| He will be next in rank to Miles. AS
such the most important division of
troops will be commanded by him, but
the directing power will be General
Miles, upon which will fall the credit
or censure of the campa gn.
| For the movement of troops selected
| for departure from Tampa there is
now an inadequate supply of trans
ports, but others are expected to arrive
in time to enable the whole number to
get away by the end of this week.
The expeditionary force that is to
sail from Tampa was today officially
increased by three Southern regiments,
which will receive orders at once to
prepare for service in Porto Rico, and
to hold themselves in readiness to pro
coed abroad ship tomorrow. These
troops are the Fifth Maryland, Second
Georgia, and First Florida, all of which
have been daily expecting to be sent
to Fernandina. These regiments will
leave Tampa this week, and go direct
to join General Miles. Transports are
on hand to provide for them, and they
will be among the first regiments sail
ing.
The signal service has succeeded in
retaining from the battlefield of San
tiago the tubes which supplied the
military balloon with hydrogen gas,
and they with the balloon itself, have
been taken to Tampa. The tubes will
be recharged and the whole apparatus
will be sent to Porto Rico to assist
Gen. Miles in his campaign there.
The balloon is said to have proved of
great value in the Santiago campaign,
and from the character of the country
in Porto Rico where military opera
tions mnst be conducted it is believed
that it also can be used to advantage
there.
Overtues for Peace.
The Spanish government through
French Ambassador Cambon, made a
formal proposal for ending the war
and arranging the terms of peace to
the United States Tuesday. CaInbon
called personally on the President and
Secretary OF State at the White House
that afternoon and presented note
authorized by the Spanish minister of
foreign affairs embodying the initial
overtues OF the government at Madrid.
An hour after the interview the Presi-
dent directed that the following Off
oiai statement be given out: The
French ambassa or on behalf OF the
government OF Spain, and by direction
: ,f,i- l.. ,isto ~ 60. 6