The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-26
ALREADY RESTORED
Spanish Ready to Evac-
uate Porto Rice.
GEN. MILES TO RETURN.

spanish Governor General CompIet.
ing Arrangements for the E~vaeua.
uon-Spaniards Passing Through Our
Lines-Citzens Oh Ponce Delighted At
No Resistance Being Made There-Our
Soldiers Out OfShoes.
Ponce, Porto Rico, August 21.-After-
noon.-Delayed in transmission.-Ma-
Jor General Miles has decided to leave
with his staff for Washington in a few
days, possibly tomorrow. He will urn
over his command to General Brooke.
who is expected to reach here tomor-
row for a conference.
General Miles has arranged matters
generally with Captain General Macias
preparatory to the meeting of the
peace commission at San Juan. Cen
eral Macias, while maintaining his
outposts, is steadily retiring his forces
to h capital, preparatory to their en-
barkation.
Mail communication between Ponce
and San Juan has been established
and the overland telegraph wires,
which have been severed, will be con-
nected Immediately.
All that will remain for the commits
sion to do, General Miles says. will be
to secure an inventory of government
property transferred to the Americans
and to give receipts to the Spanish au-
thOritieS.
Captain General Macias in his vari-
u communication with General
Miles has shown the best spirit. He
is anxious to cooperate, bringing
about an evacuation at the earliest
m possible and is placing no OBJ
Stacles in the way of the volunteers
returning home.
Lieutenant Colonel Ramery, the
highest Spanish volunteer officer in the
island, reached here last night from
Aibonito. Other officers have been
coming through our lines all day.
Lieutenant Colonel Ramery says that
the Spanish forces at Aibonito were
short of ammunition and water and
entirely dependent for food upon Cay
ey. They must have succumbed, he
declares, as sOOn as General Brooke
struck Cayey.
According to a letter from San Juan,
the Spanish residents there who had
fled from the city have returned and
there is great rejoicing among them
that the war is ended, a feeling shared
by the soldiery.
Colonel San Martin, former Spanish
| commander at Ponce, who abandoned
the city on the approach of the Amer
leans and who, it was reported had
been shot for fOrSaking the city, is in
the hospital sick. He mas been strip
ped of his rank. The Ponce merchants
express their gratitude at his course,
because the flight of his command pre-
| vented the destruction Of their prop
erty and they are raising a, subscrip-
ton for him.
General Miles will advise General
Brooke to embark the Spanish prison
erS here and send them Immediately
to a Juan. 1t is expected that Rear
Admiral Schley will be there in a few
days.
Most of the troops in the island will
remain stationary until the final de-
tails have been settled, and they will
then march to a Juan, where they
will embark. General Miles will con-
suit with the authorities at Washing
ton as to the force that is to remain.
The volunteers are anxious to go home.
Today Sunday the liquor saloons
were closed and for the first time in
the history of the island there was a
| poOlIS IOIISAooo
The officers and men on the monitors
at Guanica think it unnecessary to
keep the ships there n longer. These
vessels are absolutely unsuited to a
tropical climate like hat here, and
the Puritan's officers have ent formal
complain to Secretary Long.
At Aguiada, north of Mayaguez, the
Spanish troops killed two natives last
Friday.
Ponce, Porto Rico, August 22.-Gen-
eral Miles and his staff will leave for
home on the steamer Avanzas tonight.
He is now holding a final conference
with General Brooke, who arrived from
Arroyo on the this morning
INC General Wilson, whose headquar-
tiers have been moved here.
Senior Lopez, editor of The a Juan
Correspondence, is here. He reports
that Governor General Macias is push
ing preparations for the evacuation OF
the island. The obstacles in the har-
away and a ship loaded with dynamite
has been removed. Genera Macias
Senior Lopez says, will return to Spain
in a few days, leaving the details OF
the vacuation to his subordinates.
General Henry's men are badly in
need of provisions. The garrison here
says it is impossible to transport sup
plies over the mountain trail and il
has been arranged to send them tC
Arecibo, an open port.
The Sixth Massachusetts, and the
Sixth Illinois regiments are without
shoes. General Brooke, who is to De
in command of the island, may leave
General Wilson in direct command OF
the troops while he (Brooke) is attend
ing the sessions of the commission fol
Porto Rico.