Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-06-02
TROOPS NOW ENBARK|NG.
First Land Campaign Against
the Spanish Army Will Be
at Santiago de Cuba.
GEN. SHAFTER TO LEAD.
Fighting Will Not Probably Begin
Before the End of the Week or
Beginning of Next.

Fifteen thousand Infantry and Artillery
to BE hurried to the South Coast of Cuba
Under the Convoy of Some of Admiral
SIMPSONS Ships-Plan to Make Conn
bined Land and Sea Attack on the Spanish
squadron.
Washington, June Limited States
troops are being embarked ut Tampa
for the first active land campaign
against the Spanish army.
Naturally, the officials of the War
Department and high officials of the
army are very reticent as to the des-
tination of this expedition and the de-
tails OF the plan of campaign. The
weight of opinion in well informed cic
cles, however, is that it is the purpose
of the administration to make the cap
ture or the destruction of Admiral
Ceryera's fleet an absolute certainty
by Il combined land and sea attack on
Santiago de Cuba.
Long cipher dispatches We're sent to
Major General Shafter at Tampa Or
dering him to embark about $4,000
troops, principally infantry and artil-
the convoy of naval vessels, and Ad-
miral Sampson has been instructed to
furnish sufficient force to,safely con-
voy the transports.
While no official statement can be
obtained as to the destination of these
troops, there is little doubt that they
are to be landed near Santiago de
Cuba, and that upon General Shafter
nd Gi.l,I Il
volve the defeat of the Spanish troops
concentrated in that neighborhood, the
reduction of the fortitications and the
capture or destruction of the Spanish
ships.
General Skaters troops will be
nearly all regulars. Probably not
more than two of the best organized
and equipped volunteer regiments now
at Tampa will be embraced in his
command. The transports will carry
large quantities of ammunition and of
every kind of supplies that will be
needed by an army in the field.
In addition TO the field guns of the
artillery, 1t is understood that the eX-
petition will carry number of siege
guns, such as would be useful in at
tacking the Spanish fortitcations or
firing ON the fleet in the harbor.
If this is the plan that is to be pur-
sued it is not probable that there will
be any fighting in the neighborhood
of Santiago de Cuba before the end of
the present week.
More time will be required for them
to reach position in the interior from
which they can advance upon the
Spanish forces. The topography of
the country about Santiago de Cuba is
such as to make the movements of an
army with artillery and supply trains
somewhat difficult, but there is reason
to believe that the plans contemplate
landing at point from which the
march of the troops will be compara-
lively short.
If the Spanish forces can be de-
feated General Shafter will probably
be able to so place his siege guns ON
the high lands about the harbor so as
TO get plunging fire ON the Spanish
fleet and compel Admiral Cervera to
surrender or to steam out to sea,
where Commodore Schley will be
awaiting him with an overwhelming
force of naval vessels.
There is talk tonight of adding the
DhttiN plilp olNSoh W thC NohiihO
dores already efficient armorclad fleet
Porto Rico, it is understood, is to be
the next scene of land operations after
the taking of Santiago. With the
Spanish land forces at Santiago dis
posed of, and the fleet of Admiral Ger
vera either captured or sunk, Spain's
power in the entire eastern end of
Cuba will be annihilated. 1t is in that
part of the island that the insurgent
forces are the strongest, and with
few United States troops entrenched
in the healthy mountainous country
back of santiago there will be no
danger of Spain making a successful
effort to re-establish her authority in
that part of Cuba.
Most of the troops could therefore
be Immediately withdrawn, and ac-
companied by reinforcements from the
United States, could be sent on to cap.
ture Porto Rico.
Admiral Cervera having been dis.
posed of, Admiral Sampson would
have a sufficient naval force at his
command to maintain the blockade of
Cuba, to convoy the transports, to
lombard San Juan, and at the same
time to be perfectly prepared to meet
the Spanish reserve fleet if it should
come across the Atlantic.