Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-08-01

Ponce, Friday, July 20, 9 p. H.
No forward movement of the army
is expected for several days. The
transports with Gen. Brooke's ar
my corps and the remainder of the
First corps are arriving slowly.
Our troops will probably remain
here quietly, and the bulk of the
army has disembarked. Only three
transports have arrived since yes
terday. They have just appeared
in the offing and only one has been
made out. 1T has On board the
Fifth Ohio cavalry.
Gen. Miles will retain his head
quarters at the custom house at the
port of Ponce, while Gen. Wilson
will be in the immediate command
of the troops in the city. Gen.
Ernst's brigade, consisting of the
Second and Third Wisconsin and
the Sixteenth Pennsylvania regi-
ments, went out a mile
and a half on the mill
itary road after dusk last
night, retaining two companies of
the Sixteenth to act as provost
guard in the city. Captain Allison
has been appointed Provost Mar
shall, and with the aid of the local
constabulary, has preserved excel
lent order, although most of the en-
tire population of the city remain
ed in the streets celebrating the ar
rival of their American liberators
until
LONG AFTER MIDNIGHT.
During the night all sorts of wild
rumors were brought in to Gen.
Wilson. The first was that the
Spanish were to attack the city in
force. In view of this strong
line of outpost was maintained by
Gen. Ernst and the men slept on
their arms. This report, however,
soon gave way to rumors that the
Spanish were retreating, putting
entire villages, plantation uildings
and houses to the torch, and muir
dering and ravishing as they went.
Some of the wealthy planters of
the vicinity became horror-stricken
and appealed wildly to Gen. Wilson
to dispatch troops to the rescue,
but it was manifestly impossible to
divide so small a force. None of
the reports were confirmed when
daylight came, except that the
SpaniaYds were in full retreat.
That they INDUCED in excuses
of a
VINDICTIVE CHARACTER
is doubtless true, but the town of
Juana Dias,, which was reported
to have been burned last night, is
known to be standing this morn
ing.
General Jose Garcia, who is in
immediate command of the Spanish
regulars-not believed to number
more than five hundred-was de-
serted by most of the Spanish vol
unteers in his command during
the night, and they began stray
Cling back to the city with the
dawn. They Immediately present
ed themselves to the provost mar
shall and surrendered their arms.
The appearance of the volun-
teees aroused in the breasts of the
natives who had suffered at their
hands in the past, especially the
political prisoners, who were re-
leased when we took the city, a de-
sire for revenge, and they began
to ferret out all the Spaniards in
the city who had ever been in the
volunteer service, and dragged
them to the Plaza. Bloodhounds
could not have been more savage.
Most of the Spaniards in hiding, on
being discovered, were hauled in
triumph by
HOOTIEG, JEERING MOBS
to General Wilson's headquarters
or to the provost marshars Office
in the municipal building. Some
OF the natives even began looting
the residences Of the Spaniards.
They mistook liberty for license.
and were craxed with thirst for
Continued .