The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-07-02
THE PLAN OF BATTLE.
Capture of Clancy and Occupation of
 Commanding Plateau.

Capture of Clancy and Occupation or
 Commanding Plateau.
 [Copyright 1898, The Associated Pressl
 General Lawtons headquarters, Rio
 Guama, Thursday June 30, p. m.-By
 dispatch boat Wanda, to Port Antonio,
 July 1.-6 a. m.-Filed Kingston, Ja-
 maica, July 1.-9:30 a. m.-Daylight to-
 morrow CFriday) will see a movement
 of the Fifth division under General
 Lawton to a new base north and east
 of Santiago. All this morning General
 Garcia's Cubans have been moving
 from their hill camp on the east and
 have been passing headquarters al-
 most at a jog trot. Six thousand men
 will be deployed on the northeast and
 the American advance is a net which
 is now drawing close around the Span
 iards. General Lawton's men will
 move at daybreak.
 Three miles east of their present
 position, there rises a narrow ridge in
 IiiS ealltIctSO NdtltSs COuIllN eil U HUH
 here, the troops can look down on
 Caney, tiny, picturesque, old, and once
 a thriving Spanish town, almost at
 their feet. Three miles west are seen
 the Spanish barracks and large red
 building over which floats the Red
 Cross society's flag. This is the Reina
 Mercedes hospital, where, according to
 all pacifico accounts, are now located
 Liuetenant Hobson and the heroic sev- en. The valley, three miles wide,
 would be a garden spot in time of
 peace. Now it is filled with rank tropical growth, covering abandoned
 plantations. The only sign of a habi-
 tation between Santiago and Cavite is Dugrohu house, once hospitable coun-
 try hotel, now used by the Spanish as a barracks, but like Cavite, abandoned
 except for corporars guard of Span iards.
 Opposite on the northern side of the valley is a broad plateau accessible by good road. This is the key to Santiago. Artillery there could com mand the ctiy and force the Spaniards to evacuate or to storm the heights to capture the battery. The latter course the Americans consider extremely un- likely. General Lawton and his com mand from the ridge will first take Caney. A slight sSirmish Is expected, but nothing serious, the pacificos alleg- ing that the Spanish main force, which was there four days ego, had now been
 withdrawn into Santiago in pursuance
 of a general plan of concentration.
 Spies report General Linares' con- tinuous retreat from Baiquiri to San- tiago. This plan is said to be much against his own wishes, but 10 be forced upon him by his superior officer, General Toral, commanding at San tiago. It is evident the Spanish stand is to be made inside the strong en- trenchments about the city. With well armed men eager for final clash this stand might well be desperate. The temper of the Spaniards is hard to as l certain. Owing to the Cubans biased estimate of Spanish ability, they pre- | dict merely nominal resistance, but the Americans think otherwise. At any rate the Spanish are eating horses and 1 the civilians are gathering mangroves in suburban wood, where some twen- l ty persons have been captured by the American patrol. The Spaniards have 1 the spur of hunger. Whether it has broken their fighting spirit few days may tell.
 The capture of Clancy and possibly 1 the occupation of the commanding plateau is now thought to be the limit of to-morrow's movement. General Lawton's command carries provisions sufficient to last until July 4. With the present supply trains he will easily have food sufficient to last to July 20. By that time Santiago will be taken. This branch of the Fifth division will compete with the Spanish eastern | flank.
 A large detail has been at work all | day improving a military road to | Caney with view to the artillery and | the supplies for the other forces cut | ting through the woods parallel to old | Santiago road. It is also possible that 1 this opening may bring the siege guns l inland from the railway that are now working up the coast in the hands of 1 our troops. The condition of the Amer 1 ican troops is excellent. Despite the | hard rains and the hot run, only eigh- | teen men out of General Lawton's B. 1 O93 were reported ill on to-day's sick l call. The other commands are equally | well off. The men are full of snap and eager for the big fight. In preparation 1 for the final assault upon Santiago l sixty tried men in each brigade-non- commissioned officers and privates- have been promoted to be wire clippers and will proceed at once to cut the 1 barbed wire fences that obstruct the way to the city. Their mission is a most hazardous one, as they will be exposed to the fire of our own men as we'll as that of the enemy. The pa l cificos who have been brought into the | American camp during the last few 1 days are in pitiable condition. Men, women and children are absolutely
 starving and they welcome American | shelter,