Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-07-14
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence OF the Alexandra Ga1et'

CuDanS were OF very little uSe W 1ue
army. They were not as strong as had
been represented and were not in
nhysical condition to stand hard cam
paign such as was to have been requir-
ed of them. This was due chiefly to
lack of food and lack of thorough or
panization. They did not display the
knowledge expected Of them and seem
TO be as much lost in the mountains as
an entire stranger would be. So far,
they have displayed no fighting quail
ties. There methods of warfare ere
primitive and some even say cowardly.
The Cuban soldiers way OF fighting,
up to the time when the American SOL
diers arrived, was TO run up on line
of Spaniards, fire volley, and then re-
treat to some safe place. Such an &C.
ton was called battle by Cubsns and
generally sufficed them for several days.
General Shafter early in the war
realized that the Cubans would
be of little use to him and is
placing no great confidence in them.
He is using them only for scouting
duty and the only good they accom-
plished. so far as l could see, was to
aid in driving the guerillas from the
mountain passes over which the army
marched from the basis at Siboney to
the front. Ap effort was made to head
of an army of 1000 Spauiards who
came up from Manzanillo with the
Cubans, but the Spauiards got into
Santiago and the Cubsns reported that
they had guarded the wrong road.
The army officers at the front received
this statement with disgust. 1t was
even limited that the Cubans did not
have burning desire 10 meet the
Spauiards on the right road. The
American soldiers have no confidence
in them whatever, and will not permit
them about the camp. 1t has even
been charged that the Cubans looted
their discarded haversacks offood which
we're dropped behind by the army on
its marches to the front. stopped
Cubans myself who were taking hard
tack and other eatables that lay along
the road between General Skaters
headquarters and San Juan hill.
4 dispatch just received from Shafter
dated to-day noon says that Toral has
asked that commissioners be appointed
to strange terms of surrender, Toral
having already appointed his. Gen.
Shafter has been authorized to appoint
commissioners to arrange the details Of
surrender, provided it is immediate.
Secretary Alger feels that the surren-
der is practically an accomplished fact.
The appointment of commissioners as
requested by General Toral is the Gus
tomary military method of arranging a
surrender. The commission is to agree
upon the details, such as the point
where the arms ard munitions OF war
shall be deposited; the place where
| General Shaiter shall meet Toral, etc.
Secretary Long, on leaving the White
House said that the proposition of Gen.
Toral for the appointment OF commits
sioner had been rejected and that Gen.
Shafter was instructed to tell Gen. Tor.
al that surrender must come first, after
which commission could be appointed
to arrange the minor details.
The embarkation of troops for Santi.
ago, which has been in progress at
Tampa, was stopped this morning on
orders sent out by the War Depart
ment. The only additional troops that
will be sent to Santiago from this coun.
try will be two immune regiments, as.
sigaed to garrison the city. Troops
now in the various camps in this coun-
try have been ordered to hold them
selves in readiness to go to Porto Rico
on short notice. 1t was stated this
morning that large force will be as
sembled at Fernandina for transporta.
ton to Porto Rico.
The President to-day appointed e.
G.. Ewart, to be {. S. Judge for the
Western District of North Carolina,
and Edward R. Meeks, to be U. S. Judge
| for the North District OF Texas; Colonel
Peter c. Haines, Corps Of Engineers,
L. S. A., to be member of the Mica
ragua Canal Commission, Jacob F
Kent, to be Major General of voluns
teers; Samuel B. NJ. Young, to be Major
General of volunteers; Henry Carroll,
to be Brigadier-General OF volunteers;
| VIM. w. Harris, to be Engineer Officer
OF volunteers, with rank of Major The
nominations OF Ewart and Meeks were
sent to the Senate several months ago.
but failed of confirmation. Serious
charges of a professional nature were
preferred against the former. aud Meeks
was bitterly opposed because it was al
legged lie was an Ohio carpet-bagger
and not long enough in Texas to en-.
title him to such good position.
All the Northern and Western regi-
ments with the maximum number of
members have three majors, as each of
such regiments is divided into three
battalions, But, so far, the Southern
regiments have only been allowed one
major. Steps have been taken, how
ever, to try to have this inequality
made even, and names have already
been presented for the vacant MAORI
ties.
Subscriptions to the issue of $780,
100000 war loan bonds closed at
o'clock this afternoon. Assistant Sec
rotary Vanderlip said that approximate
ly the subscriptions would reach one
billion one hundred millions, FIVE and
half times the amount asked for, OF
these, $500, 100000 are in syndicate
bids, two of them for the entire issue.
A son of Mr.. w. n. Wise, of Lees
burg, Va, formerly of Alexandria, was
appointed to position in the Marine
Hospital Service this morning.
One of the leaders of the movement
among the negfoe1 Of Virginia to mani.
fest their resentment at the treatment
their race has received at the hands OF
the republican administration and the
republican Congressman from their
l. L.