Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-29
Copyright, Associated Press.)

At the Front, on the Rio GuamO,
Monday, June u (Noon), per the
Associated Press Dispatch Boat
Wanda, via Port Antonio, Jamaica,
June %, Tuesday (ForenooD, via
Kingston, Jamaica, 12:35 p. NJ
The American front has been ad-
vanced beyond the first crossing OF
the Rio Guamo, about a mile and a
half from the Spanish entrench-
ments.
Gen. Lawton's brigade rests on
the road to Santiago de Cuba. The
Third brigade, under Gen. Chat
fee, the Seventeenth, Twelfth and
Seventh regiments holds the
trench, with his command lying
across the road and river.
The First brigade, the Eighth,
Twenty-second and Second Massa-
chusetts, under Gen. Evan Clarke,
lies OH the left flank, slightly in the
rear. and the Second brigade, the
First, Fourth and Twenty-fifth,
occupies the opposite position ON
the right flank.
Gen. Wheeler, with the cavalry,
is in the rear, between Sevllla hills
and the Rio Guiana.
A strong line of outposts is main
tanned ahead.
Gen. Chaffee's brigade, with g.
900 Cubans under Gen. Agulrra,
and several hundred under Colonel
Gonzales, was skirmishing towards
the city this morning.
The Cubans had several slight
skirmishes with the Spaniards
stationed on the hills on the Amer
lean right flank, and our auxiliaries
occupied the blockhouses in that
vicinity, which were evacuated be-
fore daybreak by the Spaniards.
The latter retreated towards San
tiago de Cuba. No fatalities are
reported.
Gen. Lawton, Gen. Chaffee and
Gen. Wheeler have thoroughly re-
connoitered the Spanish position
and with the aid of information
furnished by the Cubans, have very
good maps of the roads and de-
fences of the city.
Much information has also been
obtained from Spanish pacificos
who have slipped out of the city
and given themselves up in the
hope of getting food. They report
great starvation and distress in
Santiago. They say the Spanish
troops are on short rations. and
that all supplies are being held for
their use.
The sick in the hospitals. the
pacificos say, are suffering from
lack of food and they also report
that seventy-seven Spaniards were
killed and that elghty-nine were
wounded as the result of the en-
gagement on Friday last with
Woods and Young's commands.
The most startling information
obtained from the pacificos is that
since the advance began almost
10000 Spanish soldiers have arrived
at Santiago de Cuba. This state
ment is made on the authority of
Gen. Lawton. and he is also of the
opinion that Gen. Pando may be
able to effect junction with Gen.
Linares at Santiago de Cuba.
There are two forts of consider
able importance within the Spanish
lines, Punta Blanco, at the south
ern end of the bay. and Santa
Ursula, at the southeast corner.
On the road to Caney, On the north,
is another fort. There are about
$50 men in each Of these fortlfica-
tons, and stretching around the
whole city are nine barbed wire
fences. fifty yards apart. while just
inside these are lines of rife pits.
Outside. to the eastward about
two miles beyond the American
outposts, is line of entertainments
extending from the northern extre-
nifty of the city to Moro Castle.
A little west of south, distance
Of about seven miles from Gen.
Lawton's headquarters, lies Moro
Castle. The road to within few
hundred yards of the batteries at
the rear of MORO was reconnoitered
Yesterday afternoon by Gen. Chat
fee and several members of his
staff.
The Cubans believe that if the
water supply Of the city can be cut
off Santiago will have to yield at
once.
They say that Admiral Cervera's
entire fleet except the torpedo
boat destroyer Terror is in the har-
nor. Gen. Lawton is inclined to
discredit the reports that guns have
been taken from the ships to
strengthen the defences on land.
He says it would be impossible for
Admiral Cervera to reach the posi-
ton Of the American army with his