The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-22
FROM NEWPORT NEWS
SHAFTER TO BE HEAVILY AND
QUICKLY REINFORCED.
CRUSH ANY SPANISH COMMAND IN CUBA
The Frenzy May Mass $4,000 Of their Best
Troops at Santiago, and the Govern
ment Will see that Shafter
has an Equal Force.
has an Equal Force.

has an Equal Force,
Washington, d. c., June 21.--Two
months ago to-day war broke ont be-
tween the United States and Spain ac-
cording to the proclamation of the Pres
ident and the declaration Of Congress.
The end of that period finds nearly
10000 United States troops lying off
Santiago preparing to land; it finds
cable communication established between
the government at Washington and the
advance guard of the expedition in Cuba
and it finds Cuban territory in the pos
session of United States marines backed
by naval squadron and nearly all of
the commercial ports Of Cuba blockaded.
This is all apart from Dewey's crest
victory at Manila, and from the splendid
results achieved in organizing several
army camps Therefore the officers OF
the administration feel that they have
right to look back with pride over
what has been accomplished in the
short space of two months. working i'm
- AAl * AtUAt Win raw AAUAELANA III NUAM
the army and the navy.
The government has now determined
To send heavy reinfOrcements TO General
Shafter at Santiago. To this end the
first expedition viii leave Newport
News Thursday morning, carrying
Brigadier Duffield's separate brigade of
the second army corps, made up Of the
Ninth Massachusetts. the Thirty-third
.s4,- H..
Third Virginia regiments. in all about 4.
600 men. Expeditions viii follow rap
idly by way of Tampa. for while Fer
nandina and Miami are considered To
have many good points for concentrating
troops. yet army officials are now salts
fed that Tampa can be retained with
advantage as the main point of embarka-
ton. The next forces to go will include
those of Brigadier General GarretsOn, of
the Second brigade of the First division.
second army corps. embracing the Sixth
Illinois, the Sixth Massachusetts, and
the Eighth and Ninth Ohio regiments.
Rrigadier General Guy Y. Henry. a dis
tinguShed cavalry officer of the regular
army. arrived here to-day from Tampa.
and the present plans are for General
Henry to command Il division. made up
of the hrigades of General Dufficld and
General GarretSOn. this division COM
priSing 5000 men TO be for the speedy
reinforcement of General Shafter. 1t will
swell the American forces at Santiago
de Cuba to about $4,000 men. But
the expeditions will not stop Mt that
number, as there is Il determined purpose
to send a sufficient force to crush any
Spanish command which can be con-
centrated at that opint.
The reports from Santiago that 1000
Spanish troops are in and about the
city do not agree with the reliable es
timates in the possession of the War
Department to the latter figures there
are not to exceed 14,000 Spanish troops
at Santiago de Cuba, while 100 miles
away to the northwest, at HOlgun. the
Spanish corps commander, General Pan
do has 10000 men. The War Depart
ment is satisfied that the Cuban forces
under Garcia can keep Pando from re-
Santiago. Should this not be
accomplished. the Spanish forces ar
Santiago would be augmented to about
81. 600 men. They are well armed. well
seasoned to the climate,
know the fighting grounds of that locSs-
ity,and are probably as good an allrOund
fighting force as the Spaniards can
bring to bear. There is no purpose on
the part of the authorities to leave
General Shafter with an inadequate
force to meet these seasoned Spanish
soldiers.
Up to the close of office hours to-day.
neither the War nor Navy Department
had received any detailed information as
to the arrival of troops at Santiago. The
entire information to-day was confined
to the one brief dispatch from Captain
Allen, of the Signal Service tO General
Greeley, stating that the troop trans
ports had arrived This was enough,
however, to start baseless rumOrs that
the actual landing of troops was in pro-
gress and one report went to the extent
Of stating that the troops were landing
under a heavy fire from the Spanish
forces Secretary Alger and General
Miles disposed Of these reports, saying
that no such information was at hand,
and Secretary Long made the same dis
rlaimor for the Navy Department. tt
may be true, however, that the landing
IS now in progress, and although it is not
officials consider it imprOba-
Die that any landing is gong on under
q Spanish fire. The landing itself may
take considerably longer than was an
.icipated, and officials believe that at
east three days more will be required
before the troops are on shore and i'm any
sort of organized condition. Some Of the
army officers allow even more time. one
lf them holding that it viii take quite a
month to get all the stores, as well as
he troops, off the transports. The pur-
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