The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-01


Santiago de Cuba says a reign Of ter
ror exists among all classes there, ow-
ing to the nightly attacks of the We
suvius with the terrible explosion of
her dynamite shells. A week ago to-
night one of her shells, striking Cayo
Smith, demolished several warehouses
and a fort there, besides dismounting
several guns. Windows, it also ap-
pears, were broken in the city and the
general effect was similar to that OF
an earthquake, among the soldiers and
citizens.
COOPERATION OF THE AMERI-
CAN AND CUBAN ARMIES.
Jaragua, Sunday, June &c, by the AS
ISOLATED Press Dispatch Boat aun
less, via Kingston, Jamaica, Monday,
June q, 8 a. m.-General Calixto Gar
cha, with 5000 Cuban insurgents from
the mountains west of Santiago de Gu
ba, was landed here today. The Gu
ban troops were brought here or board
the American transports. Fully 5000
insurgents, nearly the entire available
fighting force of the insurgents in the
southern part of Santiago de Cuba
province, are now concentrated at or
near %Jaragua. Three-fourths of them
are armed with modern rifles and have
| bundant supplies of ammunition. The
| soldiers are almost reduced to naked
| ness. Most of these men are thorough
ly accustomed to the b~ushwhacking
methods of the Spaniards and are per-
fectly familiar with every trail in
the vicinity of Santiago de Cuba. With
the intention to protect the American
dvanc on Santiago, attachments will
also r" sent towards Guantanamo to
gi ...arning in case an attempt is
mau- to form a junction with General
PandO's army in Santiago.
A conference between Major General
Shafter and General Garcia will be
held tomorrow. The plan of co-opera-
ton of the American and Cuban ar
mics has been agreed upon, not only
in the campaign in Santiago, but the
subsequent movement on Havana and
Matanzas.
CARACAS PLAN.
General Garcia's plan is to march his
entire army over land and along the
northern coast of Cuba, keeping IN
touch as we'll as he can with the Unit
ed States army. AS soon as possible he
will effect a junction with the insur-
gent forces under General Maxine Go
mez, who is now west of Havana 9th
er bodies of insurgents, it is said, will
also be brought in. it being the plan
of the Cuban leaders to have at least
| 20, 1000 men before Havan when the
time comes for the investment of that
city.
INVESTING SANTIAGO.
On the Rio Guiana, Sunday, June 26,
noon, via Kingston, Jamaica, June q,
9 a. m.-The advance force of the
American army rests on this stream
with the city of Santiago de Cuba four
and a half miles westward in plain
sight.
Last night, the outposts, consisting
of two companies of the Seventh in
fantry, under Major Coolidge, occupied
positions at right angles to the road,
guarding the crossing a mile and a
half beyond ~Sabinalla, where three
regiments of General Lawton's divis-
ion camped, the First, the Fourth and
the Seventeenth. The Eighth, Second
and Twenty-second Massachusetts,,
with the rOugh-riders, Tenth cavalry
and portions of several other regiments
were strung out behind them towards
Juragua.
About 800 CubanS under General Con
Zales were camped around General
LawtOn'S headquarters, but less thar
fifty of them did scout duty last night.
General Wheeler today with the
First, Second and Tenth cavalry and
the rough-riders, with dynamite guns,
moved up to where General Lawton's
outposts were last night, and four
batteries of the Third artillery and
four Calling guns, with a special de-
tail under Lieutenant Parker, were
brought up and planted on the brow
Of a hill overlooking the basin in which
Santiago lies. Not a shot was fired
from the American side last night,
though the front of the American line
was not $500 yards from the entrench-
ments where the Spaniards proposed
to combat the advance OF Santiago de
Cuba.
Cannon shots were heard during the
| night fThnxy cnnppn1 70 frry, fho
distant Spanish batteries or perhaps
from
The top of every hill and mountain
north and east of Santiago is occupied
by Lighthouses from whence the Span
iards can view the movements of the
American army as it advances beyond
Sabanilla, while to the eastward of
the city, gashing every knoll and bit
or nigh ground, are Spanish entrench-
ments. n correspondent of the AS
ISOLATED Press from an elevation to
the right of the American line TODAY
counted thlrty-four of these entrench-
ments, completely fencing every ap-
proach to the city. The trenches have
been dug as the conformation of the
ground admitted. The ends of the
trenches overlap where breaks in the
line occur, thus securing comparatively
safe retreat from rifle fire in case
parts OF the are CAPTURED.
Upon one of these works modern guns
have been mounted. They can be plain
ly seen with the naked eye.
Spies report that inside the enTrench-
ments are four parallel lines of rifle
pits, shoulder deep.and in front OF them
are marked ranges and several rows
of barbed wire fences.
MORE ARTILLERY NEEDED.
The general opinion is that more ar
tilieTy will be necessary before it will
be safe TO attempt to make an assault
upon the Spanish works, as the fire of
the rifle pits must necessarily be dead
ly and sufficient to demoralize any
force, no matter how brilliant in its
courage, when halted by wire OBJ
! structions.
The problem now confronting the ar
my is the transportation OF supplies,
for the roads to tie front are still i'm
passible for wagons, but are being i'm
: proved. In the meantime, the pack