The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-07-20

Thought That Resistance VIII
Not Amount TO Very
Much.
Gen. Niles Will Command the
Army Of IS 600.

Washiag.oo. July II The d;ss
chapter 10 the laod campaign OF the
ULi,ed States sgaitss Spain closed COS
day when the Spanish colors gave place
over Santiago 10 the American Gag,
Next will follow the transportation OF
sha Spanish troops back TO their native
land aad The captaresoe the island Of
Porto Rico. uDies. peace soon inter
se0es
The siege Of Santiago had lsste,i two
weeks aud was remssksble 10 many re-
s,ec,s and 10 DoBa more Than the heavy
psrcen.sgs OF loss through death,
wounds OF sickness of the soldis,. aed
sailors engaged en- both sides LOOK
sisx. back over the record of there two4
waeks is is seensthas 8 great isonesad
squadron aas beeo destroyed, that nearly
. thousand soidiers have died IN the
tsenshes Of Santiago On the other
shapd about $50 american soldiers have
been killed and 10 round nunbers 3.
Geo more have been sent 70 the iloapi..
stals from woun6s, fsvers and osbef All
neo,s. Oar eeat had . renarkabase ex
snption from disaster in.he macy en-
raeements il had With the forts at the
en:rsnce Of sbe harbor and wish 70 e
Spanish squadron
lexs is Porto Rico. said Secretary
A.aer. after receiving toe ueWs q San.
: siaso' 5 formal susreader. s.aod shsn, i
nsed be, Hsbaca Z
The secEetssy Basio excesleat spsr'ts
He has beea more anxious thaa pc
dared shos as 10 the condition of onr
sick soldiers aud Looked aith apprebeu-
upon sbe possibility Of prelooigasioo
Sos sbe struggle ia the Unhealthy sas'es.
os Santiago
rrEe secretary eaid that the Porto.
Rean expedition would &c forsafd ia,-.
neisasely Twill comprise new men
entirely Tie warriors 10 sae trenches
before Santiago have dis,iBgn;ssed
sheInselses aad isis ne, deemed pruden'
TO hripg them 10 unnecessary consscs
win new troops insview Of the dagger
Of sIpresding contagien I he sick aei-
saiers will be Du-sed back 70 health and
broue uehs 10 sbe Uaised States as soeB =,
they caa BE safely removed lasnns, :
regiments will be ordered 20 Sab,iagas
10 garriaoo the town. aud. as esatsd 10
these dispatches yesterday, ,Roo shes !.
regiments sre alseady under ordess 50
proceed
The Porto Rican expedition, will
be commanded by Gen. Miles in per
son, though Gen Brooke, now in
command at Camp Thomas. is ex
pecsed 10 be his main dependence
The size OF the expedition will de
pend upon Gen. Niles wishes. al
though it is believed that q, 600 men
viii be sufficient for the purpose At
San Jnan the navy will be of greater
assistance than it was at Santiago.
owing to the possibility Of approach-
ing the town more closely withou.
riskiing contact with mines Gen.
Brooke is nov on his way to Wash
sington by direction OF Secretary AL
ger. SO that he will be in . position
10 make his views known to the de
partment. The experience gained
IN diapatcbing Skaters expedition is
expected will aid the officials in their
determination TO make short work of
the Porto Rican affair There will
be plenty Of transports available for
the expedition, as the government
has devised other means Of removing
the Spaniards captured at Santiago to
Spain than by carrying them on theee
transports That the navy ls ready
to do its share at short notice gees
without saying
Porto Rico is not expected to offer
. very formidable resistance 1t is
believed that the moral effect of to
days surrender at Santiago will be to
discoarage the defenders Of San
Juan There is, however. always
the prospect that peace may ensue
before hostitisses have progressed
agains. Spain's easternmoet West
India islands Rulnors were, afoas
this afternoon 10 the effect that the
Spanish government at last had made
overtures in that direction, but their
basis probably was the current be-
lief that one more reverse to the
Spanish arms would be suf6cien. to
compel the Spanish government to
sue for peace, and this reverse was
furnished by the surrender of Toral's
army.
The navy department has not been
affected By these rumors to the ex-
tent OF relaxing any of its precau
tions or abandoning any of it's plans
for Secretary Long stated unequivo
cally today that Commodore "atson's