The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-31
Instruc tiOns Said to Have Been Given for
Capture or Destruction of Spain's Fleet.
General Miles and Staff En- Route South to Per-
sonaIy Direct Operations-Great Secrecy
Observed in Official Circles.


Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON. May SO.-The most i'm
portant developments of the war are taking
place to-day. On account of the strict CEN
sorship the actual happenings at the front
cannot be stated with the positiveness of
personal knowledge, but if the orders which
carried out. ten or fifteen thousand troops
are already on their way from Tampa and
Mobile to Santiago de Cuba. and the num-
ber will be swelled by sundown tomorrow
TO twenty-five thousand. This is the expe-
dition which has been fitting out during the
past fortnight for the occupation of Porto
Rico. At the last moment it was determined
to first turn the expedition against Santiago.
The troops are TO be conveyed by Admiral
Sampson. whose vessels, together with those
under command of Commodore Schley. and
aided by the foot soldiers. viii attack the
Spanish fleet and the Spanish stronghold.
The orders which went from the War Of
fee to-day to the commanders of the sea
and land forces are to capture or to sink
Admiral Cervera's fleet in the harbor of
Santiago de Cuba and TO storm and capture
the city. The Spanish garrison at Santiago
numbers about 5000 men. The original plan
was to storm San Juan and occupy Porto
Rico. and then to turn attention to eastern
Cuba. The Imprisonment of the Spanish
fleet under Admiral Cervera in the harbor
OF Santiago gave fresh turn TO the cam
paign planning, and it was decided that
1t would be safer and the better way to
capture or destroy the enemy's ships than
TO leave them where they might by some
mischance come to life again to poster us.
theoretically, it is beautiful thing to keep
the Cervera ships bottled up, but the cork
might come out and the enemy escape. In
any event their existence in a dormant
state would be constant temptation for the
organization of rescuing expeditions, and
they would be a constant source of unrest
ana menace. Furthermore, on account of
the prevalence of violent storms along that
coast and the scarcity of safe havens for
our war ships near the mouth of the chan
mel leading to Santiago harbor, long
blockade would be uncertain and dangerous
at best. So it was deemed the part of wis
dom TO take no chances.
1t will take four or five days to land our
troops at Santiago and begin the combined
attack upon the fleet and city. The country
around about Santiago is in possession of
the insurgents. and there is small chance of
reinforeements from Havana reaching that
point in time to save the garrison. Santiago
is city of $4,000 inhabitants. 1t is second
only to Havana in strategic and political
importance. 1t is the capital of the eastern
department, as well as its most flourishing
seaport The town is well fortified. and has
been practically the only stronghold of the
Spanish authorities in eastern Cuba during
the present revolution. Back of the CITY tbs
overtowering cliffs of the Sierra Maestro
separate it from the interior. The citv is
the telegraphic center from whence radiate
the submarine cables OF the island for tbo
western department. Mexico, Jamaica, soutb
America, Haiti. Porto Rico and the lesser
Antilles. Its capture by the American army
VIII completely isolate Blanco from the out.
side world. 1t will afford this government a
superb base of military operations on the
island and enable the President to distribute
relief TO tens of thousands of suffering Gu
bans.
No change whatever has occurred in the
plans 80 far as they relate to Havana. 1t is
distinctly not the purpose Of the President