Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-06-24

News thursday morning, carrying
Brig. Gen. Duffield's separate brigade Of
the Second army corps, made up Of the
Ninth Massachusetts, the Thirty-third
AMI Thirty fourth Michigan, and the
Third Virginia regiments, in all about
1000 men. Expeditions will follow rap
idly by way of Tampa, for while Fer
nandina and Miami are considered to
have many good points for concentrate
Ing troops, yet army officials are now
satisfied that Tampa can be retained
with advantage as the main point of
embarkation. The next forces to go
will include those of Brig. Gen. Garrett
son, of the Second brigade of the First
division, Second army corps, embracing
the Sixth Illinois, the Sixth Massachu-
sets and Eighth and Ninth Ohio regi-
ments. Brif. Gen. Guy Y. Henry, dis
tinguished cavalry officer of the reg
ulae army, arrived here Tuesday from
Tampa, and the present plans are for
Gen. Henry to command division made
up of the brigades Of Gen. Duf1ield and
Gen. Garretson. this division comppis-
ing 5000 men, to be for the speedy rein-
forcement of Gen. Shafter. 1t will at
once swell the American forces at San
tiago de Cuba to about "a 900 men. But
the expeditions will not stop at that
number, as there is determined pur-
pose to send forward sufficient force
TO crush any Spanish command which
can be concentrated at that point,
The Spanish Strength.
The reports from Santiago that about
1000 Spanish troops are in and about
the city does not agree with the reliable
estimates in the possession of the war
department. According to the latter
figures there are not to exceed $4,000
Spanish troops at Santiago de Cuba,
while 100 miles away TO the northwest,
at Holguin, the Spanish corps COM
mander, Gen. Pando, has 10000 men.
The war department is satisfied that
the Cuban forces under Garcia can keep
Pando from reinforcing Santiago.
Should this not be accomplished, the
Spanish forces at Santiago would be
augmented to about $4,000 men. They
are all well armed, well disciplined,
seasoned to the climate, know the fight
ing grounds of that locality, and are
probably as good an all-round fighting
force as the spaniards can bring to
bear. There is no purpose on the part
OF the authorities here to leave Gen.
Shafter with an inadequate force to
meet these seasoned Spanish soldiers
It is for this reason in part that di-
vision, probably under Gen. Henry, will
reinforce Shafter, followed by such ad.
ditional troops as the needs of the sit
uation seem to demand.
| Rumors Are BaseIess.
Up to the close of office hours Tues
| day neither the war nor navy depart
ment had received any detailed infor.
| NATION as to the arrival of troops al
| Santiago. The entire information was
confined to the one brief dispatch from
| Capt. Allen, of the signal service, te
Gen. Greeley, stating that the troop
| transports had arrived. This was
enough, however, to start baseless ru
mors that the actual landing of troop.
was in progress, and one report went t.
the extent of stating that the troops
were landing under heavy fire from
| the Spanish forces. Secretary Algel
and Gen. Miles disposed of these re
ports, saying that no such information
was at hand. and Secretary Long made
the same disclaimer for the navy de
| partment. 1t may be true, however
that the landing is now in progress
and, although it is not impossible, Off
cials consider it improbable that any
landing is going on under Spanish
fire.
VIII Take n Long Time.
The landing itself may take consider
ably longer than was anticipated, ant
officials believe that at least three day,
more will be required before the troop
J m Pr aaers and in any s2rt Qa Srtsa