The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-06-30

American and Spanish Armies Almost
Face to Face Near Santiago.


Orr JuRAeuA, via Kingston, Jamai.
ca, June 27.-Troops of the United
States and Spain are almost face 70
face and less than four miles apart
Tonight the picket lines at certain
points are within hailing distance of
the enemy. 1t seems certain that the
battle of Santiago must come within
| week.
| The troops are all ashore here and at
Baiquiri with the exception of a few
scattered companies that have gone
forward. The supplies are sufficient
to enable the army to sustain a weeks
campaign at both landing points.
There is a continual procession OF
small boats riding onto the beach
through the pounding surf and, as one
weeks rations are already landed, it is
believed the required supplies will all
be ashore by Tuesday, the 2Sth.
The landing of troops. horses and
supplies has been extraordinary. With
only one steam barge and compelled
to depend on treacherous small boats,
| 'CAs OhdltCE Adu iduuCu ONCA AV.Oov
men, hundreds of horses and mules
and thousands of dollars worth of
supplies OH the exposed beaches and
only two men have lost their lives.
No more than so animals have been
drowned and scarcely a package OF
supplies has been lost
The officers generally are surprised
1t the small loss of life aud property.
Gen. Shafter said Saturday:
II am well satisfied with the prog.
ress that is being male. The di.eni-
barkation is slow, but considering the
limited facilities and the exposed ma
ture of the landing places, the men
have done WE'LL only await the
landing of sufficient supplies to
begin the movement on Santiago I
am unable to say when it will take
place. am much pleased at the gal.
liant conduct of our men in the action
at Sevills yesterday and with their
cool and vcteran.like work. The vic.
tory was complete"
Gen. Wheeler in his official report
places the number of dead in the en-.
gagemcnt at Sevilla as 90 and the
wounded as between 70 and 80. No at
tempt has yet been made to prepare
an official list with the names of the
dead and wounded. The high grass
and bushes of the battle ground make
it difficult to find the bodies but an of.
fetal list will probably be prepared by
Monday.
The bodies of 30 Spaniards have
been found and the Spanish loss in
killed and wounded was doubtless
much heavier than the American.
The majority of the American troops
are now here or at the front in the
vicinity of Sevilla. The force at the
latter place, which is about nine miles
from Santiago, numbers 5000
Americans and 1900 Cubans Gen.
Wheeler is in command there, with
Gems. Young. Lawton and Chaffee. Gen.
Wheeler will remain at Sevilla, which
will be made rendezvous for the
troops landing at Baiquiri, and at this
point, the artillery and cavalry being
put forward from Baiquiri. The cav.
airy have been sent ahead to cut q
wagon road through the underbrush.
From the American position at Sc.
villa, Santiago is plainly visible and
the Notifications can be seen. The
following reports to Gen. Shafter from
generals'at the front show the condi.
tions:
To Gen. Shafter: II have just seen
two Negro boys who left Santiago this
morning Saturday. They report that
the soldiers and citizens are very short
of food. The soldiers and officers have
seized all the food in the shops They
are killing young horses for food and
in the hospitals are subsisting on
bread made of rice -four.
"Three Spanish generals took part in
the fight at Sevilla yesterday. Five
wagon loads of wounded were carried
into Santiago, and many others wound
ed got there on horses or afoot We
can see Moro castle and the flag very
distinctly from our position. The
Cubans confirm the reports as to the
fine character of the fortifcationi
around the city. Seven lines of barbed
wire are stretched around the trenches
The Spaniards have recently dug deey
trenches around the entire city, con-
Meeting series of small forts
WHEELER.
I'VE can plainly see Santiago les
than seven miles away. The country
is level for six miles this side of the
city, except for hills on the south
which extend to within mile of San
tiago These hills appear de er,ad
The country Is fairly open and it vii
not be difficult TO move troops over it
} Gen. Chaffec occupies Sevilla to-day.