The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-24
Secretary Alger Confident, However,
He Will BE in Direct Cable COmmu-
DEPARTURE OF GEN. BROOKE
INDIANAPOLIS ARTILLERY TO LEAVE
CHICKAMAUGA PARK TO-DAY.
other HOosier Regiments to Follow
ing on Transports at Tampa.

WASHINGTON, July 23.-General Miless
expedition in all probability, is now in the
Mona passage, between Haiti and Porto
Rico, and will be in sight of the landing
point in the morning. While this is the
expectation of Secretary Alger, for pru-
Dental reasons the War Department de-
clines to make any comment as to the ac
curacy of the various guesses that have
been made in the effort to ascertain just
what point has been selected for the landing
place. There is likely to be a lapse of a
day or two between the arrival of the expe-
dition and the notification of the fact to the
department, unless some merchant vessel
crossing to st. Thomas should sight the
American flotilla. After that, however, the
department will be in the closest commu-
nication with General Miles, for it will pos
sess itself of a cable connecting General
Miles's headquarters directly with the de-
partment. Some part of the Porto Rican
expedition has been delayed for few days
beyond the dates fixed for their departure,
but in view of the difficulties of handling
large bodies of men and the supplies for
them, this is not surprising. Thus Schwans s
troops got away only to-day from Tampa,
though it was believed they started yester-
day, while the most numerous detachment
of the whole expedition--the First Division,
under General Brooke--will not be able to
clear from Newport News before Monday.
Still, it is believed they will arrive at Porto
Rico in good season, and it would certainly
facilitate an orderly and comfortable land
ing for the troops to have them land in de-
tachments, instead of IN one vast army, as
in the case of Skaters army at Santiago
1t is presumed by the War Department
that General Miles and his flagship, the
Yale, with the remainder of the fleet, will
cast anchor tomorrow morning In the
waters of Porto Rico. Thus it may again
happen that Sunday, which has heretofore
been so lucky day for American military
and naval operations during this war, will
be further distinguished as a day on which
the Porto Rican campaign will be initiated.
The navy is now actively cooperating with
the army to make a success of Miles's ex-
petition and will use every effort to land
his troops. Unfortunately, nearly all the
available boats of Sampson's fleet were
damaged, in many cases beyond service, in
making the landing at Santiago, but it is
expected that their loss will not be Sc
verely felt, now that lighters have been
provided
1t is the purpose of the War Department
to begin at once the execution of the plans
devised by Secretary Alger for the creation
of reserve camps, and boards of staff off,
GERS are now engaged in various localities
looking after suitable camp sites and MAX
ing preliminary arrangements for acquiring
The right to use those places and arranging
for water supplies. The intention is not to
be caught through any contingency with
large numbers of troops at central points in
the midst of an epidemic of any kind, with
no place to remove them. 1t was for this
reason that Fernandina was selected some
time ago as one of these reserve camps, and
within the last two days the value of this
policy has been amply justified, as other
wise there would have been no suitable
place to which to remove the troops from
Tampa One of the reserve camps is likely
to be located in the valley of the Potomac,
about forty miles above Washington, and
will be very convenient for the reception of
troops from Camp Alger, in case it is
deemed necessary for the health of the SOL
diers to remove them.
The War Department tonight received
the following from Port Tampa, Fla:
'sThe transports Arkadia, Whitney, Miller,
Fiotilda and Cherokee, with General
Schwan's headquarters, sailed between 10
and 12:30 O'Clock to-day, with two light bat
teries of the Seventh Artillery. one troop of
the Second Cavalry. two companies of the
Eleventh Infantry, the full regiment of the
Nineteenth Infantry. and two sections of the
general pack train. The Mohawk, which can
easily overtake these boats. cannot sail be-
fore 10 o'clock tomorrow. 1t will carry ten
companies of the Eleventh Infantry, about
COO pack animals. the brigade ambulance
train and Red Cross ambulances.
JOHN l. RODGERS,
"Brigadier General Volunteers, Senor Ofi-
Ger at Port Tampa"