The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-27
Battle Expected as Soon as the Siege Guns
Can Be Landed and Put in Place.
Twenty-Five "Rough Riders'' and Regular Cavalrymen
Killed and Over Seventy Wounded Further
Details of Las Quasina Fight.
Ccopyright, 1898. by the Associated press.)

Copyright, 1885, by the Associated Press)
OFF JURAGUA, on Board the Associated
Press dispatch boat Dandy. Saturday, s
D. M, via Kingston, Sunday, June 26. $3.50
Spain are almost face to 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 Bal
uuiri. with the exception of 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 on to the beach through
the pounding surf, and, as one weeks ra-
tions are already landed, it is believed the
required supplies will all be ashore by Tues
day, the 18th.
The landing of troops horses and supplies
has been extraordinary. With only one
steam barge, and compelled to depend on
treacherous small boats, General Smarter
has landed over $1,000 men, hundreds OF
horses and mules, and thousands of dollars
worth of supplies on the exposed beaches
and only two men have lost their lives NO
more than fifty animals have been drowned
and scarcely package of supplies has been
lost.
The officers generally are surprised at the
small loss of life and property. General
Shafter said 10 correspondent of the AS
ISOLATED Press to-day: II am we'll satisfied
with the progress that is being made. The
decentralization is slow, but, considering the
limited facilities and the exposed nature OF
the landing places, the men have done well.
l only await the landing of sufficient sup
plies to begin the movement on Santiago.
/ am unable to say when 1t will take place.
I am much pleased at the gallant conduct
of our men in the action at Sevilla yester-
day and with the cool and veteranlike work.
The victory was complete"
General Wheeler, in his official report
places the number of dead in the engage
ment at Sevilla as twenty-five and the
wounded as between seventy and eighty.
No attempt has yet been made TO prepare
an official list of 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 official list will prob
ably be prepared by Monday.
The bodies of thirty-nine 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. General
Wheeler is in command there, with Generals
Young, Lawton and Chaffee. General
Wheeler will remain at Sevilla, which will
be made a rendezvous for the troops land
ing at Baiquiri. and at this point the artil-
lery and cavalry are being put forward from
Baiquiri The cavalry has been sent ahead
to cut wagon road through the under
brush
From the American position at Sevilla
Santiago is plainly visible, and the fortifi-
cations can be seen. The following reports
to General shafter from generals at the
front show the conditions:
Saturday Afternoon.
ITO General Shafter-I 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 wagonloads of wounded
were carried into Santiago, and many others
wounded got there on horses or afoot. We
can see MORO Castle and the flag very dis
tinctly from our position. The Cubans con-
firm the report as TO the fine character of
the Notifications around the city. Seven
lines OF barbed wire are stretched around
the trenches. The Spaniards have recently
dug deep trenches around the entire city,
connecting a series OF small forts.
WHEELER"
Saturday Evening.
ITO General Shafter-We can plainly see
Santiago. less than seven miles away. The
country is level for six rallies this side of
the city, except for hills on the south, which