The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-30

Smith, of the Fifth Infantry with detail
of fifty men of the Seventh Infantry, under
Lieutenant Dearfoo, crossed the San Juan
and went in a northeasterly direction as far
as Caney or FL Gaumey. as it is marked
on the maps, without encountering any
Spanish troops. and fifty men of Company
"A, Seventh Regiment. under Captain
Young, also made reconnaissance in force
The Spaniards have seemingly retired to
their intrenchments, as no pickets or skr-
wishers were encountered.
General Lawton, General Wheeler and
General Chaffee have had riders out beyond
our advance posts several times
Captain Wright, of General Bates's staff
to-day followed the line of the railroad run
ming out of Juragua, towards Santiago de
Cuba, to within two and one-half miles Of
the city. The road approaches within a mile
and half of our front and can be utilized
to bring up supplies and siege guns, the
first of which were landed at Baiquiri this
afternoon.
AS soon as the remaining battalions of the
Thirty-fourth Michigan and Eighth Massa-
chusetts, which arrive on the Harvard to-
morrow, and the 5000 reinforcements sent
out from Tampa reach here, Aguadores. a
town on the coast four miles west of Jura-
qua, and about the same distance east of
the harbor entrance, will be taken The
place was shelled to-day by several ships
of the fleet. Aguadoresis on the line of the
advance of the army into the interior and
close to the railroad 1t will then prob
ably become the base of operations, while
the supply base may remain at Juragua.
Captain Wright, on his reconnaissance, OBJ
tained information which is believed to be
reliable 10 the effect that 5000 Spanish
troops have been sent to reinforce the garri-
son at Aguadores.
General Lawton will probably make di-
version with his artillery so soon as it is
placed in position. Heavy rain this after
noon made it impossible to move to-day be-
yond General Wheeler,s headquarters, but
the roads will dry quickly, the guns will
probably be brought up tomorrow and the
lntrenchments will be sheled by the artil-
lery and by Colonel Woods's dynamite
guns. Shrapnel will be used by the artil-
lery Their guns are 2-1O inches, and with
shrapnel they are effective at $500 yards
The Cubans say the Spaniards are in dead
ly fear of dynamite, and General Lawton
VIII see how he can terrify them.
simultaneously with the bombardment
General Chaffee's brigade will move forward
front
of our advance. The correspondent of the
Associated Press is not permitted at pres
ent to divuge its location.
The military telegraph line has been COM
pleted as far as General Wheeler's head
quarters. thus placing the front in direct
communication with General Shafter, who
still maintains his headquarters on board
the Seguranca, where he can keep in close
touch with Rear Admiral Sampson 1t is
probable, however, that he will establish
his headquarters at Juragua tomorrow or
Thursday
The troops belonging to General Lawton's
division are kept ready to move, in light
marching order, while the reconnoitering
parties. are out. This precaution is consid-
cred necessary in order to avoid disaster
IN case the small parties of troops should
collide with the Spaniards
The Cubans under General Castillo are
doing commendable work as advance pick
cts. They are thrown out, day and night.
from half mile to mile in advance of our
pickets, along the front and fanks thus
forming a double GORDON about the army.
There are now more than 1900 men at the
front.
Drinking water for the troops at the front
is obtained from the Rio Guiana, a stream
full of springs. The water is remarkably
good and is now carefully guarded from
pollution. The Cubans and our soldiers
bathed in it at first, but strict orders have
been issued against such practices in the
future. and sentinels have been placed to
enforce the orders. Strict orders have also
been issued against eating the great variety
OF tropical fruits mangoes, oranges, ETC.,
in which the woods abound. the only excep-
ton being made in the cases of milk from
green cocoanuts, which is considered
healthy and refreshing.
An epidemic of measles which started on
board one or two transports is spreading to
the camp, and about twenty new cases have
broken out to-day.
Our boys are cheerful in spite of the ex-
cessive heat and the hard fare which thus
far has been confined exclusively to coffee,
hard tack and bacon, a diet hardly suited
for the climate. Rice would make a splen-
did staple here. But the great deprivation
is that both men and officers are suffering
from the lack of tobacco. The men are re-
markably steady and confident. The pickets
show none of the nervousness which might
be expected and there are practically no
alarms or phantom firing" on the lines at
night.
Two reconnoitering parties, one of the
Ninth Cavalry and the other of the Twen-
ty-fourth Infantry, collided this morning
and several shots were exchanged, fortu-
nately without accident before their identity