The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-21
Not Known When He Will Sail For
Porto Rico.
SAMPSON RESPONSIBLE
NO NAVAL CONVOY FOR THE
TRANSPORTS.
Miles Has Ten Vessels Loaded and
the Men Are Impatient and the
Horses Dying-Wild Delnonstra-
ton at Charleston In Honor of
Departing Troops.

Washington, July 20.-The war and
navy departments are now engaged in
making all of the arrangements for the
dispatch of the Porto Rican expedition
and Watson's eastern squadron. There
has occurred one of those natural
pauses in the progress of the cam
paign incident to the completion of one
set of operations. General Miles eX-
pected departure was again deferred.
The explanation given was that there
was difficulty experienced at Santiago
in securing the naval convoy for the
expedition. 1t is known, however, in
addition that the president himself has
restrained General Miles TO the extent
of adjuring him in earnest terms not
to commit the folly of starting for
Porto Rico without the most complete
preparation. The government has
profited by the lessons taught by the
Santiago expedition. Aside from the
actual loss of life that might be ex-
pected as the result of a badly calcu-
lated start, it is realized that our rela-
tons with some of the European pow
erS would be, in small measure, at
least, impaired by the adverse moral
effect created by anything approaching
a defeat for the American arms at this
stage of the war. Therefore, it is GER
tain that so far as the department can
prevent, General Miles forces will not
be short of food or of tents to protect
them from the tropical rains, nor of
the means of transportation that were
SO deficient at the beginning of the
Santiago movement.
General Miles reported this afternoon
that he had with him ten transports,
which, it is presumed, have aboard sew
eral thousand soldiers, although at
least two of them are filled with equip
ment. The men aboard ship are suffer-
ing from delay, precisely as did the
soldiers who lay in Tampa bay before
the departure of the Shafter eXpedi-
ton. Inquiry made at the navy de-
partment to ascertain where the delay
had arisen in securing conveys was
met with the statement that the orders
to Admiral Sampson We're very gen.
eral. He was simply directed by the
department to furnish convoy, and it
was assumed that he would confer with
General Miles as to the number and
character of vessels required for that
purpose. AS the campaign is to be
a land movement, the ma
val officers do not believe "a very ex-
tensive convoy is necessary.
General Miles telegraphed the war
department this afternoon announcing
the arrival from Tampa of the trans
ports LdmpaSaS and NeuceS last night |
with about 900 men on board. These |
are supposed to include the District of |
Columbia engineers and an artillery |
battery. -
General Miles stated that he now has |
ten transports with him, and it is pre- |
sumed they are laden with troops. He |
that the men are very tired |
waiting for their naval convoy, and |
says some of the horses have died from /
he effects of being taken aboard ship
md kept there.
]. A. Campbell, who was General
sheridan's scout all through the civil
var, has been appointed captain of
'olunteers, and will be attached to the
taft of General Brooke as chief of
couts. He will accompany the general
o Porto Rico. 1t was of Captain Camp
'ell that General Sheridan wrote this:
The people of the United States will
'erhaps never know of his inestima-
lie services to his country"