Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-06-30

ago yesterday war broke out between
the United States and Spain, accord
ing to the proclamation Of the presi-
dent and the declaration Of congress.
The end of that period finds nearly
10000 United States troops lying of
Santiago preparing to land; it finds
cable communication ablished be-
tween the government at Washington
and the advonce. guard Of the expedi-
ton in Cuba, and it finds Cuban terri
tory in the possession Of United States
marines, backed by g squadron and
nearly all Of the commercial ports Of
Cuba blockaded. This is all apart
from Dewey's great victory at Manila
and from the splendid results achieved
in organizing several armies row i'll
the camps. Therefore the officers of
the administration feel that they have
right to look back with pride over
what has been accomplished In the
short space of two months, working in
large part with raw material in
both the army and navy. The govern
ment has now determined to send
heavy reinforcements to Gen. Shafter
at Santiago. To this end
The First Expedition
will leave Newport News Thursday
morning, carrying Brig. Gen. Duffield's
separate brigade Of the Second army
corps, made up Of the Ninth Massa'
chusetts, the Thirty-third and Thirty
fourth Michigan and the Third Vir-
ginia regiments, in all about 1000
men. Expeditions will follow rapidly
by way Of Tampa. The next forces
to go will include those of Brig. Gen.
Garretson, Of the Second brigade Of
the First division, Second army corps,
embracing the Sixth Illinois, the Sixth
Massachusetts and Eighth and Ninth
Ohio regiments. Brig. Gen. Guy v.
Henry, distinguished cavalry officer
Of the regular army, has arrived here
from Tampa, and the present plans are
for Gen. Henry to command division
made up of the brigades of Gen. Duff
field and Gen. Garretson, this division
comprising 5000 men, to be for the
speedy reinforcement Of Gen. Shafter.
1t will at once swell the American
forces at Santiago de Cuba to about
1000 men. But the expedition will
not stop at that number, as there is a
determined purpose to send forward a
sufficient force to
Crush Any Spanish Command
which can be concentrated at that
point. The reports from Santiago that
about 41,0OO Spanish troops are in
and about the city do not agree with
the reliable estimates in possession Of
the war department. According to the
latter figures there are not to exceed
$4,000 Spanish troops at Santiago de
Cuba, while 100 miles to the north
west, at Holguin, the Spanish corps
commander, Gen. Pando, has 10000
men. The war department is satisfied
that the Cuban forces under Garcia
can keep Pando from reinforcing San
tiago. Should this not be accom-
plished the Spanish forces at Santi-
ago would be augmented to about 2o,-
600 men. They are well armed, well
disciplined, seasoned to the climate,
know the fighting grounds of the local
ity, and are probably as good an all
around fighting force as the Spaniards
can bring to- bear. There is no pur-
pose on the part of the authorities
here to leave Gen. Shafter with an in
adequate force to meet these seasoned
Spanish soldiers. Up to the close Of
office hours neither the war nor navy
department had received any detailed
information as to the arrival of troops
at Santiago. The entire information
was confined to the one brief dispatch
from Capt. Allen Of the signal service,
to Gen. Greedy stating that the troop
TRANSPORTS h0d arrived.