The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-18


announced at the opening of the cabi-
net meeting that there had been no i'm
portant official dispatches during the
day and that there probably would be
no decisive news from Santiago before
Sunday.
Washington, June 1S.-The first divi-
sion of the troopships has almost cer-
tainly reached Santiago, and it is prob
able that American regulars have by
this time reinforced the little handful
of marines at Camp McCalla. That is
the belief of the president and the cab
met, although there is as yet no news
to confirm it. They base it on their
knowledge of the time when the first
division of General Skaters army left
Key West and on the orders which
were sent from Washington to combine
the fieetest transports and hurry them
forward to the relief of the marines at
Guantanamo bay. They expect to hear
from Admiral Sampson at any time
now, and he is expected to be able to
communicate directly with the depart
ment from his flagship. The severed
cables have been picked up. and by this
time he is thought to have made all
necessary repairs.
Prospects of an Early Encounter.
The army officers who have been
reading the recent news from Cuba are
discussing with great confidence the
prospects of an early encounter of the
United States troops with those of
Spain The superiority manifested by
the United States marines at Guantan-
amo in fighting the soldiers Of Pandos
army confirms some opinions that had
been formed upon reports given by Gen.
eral Lee and other observers of the
Spanish soldiers.
The information of the war depart
ment is TO the effect that three different
classes Of fighting men will be met by
the forces of the United States The
most annoying and the least numerous
are the guerrillas. composed almost ex-
clusively of an outcast class of blacks,
fit for prison, If they have not just been
released to do duty in the service of
the country that released them. They
are not likely to give or to look for
quarter, and may be expected to be
guilty of atrocities to the dead or to
prisoners in battle. They never fight in
bodies, but scatter in the bush and
have some craft of the woods and the
trails.
Cubans Attached to Spain.
Another sort of soldier to be looked
for is the volunteer. He is a Cuban at
tached to Spain, and he dislikes the in
surgents intensely and will fight stub
bornly, but without great military skill.
These are not looked for in great num-
bers at the east end of the island, but
in and about Havana they are numer-
Gus and well equipped They have bet
ter notions of drill than the regulars,
but they are not inclined to get up early
in the morning to fight. From such in
formation as the army has, the third
class, made UP of the Spanish regu-
lars, will be the most numerous and
the least to be feared. They have not
been we'll cared for by Spain. they have
no such discipline and drill as the men
of the United States army, they do not
know what it is to march long dis
tances; insufficient food has reduced
their ability for energetic work, they
have no hostility to the Cubans. and
they will fight because they can not
choose to do otherwise.
Some of the officers of the army who
have been looking into the conditions
of the United States forces say they
will not be surprised to hear that the
subjugation OF the Spaniards in Cuba
will turn out to be very much such a
task as the army of the United States
undertook in the Mexican war. when
the progress toward the City of Mex
L. hot ad
Never Saw a Good Fight.
None Of the Spanish soldiers have
ever been in anything like a battle.
They have been beset by small insur-
gent bands, when they could not avoid
them. and they have sometimes dis
charged their Mauser rifles into the
brush I'm the hope that there was some
thing to hit. The experience of meet
ing with armed forces that will not run
when attacked will be an entire now
city to them. II 500 marines could PEN
citrate five miles into the enemy's coun-
try with such success as was met at
Guantanamo. army men and navy men,
too, believe that the regiments of the
army will soon demonstrate their fit
ness to do up" the Spaniards in con-
fiict. To the marines the experience
they have been having was new. Not
one in ten Of them has ever had any
thing except barrack experience, varied
by duty on board ship In piping times
Of peace. The infantry and cavalry OF
the army have had some fighting expe-
rience. They have learned on the plains
some lessons about tackling foes who
slxulk and run and who indulge In am
bushes. For many reasons merely sug-