The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-30


At the front. Ria Guiana, June 2s. per
associated press dispatch boat Daunt-
less via Kingston. June 29.-Prepara-
tions for a general advance of American
troops on Santiago de Cuba are being
pushed steadily forward and troops of
all branches of the service are being
hurried to the front.
General wentzs division, consisting of
the brigades of General Hawkins,
Colonel Pearson and Colonel Worth, has
joined General Lawton's division, and
with the cavalry division of General
Wheeler and four batteries of light ar
tillery. will now be strung out in the
rear of General Lawton's division. The
front still rests on the second crossing
of the Rio Guiana, on the road to San
tiago. in the rear crest of the Sevilla
hills and a mile and half back.
General Bates brigade. which was !
landed yesterday by the auxiliary
cruiser Yale, remains at Juragua. The
delay in the forward movement is due
to inability to get subsistence stores to
the front rapidly enough. The advance
will not be ordered until every man has
three days rations. The pack trains can
only convey one days rations in a day.
The engineers have almost completed
the bridge roads. and this afternoon the
first train of six mules and wagons viii
go through. Every man will have three
days rations in his knapsack and then
the army will move on the enemy. The
whole country is being thoroughly
mapped by the engineers. This infor-
nation will be of inestmable value
from strategic point of view.
Last night General Mendonica of
General Lawton's staff made a recon-
noissance up TO the very trenches of
the enemy, the sentries on picket duty
being plainly visible. Corporal Dewey
and nine sharpshooters from the 9TH in
fantry went out at dark last night with
one days rations towards the Spanish
| line and they have not yet returned. but
no fear is entertained for their safety.
1t is believed they are lying in the bush
waiting for night
At daylight this morning Lieutenant
| Smith of the 4th infantry, with a detail
of so men of the eth infantry under
| Lieutenant Deerfoot, crossed the San
| Juan and went in an easterly direction
| as far as Caney, or FL Guamey, as ii is
| marked on the map. without encoun-
| tering any Spanish troops, and 80 men
of Company C. 7th regiment. Captain
/ Young. also made reconnaissance in
! force. The Spanish have seemingly re-
| tired to their retrenchments. as no pick
/ cts or skirmishers were encountered.
| Generals Lawton, Wheeler and Chaffee
have had riders out beyond our ad-
| vance posts several times. Captain
| Wright OF General Bates staff to-day
| followed the line of the railroad rum
| ming out of Juragua towards Santiago
| to within two and half miles of the
! city. The road approaches to within half
a mile of our front and can be utilized
| TO bring up supplies and siege guns, the
| first of which was landed at Baiquiri
/ this afternoon.
| AS soon as the remaining battalions
of the 34th Michigan and Sth Massa-
| chusetts, which arrive on the Harvard
| tomorrow, and the 9Th Wisconsin and
reinforcements sent out from Tampa ar
rive here, Aguadores, a town on the
! coast four miles west OF Juragua, viii
| be taken. The place was shelled to-day
by several ships of the fleet. Aguadores
is on the line Of the advance Of the
| army into the interior and close to the
railroad. II will then probably become
| the base Of operations, while the supply
base may remain at Juragua-
Captain Wright obtained information
| which is believed to be reliable TO the
! effect that 5000 Spanish troops have
| been sent to reinforce the garrison at
| Aguadores.
General Lawton will probably make
| a diversion with his artillery as soon
as Ii is placed in position. Heavy rain
this afternoon made ii impossible to
move to-day beyond General Wheeler's
headquarters, but the roads will dry
quickly. The guns will probably be
brought up tomorrow. and the en-
trenchments will be shelled by the artil-
lery and by Colonel Woods dynamite
guns. The shrapnel fire will be more
used by the artillery. The guns are
1910 inches. and with shrapnel they
are effective at $500 yards. The Gu
bans say the Spanish are in deadly fear
Of dynamite, and General Lawton viii
see how he can terrify them. Stimuli
taneouslv with the bombardment, Gen.
eral Chaffee's brigade viii go forward
and occupy a position of vital import
ance in advance Of our front. The cor
respondent of the associated press Is
not permitted at present to divulge its
location.
The military telegraph line has been
| completed as far as General Wheeler
headquarters. thus placing the FROM
, / in direct communication with Genera