Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-12-08

until July Moth, when, under menace |
of immediate assault, the preliminaries
of surrender were agreed upon. On |
the 18th Gen. Shafter occupied the |
city. The capitalization embraced the |
entire eastern end OF Cuba. The num-
her of Spanish soldiers surrendering
was $1,000, all OF whom were subse-
quently conveyed to Spain at the
charge Of the United States The story
of this successful campaign is told in
| the report Of the Secretary of War,
which will be laid before you. The
| individual valor Of officers and soldiers
was never more strikingly shown than
in tho several engagements leading to
| the surrender of Santiago, while the
prompt movements and successive
victories won instant and universal
applause. To those who gained this
complete triumph, which established
| the asccndancy, of the United States
upon land rs the fight off Santiago
| had fixed our supremacy on tho seas,
| the earnest and lasting gratitude Of
| the nation Is unsparingly due Nor
should we alone remember the gal
lantry of the living; the dead claim
our tears, and our losses by battle and
disease must cloud my oxultation at
the result and teach us to weigh the
awful cost OF war, however righttul
the cause or signal the victory.
succR, sFuL CAMPAIGN IN PORTO RICO.
With the fall of Santiago the occu-
patton Of Porto Rico became the next
strategic necessity. Gen. Miles had
previously been assigned TO organize
nm expedition for the purpose. Fortu-
nately he was already at Santiago,
where he had arrived on the 18th of
July with reinforcemcnts for Cen.
Skaters army.
With these troops, consisting OF 3, 4l5
infantry and artillery, two companies
of engineers, and one company OF tho
signal corps, Gen. Miles left Guam
tanamo on July 2lst, having nine trans
ports conveyed by the fleet Of Captain
Higginson with the Massachusetts,
(flagship,) Dixie. Gloucester, Column
bia and Yale, the two latter carrying
troops. The expedition. landed at
Guanica July 25th, which port was
entered with little opposition. Here
the feet was joined by the Annapolis,
and the Wasp, while the Puritan, and
Amphitrite went to San Juan and
joined the. New Orleans, which was
! engaged In blockading that port. The
! enlargement commanding was sub
sequently reinforced by Gen. Schwan's
> brigade Of the Third Army Corps, by
/ Gen. Wilson with a part of his
: division. and also by Gen. Brooke with
part of his corps, numbering in all
D 1876 officers and men.
On July 9th he entered Ponce, one
I of the most important ports in the
F., island, from which he thereafter
j directed operations for the capture Of
!, the island.
4 With the exception of encounters
i with the enemy at Guayama, Hor-
o megueres, Coamo, and Yauco, aud an
II attack on force landed at San Juan,
!, there was no serious resistance. The
y campaign was prosecuted with great
u vigor, and by the 18th Of August much
9 of the island was in our possession and
y the acquisition of the remainder was
= only matter of short time. Al
/ most of the points in the island oui
y troops were enthusiastically welcomed,
q Protestations of loyalty to the flag and
< gratitude for delivery from Spanish
u rule met our commanders on ever,
stage. As u potent influence towart
" peace the outcome Of the Porto Ricar
j. expedition was of great consequence
D and generous commendation is, due /,
y those who participated in it.
', SURRENDER OF MANILA.
y, y Tho last scene Of the war was en-
y acted at Manila, its starting place Oh
~ August 18th, after a brief assault upo,
4 the works by the land forces, in whicl
"a the squadron assisted, the capital sur
u rendered Internationally. The casual
a ties were comparatively few. By thi
- the conquest of the Philippine
Islands, virtually accomplished whei
the Spanish capacity for resistance wa
to destroyed by Admiral Dewey's victor,
If of the first OF May, was formall
es sealed To Gen. Merritt, his officer
4. and men for their accomplishing ant
q, devoted service and for their gallantr
81 in action the nation is sincerely crate
10 full. Their long voyage was made will
c. singular success, and the soldierly con
s, duct Of the men, most of whom wer
ne without previous experience in tn
90 military service, deserves unmcasure
81 praise.
IN THE TOTAL CASUALTIES.
" The total casualties in killed an
"a wounded in the army during the wa
y. with Spain were:
1g Officers killed, %; enlisted me
~ killed, 257 total ESQ: officers wounded
II 1l3: enlisted men wounded, l,i64
H. total, LETT OF the navy: Killed, II
'h wounded, CT; died as result Of wounds
NJ l.; inyalided from service, 6; total, 81
40 1t will be observed that while on
ss navy was engaged in two great battle
" and in numerous perilous undertaking
ny in blockades and bombardment, an
'e' more than $4,000 of our troops wer
transported to distant lands and wer
engaged in assault and siege an
il battle and many sRirmishes in un
IS, familiar territory, We lost in both arm
We Of the service u total of 1868 lSille
sh and wounded; and in the entire cam
Or, paign by land and sea we did not los
on q gun or flag or transport or
Ip- ship, aud with the exception OF Oh
he crew Of the Merrimac not soldier {
he sailor was taken prisoner.
he On August TIN, 46 days from tn
10, date of tho landing of Gen. Shafter'
en- army in Cuba and q days from tn
Ter surrender Of Santiago, the Unite
lie States troops commenced embarkatio
by for home, and our entire force was r,
'ur turned TO the United States as early {
he August oath. They were absent fro,
sly the United States only two months.
sfe PRAIsg For THOSE AT HOME. Z
~ ~ 1t is fitting that should bear test
~ mony to the patriotism and devotic
1ua of that large portion OF our arm
~ ~ which, although leagcr to be ordered
to the post of greatest exposure, TO
" tunately was not required outside
~ the United States. They did the
III whole duty, and like their comrades ,
~, the front have earned the gratitude
uQ tho nptinp Il In ltEa. ,,onna, lkn IA