The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-07-01
THE CENTER OF CONFLICT
The Spaniards Have Mined All the
Approaches to Santiago.
American Army and Its Cuban Auxiliaries
Are Massing Within Striking Distance.
Waiting Only for the Artillery.

| SANTIAGO, Sunday, via Port Antonio
Jamaica, Monday.-Although only
| three or four miles of territory now
separates Gen. Skaters advance
column and the Spanish forces about
Santiago, it is likely to be several days
before the assault upon the city is made,
Owing to the bad condition of the
roads, the machine and field guns can
| be hauled to the front only with great
est difficulty. Much of this day has
been devoted to this work, and the guns
now are well on the way to the advance
| position held by Gen. Wheeler. The
work hardly can be completed for two
or three days, however, and the attack
cannot be made before then.
Seven thousand American troops and
5000 of Gen. Garcia's forces are en-
camped within sight of Santiago, and
the American flag is still floating all
along the way from Baiquiri to the
outskirts of the beleagured city.
1t is apparent now that Gen. Linares
will offer no serious opposition to the
concentration of the entire American
abandoned hS last opportunity for
making serious trouble when he Or
dered his troops to withdraw from
Sevilla yesterday. Gen. Linares, the
American officers believe, is devoting
all his energies to strengthening the
defenses of Santiago, both by land and
sea.
Lfnares Has a Large Force.
From several sources the information
comes that the Spanish general has a
larger force at his command than has
been supposed. Conservative leaders
in the Cuban army declare that at least
15,O 900 Spaniards have been gathered in
Santiago. 1t is also asserted that the
city's defenses have been strengthened
to marked degree, and that the cap
ture of the city will not be the easy task
SO many have expected.
Thus far the Americans seem to be
more in need of artillery than of men,
but it is believed that the composition
of the present land force is due to the
plan for the cooperation of the fleet.
The health of all the troops is ex-
cellent. All of the wounded are doing
well.
Gen. Shafter and his subordinate Off
GERS are unstinted in their praise of
both volunteers and regulars while un-
der fire. Our troops have shown them
selves to be brave, cool and eager, and
the examples set by the officers have
been worthy of the highest praise.
Next Fight for Santiago.
The next fighting will be directly be-
fore Santiago. Our troops have swept
all before them. They took Sevilla
sooner than they had expected to, and
without struggle. Owing to the ex-
traordinary energy of our commanding
officers in pushing the men along,
coupled with the eagerness of the troops
to advance, the American flag was
raised over Sevilla during Saturday
night. In this village where Gen.
Linares made his headquarters while
the American troops were landing,
desperate engagement was expected.
Spanish troops had been Fastening to
that point from all directions for sew
eral DAYS. 1t was the last defense be-
tween Santiago and the American
troops Despite its strategic import
ance, however, the Spaniards offered
little opposition. They fred on our
troops for some time in desultory way,
but without effect. They then retired
from the village, leaving it for the
Americans to occupy.
Col. Wagner, who took his men two
miles beyond Sevilla, there found the
extreme outposts of the Cubans. on the
banks of the Seco river. This detach
ment of the American troops ap-
preached to within a few hundred
yards of the Spanish patrols, who
moved along the front four miles from
the city. lie then learned that the
main body of the Spanish army was
within the lines, only one mile outside
of Santiago. Gen. Skaters next order,
therefore, will be to attack the enemy's
trenches. These are in regular trocha
form. The brush has been cleared for
a distance of 1000 yards from the lines,
which consist of a series of small forts,
connected by deep trenches and by
barbed wire.
Probably in Close Range Now.
It is asserted confidently by the Gu
bans that at least $4,000 Spaniards are
now encamped in Santiago. Five hun
dred Cubans occupy position in ad-
vance of the Seventeenth Infantry, but |
the Fourth and Twenty-ffth Infantry |
are coming along to take a leading posi- |
ton. They started at daylight from |
the Seco river, and will go close to the |
Spanish line. At the present rate of |
advance it is quite probable that the |
two armies will get within range of |
each other tomorrow. The Second Cav |
airy is going forward with horses and |
sixty pack mules.
There is now no longer any trouble |
about furnishing the American troops |
with good food and water.
COIN FOR THE SOLDIERS.
Many Government Paymasters Due at /
Chickamauga.