The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-06-25
RECONNAISSANCE.
Colonel Wagner Investigates Roads
About SantiagO-Im Bad Condition.

Copyright, 1898, The Associated Press.)
Santiago de Cuba, Thursday night,
June 23, via Port Antonio, Friday, June
24-The Associated Press correspond
ent accompanied by Colonel Wagner of
General Lawton's staff, a topographer
and Cuban yesterday afternoon when
the advance was made in the direction
of Santiago all around the American
landing and found faithful Gordon OF
black, half-naked hungry Cubans arm
ed with rifles, landed by Lieutenant
Commander Delehanty's two expedi-
tions. Further west one of the outposts
had had nothing to eat since a. m.
The Cubans are cheerful and apparent
ly well satisfied. These outposts are
composed of from six to twenty-five
men each. Furnished with an escort
for a reconnaissance party to the next
post, Colonel Wagner proceeded to
Demajaya, which Is marked on the mill
tary information map as town, but
really is only the ruins of big Hacien-
da, overgrown with oleandors and other
brilliant tropical towering plants, and
sheltering the most naked, sun burned
outpost imaginable. The latter cheer
fully shared the cocoanuts with the
Americans. This point is four and
half miles from Baiquiri on the main
Santiago road. The character of this
main road is revelation to the Ameri-
can officers despite the previous re-
ports of it's uniform badness. 1t is
overgrown and on both sides is In i'm
penetrable jungle Of tropical foliage.
While practicable, with difficulty, for
a pioneer wagon train it gives the I'M
preston of the merest footpath through
the Jungle It's only virtue is that it
Is tolerably level.
While Colonel Wagner was at Deme-
jay, Cuban runners brought news Of
skir4nish of their forces with the Span
ish rearguard, who burned Baiquiri be-
fore reterting, at o'clock yesterday
morning. The Cuban advance, which
reached Baiquiri at a. M, had follow
ed the Spaniards, bringing them to bay
at Jaraguacita, six miles west of Bal
quiri. A few volleys were exchanged,
but as the Spanish had entertainments
the Cubans marked them down and
left a guard to watch them, returning
with the news to the American out
posts. Colonel Wagner's reconnaissance
continued this morning as far as it was
practicable. General LaWton expects
brush with the Spaniards near Jara-
guacita soon after sunrise. 1t is esti-
mated that it is only fifteen miles by
| road from this point to Santiago At
| this rate Of movement the Americans
| should be within striking distance in a
| few days. The subsequent work in the
capture Of the town will depend on the
| strength of it's defenses and the resist
ance The defenses are reported
| strong.
officers in authority here, however,
profess to expect short work. They say
| the town is yalueless as a base and un-
worthy of the exertion of capture ex-
| cept for the feet now there. They say
| they hope that the town, once captured,
| can be made practically irnpregnabfe
! for holding by a very small American
| force, and that the remainder of the
! fleet and the regulars will Immediately
| be dispatched to San Juan de Porto
Rico. There is a strong feeling here
/ that Porto Rico is the next objective
point, and the regulars are anxious to
be in at the death. High authorities
| say the conditions are now favorable
| for a descent on that island, while the
final subjugation of Cuba could be left
to the force on the north coast Seven
| Cubans have been found horribly mu-
| tilated,