The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-05-12


the dispatching of military expeditions
to Cuba. 1t also has caused q complete
change in the concentration plans.
Time is now believed to be the great
factor. There is no longer opportunity
to indulge in extensive drilling and
practice manpuvreing. The regular
army troops do not need these and are
to be thrown at once into the fray.
Many of the regiments of the national
guard which are entering the volunteer
service are felt to be sufficiently trained
from military point of view to follow
the regulars Immediately and the de.
partment indicated its purpose of dis
patching these volunteer troops directly
to the gulf coast for shipment, instead
of sending them to Chickamauga. This
disposition was shown by the changes
in the new orders issued to the troops,
although there yet may be a return to
the original program of concentration if
the plans show signs of weakness as
they develop.
The quartermaster general has al
ready gotten under charter 81 merchant
steamers for the transport of troops and,
roughly speaking, these should carry
about 10000 men. Others are being pro-
cured as rapidly as possible. The plan
of the war department is to have these
vessels assemble at the different gulf
ports, Tampa, Mobile, New Orleans and
Galveston, to take on troops which will
be sent there. The navy department is
expected to furnish conveys for these
transports, which would be absolutely
helpless against Spanish attack. At this
point there are no signs of friction.
First, the transports will be obliged to
await Admiral SIMPSONS return in or
der to secure proper convoy; and sec
ondly, the navy objects very decidedly to
undertaking the task of conovying
number of transports. 1t insists that to
assure the safety of the convoy of the
troops all of the transports should be
gathered in one fleet to start from Tam
pa, and the navy is likely to prevail in
this.
Now that Major General Sewell has
been assigned to command the concen.
tration camp at Falls Church, near this
city, preparations are being rushed to
put the grounds there into shape for the
reception of the volunteers.
By Friday morning the commanding
general of the United States army,
Major General Miles, will have assem-
bled his staff around him at Tampa,
Fla. He is expected to leave Washing
ton tonight, taking with him Colonel
Muchler, Colonel Maus, Colonel Green.
leaf, Major Osgood, Major Humphries,
Captain Seaburn and Captain Scott.
Only one member of the staff, Captain
Davis, will remain at headquarters and
he will follow the general within two
or three days, or as soon as he can turn
over the care of the business at army
headquarters to another officer to be
designated for that duty. Unless pres.
ent plans are changed the general will
go with the first expeditionary force to
Cuba. He is not expected to relieve the
major generals already selected for that
task of the conduct of the campaign,
but both in Florida and in Cuba will
exercise the same general superintend.
ence over the campaign that he now
does from his headquarters in Wash
ington.
The plan to have General Shafter
head an army of 5000 to establish
base Of communication with the insnr-
gents was completely swept aside.
General Wade, General Coppinger and
General Snafter respectively, in the
order of their rank, it is now determined,
will lead equal divisions of the army of
occupation under General Miles. Cen
eral Brooke, now at Chickamagua, has
been definitely selected to command the
entire volunteer force of 10000 men,
which is designed to support the regu-
lars in the campaign. Most of the regu-
lar forces now in camp under him will
be sent to Mobile and New Orleans as
quickly as possible. to depart simultan-
eously with the expedition from Tampa,
and their places on the Chickamauga
battlefield will be speedily occupied by
the first volunteer corps, consisting of
38 regiments of infantry, six light bat
teries Of artillery and two regiments of
cavalry.
The arrangements for the move upon
Cuba are being hastened with such AN
energy that it is evident to any OBJ
server that the beginning of the cam
paign is imminent. II is expected here
that within week the first troops will
be on their way from the United States
to Cuba. The only delay will arise in
the difficulty of securing the necessary
number of transports, and the quarter
masters department is making great
efforts to assemble q sufficient number
of these ships at the gulf ports in time
to receive the troops who are even now
on their way there.
Orders have been given for 10000
hammocks, TO be furnished Immediately
for the use of the army and to be de-
ivered, beginning Immediately, within
the next fortnight. Experts have re-
ported that hammock is an absolute
necessity in Cuban campaign. 1t is
the only means TO escape the vermin
which otherwise make sleep impossible
TO the soldier and it is also the only
way he can escape the fatal dampness
Of the dark, rich soil.
Engineers from the war department
went out 20 the neiRhbQrhood of Falla
Church and located definitely the great
camp upon which will be concentrated
from 10000 to 10000 United States
troops within the next week or two.
The tract selected will consist of about
l,40O acres Of splendid land, watered
ana wooded, and will afford accommo-
datlons for all the soldiers comprised
within the presidents first order.
reports received at Adjutant General
Corbin's Office show that "a, 1854 men had
been mustered into the volunteer army
OF the United States 1t is prCbable,
however, by this time that the number
must be about 10000 in round numbers.
Several OF the new major generals
were at the war department endeavor-
tnE 70 arrauQ0 for the datail nf their