The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-06-23
NO EASY TASK
Evidently Some Hard Work
Ahead for the Men of
Skaters Army.
Between Thirty-five and Forty
Thousand Spaniards Line
the Coast,
And Will Undoubtedly Make G
Very Interesting Fight
for Them.
Three Thousand Volunteers Or
dered to Fort Monroe From
Camp Aiger.

On Board the Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Dandy, Mole St. Nicolas,
June 2I.-The United States army for
the invasion of Cuba, commanded by
General Shafter, arrived off Santiago
de Cuba yesterday noon. The troops,
mum bering about 16, 900 men, were on
board 81 transports. The time and
place for the landing of the soldiers
had not been decided upon. There
were IA mild cases of typhoid fever,
and some cases of measles on board the
transports, but the troops, generally
speaking, were i'll good condition and
In excellent spirits.
The voyage was without incident.
Are Anxious to Get Ashore.
Owing to the smoothness of the pass
age the soldiers We're not generally af-
1ected by seasickness. They were all
anxious to get ashore and begin fight
ing.
The dispatch boat of the Associated
Pres $, as she steamed among the trans
ports, was eagerly Lesleged OH all sides
Tor news OF Admiral SIMPSONS opera
lions, officers and men cIamoring Tor a
word from the blockaders. Much SAL
istaction was exp essed among the
troops when it became known that the
actual capture OF Santiago will be left
to the army.
The horses and mules on board the
transports have suffered severely,
many dying.
The American feet off Santiago has
been materially strengthened by the al
dition OF the warships which escorted
the transports, consisting of the In
diana, Detroit, Montgomery, Ban.
croft, Helena, Ericsson, Annapolis,
Foote, Hornet, Castine and Eagle.
Bitter Work Ahead of Them.
. Wherever the landing may take
place, the operations and the informa.
ton Of the last 10 days show conclus-
lively that bitter work is ahead tor
Skaters men before the Spanish flag
comes down from Morro's walls. The
Spanish infantry. cavalry and guerilla
forces, estimated by Admiral Sampson
to number from 900 to 10000 men,
are stretched from Guantanamo to
Ca banas, a distance OF five miles, ready
to concentrate at the point Of attack.
But, starving and harassed by the i'll
surgents, the situation of the Span
ialds Is desperate and naval officers
familiar with the situation fully eX.
pect terrific fighting about Santiago
Interviews with army officers on the
transports show that there, is some
anxiety as to how the men will stand
the strain if the fighting begins imme-
diately alter the long inactivity at
Tampa and the wearing voyage. There
is no tear, however, for the final result,
as the guns OF the fleet will be of IN.
mense assistance to the American
troops.
Went to Garcia's Camp.
AS soon as the feet of transports had
arrived at point about % miles off
Santiago de Cuba, the steamer Segu-
.ranca, having on board General Shaf-
ter and his staff, lett the other vessels
lying to and steamed to the flagship of
the American fleet, in order to visit
Rear Admiral Sampson. The general
went ON board the flagship, and, lit
tie later, the Seguranca went to Acer-
raaeros, about II miles west of San
tiago, and near which place General
Garcia is encamped with 5000 Gu ban
soldiers. General Shafter and his staff
and Rear Admiral Sampson went
ashore and proceeded to Gen. Garcia s
headquarters, about mile inland,
where they spent several hours
in consultation with. the Cuban gen.
eral. At the conclusion of the confer
ence General Shatter and the other o.
ficers had little or nothing to say re-
garding the plans for the landing of
American troops and for the co-opera-
ton of the Cubans.
The best information obtainable is
that there will be no attempt to make a
general landing for two or three days
but before this it done small bodies of
troops will he put ashore at several
points both east and west of Santiago,
including Acerraderos. This will give
General Shafter an opportunity to be-
come more familiar with the work be-
fore him, and to ascertain the best
place for general landing.