New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-29
GOOD NEWS FROM ARMY.
SHA FTER'S TROOPS ARE CLOSE
TO NTIAGO
ONLY THREE MILES AWAY AND IN 4
FAVORABLE POSITION MON
DAY NIGHT.

Washington, June est W. late this after
noon when the first dispatches within two days
came to the War Department from General
shafter but the news was regarded as 90 good
that there was no disposition to complain. 1t
disclosed a satisfactory rate Of progress on the
part Of General Shafter toward the city OF san
tiago. and apparently he has gained all this
ground and has come within three miles Of San
tiago without suffering any losses since the
bloody skirmsh OF Friday last. Altogether the
performance is re ,arded extremely crafty
Ing by the Department officials here. Generai
Skaters dispatches were as follows
OF slboney June p, 9 p. m.
Via Playa del Este.
Adtutant-General Washington:
All is progressing we'll We occupied to-day
an advance position abandoned by the enemy
Yesterday on the Sevia and Santiago road
west Of the san Juan River within three mics
OF Santiago. and from which II can pe p'aiHS
seen. IL,
SHAFTER, Major-General commanding
Baiquiri June =. 49,
VIA Playa del Este. June y
Secretary OF War. Washington; ,-,.
The Yale arrived this morning all nsh''
Troops now dsembarkins. Your sen. VINO mas
been at the front as volunteer. assigned -
duty on the staff Of General Duileld ,
SHAFTER, MajOr-GeneraL
As near as can be gathered from these brief
DISPATCHES the American Army is now at the
fork IN the road one branch Of which leads TO
Santiago and the other TO Morro Castle, at the
entrance 10 the harbor General Smarter Is
thus free to move in either direction. according
70 the demands Of the campaign. With the
| 800 men who reinforced him yesterday on the
Yale and the additional brigade that Will reach
him by tomorrow. It may be possibl" 10 make
even more rapid progress in the advance on
Santiago. as these men can be relied upon 70
relieve tho main body Of troops from the neces-
sty of keeping open the line of communication
between General Shafter and his base at Bal
quir
,opr prrNFORCrMENTS on THE WAY.
Meanwhile further reinforcements are being
prepared and dispatched rapidly as the best
energies ~ the Department can direct. and il
ls believed that several thousand men sailed
from Tampa today directly for Santiago.
The Denartment has had in mind the din
culiies II the campaign that arc Just develop
lng TO the public eye. such as the use for the
first time in civilized war Of barbed-wire
fencing as means of defence. and acting on
the advice ot some Army officers who were in
cuba while the hghting was confined TO the
spaniards and the insurgents a certain number
Of men in each regiment have been provided
with wire-cutters. and charged with the duty
of cutting down these fences. 40 as 10 permit
the advance Of the troops. II probably VIII be
necessary 10 shell out the force defending these
fences before they can be cut, unless the men
in charge ~ that duty to be unduly exposed
70 danger This Will involve a larger use OF
aeld artillery than would be required In ordl-
nary warfare The officials here have been
forehanded as 10 these details. and have pro-
vidcd for the use Of barbed wire by the Ameri-
can forces having sent about one hundred and
fifty tons Of this wire with the Manila "xpedi