The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-07-23
NOW OFF FOR PUERTO RICO
ARTILLERY WENT ON YALE.
VIII Send Enough Men to Make the
Struggle short-The Forces VIII
he Chiefly New Men-Immunes
VIII Garrison Santiago.

Washington, July ls.--The Puerto Ri
can expedition has started ON its mission
to capture that island.
General Miles, leading the expedition,
left Siboney, Cuba, today on the Yale
with four batteries of artillery and few
seasoned troops Two brigades, now at
Charleston, are embarking today on
transports to take them to Puerto Rico.
All the force at Tampa, $4,000 strong, en-
bracing the artillery, will be put on board
as rapidly as transports can be gotten
there.
General Brooke will take the first and
second divisions of his corps from Chick
amauga to Puerto Rico. General Brooke
leaves here this afternoon for Chicka-
manga to get his troops started. 1t is ex-
pected that the whole expedition will be
under way within the next four days.
General Brooke had another conference
with Secretary Alger with reference to
the preparations for the expedition. The
general reports his army now ready and
it is believed they can be embarked at
once
While the positive selection has not
been made it is understood that Newport
News will be the port of departure of the
larger part of the expedition.
The army of occupation is expected to
consist of about $4,000 men and it has
been decided to take no chances of repeat
ing the mistake made in Skaters case,
of landing with an insufficient force and
then being obliged to lie idle at critical
moment awaiting reinforcements. The
employment of an overwhelming force is
also expected to save bloodshed.
Little Resistance Expected.
Very little resistance is expected to the
invasion of Puerto Rico. The war office
has full information as to the condition
and forces of the Spaniards in San Juan,
and believes they will not long be able to
resist the American attack.
Under the fire of Admiral Simpsons
guns the army will affect landing some
where in the vicinity of San Juan. While
the army attacks from the rear, the navy
will shell San Juan from the ocean I'm
der the combined fire it is not expected
that the town will hold out long. Using
San Juan as base, the army will com
mence the invasion of Puerto Rico.
Here our troops will only have the
Spaniards to contend with, and not the
yellow fever. Investigation with respect
to the climatic conditions at San Juan
has convinced the officials that there
would be practically no danger to our
troops there from yellow fever, which an
nually prevails in nearly all parts of
Cuba.
The city of San Juan, which is built
on high ground, is said to be exceptional
ly clean for a Spanish town. The water is
said to be good, and, all things consider
ed it is not believed that the present ar
rangement for the invasion of the island
will be interfered with
Fresh Troops to he Sent.
The army for the invasion of Puerto
Rico will be almost entirely composed of
fresh troops from the United States. This
means radical change of policy on the
part of the army, for it was expected
that the movement against SPANS small
er possessions in the West Indies would
be made by regiments now engaged in the
Santiago campaign.
The government relied on the expected
seasoned character of the Santiago troops,
and it could not be foreseen that the
health of the men would become so i'm
paired in the short campaign in south
eastern Cuba as to render them unfit for
duty in Puerto Rico. 1t is the present in
tention of the war department to send
one army corps from the Florida coast
, to participate in the Puerto Rican cam
paign and to maintain the Fifth corps UNI
der General Shafter in Santiago province
for the present.
At least two regiments of immunes will
be sent to garrison the city of Santiago.
The president and secretary of war are
; disinclined to use more men than abso-
lutely necessary from Santiago in the
Puerto Rico campaign, on account of the
danger of spreading yellow fever.
Wilson to Head First Division.
Major General j. H. Wilson has already
been instructed to prepare for the Puerto
Rico expedition at once. He is now at
Charleston, S. c.. and he will go at the
head of the first division of the First
army corps, with the first troops started
for Puerto Rico.
Work of the Red Cross.