The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-24

WASHINGTON. June 2a.-secretary
Alser and General Miles were in confer
ence tn the secretarys Office at o'clock
this afternoon, when the first Madrid
bulletin announcing that fighting had
begun was shown 20 them. The secre-
tary read It aloud with favorable satis-
faction, and both Of them expressed
themselves graafed with the favorable
report. coming. as # did, from the enc
my. There was no surprise thnt the
fighting had begun so soon.
I IT WAS SUGGESTED BY THE RE
PORTER THAT THE TROOPS HAD
COMPLETED THEIR LANDING
ONLY THIS MORNING.
YES, BUT THEY HAVE GONE
THERE TO FIGHT, AND ARE
READY TO BEGIN AT ONCE" RE-
Piled GENERAL MILES.
Secretary Alger said no word had been
received up to the hour Indicating that
fighting was IN progress. He had no
reason to doubt, however, that our
troops had encountered the Spanish
forces, and had given good account OF
themselves. He commented upon Ad-
miral Cervera's cable that the situation
was Critical" and that the Spaniards
had been Obliged 10 retire as In strange
Contrast with Madrid's claim OF a Span
ish victory" General Miles said that
the American troops would now push
forward aggresslvely, driving In the
tro - aev6f
There was not n suggestion OF appre-
hension or doubt. either with Secretary
A1ger or General Miles as to what the
outcome would be. They had laid their
plans well. and they were confident that
General Shaner ard his troops would
be hammering at the gates Of Santiago
before long. e
a Menace to tho army.
The impression here is that the Span
iards VIII make their strongest stand
close to Santiago and the inner harbor,
within the range of protection OF the
guns Of the big Spanish cruisers lying
there. There Is no doubt that until these
ships are removed from the field OF op-
eratiors the campaign against Santiago
will be conducted against odds. The
guns Of the ships command the hills
over which our soldiers must come to
attack the town and reach the bay, but
we Will soon bring our own artillery in.
to play. ti =
The naval officials here believe that
when the time comes for an attack by,
land upon the town, Sampson will force
his way into the harbor and take part
fp fhe s-Ga \
that the wreck of the Merrlmac does
not completely block the channel. and
say that IL Sampson does not come in,
the Spanish fleet Is likely to make des-i
perate effort TO get out. The mines are
to be considered In such case, hut II Is
believed that once Morro castle Is taken
by the combined attack. OF the soldiers
and fleet. these distractions can be cas-
lly removed, with the experience gained
in Guantanamo Bay. @ ~
The only positive news coming to the
war department up to the close OF office
hours was a dispatch to General Miles
from one of his staff officers with Gen.
eral Shafter. and also a brief dispatch
TO General Greeley from Lieutenant.
Colonel Allen. General Miles dispatch
stated in substance that the landing of
the troops had been completed without
any casualties, save to one Cuban SOL
dier, who had his arm injured by the
bursting of shell. The troops OF Gar
cia and Rabbi, about 500 In number,
had met the American forces with en-
thusiastic greetings. Stress was laid
upon the point that the Cubans were
well armed and well disciplined. Gen.
eral Garcia wns confident that his forces
would be swellcd to 10000 as soon as
Santiago fell About the only need
among the Cubans was shoes nnd qui-.
nine. TIE dispatch to General Greeley
merely stated that progress was being
made In connecting the military forces
direct with the war department
To Rclnforcn Shaftcr.
During the day orders were issued to
the entire division, comprising the newly
created command OF Brigadler-General
Guy v. Henry for their speedy departure
TO reinforce General Shafter at Santia-
go. Already the ThirtyShird Michigan
regiment and one battalion Of the Thir-
ty-fourth Michigan have started on this
To-day's orders cover the bal
ance OF General Henry's command. It
includes the remaining battnlions OF the
Thirty-fourth Michigan and the Ninth
Massachusetts regiment These will
complete Geneml DuiIield's command.
The Third Virginia, which belongs to
this brigade. will not so as lts equip-.
ment Is incomplete. The orders also
cover. the entire brigade OF BrfSadier-.
General Garretson, which includes the
Sixth Illinois, Sixth Massachusetts, and
Eighth and Ninth Ohio regiments. The
plan Is TO move all OF General ,Henry's
division on the Harvard and Yale, these
ships 10 make two round trips. The first
trip will carry most, IL not all, of Gem,
eral DufIleld's brigade. The war de-
partment allows three days for the trip,
two days to unload the troops and three
days TO return to Newport News, max
Ing eight days. BY that time, General
Garretson's brigade will be at New:
port News, ready to SO on board the
ships, and then will come the second
trip. taking three daye, with two days
allowed for Garre.son's troops to un-
load In Cuba.
Reports were current at the war de-
partment again to-day that \ General
Miles, commanding the army, would
leave the city within the next two days.
1t was also asserted that he had asked
to get Into the actual fighting by going
to Cuba, and there assuming Command
Of the troops, This was contradictory
to the reports circulated a few days ago
that General Mllce would take command
OF the Porto Rico expedition When
General Miles. attention was drawn to
the several conflicting reports Tonight,
he good-naturedly declined TO discuss
them. He considered 1t inadvIsqblel to
give any;lntimation rs to when he would
so. His long conference with Secretary