The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-01

measles, heat prostratiOn and dysen-
terry chiefly. Sporadic cases of yellow
fever are reported by the insurgents,
but the disease is not epidemic.
The troops are in a good camp, on
high ground overlooking the sea. The
nights and mornings are cool and
pleasant, but the midday sun is hard
on the unacclimatiZed troops in the
marches over the hills. The medical
men say that if the campaign is short
the troops will go through in good
condition.
MOVEMENTS TO THE FRONT.
The movements of the troops to the
front are steadily going on. The
American and Cuban infantry and
cavalry and long lines of mule-pack-
trains and batteries of artillery choke
all the rOadways over the hills to San
tiago de Cuba.
At 10 o'clock this morning General
Persons brigade, the Second, Tenth
and Twenty-first infantry of the First
division, General Kemp commanding,
moved out to occupy a position on the
extreme left, towards MORO castle,
and for few hours the camp was al
most deserted. Then the auxiliary
cruiser Yale came in sight with the
new arrivals of American volunteers,
consisting of the Thirty-third regi-
ment and one battalion of the Thirty
fourth regiment of Michigan infantry,
commanded by COlOnels Peterman and
BoyntOn Brigadier General Duffield
accompanied them and the men are
now encamped, awaiting the rest of
the Thirty fourth Michigan and the
Ninth Massachusetts regiment, on
board the Harvard, which vessel is ex
pected here tonight.
THE AMERICAN ADVANCE.
At the front on the Rio Guiana, Mon
day, June 27, noon), per the Associat-
ed Press Dispatch Boat Wanda, via
Port Antonio, Jamaica, June q, Tues
day iforenoOn), via Kingston, ia,
1926 D. m.-The American front has
been advanced beyond the first cross
ing Of the Rio Guiana, about a mile,
and in an air line three and a half
miles from the Spanish entertainments.
General Lawtons brigade rests on
the road to Santiago de Cuba. The
Third brigade, under General Chaffee,
the Seventeenth, Twelfth and Seventh
regiments, holds the trench, with his
command lying acrOs the road and
river.
The First brigade the Eighth. Twen-
ty-second and Second Massachusetts,
under General Evan Clarke lies on the
left flank, slightly in the rear, and the
Second brigade, the First, Fourth and
Twenty-fifth, occupies the opposite po-
sition on the right flank.
General Wheeler, with the cavalry,
is in the rear between Sevilla hills and
the Rio Guiana. A strong line Of out
posts is maintained ahead.
sKIRMIsHES.
General Chaffee's brigade with 5000
Cubans under General Aguirra and
several hundred under Colonel Con-
zales, was skirmishing towards the
city this morning. The Cubans had
several slight skirmishes with the
Spaniards stationed on the hills on the
American right flank, and our auXili-
aries occupied the blockhouses in that
vicinity which were evacuated before
daybreak by the Spaniards. The lat
ter retreated towards Santiago de Gu
ba No fatilities are reported.
General Lawton, General Chaffee and
General Wheeler have thoroughly re-
connoitred the Spanish position, and
with the aid of information furnished
by the Cubans, have very good maps
of the roads and defences of the city.
Much information has also been OBJ
tanned from Spanish pacificos who
| have slipped out of the city and given
| themselves up in the hope of getting
food. They report great starvation
| and distress in Santiago. They say
tions and that all the supplies are
| being held for their use. The SICK
| in the hospitals, the pacif1cos say, are
! suffering from lack of food and they
| also report that seventy-seven span
| iards were killed and that eight-nlne
| were wounded as the result of the en-
| gagement on Friday last with Colonel
| Woods and Young's commands.
| SPANISH REINFORCEMENT
The most startling information OBJ
! tanned from the pacificos is that since
| the advance began almost o00o Span
ish soldiers have arrived at Santiago
de Cuba. This statement is made on
the authority OF General Lawton and
he is also of the opinion that General
Pando may be able to effect a junction
with General LinareS at Santiago de
Cuba.
DEFENSES OF SANTIAGO.
There are two forts of considerable
Importance within the Spanish lines,
Punta Bianco, at the southern end OF
the bay, and Santa Ursula at the south
east corner On the road to Caney, on
the north, is another fort There are
about 45O men in each of these forti-
fcations and stretching around the
whole city are nine barbed wire fences,
fifty yards apart. while just inside
these are lines Of rifle pits. Outside TO
the eastward, about two miles beyond
the American outposts. is a line Of
entrEnchments, extending from the
northern extremity of the city to Nor
70 castle. a little west of south, at
a distance Of about seven miles from
General LaS-ton's headquarters lies
Moro castle. The. road TO within a