The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-29


in the day when the first dispatch within
two days came to the War Department
from General Shafter. but the news was re-
garded as so good that there was no dispos-
factory rate of progress on the part of GEN
eral Shafter toward the town of Santiago
itself, and apparently he has gained all this
ground and has come within three miles
of Santiago without suffering any losses
since the bloody skirmish of Friday last
Altogether the performance is regarded as
very gratifying by the department officials
here.
Late this afternoon Secretary Alger re-
ceived the following dispatch from General
Shafter. dated "Baiquiri, June o. via Playa
del Este, June 2S:"
The Yale arrived this morning all right
Troops now disembarking. Your son, who
has been at the front as a volunteer is as
signed to duty on the staff of General Duff
field"
Soon afterward the War Department post
General Corbin, under date of "Of Siboney,
June 27, p. m, via Playa del Este" 1t
read:
"All is progressing we'll. We occupied to-
day an advanced position abandoned by
the enemy yesterday on the Sevilla and San
tiago road, west of the San Juan river,
within three miles of Santiago, and from
which it can be plainly seen
"STIAFTER,
Major General, Commanding"
AS near as can be gathered from the above
brief dispatch, the American army is now at
the fork in the road, one branch of which
leads to Santiago and the other to MORO
Castle at the entrance to the harbor. Cen
eral Shafter is thus free to move in either
direction, according to the demands of the
campaign With the 1900 men who rein
forced him yesterday on the Yale and the
additional brigade that will reach him bv to-
morrow, it may be possible to make even
more rapid progress in the advance upon
Santiago, as these men can be relied on to
relieve the main body of troops from the
necessity of keeping open the line of COM
munication between Shafter and his base
at Baiquiri.
Meanwhile further reinforcements are be-
ing prepared and dispatched as rapidly as
the best energies of the department can di-
rect, and it is believed that several thou
sand mfn sailed from Tampa to-day directly
for
mind the difficulties of the campaign that
are just developing to the public eye, such
as the use for the first time in civilized
warfare of barbed-wire fencing as a means
of defense, and, acting upon the advice of
some of our army officers who were in Cuba
while the fighting was confined to the Span
lards and the insurgents. certain number
of men in each regiment have been provid-
ed with wire cutters and charged with the
duty of cutting down these fences so as to
permit the advance of the troops. 1t prob
ably will be necessary to shell out the force
defending these wire cheveaux de frise be-
fore they can be cut, unless the men in
charge of that duty are to be unduly ex-
posed to danger This will involve a larger
use of field artillery than would be required
in ordinary warfare. The officials here have
been forehanded as to these details. and.
in fact, have provided for the use of barbed
wire by our own forces. having sent about
$50 tons of this wire with General Merritt's
expedition.
1t was stated at the War Department to-
day that Major General Wade, command
ing the Third Army Corps at Chickamau-
ga, will be in charge of all the men at that
place when Major Generals Brooke and
Wilson proceed to Tampa. This they are
to do with the fifteen regiments of troops
which have been designated to be ready
to move at the shortest possible notice.
The probability is these regiments will not
be sent to Tampa for some days, as their
original order contemplated that they
should not move before eight or ten days,
there being no necessity for their presence
at the Florida port before that time.
About 4 o'clock this afternoon General
Greedy, chief signal officer. received dis
patch sent by Major Greene. a member of
General Skaters staff in regard TO the
question of telegraphic communication in
the locality in which the army is operating.