The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-01
GENERAL MILES PUSHING ON
ESTIMATED THAT HE CAN TAKE SAN
JUAN IN THREE WEEKS.
Business Resumed in Captured Cities
and Merchants Scrambling for
American Gold.

PONCE, Porto Rico Friday. July %, p.
M, via st. Thomas d. w. l.. July 31.-No
forward movement of the army is expected
for several days The transports with Gen.
Brookes army corps and the remainder of
the First Corps are arriving slowly. Our
troops will probably remain here quietly un-
til the bulk of the army has disembarked
Only three transports have arrived since
yesterday. They have just appeared in the
offing, and only one has been made out. 1t
has on board the Fifth Ohio Cavalry.
General Miles will retain his headquarters
at the custom house at the port OF Ponce,
while General Wilson will be in immediate
command of the troops in this city. General
Wilson pushed out with General Ernst's
brigade, consisting of the Second and Third
Wisconsin and Sixteenth Pennsylvania reg
iments mile and a half on the military
road after dusk last night, retaining two
companies Of the Sixteenth to act as plo-
vost guard in the city.
Captain Allison has been appointed pr
vost marshal, and with the aid of the local
constabulary has preserved excellent order,
although almost all the entire population of
the city remained in the streets until long
after midnight celebrating the arrival of
their American liberators.
During the night all sorts of wild rumors
were brought in to General Wilson. The
first was that the Spanish were to attack
the city in force. In view of this a strong
line of outpost was maintained by General
Ernst and the men slept on their arms This
report however. soon gave way to rumors
that the Spanish were retreating putting
entire villages, plantation buildings ard
houses to the torch and numbering and raw
ishing as they went Some of the wealthy
plantation owners of the vicinity became
horror stricken and appealed wildly to Cen
eral Wilson to dispatch troops to the rescue,
but it was manifestly impossible to divide
so small a force. None of the reports was
confirmed when daylight came, except that
the Spaniards were in full retreat. That they
indulged in excesses of a cruel, vindictive
character is doubtless true but the town of
Guiana Dias, which was reported to have
been burned last night, is known to be
standing this morning.
Gen. Jose Garcia, who is in immediate
command of the Spanish regulars-not be-
lieved to number more than five hundred
was deserted by most of the Spanish volun-
teers in his command during the night, and
they began struggling back to the city with
the dawn. They Immediately presented
themselves to the provost marshal and sur
rendered their arms
The appearance of the volunteers aroused
in the breasts of the natives who had suf-
fered at their hands in the past, and espe-
cially the political prisoners, who were re-
leased when we took the city, a desire for
revenge, and they began to ferret out all
the Spaniards in the city who had ever been
in the volunteer service and dragged them
to the plaza Bloodhounds could not have
been more savage Most of the Spaniards
in hiding, upon. being discovered, were
hauled in triumph in hooting jeering mobs
to General Wilson's headquarters or to the
provost marshal's office in the municipal
building. Some of the natives even began
looting the residences of the Spaniards.
They mistook liberty for license, and were
crazed with thirst for vengeance. General
Wilson, however, soon taught them that re-
venge could not be wreaked under the pro-
lection of our flag, and peremptoriy ordered
that the arrest of Spanish suspects should
| cease Such volunteers as presented them
selves were, however received and released,
after their names had been taken. They will
all report tomorrow and be formally pa
roled. Many of them had been forced into
the service of Spain to escape persecution
Business in the city has enjoyed a great
boom since the arrival of the Americans.
Business in the city has enjoyed a great
boom since the arrival of the Americans
The merchants who closed their places
yesterday opened them to-day, and are
eagerly engaged in competition for the
American dollars American gold is at a
premium of 100 per cent. Yesterday prices
were cheap; to-day they are enormous
Yesterday the price of a breakfast at the
Hotel Francois was 25 centavos, this morn
ing it is one peso. Everything else has
risen in proportion The newspaper corre-
spondents have difficulty in obtaining horses
even at $500 gold The natives imagine that
the pockets of the Americans can emit a
countless flow of eagles and double eagles
There is plenty of provisions in the city
except rice, one of the staples, which is
quoted at a very high figure for this
country.
Our army will not lack for fresh meat
in the march across the island. The broad
savannahs which lie between the undu-
lating hills swarm with cattle at reasonable
prices and of excellent quality. General
Garretson's brigade is massed at Yauco. the
terminus of the railroad fifteen miles off.
and will probably remain there until the
army is ready to move. but it is thought
that the artillery will be brought here i'm
mediately. The railroad is in good order
but much of the rolling stock has been de-
stroyed Yesterday General Roy Stone
found several engines wrecked. The ma
chinery had been dismembered by Spanish
sympathizers at the roundhouse and hidden
General Stone gave them two hours to get
the engines into working order under pen
atty of Imprisonment. and in less than that
time the engines had steam up and were
| ready to move.
The Spaniards will probably retire as far