Rico.—Immediately after the surrender of Santiago (July 17), preparations were made for the invasion of Porto Rico with 3,500 troops which had been sent as reinforcements to Santi ago, but had not landed. They were largely reinforced and left Guantanamo, under General Miles, on July 21. The towns on the south side of the island were occupied, practically without resistance. The attitude of the population was exceedingly friendly, and opposition was not met until advance was begun northward. The troops were divided into four columns, advancing from Guanica around the western end of the island to Mayaguez; from Arroyo at the eastern end to meet the San Juan road at Cayey; from Ponce by the fine military road, 7o m., to San Juan; and the fourth column by way of Adjuntas and Utuado, midway of the island. The various movements involved several skirmishes. On Aug. 12 operations were begun by the "Newark" and other vessels against Manzanillo. But during the night news arrived of the signing of the peace protocol on the i2th, and of an armistice.
The total American loss was—in the navy, I officer, 17 men killed; in the army, 29 officers, 44o men. The health of the American fleet was kept remarkably. Its average strength during the 114 days of hostilities was 26,102; the deaths from disease during this time were 56, or at the rate of 7 per i,000 per year.
As nearly the whole of the service was in the tropics, and in the summer or wet season, this is a convincing proof of the efficiency in sanitary administration. The army did not fare so well, losing by disease during May, June, July and August, 67 officers and 1,872 men out of an average total of 227,494. Its larger propor tion of illness must of course be ascribed, in part, to its greater hardships. The lack of proper preparation by the war department and the ignorance and thoughtlessness of the volunteers were the principal reasons for the high death-rate in the army.
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