The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-28
From the NJ Y. Herald otyestcrdqy.


dreds of the friends of the Cuban revolution
in this city for it was the most momentous
period vet exp erienced, so far as the sending
of aid to the struggling patriots was concerned,
rs the failure of the embarkation of the relief
despatched last night would certainly have
been the severest blow to the revolutionary
cause that could possibly be sustained. 1t has
cost months of labor of the most trying and
arduous description, considering the embar-
rassments which have been thrown in the way
by the action of over-zealous United
states officials in this city, by quibbling,
l1nuckling executive officers at Washington,
by spying journals in this city which were in
the interest of Spain, and the indiscretions of
few of the actual participants in the acheme.
In addition to all these obstacles, hundreds of
thousands of dollars have been expended in
the purchase of about 5000 stands of Reming-
ton breech-loading rifles, two batteries of ar
tillery, shot, shell, and military stores, the
victualling and housing of about 1000 men,
and the chartering of not less than four YES
sells of different classes.
That such aid was actually despatched from
this city last night there is not the slightest
doubt, and the writer of this article has per-
sonal knowledge of the fact, and that the ex-
pedition is of larger proportions, more COM
plete outfit and equipment than all other ex-
peditions combined, and about which so much
has been said and written, is also beyond
question
To come, however, to the facts. Yester-
day was a rather busy day at the various
Cuban headquarters or bureaus in this city,
and during the afternoon any one who had
called at the different offices could not have
failed to observe that all the more prominent
officials were absent from their accustomed
desks, and it was useless to ask for Senior this
or General that, or ColonelEthe other. Swarthy
and polite Cuban clerks and attaches replied
10 oil i,,Ao -, y
And yet everything was quiet and orderly, no
furry or excitement. The officials seemed to
have acquired method in their proceedings
through the experience they have had in fit
ting out other smaller bodies of recruits.
At the Casino in Houston street, at Cooper
Hall, Jersey City, and other places where the
recruits have been rendezvoused, some curious
changes have taken place within the past
week On one day the establishments were
full and on the next only a few, who appeared
to be acting as guards, were present, while
the larger squads were nowhere to be seen.
This, 1T is understood. was in consequence of
orders issued as test to determine how many
of the men would respond by their actual pre-
sence when finally ordered out for embarka-
ton, and also to puzzle and bewider the
Spanish spies and the United States Marshall
deputies. From about o'clock yesterday
afternoon similar mannuvre was en-
acted up to nearly Z o'clock last night
the men were leaving in small squads of
from two to five, and separating in va
rious directions, or rather in all directions
and at half-past 6 o'clock scarcely a man
was to be found at any of the barracks
which yesterday morning contained several
hundred. Large numbers of these small par
ties crossed from New York by the Christie
pher, Cortlandt, and Liberty street ferries to
Jersey City and Hoboken, as we'll as by the
Whitehall ferry to Staten Island. Men sta
toned in Jersey City and Hoboken reversed
this order OF things, and came over to TIE New
York side and took passage 20 Staten Island
The movements We're Haieidoscopic in the ex-
treme and had cne precise effect they were
in1ehueu 20 have; ii was not conceived that
thrs rSse sporadic bands we're to be assembled at
"A given hour in three different localities, to
almost moment of time in accuracy, and
thus embark under cover of the night for
their ultimate destination. None of them
carried anything larger than an ordinary ira
yelling bag, as orders had been issued to that
effect and some did not even carry as much
baggage as such receptacle would contain.
SMALL STEAMER,
the name of which no one pretended to know,
and which those who were informed would
not give, after being busy in, the harbor al
her accustomed duties all day steamed up into
the shadows of the grand old trees that dol
the Elysian Fields off Hoboken about I
o'clock, and came to mooring ''for the
night" Shortly afterwards a few men il
groups were seen to stroll leisurely up, anC
after lounging ON the pier and along the shore
in an Indifferent manner, they as nonchalantly
went on board the vessel, some passing from
the pier, while others, taking small boats an(
sailing outside, passed up a small ladder
which had been "neglgently" hung over the
outer bulwark of the vessel. few curious
idlers asked some of the men where they were
going, and were told ''to the fishing banks.
And for an hour after darkness set in the cry
or rather the whisper, was, ''Still'they come
About 10 o'clock all were on board and tn
shore was quiet save the ripple of water OF
the beach and the dripping Of rain from tn
trees. The night was most propitiously dark
the atmosphere, which had been heavy an
murky all day, was now hazy and semi
opaque with the drizzling shower and all O
board thought ohat, at least so far as tn
weather was concerned, fortune had indee
favored the brave ON this occasion AT |
o'clock the steamer had got well out into th
stream, and with the ordinary signal light
winking Growsily from the yards she passe
down towards the Battery. Everything wa
very quiet on board, quieter, indeed, than tn
ferryboats which she passed, and which bu
feted the water with their wheels like levii
thans drowning. AS the unknown steame
got down opposite Trinity Church, a littl
tugboat, propeller one of the ''devil fish
the harbor," that run screaming about in tn
daytime as though they felt $50 glad,
spurted out from the foot of Morris stree
and falling almost in the wake of the largt
vessel, sped close on her heels down pa
Bedloes Island and the Robins Reef ligh