The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-05-07
Tho Cuban InvaAers-nepars.r Of .
Vessel from New York.

tains the following with reference TO the yes
soils that LEFT that port for Cuba, as is sup
posed, on Monday
There Is no doubt than an expedition Of
warlike character sailed from this port on tn
4th inst. as stated In our issue Of yostcrda AZ
and there is little reason TO doubt that Il
destination was Cuba. We gave, as fully a
our reliable information warranted at IN
time, tho facts of the departure Of tn
steamers. We are enabled this morning b
give more circumstantial statement Of III
movement.
Active secret enllstments of men for thi
expedition have been going on In this cit.
for some time past, and one or two drill
rooms have boon open for the purpose o
drilling the recruits, 4 recruiting station o
headquarters Is said TO have existed at No
69I Broadway, under the care and super
vision Of an ox-officer Of the Union army
who claims that during the rebellion h
"pressed things with Sheridan In the Val
ley. II Is said that during the last tw,
months this officer has recruited about As
men, and the expedition which sailed on IN
4th was composed Of this force, and perhap
OF others.
The attention of the authorities was di
rected by those having the management o
affairs to the wrong ship. Reports were cir
culated TO the effect that the steamer Arng,
had departed for the West Indies with war
like Intentions, and that she carried abou
1000 men, together with an ample cargo o
guns and cartridges. The new United State
marshal, General Francis c. Barlow, ordered
his subordinatcs to inquire into the matter
and they ascertaincd that the Arago wal
cleared from the custom house for ST
Thomas, W. l., on Friday last, and that sht
subsequently anchored at GrIvcsend Bay, or
the Long Island course, nine miles distant
from the battery, going from thence TO sea
on Monday afternoon, instead Of the follow
Ing day, rs was ann ua"ed In some Of the
morning journals. Her pilot was found b,
the marsha's officer, aud he stoutly contra
dlcted the statement that there were met
and arms on board the steamer, pronouncinr
Ii false in every particular. lie was cor
roborated by another pilot, who was wit
ness to the departure of the vessel.
The tugboats Yankee and Philip, belong.
Ing to the Atlantic Submarine Wreckinp
company, were mentioned In the reports as
having conveyed troops on board the Arago.
Captain Hazard, Of the former boat, was
visited last evening by our reporter, and fur.
nisnes new and authentic version of the
sailing of the expedition.
STATEMENT OF CAPTAIN HAZARD,
He says that he was coming up the bay on
Tuesday afternoon, when he was hailed by
Mr.. Waters, Of the Wrecking COMPANY.
from the battery, and told to go to the foot
OF Spring street, North river, and receive A
cargo OF passengers. He accordingly did so,
and found about seyenty-flye men on the
dock awaiting his arrival. They had no
baggage, and were apparently very anxious
to get away. The most OF them talked
spanish, and behaved In a manner calculated
to excite suspicion.
Aftar thew oap,a an
acted as their leader requested the captain
to put them on board the steamer Pierrot.
which was lying near Governors island.
On the arrival Of the tugboat at the latter
vessel, a large assemblage of dark-complex
Toned men were discovered on her upper
deck. About l25 OF these were bronpht
there by the tugboat Yankee from the foot
OF Eighth street, North river. The steam
tug Martha was also reported to have con-
Veyed men on board, including the leaders
OF the expedition. She was seen lying along
side the Pierrot by Captain Hazard. The
commander OF the steamer, Captain George
Fletcher, In conversation with Captain Haz-
ard, dlyulged to him the existence OF a large
cargo OF arms and ammunition In the hold
Of his vessel. He said that they were OBJ
tained from Governors island, and that he
had them transferred by a tugboat to his
vessel on Thursday last, the latter lying Mt
Atlantic Basin, Brooklyn, at that time.
Captain Hazard regarded this Information
rs reliable.
The organizer Of the expedition is repre-
sented to be General Domingo dc Goisouria.
VINO has devoted his whole life to struggles
Tor Cuban Independence, besides engaging
IN numerous hllibusterlng movements. In
$50 he fought against the spaniards under
Lopez, and he afterwards participated with
Walker In his raid on Nicaragua. He Is de-
scrlbed as man of medium height. snare
bulld, long gray beard, and yery dark ana
piercing eyes. Amer the Pierrot had re-
ceiyed the men from the tugboat Phillip she
weighed anchor and stood out to sea. IL
was intimated TO Captain Hazard that she
would land her passengers somewhere along
the Cuban coast, and that they would sub
sequently unite with the insurgents, He
was not made cognizant of this fact, how
ever, until Il was too late to be OF use to the
authorities here. The Pierrot, 1t Is alleged,
Is owned by SpoGord, Tlleston Il Co., and 4
regularly run between this city, Havana,
New Orleans and Galveston. The Arapo,
which left on Monday, is believed to be on
ler way to join Peruvian squadron which
IS hitting ont near New Orleans. She was
formerly ow ned by the North American
.eamship Company, but was sold by them
on the 10th OF April to parties unknown, the
The Washington correspondent ofthe TiD.rs
has the following with reference to this sub
ject:
The Spanish minister TO this country has
repeatedly, within the last four or five weeks.
called the attention OF the State Department
10 the fact that ships laden with guns and
material OF war have LEFT United States ports
under American colors, their ultimate destl-
oh
he Island of Cuba. The American agents
u the Cuban instruction appear TO have
conducted their operations with the utmost
discretion, and up to this time there has not
been, so Tar as either our own or the Spanish
huthoritles are aware, the slightest ipfrao-
ton OF International law. The reports that
large expeditions have either sailed or viii
lified. as
Some ten days ago Colonel Roberts, the
representative OF the Spanish authorities
lere, waited on Secretary Fish and HANDED
lin list Of eight small vessels which re.
emily left New York with arms and ammu-
ition' Said Colonel Roberts, 81 know, Mr..
,eecretary, that | cannot complain of this. |
hese vessels have cleared from New York |
or Nassau, where they hoist the English |
olors, and watch a chance to slip across
nd land their cargoes. merely bring Won
ne lst 10 assure you that | am correctly In |
)rmed. In n few days we shall hear nj
lther the landing of these vessels or their
lptuie by our gunboats." Colonel Roberts
liked much more on the same subject. but
present there Is no reason to apprehend
ny enlargement between the United States
nd Spain. A gentleman In high official no.
ton here expressed the opinion to-nigbt
lat, on an average, about one vessel n week
ayes New York for Nassau, but the re-
'urces at the command Of the revolutionary
gents do not enable them to accomplish any
ore than this.
There Is not the slightest doubt that the
nlted States authorities are anxious 10
alntaln a strict neutrality, and will call
c full force OF the Government II necessary
TO operation TO prevent q violation of the
VS. No statute Of the United States has
EN- broken so far, and consequently no
mplaint has been made to the Executive.
hat the Cubans are hard pressed for money
az be Judged from another fact. Some
'eks ago prominent rifle manufacturer, A
Nv England man, was given q large order
the lnsurgent agents for breech-loadlng
les' The order was promptly filed, the
ms were packed In cases, but the mann
,turers refuse to deliver them until their
Il value Ia paid. No information what
er, official or unofficial, has been received /
the State Department &c day relative to
Ihan affairs. I