The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1869-05-15
VOLUME 8.
The Reported Cuban Expedition.

contains the following with reference to
the vessels that left that port for Cuba,
'as 10 supposed, on Monday:
There 10 no Goubt that an expedition
OF warEke character sailed from this
port on the 4th inst, as stated in our
issue OF yesterday, and there is little
reason TO doubt that its destination was
Caba. We gave, as fully as our reliable
information warranted at the time, the
facts of che departure OF the steamers
We are enabled this morning to give a
more oircumstantial statement of the
movement.
Active secret enlistments of men for
this expedition have been going on in
this city for some time past, and one or
sve drill rooms have been open for the
purpose of drilling the recruits. A re-
cruiting station or headquarters is said
to have existed at No. 697 Broadway,
under the care and supervision of au ex-
officer of the Onion army, who claims
that during the rebellion he "prrsscd
things" with Sheridan in the Valley.
II is said that during the last two months
this officer has recruited about $50 men,
and the expedition which sailed on the
4th was composed of this force, and per-
.haps of others.
Z The attention Of the authorities was
directed by those having the manage
uent of affairs to the wrong ship. Re-
ports were circulated to the effect that,
thessteamer Arago had departed fo,hhe
West Indies with warlike iuteDt'ans, and
that she carried -sUuG 1000 men, to-
ne.i----wrril an ample cargo of guns and
cartridges. The new United States
Marshal, General Francis G.. Barlow, or
dered his subordinates to enquire into
che matter. and they ascegtaiuod that the
Argo was cleared from tile custom house
for St. Thomas, w. l., on Friday last,
md that she subsequently, areharea, at !
Gsafesnad Bay, on the Long Island
course, nine miles distant from TIE bat
terry, going from thence to sea on Mon
day Afternoon, instead Of the following
day, as was announced in some Of the
morning Journals. Her pilot was found
By the marshal's officer, and he stoutly
co4ir.dictcd the statement that tle,,
were men and arms ON beard the steamer.
Ps"a"nncins it false in every particular.
lie was scorroboratcd by another pilot
who was witness to the departure OF
the vessel.
The tug boats Yankee and Philip, be-
longing to the Atlantic Submarine
Wreckins 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, aud furnishes new aud
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 tho Wrccking
Company, from the Battery, and told to
70 to the foot of Spring-strect, North
River, and receive cargo of passengers.
He accordingly did so, and found about
seventy-fve men on tho dock awaiting
his arrival. They had no baggage, aud
were apparently very anxious to get
away. The most of them talked Span
ish, and behaved in a manner calculated
to excite suspicion.
After they came on board man who
acted as their leader requested the cap
tain to put them on board the. steamer
Pierrot, which was lying near Governors
Island. On the arrival of the tug boat
:at the latter vessel, large assemblge OF
dark compiexioned men were discovered
,on her upper deck. About 125 of these
were brought there by the tug boat Yam
kee from the foot of Eighth-street, North
Nivcr. The steam tug Martha was also
reported to have conveyed men on board,
including the leaders of the expedition.
She was seen lying alongside the Pierrot
by Captain Hazard. The commander OF
the steamer, Capt. George Fletcher, in
conversation with Captain Hazard, di-
yulged to him the existence of a large
cargo Of arms and ammunition in the
hold Of his vessel. He said that they
we're obtained from Governors Island.