The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-06-17
THE FLEETS OFF At LAST.
Departure from Key West of the
Army of Invasion Under
Maj.-Gen. Shafter.
OVER FIFTEEN THOUSAND MEN ABOARD,
The Large Fleet of Transports Conveyed by
a Strong Squadron of Warships, Rang
Ing from the Big Battleship to tho
Small GunbOat and Fast-Sailing Armed
Yacht,


Ing from the Big Battleship to the
Small Gunboat and Fast-Sailing Armed
Yacht.
WASHINGTON, June 13.-It is formal
ly announced at the war department
that the first military expedition left
Key West at daylight, bound for San
tiago. All day Sunday there was
lively conference between the officials
of the navy and war departments, and
after an all-day session the war
board completed its plans for
conveying the troop transports.
Maj.-Gen. Shafter, who commands this
expedition, has with him force of 773
officers and 1861 enlisted men. The
United States regular troops make up
the greater part of the force, there be-
ing but three volunteer organizations
on the ships. These are the Seventy
first New York infantry volunteers, the
Second Massachusetts infantry volun-
teers, and two dismounted squadrons
of four troops each from the
First United States volunteer cav
airy, the regiment which Col. Wood
commands, and of which Theodore
L.
Whether either of these officers is with
the two squadrons named is not yet
known at the war department.. Itwas
difficult to prevail upon the mounted
rihemen to leave their mounts behind,
but this was a matter of necessity, it is
said, owing to lack of accommodations
for the horses on shipboard. s
The best that the department could
do at this time in the way of supplying
the cavalry contingent for the expedi-
tion was to include among the troops
one squadron of the Second United
States cavalry, fully mounted with
nine officers and $50 enlisted men.
The full list of the troops that make
up the expedition, as reported to the
war department by Gen. Shafter, is as
follows:
Infantry Reglments-Sixth, Six
teenth, Seventy first New York vol
unteers, Tenth, Twenty first, Second,
Thirteenth, Ninth, Twenty-fourth,
Eighth, Twenty-second. Second Mas
sachusetts volunteers, First, Fifteenth,
Thirteenth, Seventh, Third, Twen-
tieth-total infantry, sol officers and
10, 100 enlisted men.
Cavalry-Two dlsmounted squadrons
of four troops each from the Third,
Sixth, Ninth, First and Tenth cavalry
and two dismounted squadrons of four
troops each from the First United
States volunteer cavalry. Total dis
mounted cavalry, 159 officers, 2,s75 en-
listed men; mounted cavalry, one
squadron of the Second, 9 officers and 2S0
enlisted men.
Artillery-Light batteries E and K,
First artillery; A and f, Second artil-
lery, IA officers and 323 enlisted men.
Batteries G and III, Fourth artillery
siege, four officers and 1872 enlisted
men.
Engineers-Companies c and E, 9 off,
GERS. 200 enlisted men.
Signal Corps-One detachment, two
officers and As enlisted men.
Hospital detachments are included
in the above figures.
The staff corps numbers officers.
The grand total of the expedition is
773 officers and IA, 564 enlisted men.
Gen. Shafter, in his report, indicate
the great obstacles that had to be over
come in order to embark his force at
Port Tampa, and it is not likely, if his
carries weight, that
the effort will be made to again en-
bark so large a number of troops from
this port without considerably enlarg-
ing the shipping facilities.
It will be noticed that by far the
larger portion of the expedition is
made up of infantry, although an un-
usually large pumber of artillery is in
cluded; and that the cavalry is almost
lacking. 1t is expected, how
ever, that the dismounted cavalry with
the expedition will be mounted later
in Cuba, either from the stock of
native horses or from mounts
that will follow them from this coun-
try. Owing co the mountainous and
jungle-like character of the country
back of Santiago, where the troops
must operate, there will be little op-
portunity for the use of cavalry, SO
that the expedition has not been weak
ened in the opinion of experts by with
the cavalry mounts at the be-
ginning of the campaign.
The troops will arrive off Santiago
Thursday morning at latest. barring
storms or accident, and the landing
pfODdUIy Will bdhC pIdCG Oh Gllc dlLOF-
noon of that day or Friday following, as
Admiral Sampson is extremely anxious
to reinforce the small body of marines
now ashore at Guantanamo bay. The |
position of these men is not entirely
to the officials here. While |
no advices have yet reached the navy
of the attack made on the |
marine force by Spanish guerrillas |
night, there is no disposition |
to question the accuracy of the press
reports.
A large force of transports conveyed |
the troops under the convoy of a strong
squadron of warships, ranging from
the immense battleship to the small |
gunboat and armed fast-sailing yacht. |
Admiral Camara's Fleet Unfit for Sea.
WASHINGTON, June 13.-Word has
been received at the navy department
from a high, though unofficial source, |