The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-06-23


the soldiers on the transports.
In five minutes the sea was alive with
fotillas of small boats headed by
launches, speeding for Baiquiri dock.
Some of the boats were manned by
crews of sailors while others were
rowed by the soldiers themselves. Each
boat contained 16 men, every one in
fighting trim and carrying three days
rations, shelter tent, a gun and 200
cartridges ready to take the field on
touching the shore, should they be
called upon to do so.
The firing of the warships, however,
proved to be. a needless precaution, as
their shots were not returned and no
Spaniards were visible.
Two correspondents of the Associated
Press, in a small boat Joined the first
flotil1a that went ashore and witnessed
the inspiring sight of the landing.
Gen. Shafter, on board the Seguran-
ca, closely watched the landing of the
troops.
Brig. Gen. Lawton had been de-
tailed to command the landing of the
troops.
LawtOn in the Lead.
Brig. Gen. Lawton, who had been de-
tailed to command the landing party
led the way in a launch, accompanied
Dy MS stan ana directed the formation
of the line of operations.
A detachment of so regular infantry
soldiers was the first to land, followed
by Gen. Skaters old regiment, the
First infantry. Then came the Twen-
ty-fifth infantry, the Twenty-second in
fantry, the Tenth infantry, the Seventh
and Twelfth infantry, the Second Mas
sachusetts regiment and a detachment
OF the Ninth cavalry.
The boats rushed forward simultan-
eously from every quarter, in good ma
tured rivalry to be first and their occu-
pants scrambled over one another to
leap ashore.
AS the boats tossed about in the surf
breaking against the pier, getting
ashore was no easy matter and the
soldiers had throw their rifles on the
dock before they could climb up them
selves and some hard tumbles resulted
but nobody was hurt.
At the end of the pier the companies
and regiments quickly lined up and
were marched away.
Gen .Lawton threw a strong detach-
ment for the night about six miles west.
on the road to Santiago and another de-
tachment was posted to the north of
the town among the hills. The rest of
the troops were quartered in the town.
SO14lS VI lLl6I1 DGIuS nOuSeQ IN the Du1LQ-
fngS of the Iron company.
Others of the troops were ouartered
in deserted houses while others still,
preferred the shelter of their tents in
the adjoining fields.
The mornings fire, it was seen, des-
troyed the round house, the repair
shops and several small dwellings,
The town was deserted when the
troops landed but women and children
soon appeared from the surrounding
thickets, and returned to their homes.
The sun-bronzed soldiers, in their
slouch hats and service uniforms, quick
ly reached the buildings and beat UP
the thickets after landing, in search of
lurking foes, and marched into the un-
known country beyond at night, with
| long swinging stride and the alert
bearing of the old frontier army men,
ready to fight the Spaniards Sioux
fashion, or in the open, wherever they
could be found.
The cheers of their comrades still
waiting on the transports and of the
blue jackets and the strains of yam
kee Doodle from the bands on the
troop ships, saluted them as they dis
appeared from view over the hills Of
Baiquiri.
The landing was accomplished with
out loss of life. the only casualty being
the wounding of an insurgent on the
hills by a shell from one of our Ships
He will lose his arm.
The inSurgent troops at BaiQuiri are
commanded by Gen. Castillo and are
estimated to number a thousand men.
In Garcia's Camp.
Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.)
In General Garcia's Camp, Aurrenderas,
Santiago de Cuba, June 22.-Per the As
sociated Press Dispatch Boat Wanda, via
Kingston, Jamaica, June 23.-A Cuban who