The evening times., 1898-06-13
OUR ARMY LEAVES TAMPA
Thirty-:wo Transports With
Troops En- Route 10 Cuba.
GEN. SHAFTER IN COMMAND
VesSels Conveying Twenty Thou
sand Armed Americana, Under
Expected to Reach Guantanamo
or Santiago On Thursday.

Tampa. Fla, June 13-The first division
| of the army of invasion started from
| Tampa yesterday for Key West, which
will be reached today. There the flee:
| of thirty-two transport boats will be met
by the convoy of twelve naval vessels
and will, 1t is believed, make a speedy
start for Cuba. 1t Is expected they will
| reach Guantanamo on Thursday.
1t was mighty procession that swept
out of Tampa Bay and started gallantly
across the waters; stately procession.
too. moving long in two columns. as well
aligned and as steady as a regiment of
soldiers on land. There are no stragglers
in this magnificent march-no weaklings.
The embarkation had been a rapid one.
| and these boats steamed out into the sea
| awaiting the order, "On to Cuba! The
| big fleet filled the harbor. anchortng,
| however, as far out possible, SO that
| no time might be lost when the order
| came to move. Major Gen. Shafter. in
| command of the Army. spent much time
in port. and then the wires to Washing
ton began to work. There were ques-
tions and answers. suggestions and or
and the hours passed away while still
the tick. tick" of the telegraph-sounder
spelled out the words that might mean
great glory for our nation. or death to
thousands.
The people of Tampa and the soldiers
left behind had flockcd to the waterfront
| to share farewell. From he transports
came cheer after cheer; shouts were tax
Ell up from one vessel to another. and
then songs that rolled along the long
line like an almost csaseless echo.
At last the signal up anchor was
fioated from the mast of the flagship.
Gen. Shafter had sent his last message
| to Washington. received his last COM
mand.
The boats were ranged in double coll
| umn as close as safety would permit. but
| with allowance for plenty of steerage-
| way.
On the sides and on the smokestacks of
| each of the transports was painted large
| white number and by these numbers the
| boats were officially known. their original
names being discarded. This was for the
purpose of facilities signaling between
the flagship and the other boats of the
fleet.
Here is the list. with names of officers
and number of soldiers:
Miami. Mcdonald. 1900 men.
Santiago Leighton. $50 men.
3-Gussie, Birney, 100 men.
tCherokee. Carvin, 1000 men.
5-Seneca. Decker. 900 men.
alamo. Hix. 800 men.
7-Comal. Evans. $50 men, l76 horses.
S-Yucatan Robertson. $50 men.
9-Berkshire. Dizer, Al men. Ia horses.
D-Whitney. Staples. 100 men.
n-Olivette, Stevenson, 400 rAa. Is
horses.
12-Seguranca flag, Hansen 500 men
I- -, -.
H-Concho. Rick, 1900 men.
15-Florida Miner, 800 men.
16-City of Washington. Stevens. 900
men.
T7-Alleghany, Nickerson. $50 men. 1870
horses.
1S-San Marcos. Itzen, 1.lOo men, 20
horses.
19-Decatur II. Miller. Peterson. $50 men,
800 mules.
20-Saratoga. Johnson, 800 men.
2l-Leona. Wilder. 80 men.
22-Rio Grande. Staples. LOO men.
23-Figilancia, Mcintosh. 1900 men.
2-Orizaba. Downs. 1900 men.
a1-Iroquois. Kimble $50 men.
2G-Natteawan. Lewis, 800 men, 400
horses.
27-Morgan. Staples. -
2S-Stiilwater. Gault. -.
29-Breakwater. Rivero. -.
JU-cCTnDeTldnu. -, -.
3l-knickerbocker. -, 800 men.
32-Clinton. -
State of Texas (hospitaD. Young, -.
Barges-Bessie. Martha
Tug-Captain Sam.
At Key West the fee. will be met by
the convoy of at least twelve warships,
and when the start for Cuba is made the
stately Indiana will be in the lead.
Along the fianks of the double column
of transports will range the naval YES
sels-the bodyguard. Just behind the In
diana will steam the Puritan and the VIII
mington. On the fianks will be the Hele-
ma, the Manning. Terror. Rodgers. Wasp,
Bancroft, Newport and Mayfiower. In
the rear the St. Louis will keep guard.
On board the transports the men will be
permitted a certain amount of liberty.
but on the naval vessels the discipline
will be very much more rigid.
Before leaving Tampa, General Shafter
communicated with Washington in regard
to the news that three Spanish gunboats
had sailed forth from Havana only re-
Gently and had been driven back By Com
modore WatsOn's cruisers. 1t was believ-
ed that the Spanish gunboatS had been
sent out to create an impression that the
Spaniards were prepared to attack trans
ports but their speedy flight on the ap-
proach of our cruisers showed that this
action was only bluff" Even If the
gunboats had escaped the vigilance of
Commodore Watson, they could have
made but ridiculous stand against the
invading American fleet, for not one of
the Spanish boats was equal in power to
the smallest of our cruisers.