Evening star., 1898-06-13

1t was formally al rounced at the War
Department this morning that the first
military eXceditiCn had left Key West a.
daylight today. bounG for Santiago, Cuba.
All day yesterday there was lively con-
ference 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 trans
ports. Mai. Gen Shafter, who commands
this expedition, has with him force of
713 officers and 14,564 enlisted men. The
United States regular troops make up
gleater part of this force, and there are
but three volunteer organizations On the
skips. These are the list New York In
fantry Volunteers, the "a Massachusetts
Infantry Volunteers and two dismounted
sQuadrons OF four troops each from the 1s-
United States Volunteer Cavalry the reg
in9ent which Col. Wood commands and of
which The )dOre Roosevelt is lieutenant
colonel Whether either OF these officers Is
with the two sqUadrons named is not yet
known at the War Department. 1t was
difficult to prevail upon the mounted rifl4-
men to leave their mounts behind but this
was matter of recessity. it is said, owing
TO the lack of accommodation for the
forses on shlpbo&rd. The best that the de-
partment coald do at this stage in the way
OF supplying the cavalry contingent for
the expedition vas to include among the
troops one squadron OF the % United States
Cavalry, fully mounted, with nine officers
and 80 enlisted men.
The Troops in the Expedition
The full list of the troops that make up
this expedition. as reported to the War De-
partment by General Shafter. is as follows
Infantry regiments-6th, 10th, list, New
Vol TrTrlr,a h+h
2iIh. sth. I'D. I'd. Massachusetts Volun-
tsers; LIST. 18th. Eth. eth, 18th, Sd, 2oth
Total infantry. 561 officers and IL, 7OJ enlist
ed men.
CayaIry-Two dismounted squadrons of
four troops each from the Sd, 9th, 9th. 1st
and 10th Cavalry and two dismounted
squadrons OF four troops each from the
1st United States Volunteer Cavalry. Total
dismounted cavalry. 1j9 officers and 2S11
enlisted men; mounted cavalry, one squad
ron of the I'd. officers and 80 enlisted
men
Artillery-Light Batteries c and X, 1st
Artillery; \ and T, I'd Artillery; IA officers
and 323 enlisted men. Batteries G and H
4th Artillery. siege, officers and 49, en-
listed men
acknowledgements c and Z, officers
and 10 enlisted men.
Signal corps-One detachment 2 officers
and Al enlisted men.
Hospital detachments are included in the
foregoing figures
The staff corps numbers Is officers
The grand total of the expedition is TT3
officers and 14.564 enlisted men.
Obstacles to overcome
Gen. Shafter in his report indicates the
great obstacles that had to be overcome
In order to embark his force at Port Tam
pa, and il is not likely, if his recommenda-
ton carries weight. that an effort will be
made to again embark SO large d number
OF troops from this port without consid-
erably enlarging The shipping facilities
1t Will be noticed that by far the larger
portion OF the expedition IS made I'D OF
infantry. although an unusually large mum.
ber Of artillery is Included and that the
cavalry is almost altogether lacking 1t is
expected, however. that the dismounted
cavalry with the expedition will be mount
ed later on IN Cuba, either from The native
stock OF horses or from mounts that Will
follow them from this country. Owing tc
the mountainous and tungle-like character
of the country back OF Santiago, where the
troops must operate. there will be Httl,
opportunity for the use of cavalry, SO thai
the expedition has not been weakened ir
the opinion of experts by Withholding the
cavalry mounts at the beginning of the
Campaign.
Expected to Arrive Thursday,
The troops will arrive off Santiago Thurs
day morning AT least. barring storms o,
accident. and the landing will likely take
place on the afternoon of that day or Fri.