The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-12
TROOPS OFF ON TRANSPORTS.
Continued from First Page.

:
have been introduced pretty generally to
the army aud navy officers. and seem to
take much interest in what is going on.
While here they viii be the guests of the
United States government, who viii look
after them as long as they decide 10 re-
main with US. They are all ready to move
as soon as they are notified that the trans
ports are about to sail, and viii he notified
In ample time 10 take tho ships upon which
their transportation and accommOda tons
have been arranged"
The following is a list of the vessels
making UP the squadron of transports
upon which the troops were embarked
They were secured from their owners
some by direct purchase from them by
the government and others hired for such
a length of time as the government may
have use for them.
Plant Line-OliVette, Capt. Stevenson,
1,6l1 tons.
Morgan Line-Gussie. Capt Barney 99S
tons; Whitney. Capt Staples, 1887 tons.
Merchants and Miners Transporta lion
Company of Baltimore-Berkshire. Capt.
Deszir 2014 tons; Decatur II. Miller, Capt.
Smith, 2,O14 tons; Allegheny, Capt. Nicker-
son, 2,0l4 tons.
Mallory Ldne-Cornal, Capt. Eavans, o.
aS4 tons San Marcus, Capt. Otzinr 294i
ions; Almo, Capt Johnson 2,S99 tons; Rio
Grande, Capt. Staples, 1855 tons; LeOna.
Capt Wilder. 1928 tons; Concho, Capt.
Risk, 1874 tons.
Ward Line-Santiago. Capt Lighton, D.
1865 tons; Seguranco Capt Hanson, 4,O53
tons; Nigilancia. Capt. Mcintosh, Ais
tons; City of Washington, Capt Stevens
26SS tons; Saratoga, Capt. Johnson, 2,S20
tons; Seneca, Capt. Decker, 2,729 tons.
Flagler's Line-Aliami, Capt. Evans, D.
S47 tons;s Red Cross Hospital ship. State
of Texas. Capt Young, 1,7S5 tons.
Clyde Line-lroquois. Capt Kenebel, p
s4s tons; Cherokee, Capt. Garrin, 1855
fans. Yucatan, Capt. Youmans, 3,525 tons.
Two or three other transports of less
size. arr also with the fleet. and two
TRANSPORTS with troops that left Mobile
day or two ago will join the fleet off the
ITlorida. coaa at a point which has not
been given on,
Tust how ma1 troops were placed on
each of these slim 8 1t is impossible to say.
ON some of them there was a full regi-
ment. while others carried more, ana the
smaller ones could no. accommodate more
than 800. AS nearly st as possible, the reg
iments, brigades and di Visions OF 'le coIl's
were kept in tact as a matter VI eAPe-
dlency in getting them toa ether as soon
as a landing is made.
Nearly fifty newspaper correspondents
accompanied the expedition. -C4lese repre-
sented some of the leading jourN us VI Ile
United States, and along with tl'em were
correspondents sent here by the pro nment
all going to write up and photograph the
Interesting events of the expedition.
Correspondents sent here by the owr1Ars
of the papers that they represent, for TIA
purpose of detailing incidents of interest
that may happen in certain commands, OF /
more than ordinary interest at home, BY 1
reason of their local bearing, were as
nearly so as possibly, assigned to ships
upon which these regiments or commands |
were embarked, and all other correspond |
ents were assigned to quarters on the on
vette. Some of these correspondents car |
rIed horses with them, which the govern
tnent furnished transportation for, the
owners being allowed to make arrange !
ments for feeding them at their own eX-
pense, the forage and grain being sold |
them by the government
1t was a tremendous undertaking for the |
government to load all these ships in |
short space of time, owing to the linn tied |
railroad facilities between Tampa and Port
Tampa, there being only one track BE-
tween these two points. The wharf space |
was also so contracted that only four or |
five transports could be loaded al a time, !
and frequently much delay was occa-
stoned by delay in getting the supplies /
down to The boats, owing TO the tracks be- |
ing blockaded. Maj Jacobs of Gen. Shaft |
er's staff had charge of loading the trans !
ports, and rushed the work as rapidly as |
possible under the choked condition of |
affairs
For more than a month the work of load |
ing the big ships had been going on, as |
rapidly as possible but far too slow to |
satisfy the wishes of Gen. Shafter and |
Gen Miles. The early part of last week |
additional activity was thrown into the |
work by pressing into service all of the |
pack mules here, nearly l,200 in number, |
and several hundred four and six-mule |
teams. These, with the railroad trains,
hurried up the work of loading the trans |
ports, and a satisfactory conclusion was |
reached in this way. Had it not been for
calling in the wagons and pack mules to
assist In hauling supplies to the wharves
at Port Tampa the boats would not have
been ready to sail for several days yet. AS /
nearly all the mules were green and I'M
used to packing some trouble was neces-
earily experienced by the packers, but they
finally got their tains I'm working order
and for the last two or three days have
been making rapid Roadway.
Since the first order was Issued about a
week ago showing what troops would con-
etitute the Fifth Army Corps TO be COM
manded by Gen. Shafter. several new reg
iments were added that were not mention
ed In the order owing TO the fact that
they were not available at the time This
applied particularly to the infantry, which
was 20 go with the expedition. Gen. Joe
Wheeler, who commands the cavalry, had
had his commands named and all ar
rangements practically completed for con-
centrating his troops at one point upon the
call Of the bugle for two weeks or more.
For week all of them mad been in camp
near his headquarters in the field. The
last regiment to arrive was Teddie Roose-
velts Rough Riders, composed principally
of frontiersmen and cowboys from the
woody West Sunday last while taking
dinner with Gen. Wheeler and his stan
at his camp. he furnished the Morning
News correspondent with the make up Of
his command, which reads as follows:
The Third Cavalry Col. Henry w. Wes-
Belsi the Sixth Cavalry, Col. Henry Car
roll, and the Ninth Cavalry, Lieut. Col
Jno. w. Hamilton. under Gen. Samuel s.
Sumner; the First Cavalry, Col. Charles d.
Veale; the Tenth Cavalry, Lieut. Col
Theo. A. Baldwin, and the First Regiment
of Volunteer Cavalry, commanded by Col.
Leonard Wood and Lieut. Col. Theodore
Roosevelt. All under command OF Gen.
Young.
The Ninth and Tenth Cavalry companies
are negro troops, the commissioned officers
being white
Gen. Wheeler soon stated that he had
about 1900 cavalry in his command