The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-17

OF invasion 10 NuDd j y" Oh ~
way, thirty-two transport steamships
bearing over 5000 officers and men,
conveyed by battleships, cruisers, gun
boats and auxiliary craft, sixteen in
lumber having actually sailed from
Key West at day break this morning.
An authoritative statement to this eff
feet was made at the war department
today, setting at rest all reports hat
the expedition was on it's way, or a
landed last week. The authorities
made the announcement for the reason
that the time for secrecy was now
past, as the scout boats a made sure
That the path was clear before it and
that no possible menace could come
from the Spanish ships or troops, even
Should the enemy know that our forces
were now advancing against them.
With the expedition off, officials here
feel that there will be a period Of com
paratiVe inactiOn for d few days.
BY Thursday at the latest the trans
ports Will be off Santiago and a large
American army will make it's landing
on Uban soil. admiral Sampson has
cleared the way for this undertaking
III HUT udIScI 10 Apr HtIlutu III
getting ashore. 1t will be after that,
when the advance is made, that the
actual dramatic developments may be
expected.
BY that time it is likely that the
American commanders will be in di-
rect cable communication with the au-
thOritieS here. Admiral Sampson has
taken the shore end of the cable land
ing at Guantanamo and a force Of ca
ble experts are rapidly restoring the
line to working order. The progress
of this work has been so satisfactory
that One of the leading officials of the
state department aid tonight that it
was hoped this direct cable communi-
cation would be established by Thurs
day. 1t will put an end to the dearth
Of official information concerning i'm
pOrtant movements and will enable the
authorities here to keep in close touch
with those executing the strategic
movements.
The troops making up the expcdi-
ton which started today as as fol-
lows:
Infantry Regiments.-Sixth, Six
teenth, S~eventy-first New York volun-
teers, Tenth. Twenty-first, Second,
Thirteenth, Ninth, Twenty-fourth,
Eighth, Twenty-second, Second Mas
sachusett volunteers, First Twenty
fifth, Twelfth, Seventh, Seventeenth,
Third, Twentieth. Total infantry, SCI
officers and 10, 709 enlisted men.
Cavalry-Two dismounted %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 mon. mounted cavalry. one
squadron of the Second, nine officers
and $50 enlisted men.
Artillery-Light batteries f and K,
First artillery; A and F, Second ar
til1ery; fourteen officers and 1923 enlist
ed men; batteries G and H, Fourth ar
tillery, seige, four officers and 1872 en-
listed men.
Engineers-COmpanies c and E, nine
officers, 200 enlisted men.
Signal Corps-One detachment, two
officers and As enlisted men.
Hospital detachments are included
in the foregoing figures. The staff
corps numbers fifteen officers. The
grand total of the expedition is 773 Of
ficers and IA, 1854 enlisted men.
Aside from the men and officers
making up the expedition, the boats
carried a vast quantity of supplies,
ammunition and war equipments, ne
Cessary to maintain an organization
Of this size for at least sixty days. Ev-
cry detail for the landing of this par
ty has been worked out by the engi-
neer corps Of the army. 1t will be a
laborious process at best, and will
take a full day or more. The point of
landing has been so chosen that there
is little danger of an interruption from
the Spanish forces, but should they
attempt to make trouble Admiral
SIMPSONS ships will insure ample pro-
lection until the troops al care for
themselves.
THE CADIZ FLEET.
The Spanish Cadiz fleet is almost as
much of a mystery to the naval Off
GERS here as was Admiral Cervera's
flying squadron during the two weeks
Immediately preceding it's inglorious
bottling up at Santiago. Today a re-
port came hat the squadron was I'M
tit for sea. That would have been
credited, except that the department
mas had information as late as Satur-
day TO the effect that the squadron
was already at sea and was about t.
depart. About a week before that it
had been told hat the Cadiz fleet had
sailed. Having in mind these con-
fiicting reports the war board scarce
ly knows where to give credence,
though it would seem to be an extra
ordinary circumstance that the least
doubt could exist as to the presence
in or absence from the harbor of a
popular city, such as Cadiz, of a
whole squadron OF warships. However,
the weight Of opinion seems to incline
TO the presence of the fleet at Cadiz,
owing to the bad condition Of the
ships. 1t may be noted, however, shat
although acting upon this belief, as
shown by the beginning of the mill
tary invasion of Cuba, the war board
IS taking no unnecessary nance of a
surprise, and by means Of scouts has
provided for securing timely warning
Of the approach of any hostile vessels
to the seat of war.
THE ATTACK ON OUR MARINES.
The news of the attack by the Span