Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-06-23
Bound For Santiago, Cuba.
LIEUT.. JAKE JOHNSON Is PROB
ABLY WITH THE AMERICAN
FLEET OF TRANSPORTS.
An Audrain Boy an Officer of the
Fourth United States Artillery
Escorting Prisoners to Fort
Mcpherson, Atlanta-A
Newsy Letter.

correspondence Of the Ledger.
STEAMSHIP ORIzABA, PORT TAMPA,
FLA, June 12.-Aftsr a successful as
sault upon a large watermelon l feel
entirely capable of undertaking a let
ter to my Missouri friends through
the columns of the LEDGER.
After leaving Missouri l went to
Washington, D.. O., and was given my
choice of the Tampa siege artillery or
a northern sea coast defense. Choos-
ing the former I was ordered to report,
sin person without delay" to the
commanding officer at camp Rogers
Tampa, for duty with battery g, 4th
United States artillery.
Upon arriving there I was very
agreeably surprised to find the com
manding officer to be my former COM
mandant at West Point. After q week
OF camp life between a ~scorching
Florida sun above and white hot sand
beneath l was ordered to Fort Nc
Pherson, Atlanta, Ga., to take two
supposed spies there for trial. A week
ago last Wednesday night, with a
guard of four men, I started to the
Jail through a hard rain-the hardest
since last October, 80 they say. After
wading q stream nearly knee deep we
| found q street car, but 1t was ditched
on the way down owing to sand
washed In on the track. By the time
we reached the jail it was too late to
take the night train, so we were or
dered back to camp and to report
| again the next morning.
| Getting up at four O'Clock we start
| ed once more and found our prisoners
anxious to go for they were faring
rather badly there. One of them
proved to be a person of Spanish ap-
pearance, yet had too much OF an
American look for q S~paniard. He
claims to be a Cuban and las many
Cuban friends in Tampa. He was
charged. with visiting all the ports
where the army is concentrated, and
not explaining satisfactorily he was
arrested upon suspicion. His name IL
Jose Castellanos.
The other claims to be an English
man and to have served three years
In the English artillery and to have
served three years In the Canadian
army and came to Tampa to enlist in
the United States artillery. On &C
count of certain kilograms sent te
Montreal, the seat of the Spanish
Legation, which were not satisfactory
" explained, he, Frank Mellar, was ar
rested to answer for it before a court
martial. They both seemed very hope
full and expressed their wishes for al
early trial. Having allowed Castel
lanos to say a few parting words to
pretty dark eyed senorita, who cam
] to see him of, We started on our trip
= a "a hours ride.
At Atlanta l found 16 Spanish pris
oners who had been captured wit
: vessels and whom it is proposed to OK
change for Hobson and his Merrima
crew.
We returned Saturday night to fin
Q all camp at work. Orders had jus
been received for batteries q and
:, to be ready to leave by six a. m. Sui
= day. So We worked all night, packin
and loading orlr siege guns and moi
tars. Sunday, a week ago to-day, y
t. broke camp, came to Port Tampa,
ts miles, by rail ind embarked. All OF
" guns and ammunition were not loade
until Tuesday afternoon, although v
IN worked day and night. We we
D. ready to sail when on Wednesday o.
r ders came to remain at anchor, but
send all horses and mules ashore {
~ smaller boats.
"a Further than this we have know
ia nothing. We we're simply ordered
embark without knowing where '
were going or when, but the gener
impression Is that we are for Santiag
Tonight orders came to have all M
and supplies aboard at once and
an load the horses and mules at daylig
de in the morning. This seems to inc
lin cate a start tomorrow. Every m
aboard the 80 transports is an
lid ious to be of. The Annapolis, Horn'
20. Helena, Castine and Resolute are he
,r- now to guard us to Key West, whe
they will be reinforced by others.
1t was a pretty sight to watch the
u.s. five as they steamed in yesterd
iss morning and anchored in our mid
,'n In general the men are in good heal
W. and high spirits. Many Of them
lie old Indian fighters and realize wi
Ids they are going into, but the esgern'
ali. to 60 and the high spirits of the m
es. foretell victory for them unless ov'
.ha come by numbers.
Kindly send my paper to me, and
On I have had ray mail several times c.
fused with oneJ. O. johnson, of
Gussie, and another Lieut.. O. J. Jol
son, of tho End artillery, 1t would
nd better to use full address: Lieut.. j
johnson, Battery. G, 4th U. 8. 81
u Artillery, Tampa, Fla. 1t will be I
Iri- warded to me.
oer Wishing ali the Mexico boys q Q
the cessfui campaign, as they deserves
lew entrusting American soil to the P
lection of our loyal people on this {
n of the channel I assure you ! have
choice of all places In the Worit
Fir present. Hoping to sec You all az
.ty- sooner or later, I am
okel Most sincerely yours,
]. q. JOHNSON
Second Lieutenant, Fourth I'm
IN. States Artillery.
Stock Shipments.
are The following are the stock 81