The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-07-15
AID FOR INSURGENTS.
Supplies Safely Landed on the
Cuban Coast.

KEY WEST (Fla), July 14.-Those
champion filibusters, the Florida and
Fanita, under convoy of the little gun
boat Peoria, have landed the largest
and probably the last expedition sent
to aid the insurgents. 1t was task
beset with peril and difficulty, costing
one man his life and wounds to half
a dozen more.
Captain Jose Manuel NuneZ. brother
of General Emilio Nunez, was killed
Winthrop Chanler of New York was
shot through the right elbow, and five
Cvbans suffered trifiing injuries. How
many Spanish lives answered for TINS
will never be known, but there were
enough to more than balance the score.
The debarkation was effected on July
Sd at Palo Alto, on the southern coast
of Cuba, but the fighting occurred be-
fore then To the Peoria, one of the
newest acquisitions to the mosquito
fleet. goes the full glory of the achieve
ment.
The Peoria was until lately a pilot
boat at Philadelphia. The Florida and
Fanita left Key West on Saturday,
June 18th, under the convoy OF the
Peoria commanded by Lieutenant j..
w. Ryan On board the steamer were
thirty-five Cubans under General
Nunez; fifty troopers of the Fifth Unit
ed States Cavalry under Lieutenants
Johnson and Ahern, and twenty-five
Rough Riders under Winthrop Cham
Ter brother of Colonel William Aston
Chanler.
The cargoes included the horses Of
the cavalrymen, with forage; TWO
dynamite guns with 100 thirty pound
! l~at a,fa af Ecyht
| field pieces: ten 3-inch rifles, with 10
coo cartridges for the same 4,ooo
| Springfield rifles. with $4,000 cart
| ridges; 200 Mausers, 100000 cart
ridges. 900 Colt revolvers and 1900
| cartridges, 1,4I5 saddles. 4JO brides.
/ 663 infantry uniforms, including o,OSo
pairs of shoes and blankets, shirts,
hats and hammocks and over 2OO,coO
pounds of provisions, including bacon
| corn meal. coffee, sugar, beef, beans,
bareback and canned corn.
] Al las T1lnas near the mouth or the
! Tallabacoa River, the expedition found
! a large fort of railroad iron ana sur
| rounded by earthworks. The Peoria
ran boldly in and fired several SHOTS
! from her 3-inch guns, but brought no
response and no signs OF iife Here
! a scouting party. made up OF hfteen
volunteers under Winthrop Chanler
! and as many Cubans under captain
| Nunez. was sent ashore.
The Peoria took a position Wltmn
shot range OF the fort TO protect d
| landing or cover a retreat, as events
might determine, and the small poals
headed for the shore They reached II
100 wards east of the fort The boats
were beached, and their occupants eau
tiously scrambled towards the brush.
At almost the very moment they set
foot on the sands the forts and in
trenehments burst into flame, and shot
| and shell screamed about the little
band of invaders.
Captain Nunez was stepping from
his boat when a shot struck nm De-
tween the eyes, and he Went down,
dead. Chanler fell with broken arm.
The others safely gained the thicket,
and replied with a sharp fire directed
at the intrenchments.
Meanwhile the Peoria set all her guns
at work and rained shells upon the fort
until the enemy's fire ceased. A re-
treat was ordered and the party
rushed for the boats, but volley after
voIIey came from the shore. and they
were compelled to throw themselves in
to the water and paddle along beside
the boats. with only their heads ex-
posed until the ships We're reached.
The Spanish had the range, however.
and five Cubans were wounded, though
none seriously.
The Peoria opened her guns on g
grove of cocoanut palms. from which
the Spaniards had been sending in a
hot fire and must have killed many
Spaniards, for her shells dropped into
the smoke and flash Of the adversarles
fire. silencing 1t. When the small boats
reached the ship it was dark. Then the
discovery was made that beside Cap
tain Nunez, whose body was left on the
beach. there were missing Chanler. Drs.
Lund arr Abbott, Lieutenant Agra
monte aid two Cubans.