The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-06-02
SUPPLIESFORGARCIA
NEARLY 400 MEN, ARMS AND hMuNI.
TlON LANDED CUBA.


Muies. aud Twenty five Horses Carried
to the Insurgents. /
Key West, Fla, June 1.-The Plant
line steamer Florida returned here yes
terday from Cuba, having successfully !
landed there an important expedition. ,
The Florida has been quarantined, but !
is expected to be released soon. She ,
landed her party about % miles east !,
of Havana and not a shot was fired. !
Senor Polo, the local delegate of tho :
Cuban junta, has official information
that the expedition was successful in
accomplishing its object.
The expedition was landed on the
coast Of Cuba last Thursday morning. !
When the Florida, escorted by the Os |
ceola, drew up close to thR shore at
the place selected for the landing, she !
sent out scouts ashore to see whether |
all was clear. The scouts were greeted |
by Generals Feria and Rojas, with !
about 1900 armed insurgents. Conse-
qLently, far from there being sry hos !
tile demonstration upon the part of the !
Spanish, the landing was in the nature !,
of triumphal invasion. The Cubans !
who were in waiting for tile party had |;
a. band and welcomed the newcomers |
with national airs.
Unloading the Cargo.
The work of unloading the cargo of
the Florida was promptly begun and !
carried on by 432 men composing the !
expedition. There was no interruption, |
a4d the work was finished on Friday |
night While the cargo was being un-
loaded the Osceola, which is an auxil!- !
airy gunbCat, with her guns ready for |
action, secuted about the vicinity, look, |
ing for AN enemy. But the SpaniarIs |
apparently had no suspicion of what |,
WAS taking place, for not sign of /
them could be seen ashore or ancat, !
SO easily was the dangerous mission |
accomplished that while some members |
of the party were getting the supplies /
ashore, others were providing them !
selves with fruit sugar and other pro-
ducts of the landing place, n large !
stock of which was brought back for !
Key West friends.
Nevertheless, no precautionary meas !
ure was neglected, and the moment the !
the Osceola slipped away, leaving the
insurgents to convey their reinforce
ments and supplies into the interior |
which, II is coanGeaJy believed, wal !
done WithGGt am casualty. The re
turning members of the Florida party ,
brought with them several hundred ,
private letters. which, it is understood, |
give "A complete insight into the pres ;
ent conditions prevailing in the block
AIDED island. The local Cuban colony is i
eiated over the astonishing success of |
the expedition.
strong Expedition.
Nearly 400 men, with pack train |
and a large quantity CT arms and am
munition, sailed on the Florida, on the
night OF May y. These mcl and the
equipment constituted en- expedition |
able to operate Independently and to |
defend itself against any body of Span
ish troops which might oppose IT, The |
expedition was under the command of |
Colonel Jose Lacret, formerly insurgent |
commander in MatanZas province He |
assumed the direction of affairs imme- |
dtately on the landing of the expedi- |
ton. Until then General Joaquin Cas-
tiil0 was in control.
In the landing of the expedition the |
United States army was represented |
by Captain j. H. Dorst; and Thomas |
Estrada Palma was represented on the |
Florida by j. E. Cartaya, who has
been the landing agent of nearly every |
ffiibustering expedition for more than
year. Messrs. Castillo, Cartaya and
Dorst will return to Key West. Cen |
eral Julio Sanquilly, on the way to re-
port to General Maxine Gomez, was
also on the boat.
Cubnns and Americans.
This is the most powerful anti-Span-
ish expedition ever sent to Cuba. About |
800 of the men are Cubans. The 9TH
ers are Americans. The engineer corps
OF the expedition is composed entirely |
OF Americans, under Aurelian Ladd, |
and includes experts in explosives. |
Three of the four physicians with the |
party are Americans. The men were
dressed in canvas uniforms furnished |
by the United States government and |
the commissary department had ra-
tions enough to last fifteen days after
the landing. The pack train consisted |
of seVenty-five mules and twenty-five
horses. The expedition carried 1000 ri |
fes and 2,OOO,0O rounds of ammunition
for General CaliXto Garcia. General |
Castillo, General Sanguilly and Colonel |
Lacret are fine looking men. and the |
expedition Is composed of hardy young
fellows who looked fit for anything.