The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1898-06-15
OVER FIFTEEN THOUSAND
Commence the Journey to Drive the
Spaniards 0dt of Cuba.
SEA LINE EXTENDED FOR MILES.
II AN Goes wen the ships VIM Reash
Their Destination Thursday and
the Troops WIN BE Landed
Near santiago ON the
Following Day.

vision OF United states troops TO DeBln
the invasion of Cuba sailed from Key
West at daylight. The expedition
comprised IT'S officers and 1864 en-
listed men. All under the command of
Major General shafter.
A large force of transports conveyed
the. troops under convoy of strong
squadron of warships ranging from the
immense battleship to the small gum
boat and armed fast sailing yacht.
The United States regular troops
make up the greater part of the force,
there being but three volunteer organ
izations on the ships These are the
Seventy-first New York infantry vol
unteers, the Second Massachusetts in
fantry volunteers and two dismounted
squadrons of four troops each from the
First United States volunteer cavalry.
the regiment which Colonel Wood COM
mands, and of which Theodore Roose-
Yelt is lieutenant colonel. Whether
either of these officers is with the two
squadrons named is not yet known at
the war department.
1t was difficult to prevail upon the
mounted riflemen to leave their mounts
behind, but this was a matter of neces-
sity, it is said. owing to a lack of ac-
commodations for the horses on ship
board.
The best that the department could
do at this time in the way of supplying
the cavalry contingent for the expedi-
ton was to include among the troops
one squadron of the Second United
States cavalry, fully mounted, with
nine officers and $50 enlisted men.
General Shafter in his report indi-
Gates the great obstacles that had to
be overcome in order to embark his
force at Port Tampa, and it is not like
ly, If his recommendation carries
weight, that the effort will be made
to again embark so large number of
troops from this port without consid-
erably charging the shipping facilities.
It will be noticed that by far the
larger portion of the expedition is
made up of infantry, although an un-
usually large number of artillery is in
Guided and that the cavalry is almost
altogether lacking. 1t is expected,
however, that the dismounted cavalry
with the expedition will be mounted
later on in Cuba, either from the stock
of native horses or from mounts that
will follow them from this country.
Owing to the mountainous and jun
gle-like character of the country back
of Santiago, where the troops must
operate, there will be little opportuns
ity for the use of cavalry, so that the
expedition has not been weakened in
the opinion of experts by Withholding
the cavalry mounts at the beginning of
the campaign.
The troops will arrive off Santiago
Thursday at the latest. barring storms
or accidents. and the landing probably
will take place on the afternoon of
that day or Friday following, as Adj
miral Sampson is extremely anxious
to reinforce the small body of marines
now ashore at Guantanamo bay
The position of these men is not en-
tirely satisfactory to the officials here.
While no advices have yet reached the
navy department of the attack made
on the marine force by Spanish guer-
illas Saturday night, there is no rea-
son to question the accuracy of the
press reports.
1t can not be said that the attack
caused surprise here. but it was plain
to be seen that it indicated to the cffi-
Gals some ugly possibilities for the fu-
ture 1t is apparent for one thing. that
regular organizations of troops fight
ing according to established methods
are destined to meet with severe loss
at the hands of irregular bodies. such
as the Spanish guerillas, who evidently
have taken a leaf from the Cuban's
practice, and are conducting something
like Indian warfare in the jungles.
Captain Taylor of the battleship In
diana is in command of the naval con-
voy fleet, which accompanies the trans
port ships.
The makeup of the convoy feet is
still withheld. and in fact the navy de-
parJment KNOWS only as to the general
character of its strength. Besides the
Indiana, one other battleship and
first-class cruiser accompany the heet.
The other ships are lesser cruisers,
gunboats and auxiliary craft. Five of
the naval shipa of the fleet first went
to Port Tampa. while IL remained on
Key West.
When the five warships and the 80
transports II .ched Key West, junction
was made with the IL warships at that
point, and the combined fleets started
together. Naval officials speak of it as
a magnificent marine procession. The
war transports stretched out for sew
eral miles.
Consul Hanna's .1ovIce.
St Thomas, Danish West Indies,
June 13.-Philip c. Hanna, who was
United States consul at Porto Rico I'M
til war between, Spain and the United
States was declared. anticipating a
change of Porto Rico's nationality, has
the merchants to accept
Porto Rican silver at it's intrinsic value
only. preparatory to the adoption OF
the American gold basis. This change,
Mr.. Hanna argues. will save the mer-
chants from bankruptcy and avert
panic.
To BE Changed.
Mobile. June 13.-The volunteers
here. including two Texas, two Lou. J.
ana and one Alabama regiments. now
located at springhiI, and one Alabama