The record-union., 1898-05-16
Spanish Seem to Have Been Inform
ed Of Her Errand.
They Assembled at Various Points on the
Sh1e and Resisted the Landing
Of the United States
Troops.


1898, by the Associated Press)-The
steamer Gussie, which left Tampa, Fla,
May 10th, with two companies of the
First Infantry on board in charge of
1000 rifles and 5000 rounds of am
munition intended for the insurgents
in the province of Pinar Del Rio, re-
manned off the coast of Cuba Thurs
day. Friday and yesterday, conveyed by
the auxiliary gunboat Manning, in a
vain attempt to land her cargo. Cap
tain J. II. Dorst of the staff of General
Miles and formerly United States Mill
tary Attache at Vienna, headed the ex-
Pedition, which returned here this
morning. Her commander, who ap-
peared to be much crestfallen. having
failed to accomplish the mission en-
trusted to him, refused to discuss the
matter beyond saying the Gussie would
return to Tampa. Previous to leaving
Cuban waters the Dorst expeditionary
force had skirmish with Spanish cav
airy near Cabanas. Is miles west of
Havana, where an attempt was made
to land part of her cargo. On Friday
morning Captain Dorst abandoned the
attempt at that point and steamed
eastward ia. Matanzas. where ar ar
rangeTnent had been made with the in
surgents to send supplies ashore at
Point Maya, a mile or so east of the
entrance of the harbor. The Gussie and
her convoy yesterday steamed until
about two miles off shore when the
rattle of musketry from a considerable
force of Spanish soldiers, concealed be-
hind underbrush ashore, warned them
that they would receive a lively well
come if they landed The Spanish troops
seemed to have been furnished informa-
ton of the contemplated landing at
both points. After this second failure
Captain DorSt decided to abandon the
attempt to land the arms and ammu-
milton and returned to Key West, where
as already cabled, he arrived this morn
ing.
A more disgusted looking lot of troop
ers than those aboard the Gussie this
morning it would be hard to find. They
had received orders not to speak of
their trip and sullenly lined the rail of
the GusSie as the Associated Press
launch ran alongside of her But grunts
Were the only answers which could be
obtained to the questions asked.
Soon after the arrival of the Gussie.
Captain Dorst was rowed ashore and
reported the failure of his expedition
by cable TO the War Department
Naval officers here say that if Cap
tain Dorst had secured the co-opera-
tion of some of the ships of the block
aiding squadron at the point selected for
the landing the Spanish troops ashore
could have been shelled and a way
would have been cleared for the land
ing of the soldiers and the cargo they
had in charge, but no instructions We're
given to the ships to cooperate with
Captain Dorst's expedition and the
Gussie was several times compelled to
heave to, while cruising up and down
the coast by the blockading vessels,
whose commanders were under the ap-
prehension that she was trying to run
the blockade.
The United States gunboat Machias,
which was lying off Matanzas on Fri
lay night, reported that signal lights
were seen ashore east of Point Sabilla,
The rendezvous at Point Maya had been
the insurgents, having ascertained that
discovered by the enemy, desired a
anding to be made at another point,
but Captain Dorst held to his original
plans and found the Spanish troops
awaiting him. He did not return empty
handed however.
The American party captured a pris-
oner of war in a shack at Cabanas this
afternoon.
Captain Dorst says the failure of the
expedition was due to the fact that the
Cubans were unable to meet the land
ing party at the rendezvous and the
Americans could not land supplies with
no one to receive them.
The arrangements for making
landing at Cabanas were made ten
days ago by Captain Dorst with Gen
eral Delgado, in command of the in
surgent forces in the province of Plnar
del Rio and the supplies to be landed
near MatanzaS were to be conveyed TO
General Gomez by a force of insurgents
encamped three miles back from the
coast line. Both of the Cuban par
ties We're unable, apparently, TO ap-
pear at their rendezvous, owing to the
activity of the Spaniards. Captain
Dorst is convinced that the Spaniards
have a good system of communication
along the coast and they can quickly
raise enough troops to prevent the
landing of a small force. such as the
lieves the only way arms and ammu-