The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-17

Described by q Spanish Omeer Who
Accompanied Him--Coionel Wagner
Of the War Advisory Board Waits
Tampa.

Of the war Advisory Board, vistt'
Tampa.
Tampa. Fla. May 14.-C1onel A. L
Wagner. representing the army on the
advisory board OF the war department
and a member OF General Miles stan,
arrived fin Tampa today and reported
1T once to General Wade. Colonel Wag-
leave Washington for Tampa today.
He refused 10 talk on the object OF his
visit here. The presence OF a member
OF the advisory board in Tampa at
this time. however. has brought about
a feeling that the time for the invasion
OF Cuba by the United States forces is
now very near.
Added significance was given Colonel
Wagner's sudden visit to Tampa by the
arrival on the steamer Massachusetts,
OF Lieutenant Rowan, who accompan-
led Captain Dorst on the Leyden eN-
petition from Key West to Cuba. Lieu
tenant Rowan brought with him dis
patches from the insurgent leader.
General Garcia, involving. IL is believ-
ed, a complete plan for the
ton Of that part of the Cuban army
with the forces of the United States.
Lieutenant Rowan was brought to
Tampa from Port Tampa on a special
train. n was Immediately shown TO
Colonel Wagner's apartments in the
Tampa Bay hotel. Lieutenant Rowan
said he had no trouble in landing in
Cuba.
General Garcia's headquarters are at
present at Bayamo, one of the most
important cities OF Santiago de Cuba,
from which place the Spanish troops
-ar ranAnfl- 7ri-nr Hare N arr
quantity Of much needed supplies were
captured. With the exception of, per-
hapS, half a dozen por the insur-
gents are now in complete possession
of the eastern portion of the island.
Lieutenant Rowan says the dreaded
rainy season was commencing. 1t Is
already raining in the mountains.
Additional details of Lieutenant Row
ans visit to General Garcia were
given by Lieutenant Carlos Herman
deg, aid to General Enrique CollaZo.
both of whom accompanied the intrepid
American officer from the interior of
Cuba to the seacoast and who shared
with him the dangers of the o days
journey in an open BOAT from the coast
to Nassau. Jamaica. Lieutenant Ro-
wan has seen more of the island of
Cuba in a shorter time, and endured
more h~ardships than n other Ameri-
can" said Colonel Hernandez. From
where Rowan landed on April 29th last
near Port PortilIo, on the south coast
of Santiago de Cuba. to where he left
on the north coast, is across the widest
part of the island. With a guard of
only our men he pushed through part
of the way on foot, and through one
of the widest parts Of the island. With
hardly a step for rest, he reached Bay
amo on May list, where he met General
Garcia. Five hours afterwards we
cfo rtaH for tho north coast TiaIIfan-
ant Rowan did not stop for an instant
until his mission was accomplished.
exhausted though he a For four
days and nights we hardly left our
saddles. 1t is a ride 1 do not think
Lieutenant Rowan will ever forget, but,
like the soldier that he is, he never
complained. When we finally reached
the coast near Port Manati on May
5th, the only boat procurable was a
little dOry, hardly more thar sixteen
feet long, yet our orders permitted no
delay and six of us embarked on this
little cockleshell. We were picked up
by a sponger and reached Nassau ear
ly On May Sth.'
The body of Ensign Bagley, the I'M
%ortunat officer of the torpedo boat
Winslow, who was killed in the engage
ment at Cardenas, was brought up
from Key West on the Mascotte. The
body was shipped tonight to Raleigh,
N. G..
A party of -four American college
graduates for the past two years and
over have been with General Garcia's
army as officers of artillery, were also
passengers on the MaScOtte. They
were Major Arthur r. Joyce, Yale 'S5;
Captain Osum Latrobe, Pennsylvania,
'95: Lieutenant James Pennie, Sc.
Johns college, Annapolis, '93, and Cap
tain Stuart fanny, Johns Hopkins, '95.
Latrobe and fanny were companions
of Major OsgOOd, the University or
Pennsylvania's ~fuiT-back, who lost his
life near Guimaro, and of Charles Hun
tington, a young Canadian, but who
had lived for some time in Colorado.
who was killed near Los Nilles. All
four have resigned their positions
with Garcia's army and will go to
Washington to offer their ervices as
guides. They report the death of Jos.
NJ. Chaplain. one Of the first Americans
on the island. Chaplain, who came
from Boston. was killed While with