The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-02
TROOPS FROM PORTO RICO.
TRANSPORT MICHIGAN BRING 500
HOME.

and Cavalry From Gen. BrOOke's
! Communicative Troops Saw Ser
| vice, But We're DISAPPOINTED BE-
cause Peace Came Too sOOn-Whnt
the Men Wanted to Know on Their
ArrivnI-Porto Rico beautiful
Country but the Climate Very Try
| ing.
The transport Michigan arrived yester-
day with 500 regular troops aboard, in
fantry, cavalry and artillery, from Porto
Rico, This is the first transport to bring
troops back to Savannah.
The people along the river front are ac-
customed 10 seeing the big ships go down
the river crowded with troops. but to
see a returning troopship was something
new. Had it been known that the Michi
gan was coming up the river with troops
there would have been quite an ovation.
AS it was several hundred people viewed
her she passed along the river front
from the rear windows and balconies on
River street and the slips along the Bay.
The soldiers were all crowded along the
railing on the side of the ship nearest the
city with pleased expressions on their
faces. Ihey were undoubtedly glad to
behold an American city again and feel
that they were welcome.
The Michigan was locked at the usual
transport landing at the Central press
wharf, which had been vacated only few
hours before by the Manitoba. There
were very few people on the wharf when
the Michigan arrived, as the crowds were
shut out no one being admitted except
on business. There was a lone soldier on
the wharf, and he proved to be a mem
Der of a cavalry troop on board. having
been left behind when the troops left for
Porto Rico for sickness or some other
cause. 1t was a great greeting his COM
rades gave him when they recognized
him. They abused him as a coffee cooler
and a laggard and declared that he was
afraid to follow them to Porto Rico
English was not sufficient to express their
pretended contempt for him, and pretty
much all the Spanish they had learned
while in Porto Rico was hurled at him
All this the lone cavalryman took good
naturedly and was soon busy answering
the questions which his comrades hurled
| at him as the ship slowly swung into
the dock. Half dozen men wanted to
know The result of the Corbett-Sharkey
mill They did not quite catch the ex-
PLANTATION of McVey's breaking up the
fight by jumping into the ring, and want
ed To know who won.
"Sharkey," said the soldier on the
wharf
Good boy" exclaimed one of the men,
"IIow about the Governor of New York
| Did the Rough Rider VIM" was the next
question. They seemed pleased at the in
| formation that Roosevelt had been elect
ed. "Hurrah for Teddy" shouted one.
What do you give for an American dol
| lar?" demanded one This had reference
to their experience in Porto Rico with the
uncertain currency of that country
The soldier on the wharf was addressed
as Mac" and his comrades shouted ques-
lions at him faster than he could answer
them.
Say, Mac. is Mckinley still President?'
shouted one.
"Oh, Mac, is Mark Hanna still running
| things?' exclaimed another.
1t was evidently a genuinely American
crowd on the transport. and they wanted
to know if things were stin running in the
| country as when they left 1t.
Lieut.. Col. Bellinger, the depot quarter
master, was on the wharf to receive the
transport and direct the necessary work
to be done in unloading and putting her la
shape for another voyage. Having brought
/ over a number of horses, the transport
win need considerable furnishing up be-
fore she is ready for another trip 1t is
not yet known what troops the Michigan
viii take on her next trip out of Savannah.
The following troops composed her pass
| enger list yesterday: Troop H. Sixth Cav
airy; Troop G, Second Cavalry; Light Bat
teres c and f of the Third Artillery, B
of the Fourth Artillery and D of the Fifth
Artillery, and Company r of the Eighth
| Infantry There were also about twenty
passengers. There were a total of 521 men
on board and 4S9 horses.
Capt Charles T. Baker, the quarter
master of the ship, gave a Morning News
| reporter an account of her movements
since leaving Savannah.
1--WE left here" said Capt Baker ION
| Nov. 3, with part of the Fifth Cavalry, and
arrived at Ponce on the night of Nov. IA.
We left Ponce the next day by order of
| Gen. Henry, where we disembarked three
troops Nov II, after Tightening, we
moved up to the new iron per at Maya
| guez in eighteen feet of water, being the
| first vessel to make use of the pier. We
then went to San Juan, arriving there
on the morning of Nov. 10, where we dis
| embarked the three remaining troops OF
the Fifth Cavalry. At San Juan we took
on troop n of the Sixth Cavalry and Com
| =
baggage at Mayaguez light batteries c
of the Third Artillery and D of the Fifth
Artillery, at Ponce Battery f of the
Third Artillery and Battery B OF
the Fourth Artillery We left Ponce Nov
26 at $40 p. M for Savannah, and had a
very pleasant voyage until two days ago
when we encountered stormy weather and
had a rough time of II. The men are In
apparently good health, and we had nc
sickness on the trip with the exception
of a little sea-sicknees."
Capt Baker and others of the officers
stated that they learned at Ponce that
there had been considerable incendiarsm
in the interior near that city. When the
First Kentucky Infantry. which had beer
on duty an the interior, was withdrawn
10 Ponce recently, the Cuban sympathizers
there began putting the torch to the
houses and barns of the Spanish sympath-
izers and much valuable property was de
stroyed There is a very bitter feeling be-
| tween the GnaOfsb and C1than cvroDathiz.