Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-14

formally announced at the War
Department this morning that the
first military expedition had left
Key West at daylight to-day,
bound for Santiago.
All day yesterday there was a
lively conference between the Off
Gals Of the Navy and War De-
partments, and after an all day
session the war board completed
its plans for conveying the troop
transports.
Major General Shafter, who oom-
mands this expedition, had with
him force of 773 officers, and A.
564 enlisted men. The United
States regular troops make up the
greater part of the force, there be-
ing but three volunteer organiZa-
lions on the ships. These are the
Seyenty-frst New York infantry
volunteers, the Second Massachu-
sets infantry volunteers and two
dismounted squadrons of four
troops each from the First United
States volunteer cavalry, the reg
iment which Col Wood COM
mands and of which Theodore
Roosevelt is lieutenant colonel.
Whether either of these officers
is with the two squadrons named
is not yet known at the War De-
partment. 1t was difficult to pre-
vail upon the mounted rifiemen to
leave their mounts behind, but
this was a matter of necessity, it
is said, owing to the lack of ac-
c0mmodations for the horses on
shipboard.
The best that the department
could do at this time in the way Of
supplying the cavalry contingent
for the expedition was to include
among the troops one squadron of
the Second United States cavalry
fully mounted, with nine officers
and $50 enlisted men.
The full list of the troops that
make up this expedition, as re-
ported to the War Department by
Cen Shafter, is as follows: Infan-
try egiments-Sixth, Sixteenth,
Seyenty-frst New York volunteers,
Tenth. Twenty-first, Second, Thir-
tenth, Ninth, Twenty-fourth,
Eighth, Twenty-second Massachu-
setts volunt -ers, First, Twenty
fifth, Twelfth, Seventh, Seven
tenth, Third, Twentieth. Total
infantry, SCI officers and 1900
enlisted men.
Cavalry-Two dismounted squad
rons of four troops each from the
Third, Sixth, Ninth, First and
Tenth cavalray and two dis
mounted squadrons of four
troops each from the First Uni
ted States volunteer cavalry. To-
tal dismounted cavalry 159 officers,
$50 enlisted men; mounted cav
airy, one squadron of the Second, 9
officers and 2S0 enlisted men.
Artillery: Light batteries E and
II, First artillery, A and f Sec
ond artillery, IA officers and 1923
enlisted men. Batteries G and H,
Fourth artillery siege, officers
and 1872 enlisted men.
Engineers: Companies c and E,
officers, 200 enlisted men.
Signal Corps: One detachment,
TWO officers and As enlisted men.
Hospital detachments are includ-
ca IN the foregoing figures.
The staff corps numbers Is off,
GERS.
The grand total of the expedition
IS l37 officers and 1864 enlisted
men.
General Shafter in his report in
oleates the great obstacles that had
% be overcome in order to embark
MS force at Port Tampa, and it is
not likely, if his recommendation
carries weight, that the effort will
De made to again embark so large
number of. troops from this port
without considerably charging the
Snlppng facilities.
1t will be noticed that by far the
larger portion of the expedition is
mace up of infantry although an
unusually large number of artillery
is included; and that the cavalry
Is almost altogether lacking. 1t is
expected. however, that the dis
mounted cavalry with the expedi-
non VIII be mounted later on in
cuba either from the stock Of ma
i've horses or from mounts that