The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1898-05-06
Army Eager to be Off.

Special Dlspath to The Sun.
TAMPA, Fla, May 5.-It is certain that
there will be no movement of the troops
here for at least four or five days, for it
will take that long for the proper stores
and equipment to be provided, and the
men, horses and stores loaded on the
ships.
Ii would take probably two days to do
the loading alone, and not thing has
been done yet. The transports are coal
ing, however, and the Government is
constantly increasing its coal supply at
Port Tampa 1t is not improbable that
there will be no movement of the troops
at all until after Admiral Sampson with
his fleet meets the Spanish squadron.
In that case the army might become
merely an army of occupation, which
will be very unsatisfactory indeed to the
army officers. They want fight, and
so do the men.
All the troops that have arrived here
are now in camp and the soldiers spend
practically all of their time at drill, 1t
is strange, but fact, that not since the
War of the Rebellion has the entire
army of the United States, or even a
considerable portion of it. ever been
brought together on one field. The men
need something more than rcgimental
drill to fit them for fighting in a body,
and it is likely that they will get it be-
fore they leave Tampa, though the drill
ing here SO far is all OF the regimental
order.
As far as known here, no more regi-
ments have been ordered to Tampa, but
there are reports every hour or So that
orders have been issued and that the
soldiers that are left at Chckamauga
have been directed to break camp and
come here. The soldiers here are get
ting over their fear OF yellow fever and
kindred diseases, and they are getting
impatient to be on the move,
They are fearful that if Admiral Samp-
sons fleet meets and wipes out tie Cape
Verde fleet that will end the war and
they will not have any chance to show
what they can do. One Of the captains
said today: eve can do on land just
) what Admiral Dewey did Oh the sea anG
we ought to get chance to prove it.
THE navy is getting all the fun anl
all the glory ont of this. We are EN-
titled to our share OF it, and we are
strong enough to whip five times ou1
, weight in Spaniards if they will only lie
, us out Of this coop here. 1t would be ;
great disappointment to the boys if the,
: should have to be satisfied to become al
, army OF occupation only"
G Gen. Shaitcr and Gen Wade are bus,
, from sunrise to sunset mapping on
plans to meet any emergency that ma.
, arise, and directing the enormous routin
D that is a necessary part OF the moving
p Ct large bodies OF men.
ten. Shafter has selected four Cuban
to be members Of his staff, to act a
Interpreters and guides and to max
= themselves generally useful when tn
( army shall arrive in Cuba. The first i
Ramon &. Mendoza, who is a yOun
:. man and son OF one of the wealthies
II families in Cuba His father is planta
y ton owner. The family is one of tn
J oldest and most influential on the islanC
> The second is Edward Ferrer He is
II man of middle age, one of the wcalthies
sugar manufacturers of Cuba and is tn
owner of several of the largest suga
!, plantations there. The third is Charlie
. Morales, young man and brother {
II the Marquis of Morales. The fourth is j
l. NJ. Mestre, who is son OF one of TIL
:. most prominent members of the origin;
|, Cuban ,Junta in New York in 1868. Lik
~ the other three he is a wealthy man, an
G his family is an old one in Cuba.