The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-15

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pon lilbustcrs. the Florida ana Fanita,
under convoy Of the little auxiliary gun
boat Pcora. which proved herself n
veritnblo dare devil. have landed the
largest and probably the last expedition
sent TO the aid of the insurgents. 1t was
n task hcset with peril and difficulty,
costing one man his life and wounds to
half n dozen others.
Captain Jose Manuel Nuncz. brother
of General Emilio Nuncz, was killed;
Winthrop CHAMBER, of New York, was
shot through the right elbow, and five
Cnbans suffered trifing injuries. How
many Spanish lives answered for TINS
will never be known. but there, were
enough to more than balance the score.
The dcbarkation was effected on July
3rd. at Pao Alto on the Southern coast
of Cuba but fighting occurred before
then.
The Florida and Fanita left Key West
on Saturday. June 25th, under the con
voy of the Peoria, commanded
by Lieutenant +. w. Ryan
On hoard the steamers were
one hundred and thirty-five Cubans
under General NuneZ. fifty troopers OF
the Fifth United States cavalry under
Iicutenants Johnson and Ahearn, ana
~ Rough Riders under Winthrop
ChanIer. brother of Colonel Astor Chah-
ler. The cargoes were enormous. Top
ping the list of arms were two dynamite
guns with 80 30-nound prejectiles to
fit them. and two full batteries OF llght
field pieces. ten 3-inch rifles of regular
ordnance pattern. with harnesses that go
with them. and / 800 cartridges. In
Al. 81 inf rifles thprp
4 900 Springfield rifles with 9J4, 900 cart
ridges.
Fifty Of the Cubans aboard were arm
cd with Mausers and the others had
Springfields. For the insurgent officers
were provided 2000 army Colt reyolyers
and 81. 900 cartridges. Two hundred
books of United States cavalry and in
fantry tactics. translated into Spanish,
were taken along In the expedition
were also / .475 saddles $50 saddle
cloths and $50 brides For the Cuhans
there were 1868 uniforms. 2.533 brown
canvass of the army fatigue and the
balance cotton and linen of the pattern
of the Mexican troops; 5000 pairs of
army shoes. 1915 blankets. 400 shirts,
40 hats and 80 hammocks.
These were the cOmmissary stores
carried. calculated by pounds:
Bacon. G1215: corn meal. 1880:
roasted coffee. 10000: raw coffee. 3
250 sugar 2.425: mess pork and beef.
$500: canned beef. $4,000: beans. 49,
900: hard tack. 1850; cans of corn,
1850.
The expectation was that the landing
would be effected at San Juan. a point
on the South coast of Cuba. midway be
tween Cicnfuegos and Trinidad. hut the
enemy appeared in force and the pro-
ject was abandoned.
On June 30 they arrived at Las Tunas.
40 miles away. -Four miles west of the
town at the mouth of the Tallabacoa
river, stood a large fort built of rail
road iron and surrounded by earthworks
The Peoria ran boldly in and fired sew
eral shots from her three-pounders. but
this brought no response. a scouting
party was organized. This was made
up Of fifteen volunteers under Winthrop
CHAMBER and as many Cubans under
Captain Nunez. The Peoria took a POI
sition within short range of the fort. The
boats were beached and their occupants
cautiously scrambled toward the brush
At almost the moment they set foot on
the sands the fort ana the entertainments
around it burst into flame and shot and
shell screamed about the little band of
invaders.
Captain Nunez was stepping from his
boat when n shot struck him between the
eyes and he fell dead. CHAMBER fell with
a broken arm. The others safely gained
the thicllet, and replied with Il sharp
fire directed ut the entertainments. Mean
while the Peoria set all her guns at work
and rained shells upon the fort until the
enemy's fire ceased. A retreat was or
dercd and the party rushed for the boats,
but yolley after volley came from the
shore and they were compelled to
throw themselves into the water and
paddle alongside the boats with only
their heads exposed until the ships We're
reached The Spaniards had the range,
and five Cubans were wounded, though
none seriously. Returning to the Pc
ora the men reported that n vicious fire
came from a grove of cocoanut palms
which extended to the eastward of the
fort. The Peoria opened fire on the
place and must have killed many Span
iards, for her shells dropped into the
smoke and flash of the adversarics' fire.
silenced it at once and forced them to
send up rockets for help.
The next day the gunboat Helena ar
rived and Friday morning she and the
Peoria steamed in toward Las Tunas
which the Spanards had been vigorous
~ fortifying. Tunas is connected by
railway with Sancti Spirtus, a town of
considerable size. and reinforcements
and artillery had been rapidly coming in.
Range buoys had been placed in the bay,
but avoiding these the ships drew in
close and opened fire. The Spaniards
had several Krupp field pieces of :, or
4 inches mounted on the earthworks
along the water front and they began a
vigorous but ill-drected reply. The fire