The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-22
ASSUMS FORMAL CAARGE
OF THE TROOPS AT TAMPA AND
VICINITY.
TRANSPORTS BLING RAPIDLY MAZE
Prompt Action is Expected Following the
Meeting Of the American and Spanish
FIeets--CensOrship Delays News Mat
ter and Causes Protest.

Tampa, Fla, May 21.--In general or
der issued to-day, Major General w. l..
Shafter formally assumed command Of
the fifth army corps, composed of the
United States forces at Tampa and vicin
ity. He also announced the following
officers as members of his staff First
Aide tSao--rawford iEsoysfc. AN, ,-noaTi
Lieutenant X. II. Noble, first infantry
aide; First Lieutenant j. ID. Miley. sec
ond artillery aide; Major $. J. GrOse-
beck Judge advocate and acting adju-
tant general; Major ]. w. Jacobs, chief
quartermaster; Colonel J. L. Weston. as
sistant commissary general of subsis-
tence, chief commissary; Major B. III.
Pope. chief surgeon; First Lieutenant
j. Thompson, ordinance department;
First Lieutenant I. II. Green, signal of
ticer attached; Major w. e. Hayes, first
Ohio Volunteer Cavalry.
Maior-General Wade. with his staff
officers left for Chickamauga to-day.
Brigadier- Generals Poland and Bate also
left for Chickamauga, where they viii
report to Major-tieneral Brooks of the
first army corpse.
Renewed activity is noticeable at Porn
Tampa whore "a fleet of transports is be
ing put in readiness. The Plant line boat
Olivette, which it is understood viii be-
the flagship of the transports when the
movement upon uha takes jlace, has
been placed in the slip and is in tie
hands Of the carpenters undergoing al
teration for her work as a transport.
Other big steamers have arrived inelu2-
ing the Ward line boats Seneca ana
Saratoga.
Important developments Of highly
important character are looked for in the
near future. That any orders looking
towards a movement of the troops to-
ward Cuba has been received, IS eX-
tremely doubtful. Nevertheless every
one expects prompt action here followinA
a meeting between the fleets Of Samp-
son Scheley and the Spanish flotilla
which again looms up as more than u
possibility and news from Cuban waters
is eagerly looked for.
Under orders of General Greeley,
chief of the signal department at Wash
ington, w. Il. G. Fellows of the Wes-
tern Union Telegraph Company, was to-
day sworn in rs Government Censor OF
all teIegraphic business except the news
paper specials These viii, for the pres
ent continue to go through the hands of
Lieutenant MIiley. Of General Shafter :
staff. The hours during which the news
paper correspondents may have their
matter passed upon are limited on a,
count of the short time Lieutenant Miley
has to devote to his new duties and for
this reason a vigorous protest has beer.
made.
1t is very probable that an official
censor will be appointed within day or
two and the delays unavoidable under
the present arrangement done away with.
VIII Astor Chandler, who was re-
Gently appointed a major Of volunteers
was to be attached to the staff of Major
General Wheeler. He has turned owe.
the command Of his band of volunteers
to his brother, Winthrop Chandler who
arrived in Tampa from New York.
General o. .. Howard, who for the
past week has been conducting religious
meetings among the troops mt Tampa,
will leave tomorrow night for Mobile.
thence to Kentucky He will be ac.
companied by Major d. w. Whettle