Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-07-21

DEEDS
The Little Peoria Has a
Red Hot Fight.
Big Filibuster Expedition
Lands in Cuba.
lnsurgent Leader, Cap
tain, NuneZ, Killed.


Hilary gunboat Peoria, which proved
herself a very daredevil, have landed
the largest and probably the last ex-
petition sent to aid the insurgents. It
was a task beset with peril and diff
Gculty, costing one man his life and
wounds for half a dozen others.
Captain Jose Manuel Nunez, brother
Of Gen. Emilio Nunez, was killed.
Winthrop Chandler Of New York was
shot through the elbow and six Gu
bans suffered trifing injuries. How
many Spanish lives answered for this
will never be known, but there were
enough to more than balance the
score The debarkation was effected
July at Paloalto, On the southern
coast of Cuba, but the fighting oo-
Cured before then. The consumma-
ton of the job without mishap to the
Peoria, one of the newest acquisitions
to the mosquito fleet, was a glorious
achievement.
The Florida and Fanita left Key
West June 20 under convoy of the
Peoria, commanded by Lieut.. Ryan.
On board the steamers were 35 Gu
bans under Nunez, so troopers of the
9Th United States cavalry under Lieut..
Johnson and Lieut.. Ahren, and Is
rough riders under Winthrop Chand-
Ter, brother of Col. William Aston
Chandler. The cargoes were enormous.
There were the horses of the cavalry
with oats and hay to feed them, two
dynamite guns with $50 thirty-pound
projectiles to fit them and two full
batteries of light field pieces, 10
three-inch rifles of the regular ord
nance pattern, and 1900 cartridges.
There were 1000 Springfield rifles
with $4,000 cartridges and 200 maus-
ers with 100000 shells.
The Cubans aboard were armed
with mausers while the others had
Springields. For the insurgent ofic
ers were provided 200 army colts and
$1,000 cartridges. Two hundred
books of the United States cavalry and
infantry tactics, translated into Span
ish, were taken along. In the expe-
dition were also 1900 saddles, $50
saddle cloths and $50 brides For the
Cubans there were taken 7,700 uni
forms, $500 being of brown canvas
of the army fatigue and the balance
cotton and linen of the Mexican
troops; 5000 pairs Oh army shoes;
1900 army blankets; 400 shirts; 450
hats; and 250 hammocks. There were
commissary stores carried calculated
by pounds: Bacon, 1925; cornmeal, |
81, $50; coffee, 1880; sugar, 2,4OO; !
mess pork and beef, $500; canned |.
beef, $4,000; beans, 10000; bareback, |
ON. Of 0S0
It was a valuable cargo for a little I
boat to guard, but how well she did |
it, the sequel shows. The expecta-
ton was that the landing would be
effected at San Juan Point, on
the south coast Of Cuba, !
between Cienfuegos and |
Trinidad. This place was reached
June 20. A scouting party was put off
in small boat and pulled toward the
shore, but had n ede only half the
distance when there came lively fire /
from what had been taken to be an
abandoned blockhouse near the point
The men we're called hack and from
there the ships moved eastward. The
next afternoon they arrived at Las
Tunas, 40 miles away. -Four miles
west OF the town at the mouth of the
river stood a large fort built of rail-
road iron and surrounded by earth
works. The Peoria ran boldly in and
fired several shots from her three
FOUNDERS, but brought no response
and no signs Of life. A scouting party
was organized. This was made up of
Is volunteers under Winthrop Chand-
er and as many Cubans under Nunez. j
lust as they set foot on the sands,
he fort ard entertainments hurst into
/ fame and shot and shell struck I
about the little Land of invaders.
captain Nunez was instantly killed. {
Chandler was hit in the arm. The :
)thers gained the thicket and replied
With a sharp fire directed at the in ]
renchments. Meanwhile the Peoria :
ct all Of her guns at work and rained (
bells upon the fort till the firing
.eased. 4 retreat was ordered and :
he party rushed for the boats, bur
-olley after volley came from the y
hore and they were compelled TO Y
brow themselves into the water and c