The record-union., 1898-06-14
INVASION OF CUBA.
Fifteen Thousand Troops Actually
on the Way.

WASHINGTON, June 13-It was for
mally announced at the War Depart
ment this morning that the first mill
tary expedition had left Key West at
daylight to-day, bound for Santiago.
All day yesterday there was a lively
conference between the officials of the
Navy and War Department. and after
an all-day session the War Board COM
pleted it's plans for conveying the
troop transports.
Major General Shafter, who COM
mands this expedition. has with him a
force of II3 officers and IA, ,564 enlisted
men. The United States regular
troops make up the great part of the
force, there being only three volunteer
organizat tions on the ships. These are
the Seventy first New York Infantry
Volunteers. the Second Massachusetts
Infantry Volunteers and two dismount-
ed squadrons of four troops each from
the First United States Volunteer Cav
airy, the regiment which Colonel Wood
commands, and of which Theodore
Roosevelt is Lieutenant Colonel.
Whether any of these officers is with
the two squadrons named is not vet
known at the War Department. 1t
was difficult to prevail upon the mount
ed rifiemen to leave their mounts be-
mind, but this was a matter of necessity
It is said, owing to lack of accommo-
dations 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 Off
GERS and $50 enlisted men.
The full list of the troops that made
up this expedition as reported to the
War Department by General Shafter is
as follows:
infantry regiments-Sixth. Sixteenth.
Seventy first New York Volunteers:
Tenth. Twenty first. Second Thir-
teenth. Ninth. Twenty fourth. Eighth
Twenty-second. Second Massachusetts,
Volunteers; First, Fifteenth. Thir
teenth. Seventh. Seventeenth. Third.
Twentieth. Total Gnfantry), 5e1 Off
GERS and 1O.709 enlisted men.
Cavalry-Two dismounted souadrons
of four troops each, from the Third.
Sixth. Ninth, First and Tenth Cavalry.
and two dismounted squadrons of fou,.
troops each from the First United
States Volunteer Cavalry. Total dis
mounted cavalry. 159 officers. 2.S75 en-
listed men; mounted cavalry one
squadron of the Second. 8 officers and
$50 enlisted men,
Artillery-Light Batteries f and K
First Artillery; A and r, Second Artil-
lery, IA officers and 323 enlisted men.
Batteries G and II. Fourth Artillery
(siege). officers and 49, enlisted men
Engineers-Company c and f. 9 Off
GERS and 200 enlisted men,
Signal Corps-One detachment. 9 Off
GERS and 45 enlisted men.
Hospital detachments are included in
the above figures.
The staff corps number fifteen off,
GERS.
The grand total of the expedition is
ti3 officers and 1864 ENLISTED men.
General Shafter in his report indi-
Gated the great obstacles that had to
be overcome in order to embark his
force at Port Tampa, and it is not
likely. if his recommendation carries
weight, that the effort will be made to
again embark SO large a number troops
from this port without considerably
enlarging the shipping facilities.
1t will be noticed by far the larger
portion of the expedition is. made 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