New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-04

had run is now numbered among the American
conoues;s. And at the moment TINS was a''d'i'''
this tour ended and under orders areSc! receiver,
turned to Washington to submit my report anu
| then renort n General Brooke for assignment 70
/ the command Of a division. And nave a"e"''
submitted partial report TO which TINS Is con-
! clu.,on and have submitted also ny telegraph my
| earnest desire that the command given TO me
should be IN the face Of the enemy.
EMBARKATION
Port Taupa. Fla was selected as tho place for
The emharkation of the first expedition Tor 'he IN
/ vasion OF Cuba. tine army OF Invasion being undef
! command OF Ma ior- General William r. Shafter'
/ T. V Port Tampa is at thc head of Tampa Bay
/ and about thirty miles from the bar 1t could be
easily protected from such small spanish Vessels
es could threaten II by TWO or three sn1aIi Vosse'S
of our Navy. The distance from Port tampa I"
/ Cuba is shorter than from any other port on our
/ m1inland From tho city of Tampa 10 the port IS
about ten miles The country about IS Nat ana
sandy covered with open pine forest. INC
/ docking facilities at Port Tampa are for the steam
/ ship lines running from this point to the various
points in the Gulf of Mexico The railway facili-
ties consist Of a single line OF singie-track ran
road. connected with the northern and eastern
roads near Jacksonville. some two hundred miles
from Tampa. Great congestion occurred on TINS
road and consequent delays in bringing down troops
and supplies Whether this could have been RENE
| died in mart at least by a special MANAGEMENT un-
another point of departure. is a matter worthy Of
inquiry and consideration.
The troops encamped in the vicinity OF
Tampa for several weeks before actually gong On
BOARD ship during which time their facilities FOR
drill target practice. military exercises, were
limited. The health Of the troops was generally
good. though the climate is hot-much hotter thaiI
most of the troops were accustomed TO. Good
potable water was not be found in the vicinity
but was brought from distance.
CHARACTER OF THE TRANSPORTS.
The transports employed were those engaged ior
the most part in trade between the United STATES
/ the West Indies and Central America. Some OF the
transports freight steamers. and were h'ted
UP between decks with temporary berths for the
accommodation of the troops AS n rule these
berths were quite narrow. and in tiers OF three
Ventilation vas not good. In some cases tenn
porary structures were made on the upper decks
TO accommodate the officers there not being sum
Client cabin room on the shi,s. Animals were as
rule carried steamers britt 70: hat service.
After the transports loaded & was found
that some were overc:oN(el. and y was reared
TINT fevers might break out from the unsaEitary
conditions resulting from Crowd'ng Other trans
ports were then brought In ard the numUer OF
troops on the overcrowdod vessels was reduced IL
may be stated here tina. there was very little SICK
ness among the troops on the Journey. although II
was longer one than contemplated when the
troops were put aboard II was necessary 70 10"
lighters and watercarrying vessels. resulting III re-
ducing the speed OF the feet much below tlat OF
the ordinary speed OF the slowest vessel IN the
fleet One OF two scows bought at Tampa was
lost en- route and the landing facilities were far
from ADEQUATE: so that both the emharkation ana
| debarkation were most laborous. though driven oS
men Of the utmost energy.
THE JOURNEY.
After passing the bar the feet was formed UP IN
! three columns. the columns being about one thou-
rand yards fron, each Other. and tne distance De
~ cen the vessels in the same column beng ABOUT
| four hundred yards 1t was found that during TIC
! night the column would string ont 10 much grea'ef
| longth than during the daytime. and several IN
| stances occurred OF vessels having ha:Ees In tow
being obliged fall entirely behind the column ana
! one lighter completely lost. and steamer
! ordered 20 accompany the feet (the Uncle SAM
| failed TO do
The convoy consisted OF FIVE small naval vessels
| until the feet reached a point between the DRY
! Tortugas and Key West. where ten more naval
vessels one Of them being the battle-shp Indiana
| Joined the fleet making a convoy of come hiteeh
vessels along the northern coast OF CUBA. The
weather was fine from the time the fleet started
from Tampa until II reached the soIth'-n coast
| OF Cuba the only rough water Encountered DOME
! that in the Windward Passage. Only few anil
mails died en- rolte. The fleet sailed from Port
| Tampa on June Il and arrived off Santiago de
| Cuba June 20.
| tn. coast OF Cuba in the vicinity OF Santiago Bay
is steep and rpcky. with few good landing places
! There was at Baiquir iron pier. used by
railroad company for unloading iron ofe' ara also
a part Of 4 wharf Gill standing. The beach,
while having considerable surf. was st:ll not too
rough to permit OF the landing Of horses and mules
nv swimming ashore. on the 10th reconnaissance
was made east and west OF Santiago Bay. ana
| the commanding general went ashore at AcerrH-
deros about eighteen miles west OF Santiago ms
point vas in the hands Of the Cubans. and the
! landing was made for the purpose Of conference
VIII General Garcia. the Cuban leader On Jun"
q plans for landing made out and trans
mit;ed 10 the various commanders On the "a
| the Nav bombarded all the villages along the
coast in the vicinity OF Santiago. and under cover
OF this fire an unopposed landing was made nv our
troops al Baiquri. As the water IN the small bay
va. no, deep enough for ships TO come alongside
the wharf. It necessary 10 make the landing
! in small boats belonging TO the transports ana 10
| the Navy The Navy furnished the steam launches
! to tow these boats back and forth between the
shore and transports The distance required Of
some appeared excessive and communication be-
| tween vessels habnually slow.
+ THE ADVANCE.
As soon as landed the troops formed and moved
inland. taxing up positions along the banks Of the
Ba adiri River. and extending to distance OF
abou; three miles from the village OF Ia CURL a
number OF Cabars tina. had been landed The nigh,
..e,ious ut A pon, east OF Bai1uiri marched west
wcrd and entered Baiqulrl from tn" land side al
abou; the time that cur first troops LANDED
Under the circumstances the landing OF our troops
! was necessarily slow. No horses were landed on
the first day and less than one division Of soldiers
succeeded in getting ashore On the 23d the land
Ing OF troops continued, and the advance pushed on
to Siboney. a coast village. about nine miles distant
from Baiquri Horses and mules were landed by
swimming. and in the afternoon we began 20 land
troops Siboney. where the beach. though not eT-
! tensive wns much sn Joher than at Baiqurl There
was no wharf SiDoney, but later on very
! small one was built by the engineers from trbers
found In a savrnill nearby. belonging 70 the Jura-
| gra Mining Company. Perhaps battalion would
have been captured at Siboney If a single staf
bad IN