Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-05-04
NUMBER so
IS WITH GARCIA.
War Department. waiting 20 Hear
From Lieutenant Rowan.


From Lieutenant Rowan.
The war department is now waiting
to hear from Lieutenant Andrew s.
Rowan of the Nineteenth cavalry and
Captain James E. Dorst of toe Fourth
cavalry. Lieutenant Rowan has al
ready effected a landing in Cuba and
is believed ere this to have communi-
Gated with General Calixto Garcia the
plans for eqipping the insurgent army.
1t has been found impossible to
equip the Cuban army with the Kaag-
Jorgensen rifle now in use in the reg
ular army, as the war department
that type for our own troops. There
are on hand, however, plenty of Win
chester and Remington rifles, which
many prefer to the Krag-Jorgensen,
and these will be sent.
Accompanying the infantry will be
some light batteries and machine
guns. The troops will make land
ing under the protection of the guns
of the blockadiug squadron. General
Gomez and General Garcia will have
troops near by to meet them, it is ex-
pected.
The war department has not alone
been active in preparing the expedi-
ton. Representatives of the Cuban
army were in Washington co-operat-
ing with the department officers, and
upon receiving their orders they inn
mediately started south. 1t is believed
that Brigadier General Nunez of the
Cuban army will take part In a pre-
limiuary expedition which will carry
1000 rifles to General Gomez's army.
The main expedition will carry many
thousands of rifles and millions of
pounds of ammunition.
A special from Washington to the
New York Journal says: "Lieuten-
ant A. S. Rowan has reached General
Calixto Garcia's headquarters and Ii
now preparing a military map of the
eastern end of Cuba surrounding San
tiago and is charting out the coast to
the westward of the city. The plan is
to make landing of troops, under
the protection of warships, at a point
on the coast which is sheltered from
the sea. The land force will seize the
railroad and cut off Communication
with Havana. Intrenchments will be
thrown up and field batteries mount
ed to hold the railroad and to block
any reinforcements General Bianco
may send.
"The main body of troops with
siege guns will then move on to the
outskirts of Santiago and half sur
round the city in a semi-circle on the
west. General Calixto Garcia with
1000 men will complete the line OF
siege by semi-circle on the east. In
the meantime the warships will move
into position to command the batteries
at the entrance of the harbor
Santiago is next in Importance tc
Havana. 1t is the stronghold of the
Spaniards commanding the south and
east end of Cuba, precisely as Havans
is the military key to the north and
west-end of the island. -tf-- -'.tf
General Limarez, the Spanish
commander, has about 1000 men, it /,
estimated, with four small gnnboat,
and one cruiser in the f1arbor. The
entrance to the port is commanded BY
cross fire from two water batterie,
and the guns of Moro castle, of tn,
same name as Havana's famous forti
fication. The population of Santiago
is about $4,000. 1t is believed tina
!. stores and provisions on hand woult
not last more than ten days after Z
siege began.'' - ~