The times., 1898-06-10
HARRY WHITNEY AT HOME.
The Gallant Washington Boy Given
n Rousing Reception.

Rousing Reception.
Lieut.. Henry C. Whitney, of the Fourth
United States Artillery. who made a re-
connoissance of Porto Rico in search of
military data for the use of the proposed
expedition to that island, reported to
Secretary Alger yesterday.
The trip of Lieut. Whitney, like that
of daring Lieut.. O'Brien, viii remain one
of the most remarkable individual under
takings of the present war. and as Lieut..
Whitney. or Harry" as he is known
by his friends here, is a Washington boy.
he was given a rousing reception on the
occasion of his visit yesterday by those
who knew him.
The impression prevails at the War De-
partment that Lieut. Whitney will ac-
company the Porto Rican expedition
which will shortly leave Jacksonville. He
gained such Invaluable knowledge while
on his reconnaissance trip that the de-
partment cannot afford to deprive itself
of his services.
1t was stated to a Times reporter
yesterday that the War Department
is exceedingly anxious that no newspaper
publish Lieut.. Whitney's picture for the
present. for the reason that if it should
pass into the hands of the enemy il would
considerably impair his efficiency as a
guide for the Army in the future. The
department does not believe any patri-
otic paper would commit such a blunder
The trip of Lieut.. Whitney was full of
interesting experiences.
He left Washington early in April. as
the bearer of important messages from
Major General Miles to General Gomez
commander-in-chief of the forces Of the
insurgents in Cuba. The letters carried
by Lieut.. Whitney contained full instruc-
ticns as to the American military cam
paign plan and arranged for a juncture
between the American and insurgent
forces in Cuba
Lieut.. Whitney was landed in Cuba
from torpedo boat on april IS. After de-
liveTing his messages he was furnished
with an armed escort by Gen. Gomez and
proceeded through the province of San
tiago de Cuba to a point where he could
secure safe passage to Porto Rico.
He succeeded in reaching ST. Thomas.
and spent three days there in the guise
of correspondent for a New York news
paper. After he had been there that
length of time he learned that a steamer
was about to depart for San Juan, Porto
Rico He became stowaway. When the
ship had sailed out on the high seas his
| presence was discovered and he offered
to work his passage to his desired desti-
| nation and the captain of the vessel, not
knowing his real character nor the na-
ture Of his errand. consented and allowed
him to continue 10 Porto Rico in the ca
pacity of a stoker.
When the steamer arrived at Ponce
Porto Rico. Whitney, as one of the crew
was sent ashore to make purchases of
provisions. The Spaniards were at first
wary, thinking him to be one Of those
Yankee pigs. He threw them off their
guard by disclaiming his American citi-
zenship, and paraded before them as an
Englishnan.
In this manner he was enabled to OBJ
tain much valuable information. He OBJ
tained a horse and traversed every part
OF the island, picking up information ey-
erywhere. He learned there are about
1900 Spanish soldiers. regulars and volun-
| teers. all told. in Porto Rico He acquir-
| ed thorough and complete knowledge of
| Spain's military strength on the island
| and studied the coast defenSes and forti-
| ications very carefully.
He found the natives ready to revolt
| against Spanish authority. and that there
! was much discomfort in the army on ac-
count of nOnpayment and bad treatment
Lieut.. Whitney would not discuss his
| mission when seen at the department to-
| day. He said that it was a secret one and
being such 1t was improper and i'm
| possible for him to discuss either its OBJ
| ject or results. He was satisfied that he
| had made a successful journey, and to
| divulge anything that he had learned
| would undo the whole business