try
tactics, translated into Spanish, were taken along. In the expedition were
also 1,475 saddles, 950 saddle-cloths, and 450 bridles. For the Cuban
soldiers there were taken 7,663 uniforms, 5,080 pairs of shoes, 1,275
blankets, 400 shirts, 450 hats and 250 hammocks.

There were these commissary stores carried, calculated by pounds: Bacon,
67,275; corn-meal, 31,250; roasted coffee, 10,200; raw coffee, 3,250;
sugar, 2,425; mess pork and beef, 9,600; corned beef, 24,000; beans
18,900; hardtack, 1,250; cans of corn, 1250.

_June 29._ The expectation was that the landing would be effected at San
Juan Point, on the south coast of Cuba, midway between Cienfuegos and
Trinidad. This place was reached Wednesday evening, June 29th. A scouting
party put off in a small boat and sculled toward shore, but had made only
half the distance when there came a lively fire from what had been taken
to be an abandoned blockhouse near the point. The men were called back and
the three ships moved to the eastward. About four o'clock the next
afternoon they arrived at Las Tunas, forty miles away.

Four miles west of the town, at the mouth of the Tallabacoa River, stood a
large fort built of railroad iron and surrounded by earthworks. The
_Peoria_ ran boldly in and fired several shots from her 3-pounders, but
brought no response and no signs of life. Here was thought to be the
desired opportunity, and another scouting party was organised. This was
made up of fifteen volunteers under Winthrop Chanler, and as many Cubans
under Captain Nunez.

The _Peoria_ took a position within short range of the fort to protect a
landing or cover a retreat, and the small boats headed for the shore. They
reached it five hundred yards east of the fort; the boats were beached,
and their occupants cautiously scrambled toward the brush. But at almost
the very moment they set foot on the sand, the fort and the entrenchments
around it burst into flame, and shot and shell screamed about the little
band of invaders. Captain Nunez was stepping from his boat when a shot
struck him between the eyes and he went down dead. Chanler fell with a
broken arm. The others safely gained a thicket and replied with a sharp
fire directed at the entrenchments.

Meanwhile the _Peoria_ set all her guns at work, and rained shells upon
the fort until the enemy's fire ceased. The moment the gunboat slackened
fire, however, the Spanish fire was renewed with fury, and it became
evident that t