Robert Conroy - 1882 - Custer in Chains

“Do you?”

“No. Like you, I’m enjoying all this. But you didn’t answer my question-when do you think you’ll be leaving?”

“At first we were told a month at the most, although the dates keep changing as reality sets in. The truth is, nobody really knows when we’ll depart. Someday the army will tell us that we should have been there yesterday. The navy is gathering ships and some units have begun moving towards Florida. Since rail connection to most parts of Florida is miserable at best, those already heading to Florida are southern units. My regiment will depart by ship from Baltimore.”

“And where will you land and please don’t think I’m a spy. I’m no Rose Greenhow.”

Martin laughed at the idea of her comparing herself to the notorious Confederate spy. “I didn’t think you were and it doesn’t matter. I can’t tell you because I don’t know. I don’t even know who is going to command this army, much less where we’ll land. I sometimes wonder if anybody has a clue.”

* * *

President Custer slammed his fist down on the desk in his office. “There is no way in hell that that goddamned son of a bitch Winfield Scott Hancock is going to command my army.”

Army Secretary Robert Lincoln shook his head. “Even though he is not now in the army, Hancock is head and shoulders above anyone who currently is in the army. He’s commanded large forces and many people feel he was the man responsible for our victory at Gettysburg and not Meade.”

“I don’t give a rat’s fart what people think. Hancock ran against me in the last election and damn near won. I am not going to give him a chance to do it again and next time win just because he’s the country’s latest war hero. No, the army will be led by Nelson Miles.”

“Miles is a good Indian fighter, but that’s about it,” Lincoln said. “He’s never led a large force he doesn’t seem to inspire confidence in those he commands. Admittedly he’s brave, but he’s vain and stubborn, while Hancock is a proven fighter.”

“I don’t care what he inspires. Look, if I can’t have Miles, then I will command in person.”

With that, the others in the room looked aghast. Navy Secretary Hunt was the first to protest. “Sir, you know it is against tradition, perhaps even law, for a sitting president to leave the United States.”

“Maybe it’s time for the tradition to change.”

Secretary of State James Blaine decided it was time to intercede. “Mr. President, if you leave the country, who will be in charge, Vice President Arthur? You cannot be two places at once and even with the telegraph, you cannot deal with the problems of congress and the nation.”

“Shit,” muttered Custer, accepting defeat. “But I want Miles and that’s that.”

Reluctantly, they agreed that Nelson Miles would command the invasion force and the discussion moved to the subject of the navy. Secretary Hunt was more than a little pleased at the progress he’d made.

“Gentlemen, the three warships we bought from Great Britain are currently being re-fitted at Baltimore. They have been re-named the Atlanta, Boston , and Chicago . The Atlanta is ready to sail and will escort a number of troopships that are gathering there. We will utilize several of the smaller steam sloops to also protect the convoy. We are also arming and commissioning a number of civilian ships and have chartered several hundred other civilian ships as transports. I am confident that we can land upwards of fifteen thousand men in a first wave against the Spanish in Cuba. The only question I have is precisely where shall they land?”

“Well, it can’t be right at Havana,” said Lincoln. “That place is too heavily fortified. Our men would be slaughtered. Nor can it be Santiago. It’s too far away, several hundred miles in fact. We would have to fight our way across the length of Cuba and that’s a very long ways. If we want to get the campaign over before either the hurricane or fever seasons strike, we have to get closer.”

“Matanzas,” said Hunt. “It’s a small city about fifty crow-fly miles east of Havana and it has a decent harbor. Not a big harbor, but one that can handle a number of ships at a time. The troops can land outside the harbor while the ships carrying supplies can use the docks in the harbor.”

Custer nodded. “I like it, but is it well defended?”

Hunt winced. “We’ve just established a naval intelligence unit headed by one Lieutenant Theodorus Mason, but I’m afraid we know very little about the defenses at Matanzas.”

“Who would?” asked Custer.

Secretary of State Blaine smiled. “Why is suppose the Cubans would.”

* * *

James Kendrick rapidly came to the conclusion that Salazar was serious about having Spain’s side of the story told. He was put up in a small suite of rooms at one of Salazar’s mansions on the outskirts of Havana. He was only a few minutes ride from the harbor and wasn’t particularly surprised when, the day after his arrival, his host practically ordered him to ride with him to the harbor. The Spanish fleet was arriving.

They left their horses a few blocks from the waterfront and walked the rest of the way along with just about everyone in the city. What they saw truly was impressive. Both of Spain’s battleships had made port and they were accompanied by a number of steam sloops and smaller gunboats. The battleships were the Vitoria and the Numancia . Salazar proudly informed him that they displaced more than seven thousand tons and had a number of cannon that fired shells of more than six inches. He added that four cruisers were also en route to reinforce the Spanish fleet.

Kendrick had to admit that the grey bulk of the warships was menacing. The ships were functional and, in his opinion, ugly. They had none of the graceful lines of the sailing ships that had become obsolete. A pity, he thought, but why should the instruments of war and killing be graceful and lovely?

More important, the Spanish warships had escorted a number of transports that were disgorging a large number of soldiers. A second convoy, this one escorted by the cruisers would dock tomorrow or the next day.

Salazar was practically giddy with happiness and pride. “I hope you do not take offense, Kendrick, but you will see how the pride of Spain will crush the United States.”

“It is very impressive indeed. I wonder how long it will take for President Custer to find out about this.”

Salazar laughed. “I would say about ten minutes. The telegraph lines between here and Florida must be burning up. if you’d like, you can write a story about your impressions and I’ll see to it that it is given priority.”

“Would you want to clear it first?”

“Of course not. There’s not much to hide, is there?”

Kendrick agreed. He didn’t add that the two Spanish battleships were on the small side in comparison with most of the battleships of the Royal Navy. Nor did he add that the U.S. was attempting to buy some British ships of roughly similar size. He was fairly certain that the Spanish knew all about it. He now believed the rumors that Spain was attempting to buy warships from France were true.

Salazar took his arm. “Come, we shall go back to my home and have a good meal along with some excellent wine, perhaps a lot of excellent wine. I will introduce you to my family and you will see that I am not a total barbarian, merely a devoted Spanish patriot.”

Yes, Kendrick thought, and a Spanish patriot who murders prisoners and slaughters innocent Cubans. In preparing for the trip, he’d done some more homework on Salazar and found a number of stories in which his personal army had killed numbers of Cubans that he’d arbitrarily named as insurgents.