PAPERS OF MrR.A.~EAu BuoNAPARTE LAMAR 285 or two companies in Savannah as many in Macon, a company in Au- gusta, one in Darien & perhaps one or two in Charleston &c &c these men all living in and about these places - Then giving the usual notice (apparent in this case, as those engaged will understand) efforts will be made to raise new volunteer companies in such place agreed upon - Those engaged will at once form their respective companies·& to all appearances, elect their officers, these will however have been previously appointed, they will as usual receive their commissions from the state and their arms will also be furnished by the state. (arms for the whole companies) Gonzales & Lopez either have funds, or have the means of raising them, particularly for a well organized expedition - and at first about $50,000 will be necessary to provide for these com- [p]anies good &· neat uniforms, such as are usual wor[n] by volunteer companie!3 - the dress of the whole r[e]giment being uniform - The companies being thus formed & equip'd, they will be drilled as rapidly as possible, and within four months they will no doubt be pretty good soldiers & would require nothing but action to make them into a fine regiment, the men will also know their officers & each other & living in their usual places of residence & continuing their usual business will be at no ex[p]ense to the expedition - This state of things can c[on]- tinue until the plans are all matured and it is desired to embark the regiment. - The ·company or. companies formed in Savannah will now issue instructions for a general parade & encampment at Savannah, and funds will again be provided to pay the traveling expenses 9f the men who will thus easily and without exciting suspicion be concen- trated at one point - The parade will be appointed to tnke place say a day or two before the departure from Savannah of one of the New York steamers - On board this steamer three or four fearless officers will take passage, also say forty or fifty of the men as steer- age passengers - The first night out, on a concerted signal, the party will take quiet possession of the steamer, and steer at once for a point a little below Savannah - the regiment will take one of the Charleston steamers, embark with rapidity, before the people can have an idea of what is going· on and meet the N. Y. steamer at the point agreed upon, and thus without trouble or any necessary confusion tfi.e expedition will be em[barlked in one of the very fastest & finest steams in the [w]orld - or without sending men to sea, the steamer could be easilv seized at the wharf & the men embarked from Savannah, and tho' accompanied with rather more risk, would still be the surest plan, and if the measure be -properly taken, without confusion, and there would not be force enough in the place to resist - (This idea of. taking- possession of the steamer may at first view, appear as piracy on the high seas, but if the expedition proves .succe1,sful, ralltog-ether a different view would be taken of the affair, and in the end the owners of the Rteamer be ful1v compensated for the use of her-) The expedi- tion beinq- thus embarked it would steer for Matanzas, land the men & the supplies carried along and at onC'e restore the steamer to ib1 officers. and they would be in no further difficulty, for they could show nnv: Spanish vessel a clean pair of heels - A regiment of americans well officered, & fully equip'd being thus landed at Matanzas. would unques- tionably have a powerful effect on the Spanish troops stationed there, and would give great confidence to the Cubans disposed to join - The
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