The Colon took four companies of the Twenty-third Infantry and two companies of the Eighteenth Infantry, both of the regular army, and Battery A of the Utah Artillery.  In the battery were twelve men and in each of the infantry companies seventy-five men, besides the officers, making less than 600 military passengers.  The control of the ship was given to Lieutenant-Colonel Clarence W. Bailey, of the Eighteenth Infantry.

On the Zealandia were the Tenth Pennsylvania Volunteers and part of Battery B of the Utah Volunteer Artillery.  With the gunners went two Maxim fighting machines, which as a precautionary measure were placed ready for action in the bow of the vessel.  In all there were 640 privates and 60 officers on board.

On the steamer Senator was the First Regiment of Nebraska Volunteers, numbering 1,023 men and officers.

Took the Ladrones.

The United States cruiser Charleston, with the troopships City of Sydney, City of Pekin and Australia, arrived off Cavite on the 30th of June.  They left Honolulu, June 4, with sealed orders from Washington to capture the island of Guam, chief of the Ladrone Islands, and the seat of Spanish government.

The American cruiser and the transports arrived at Guam on the morning of June 20.  They passed the unoccupied Fort Santiago and advanced opposite Fort Santa Cruz.  The Charleston then fired twelve shots, but, receiving no response from the fort, it steamed on to Port Luis de Appa, where Agana, the capital of the Ladrone Islands, is situated.

That afternoon the captain of the port and the health officer came aboard the Charleston and were informed to their astonishment that they were prisoners of war.  They had not heard that war existed between the United States and Spain, and they had thought the firing by the Charleston was a salute of courtesy.  They said Governor Marina regretted that he had no powder for his cannon with which to return the salute.  Those surprised Spaniards were thereupon sent ashore to request the Governor of the islands to come on board the Charleston.  In reply the Governor sent his official interpreter and secretary to say to the Americans that the Spanish laws forbade him to leave the shore during his term of office.  However, he invited Captain Glass of the Charleston to a conference on shore the next morning and guaranteed his safety.  Captain Glass sent Lieutenant Braunersreuther to meet the Governor and deliver an ultimatum demanding the surrender of the Ladrones, giving the Governor thirty minutes in which to consider the matter.  Lieutenant Braunersreuther was accompanied by two companies of Oregon Volunteers.

The governor surrendered gracefully within the allotted time.  Thereupon forty-six marines from the Charleston landed and disarmed the 108 Spanish soldiers, confiscated their 116 rifles and 10,000 rounds of ammunition.  The natives were allowed to retain their weapons.  They all showed delight in renouncing Spanish authority, and tore off the Spanish regalia from their uniforms with many expressions of satisfaction.