The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-12-26
THE FIGHTING IN CUBA.

The last private accounts received
from Cuba show that the Republicans,
far from having any reason to be dis
heartcncd can congratulate themselves
ON the fair success they have achieved
thus far. Whenever there has been an
encounter, if the Cubans have not car
ried the day they have kept their enc
mics in check and obliged them to re-
treat to their starting points, where
they invariably wait for new reinforce
mcntS.
In the Central Department, in su-
gar plantation called Trapiche, near
Remedies, the government troops at
tackled the force left there by the Gu
bans. A severe contest ensued, in
which the Creolcs held their position
admirably, fighting, as they We're,
against veteran troops. The battle
was suspended for time, and the enc
mics brought fresh troops; but before
the attack was begun again the Cubans
made good their retreat, carrying with
them their wounded, material, &c
The loss was heavy on both sides; and
considering that the Spaniards did not
attempt to modest the retreating body,
their loss, of course, must have been OF
consequence.
The Cuban liberators, numbering
over nine hundred men, under the lead
of Maxine Gomez as chief, and Donate
Marmol, as his second, were to make
an attack upon Guantanamo. Mar
mol, with three hundred men, had Or
ders to march cautiously towards the
town and wait there for the principal
| division. that under Gomez was to cN-
plorc and clear all the surrounding
The Spaniards, seeing the small body
of Cubans approaching, attacked them
with about a thousand men; the Gu
bans kept up the fire, although retreat
ing, hoping that the other division
would soon come to their rescue. 1t
was not intended that the Spanlards
would gain victory; for Gomez, fear
ing what had taken place, upon hear
ing the report of cannon, with no loss
of time made haste to join Marmol,
whom he found had been retreating for
two or three miles. He addressed the
men, and not only saved them from
sure defeat, but drove the Spanish
troops back to their entertainments,
causing them severe loss in killed,
wounded, and prisoners. The town
being strongly fortified and the COM
manding officer of the Cubans knowing
that, after the hurried march he had
been obliged to perform, his men could
not be in state that would give him
sure victory, postponed his first inten-
dcd attack:
In the battle of Alta Gracia, between
Nucvitas and Pto. Principe, General
Balmaseda suffered complete defeat,
with 3, 900 men of all arms, he beng
met bv about an equal number OF Re
publicans
After an engagement of five hours,
the Cubans remained masters OF the
field, forcing their enemies to save
themselves in flight. The Cubans have
to lament, though, that as the combat
was drawing to a close the Marquis OF
Sta Lucia fell wounded.
The complete triumph gained by the
Crcolcs in this battle has caused the
greatest alarm among the government
officers in Havana. The Captain Gen
eral with the utmost despatch began to
form new regiments. The prisons
were visited for this purpose, and men
that were to be kept in there for a num-
Der of years have been set at liberty
upon the condition that they shall bear
arms against the Cubans.
Colonel Lono, who about month
and half ago arrived at Manati with III
teen hundred Mon, and, after suffering Sc
verelv in different encounters, occupied
the town of Las Tunas, has been
obliged to abandon it and retreat to
Manati again, where he has arrived
with only one-fourfh of his original
force. The government, in order to
send him reinforcements, ordered a
visit to be made to the prison in Mat
anzas. Thus does the Spanish govern
mcnt in Cuba form battalions and at,
tempt to make the civilized world be,
licvc that all the inhabitants Of Cuba
are giving it their support.
Philadelphia Press.