Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-11-13
Cuban ARafrs-A Bird's.eye View of
the SituatiOn-What General JOr-
dan RepOrts

cuban ARafrs-A Bird's.eye View Of
the what General JOr.
dan Reports.
1t is learned that General Thomas Jor-
dan writes to Colonel Harrington, Of
Chicago, as follows:
GUAIMARo. October 10. 1869.
MY ESTEEMED FRIEND: Nearly two
months since, / addressed letter to q
house in New York, in which ! repre-
sented the great need that the Cubans
have of supplies of clothing for men,
women and children, medicines, arms
and munitions of war. l am grsti6ed to
find that this appeal of mine has met
with an effective response, and that
already a number of cases Of clothing
material have been landed in the Bay OF
Nipe from q schooner bound for Sissl,
Mexico, from New York.
/ wish, Colonel, that there we're hum
dreds of such responses, and that there
we're hundred American pens with me
here to represent the situation--to depict
better than can the picture of this civil
war. While we have no absolute need of
foreign soldiers Of any kind to carry this
struggle to successful fruitioD, We do
need supplies. As near as an ableA to
calculate, we have 26,800 men who have
arms, and state 10 perfect sincerity
that we could use Immediately Is 600
stands of arms, and with that number in
our hands could end this war in ninety
days. We have not wasted our armies
nor materials in attacking large cities
seaports mean, because, even though
we took them, it would be at sacrifice
of life of our trained soldiers, with q
perfect knowledge that we could not hold
them, for the reason that we have No ar
tillery to defend them against the Span
ish navy. Puerto Principe and all in
terror towns we have SO closely besieged
that they are really of no avail to our
enemy except the name of holding them.
We occasionally are benefited by it, for
iu their attempts to send them supplies
we often capture their trains.
There are men of great mind and brain
in this cause. The Cuban patriots as O
people are men of higher class than any
other Spanish Americans They are, the
most of them, all the leaders at least,
men who have received their education
either in the United States or in Europe.
They are comprehensive, able, and de-
voted to their cause. / observe that there
exists doubt in the minds of few citi-
zens of the United States of the extinc-
ton of slavery in this island. Slavery
was abolished when the standard of re
volt was raised, and again by the twenty
fourth article of the constitution Of this
Republic. There are 10000 liberated
slaves following our camps. Thousands
of them are armed with machetas, half
hatchet and half meat ak. They have
shown q willingness to meet the enemy
in open field with such weapons only as
these. t
But what most desired to call your
attention to is our great need Of clothing
for cur reople. l feel assured that if this
pressing want of these worthy people was
we'll understood in the United States there
would such a tide of contributions of ma
terials and money be poured upon Us as
would relieve all our wants, and secure
for the Cubsns an early triumph over the
truly barbarous Spsniard.
| wish this might be brought before the
American ladies. l wish that they might
com mprehend how 80, 900 Cuban ladies' are
living an aboriginal life, half naked and
as poorly sheltered as the forests and hill
sides and palm trees can shelter them.
Such an army Of self-denying ladies was
never before assembled on earth. Their
devotion knows no parallel except in the
lives of our Revolutionary mothers, l
hope the whole American people may
realize the situation of these people
their wants, suffering, devotion and
worthiness-and then aid them.
Iwish had the time to write you much
mereI but, ss our messenger can only
carry very small parcel, ! am obliged
to close this letter. You may address
me, care Of the Cuban Jdnts, No. II
Broadway, New York.
Yours most truly,
THOMAS JORDAN,
Adjutant General Army of Cube,