The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-03
THE WAR IN CUBA.

A Havana correspondent OF the Message
Franco-Americain gives some interesting do
tails Of recent military operations in the east
ern part of Cuba:
On December 23d the Spanish General Val
maseda marched from Nuevitas at the head O
two thousand picked troops to capture the
insurgent stronghold Of Bayamo. His route
insurgent leader. General Cespedes, had he
chosen, might have offered him battle with q
reasonable prospect of success. But Ces.
pedes. had no intention Of risking o bat.
tie with the we'll disciplined troops Of Spain
He conceived better plan, which was tc
leave the road to Bayamo open to Valmaseda
and to deceive him with the idea that this
town was the insurGent stronghold the capture
While, therefore, the Spanish commander was
pushing in southeasterly direction toward
Bayamo, Cespedes moved rapidlyto the west to
attack the important City OF Puerto Principe
uncovered, and which would prove an ample
recOmpense for the loss Of Bayamo. A small
force only Of insurgents opposed the march Of
Valmaseda, which he supposed to be the rear
guard OF Cespedes. The latter also, with O
view e aeceivsnS She eas1nY, instructed cer-
tain or his followers to allow themselves to be
taken prisoners, and tell pretended story Of
the valu, Of Bayamo to the insurgents.
island, having been founded in 1914 by Diego
Velasquez, contains population of not above
5000 and is a place OF no strategic Importance.
1t was originally made the base Of military ope-
rations by Cespedes, simply because it hap
pened to be the central point of the rebellion.
It is singular that Valmaseda did not acquatnt
himself with these facts before commencing
his campaign, or suspect that the spies of Ces-
pedes were deceiving him.
On the evening OF January Is he arrived in
the neighborhood OF Bavamo, and formed his
troops IN columns of attack to meet the sup
posed large and defiant array of rebels. But q
few minutes later the advanced scouts brought
in the news that no hostile army was in sight,
and that Bayamo, with it's churches, converts
and dwellings,, was iii flames The next morn
ing, when the Spanish troops marched into
the town, they found only mass OF shoulder
ing ruins. large number Of the houses be-
longed to Cespedes, who had himself order ed
their destruction. The inhabitants had taken
refuge in the neighboring Sierra de Guerra, and
the conquering army found their prize but q
barren conquest. Never was general more
completely outwitted than Valmaseda. He
made haste to succor the places which his fool
ish expedition had left unprotected, and at last
accounts his troops, tired and demoralized,
were moving toward the port Of Manzanillo, to
embark for the Department Of the Centre.
Meanwhile the Cuban army, six thousand
strong, laid siege, on the 14th, to Puerto Prin-
cipe, which, according to late dispatches, they
captured on the 10Th. This has proved their
most important victory of the war. Every day
which they now gain in delaying the advance
Of the Spanish troops is OF Importance to the
son is rapidly approaching, and in few weeks
no European soldiery can hope to sustain q
Campaign in the open field. Should the insurg-
ents remain uudisturbed by the beginning Of
May their success may be considered almost
achieved.