New-York tribune., 1869-05-19
THE STRENGTH OF THE CUBAN ARMY.

Col j. b. Stockton of Oil City, Pennsylvania,
the bearer OF the address which Gen. Cespedes recently
sent President Grant, publishes statement OF the
present strength of the Cuban army from which we take
the following extracts:
Ihave Just been in many Of the camps OF the Republt
army the Island Of Cuba, and obtained from the
official records the total strength OF the Liberal forces on
the 28h OF February when the consolidated reports Tor
the months OF January and February were eompletea
The whole strength OF the army Of the Cuban Republic
Men armed with muskets and guns Of all cabers. 2li95
Men with inferior arnspstos sabers, &c...... 6,S52
Men drilling in instruction camps, aud partially 80
armed with machetes or sugar knives......-. 42252
Grand total .........................7 1859
One word lust here in regard TO obtaining from
the republican in the city OF Havana IL one asks
resident Of that city, What news from the lnsurgent
camps or from the war he will invariably reply: we
time with New-York papers, and then we shall know
all !" And that is So Nearly all the news received IN
The Captain General seldom gets anything east OF Corral
Faso, aud never further than villa Clara by land
In the matter OF artillery the Cubans are sadly den
cent and all their artillery is included above IN those
armed with pistols sabers &c. They had tired WOODEN
cannon in various styles aud smile would have come
the faces OF those kings of ordnance Dahgeh anu
Rodman could they have witnessed their sclentnc anu
practical tests one cannon made OF the hardest WOOD
and banded with iron burst at The fourth round one OF
iron pipe from mill cased with wood ana
iron tube with four inches OF cement, encased with
heavy wood and wroughtiron bands fired twentyfour
shots and burst so they 90 on from step to STEP not
without toll, not without suffering, not without want
but. thank God not without hope also.
10 their own reports with splendid arms east
OF Matanzas aud they hemmed In and confined 20 the
seaport towns In reach Of their navy by these 1900 Gu
bans the number who have arms that VIII carry pan
further than the street; and allow me 10 say hat
fully Of these muskcs and shOtguns are such as
one finds thrown away In this country every day Look
for one moment az the extent OF the territory the CuO
forces hod-a o the jurisdiction Of Colon with the
exception Of the large seaports aud few villas easily a
lac n-aud then say whether l,40O men could hod u
ngaust the force the Spanards have there The occupa
on Of this great OF country whchs done IN order
to keep the Spanish troops from concentrating Whe the
two forces 30 uncquauy armed, ahd hJ the
time IN order 10 allow blockade runners 70 enter III
feltor ports and unguarded harbors with arms and
ammunition, necessarily c0mpes the Cuban forces 70 act
small bodies Consequently there are but two ocei
with what might properly be termed an army But mold
ing the interior OF the country, and with their well reg
a;ed corps OF scouts the CubIns could IN an emergency
concentrate pretty large force IN very short ne ana
that too, at any point desired IL was upon ths very
pOnt of distribution that little unpeasantness recently
arose between Quosada and Cespedes the Washington o
young Cuba. But that mOmentary, ana Is all over
now aud Quesada himself Acknowledges aud appaud'
the wisdom OF Cespedes IN preventing the spauari,
from bringing any very large body against them un
they are better armed.