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

A Havana correspondent Of the Messenger
Franco-Americain gives some interesting de-
tails of recent military operations in the east
err part Of Cuba:
OnDecember 23d the Spanish General VAL
maseda marched from Nuevitas at the head of
two thousand picked troops to capture the
insurgent stronghold OF Bayamo. HIS route
lay across mountainous region, where the
insureent leader, General Cespedes, had he
chosen, might have offered him battle with q
reasonable prospect of SUCCESS. Gut Ces-
pedes had no intention Of Tsking bat
tie with the well disciplined troops of Spain.
He conceived better plan, which was to
leave the road to Boyamo open to Valmaseda,
and to deceive him with the idea that this
town was the insurgent stronghold, the capture
of which wonld seal the fate OF the rebellion.
While therefore, the Spanish commander was
pushing in southeasterly direction toward
Bayamo, Cespedes moved rapidly 10 the west to
attack the important City of Puerto Principe,
which Valmaseda had by his movement lett
uncovered, and which would prove an ample
recompense for the loss of Bayamo. A small
force only Of insurgents opposed the march OF
Falmaseda, which he supposed to be the rear
guard of Cespedes. The latter also, with o
view of deceivlng the enemy, instructed GER
tain of his followers to allow themselves to be
taken prisoners, and tell pretended story OF
the valu, Of Bayamo to the insurgents. :, .
The town, though one of the oldest on the
island, having been founded in 1914 by Diego
Velasquez, contains population of not above
5000. and is place of no strategic importance.
lt was originally made the base OF military ope-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 acquaint
himself with these facts before commencing
his campaign, OF suspect that the spies OF Ces-
pedes we're deceiving him.
On the evening of January lo ho arrived In
the ncighborhood OF Bayamo, and formed his
troops IN columns of attack to meet the sup
posed large and defiant array Of rebels. But o
few minutes later the advanced scouts brought
in the news that no hostile army was in sight,
and that Bayamo with its churches. converts
and dwellings,, was in flames. The next morn
lug, when the Spanish troops marched into
the town, they found only mass OF shoulder
ing ruins. A large number OF the houses be-
longcd to Cespedes. who had himself ordered
their destruction. The Inhabitants had taken
refuge in the ncighboring Sierra de Guerra, and
the conquering army found their prize but
barren conquest. Never was general more
completely outwitted than Valmascda. he
made haste to succor the places which his fool
ish expedition had LETT unprotected, and at last
accounts his troops, tired and demoralized,
were moving toward the port OF Manzanlllo, 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 tho 10th. This has proved their
most important victory OF the war. Every day
which they now gain in delaying the advance
OF tho Spanish troops is of Importance to the
cause OF Cuban independence. The warm sea-
son is rapidly approaching, and in a few weeks
no European soldiery can hope to sustain
campaign in the open field. Should the insurg-
ents remain uudisturbed by the beginning of
MAY, their success may be considered almost
achieved