The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-16

of August The delay IN the transmission of the
news was doubtless owing to the fact that the
Cubans are in large numbers between Tgnas and
Puerto Padre, and communication is seldom and
difficult We have as yet only the Spanish
accounts, not word having arrived
through Cuban sources. These in the past have
been by no means remarkable for their truth
fulness, and should, therefore, be taken with
many grains of allowance. The official report
OF Lieutenant-C Colonel Boniche, chief of the gar
rison at the time Of the attack, appears in the
Gazette. IL Is very long and unreasonaby diftu-
sive. His own force had been reduced to 400
men, while the insurgents, according to the
statement of prisoner taken during the fight,
numbered between 5000 and 600O and one piece
Of artillery. About an hour previous to the
attack, 200 men of the garrison, under Colonel
Favea, had gone out TO collect cattle, leaving
but 200 to receive the onslaught of the enemy.
The attack commenced at half-past A. NJ,
on the eastern side of the town, where 1t was
sustained for few minutes bya small force there,
quickly reinforced from the plaza. The Spa
niards were fighting behind their trenches, it
will be recollected. The attack soon became
general at the four principal points of the town.
Colonel Fayela hearing the firing from the out
side, returned on the double-quck, and entering
the town from the north attacked the enemy in
the rear causing him great losses. He seems to
have succeeded i'm reaching the plaza with
out difficulty, and his force Immediately
strengthened the weaker points. The
fight continued with varied success ut
the different points up to halt-past 1
L. VI. Al ono llillc JIC Insurgents Hdu pOSSGS-
sion of nearly all the buildings in she southern
part of the town, and were working their way
towards the trenches surrounding the plaza by
cutting through the walls of the houses. AS the
attacks at the other points had mostly ceased,
the commandant concentrated his force and
moved on the enemy in that direction, his men
being subdivded into two divisions. The in
surgents were protected by barricades of furni
ture, which were carried at the point of the
bayonet, while the enemy from the housetops
and from other points poured down a deadly
| fire upon the charging column. The advance of
| the Cubans in that direction was checked, and
the fight carried to another portion of the town.
During the morning certain barracks occupied
| by the Spaniards were abandoned and burned
| to prevent their falling into the hands of the
| Cubans. At 12 o'clock the commandant set
| fire to eight or ten houses about the plaza, in
| order to supply himself with more open space.
| Further details of the fight are given, but they
are confused and without interest. AT half-past
| / p. NJ. the insurgents retired towards the
| houses, mostly matched. During the fight the
| Cubans kept up lively fire with their one piece
| of artillery, directed mostly against the church
| tower, beneath which the military hospital was
situated, and falling mostly in the courtyard
| Now, says the report, the intention of the enemy
| in the attack was to capture the place and make
| it the seat of the republican government. This
| was evident from proclamation OF Cespedes,
| attached to the report a translation of which |
| forward. Cespedes and Quesada, it is said, con-
| templated the action from distant emnence,
and near them, on the Principe road, was seen a
| train, doubtless containing the insurgent ar
| chves brought up in the evident expectation
that it would be an easy matter to take the town.