The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-04-06
AHavana letter Of March &C. to the New Yorl

A Havana lctLcr Ol M;lrcn 20, 10 Tile new Ork
World, says:
Again have the Spanish troops been thrashcd
The event. or rather events, for there were two
different engagements occurred In The district OF
Las TuRas. NV Information, | will preface, Is
not obtained from Cuban sources, but from
French parties, ami cohes from Bayam0.
ARusE DE GuERRE.
On the 10th the Spanish commander at CaniO
del Embarcuder0 received letter from Il Cuhan
olIlcer announcing TO him that the writer anil
over one hundred companions. arms were tle-
sirOus rf submitting To tile Spanlards, having bc.
come tired Of The war and drSpOndcnt as TO ul,i.
mate success; that they were closely watched
aud unable 10 present themselves, but that II
the commander in question would only SEMI II
force beyond the River Salado, that then they
would he able 10 jnn the SpanlartlS and return 10
that allegiance they regretted having abandon
c,l Tic commander jumped ut q hook so largely
baited. and III once dispatched Colonel Quesada
(nO kin OF the Cuban eN-generaiiSSimo,) with the
battalion OF Matanzas aud part Of company OF
artillery, 10 the Salal0, IN all about 425 Wcn. II
SO happened that 1T that time the battalion OF
san Quntin and another, forming together q
| cslumn Of 800 men, were in search Of insurgcnl
| bands between Arenas and the River SaladO, and
not many miles from the point Indicated for the
submission Of the Cuban officer and companions,
| and to guard against trcachcry and surprises,
| Colonel Quesada was instructed as to how he
| could communicate with the commander OF The
culumn-ths one at the same time receiving or
ders to assist the colonel If asked to do SO. Now
| for the results.
ONE SPANISH COLUMN ROUTED.
suppose you have already dirncd that the
Cuban Uncr 10 surrender was only ruse Or guefTe.
When Ills command reached Rio AbajO Oh the
llth Colonel Quesada discovered this to his cost,
for there he was vigorously assaulted by 1000 In
surgents, led by Generals ModestJ DiaZ (colnrcd,
and Vncente Garcia. Despite stubborn resist
ance, the Spaniards were forced to retreat before
their far more numerous opponents, but TO their
credit be it sad succeeded In saving one Of their
canons. Their accounts claim that at first they
were successful, driving the Insurgents before
them, ana killing large number, thtrfy.seven OF
whom they saw and counted, but that, their am.
muniron having become exhausted they natural
ly had 10 retire. The truth Is, Colonel Quesada
was badly whipped, and lost nearly one tElr,l of
his force the insurgcnt losses being less as they
fought most Of the time under cover.
SECOND COLUMN ROUTED.
issoon as attacked Colonel Quesada sent mes
senv.rs to tho commander Of the other Spanish
column but they failed TO find him. He heard,
however. the fire from Colonel Q1esaaas artlllc'
ry, aud has encd 10 his assistance, but unlortu-
iiately got lost in the woods, and never came up
with Colonel QueSada's command. Tile nsur-
gents pursued their routed foes for only few
miles, and then turned upon the second Spanish
column, and commenced second engagement
only short distance from where the first had
been fought Tile Spanlards again were defeatetl
and compelled 10 retreat. An insurScnt fOrce
under Luis Figucrcdo, that had been Watching
the movements OF the second column, took part
in this second engagement, and contributed
much towards the results obtained.
HEAVY LOSSES.
NY niormants do not pretend to be able to give
the exact luSScS Of the SpaniartlS In the second
engagement. III the tive the Dons are said to
have lost between IS and 40 officers killed, wound
eI and missing. From this Infer they must
have also lost about 400 enlisted men-klllcil,
wounded AMI captured. My iniornans are posi-
tive that the inslrgent losses were less than those
Of the SpaniardS, hut do not give them. they say
several Spanish officers, who were In one or the
other OF the engagements, have declared that the
Insurgents fought With desperation, anu were
better armed than they were ever before known
to be.
WHEREABOUTS or JORDAN.
General jordan, by Spanish, Cuban and private
accounts alike is to-day located within The dis.
trict OF Las Tunas and some Of the Cuban reports
have him present at the second engagement AS
Count de Talmaseda has entered upon the recon.
quest OF the district, which fer fourteen months
has been almost entirely III insursent possession,
aud as affairs in the Canagucy permit his being
away, General jordan has come 10 Las TGnas to
oppose the Spanish efforts. Reports agree pretty
well in giving him force OF 400O men, With
which he will contest with the renowned
Count for the supremacy within the district, with
lne chances OF success. II Is plain TO see that his
policy is TO struggle long auu desperately 10 pre-
vent the Spanards carrying out their plan. IN
possession OF tile district OF Las Tunas, they
would be within few leagues OF The Cuban capi-
tai. and the place would indeed then he more Sc
ti5a.i, threatened In The rear llaa Is ever was ny
the front. with those IN the front moreover Stiil
puHerJul and very anxious to effect its capture
From all this VIC may therefore expect 10 snon
hear OF more engagements Of Importance within
the district Of Las Tunas.
CUBAN DISASTER.
From Trinidad there Is also news OF disaster
to the Cuban cause. not dSas er through the loss
or men, but thI ough that Of train, which Is near
ly as bad. On the 18th the Spanish column OF
Colonel Martinez overlook and captured fUrty.
four mack horses and mules, near Arroyo Vclas-
uueZ the eScortng Cuban soldiers abandoning
the train almost without fighting. Meat, rice,
coffee corn clothing, shoes aud tobacco, were
found 10 comprise the loads OF the captured
horses and mules. Opinions differ as to whether
these articles were smuge.ed by the Cuhans from
the Spanish lines. or whether :aeY were brought
to The island by some Jamaican -lovf.
MURDERS AND EXECUTIONS.
In Cenfuegos city, customh0use officer, on
the 2lSt, killed Don Bias Rodriguez, Cuban, be-
cause he opposed his loalng around private
baih-house In which ladies were bathing. The
assassin has been arrested and imprisoned: The
results OF the late arduouS labors OF the military
commissions OF CleufnegoS and Villa Clara were
seen OIL the 22tl at Cenlu-gOs City In the shipping
for Havana OF nineteen prisoners condemned by
| them twelve for dislOyalty and seven for crimes
against the common law. Six Of the twelve dis
loyalS we're sentenced 10 ten years at hard labor
nineteen prisoners, with thirteen more from
Santiago arrived here on Thursday evening by
| the Batabano cars. smallpox Is most decidedly
on tile increase In Cienfuegos.
Four Cubans were yesterday executed In Ma
tanZas, they having been found guilty OF dlsloy'