New-York tribune., 1870-05-07
THE CUBAN COMMANDERS.
,opnAN IN NEW-YORk.

Tn,ry AND RESOURCES OF Ihh @ ionE IN
r,xc QUALITIES OF THE NEGROES AM
CHINESE-OBJEOl VI 'A''
Tur UNITED STATES.
c.;dorable alarm was excited here III Oup"n
,.o,o. yesterday learning that Gen. Jor""i' VIZ
ad,r Of the Cuban army. had arrived IN INC ',' .n
~. as Thought that the General had desei'ed 'no
so Int this apprehension was speedily aii"!eu' "
80, only visits the United states during the rainy
season on the Island to give the Junta here ace'" III
frmation AS to the condition OF things IN Cuoa' anu "
or,,anizc measures to secure for the struggling Pa
the arms and ammunition they so much hcvu' -.
The General had A long interview with the Junta AZ
Che Astor House yesterday morning. almost iii,o ~,
on his landing and fully explained 10 'i"' oou' w
views The great need of the patriots, he say is NC
Even without any outside assistance, the reVoiuOn
CORY ON q harassng guerrilla warfare ana uluia'c,y
achieve the independence of the lsiaho' p % m ,a
involve prolonged war, and the destruo'io m " m m y, "
Industries for which the island is famous ,n.io nv
scarcity Of men to fight For every gun i'"uoa m wy
;s,aud there are five ready to use H. ana Win ah
doro,o sunnlv OF weapons Gen. Jordan believes that
,ho on outlyng garrisons of the spanards could be
cart,rcd in detail and Havana besieged In three
months. . -. .
and WAS one of the chief quartermasters during tne
MoxicaD war being specially charged with securing the
,srtaton of the army the return from that cam
rsign When the Rebellion broke ont he entered the
confederate service, and chief OF Beauregards stan
through the entire Since the close OF the rebellion
he has specially distinguished himself by the defense OF
hi, old chief and by his bitter hostility to Jefferson
Davis
Gen Jordan returns from Cuba in excellent health and
eprits He represents the island saubrious and ex
freInely productive He has seen no part OF CUBA that
will not support cattle of which there are immense nerds
all over the island that the supply Of beef is exhaust
less Hogs too plentiful and the pork particularly
ane The climate is generally agreeable The southern
fla ia
fault can be found with other portions. Gen jordan
was disappointed in finding abundance OF horses ana
mules in the Camagucy district TO which his operations
have been chiefly confined No trouble was experienced
in getting transportation, excepting wheel transpora
ton That can be obtained in the central part OF the
island at all times unless in the Summer season. when,
the roads are impraccable for everything but infantry
Cen Jordan has ridden $500 miles horseback through
various parts the island and speaks in highly eulogis
Gic of the productions the scenery the climate
and the people He that If he were to describe
Cuba he knows it, he would be accused of exagger
tiOn Sugar grows without care, and can be cut for 20
years on the root whereas in Louisiana it has to
renewed every three years In louisiana too the cane
has to be cut and the sugar made before frost sets
IN whereas in Cuba the can he cut month by ana
month"; and sugar made the year round thus greatly re-
ucing the number Of hands employed The caedO tree
from which chocolate is made is also very profitable
and the Cubans just learning its value plantation
will last years, and will give two crops year WITHOUT
fail Sugar also is an unerring crop.
The mineral resources OF Cuba he describes as
tremey rich, copper in particular being abundant and OF
she finest quality Pasuage is plentiful there Is abun
dant water power machinery splendid timber, and
the fruits unsurpassed.
The people represented everywhere hopeful and
confident thoroughly bent achieving their independ-
enee The great trouble has been the want Of arms and
ammunition. Last year there landed 5000 arms
before that they had only about 5000; and with these
he tO contend
ssh troops. Since last May there landed the
ISLAND than 500 and 1000 round of ammunition.
The negroes capable of doing good ser
vice. and fight magnifcently. When Gen. Jor-
dan first went TO the island he thought
<he patriots should their slaves but had faith
in the policy of arming the blacks Now he believes the
negroes not only worthy Of manumissiOn, but he has
shown his of their fighting qualities by making his
of negroes, commanded by negro sergeant The
limit effective army in Cubais not men, but weapons
and trained officers. Powder the Cubans max
ing for themselves, and of good quality. All its con-
sttuents exist the island in abundance with the
Cepton off sulphur, but this can be imported at from
three four cents pound Gen. Jordan has just sent
5000 ID Of sulphur from Nassau, sufficient to make
100000 rounds of ammunition. Cuba, however, has large
supplies Of this material in the caves, which are very
numerous In the Cnco Villa district alone there are
deposits to supply whole island but the patriots
unable to get access TO them.
The Spaniards are drawing all their resources from
eugar coffee. To do this they have to occupy the
plantations with garrsoDs Of from TO 100 This Of
course necessarily dimnishes their effective strength.
The work the plantations is all done by slaves, and
with the proceeds OF the sugar and coffee raised the
Spaniards carry on the
In the Camaguey district the families Of the patriots
reside their estates but when the enemy appears they
90 the woods They all have houses in the woods
near as possible TO their regular homes and there
when an alarm is raised After the column has passed
they In the Oenta society entirely broken up
the people living in the woods often in great distress
Both and in Camauey the better class of people
remain in the cities.
Agriculture is measurably destroyed. Nothing is
grown but the bananas, which thrive without cultiva
ton Fresh meat is abundant. Hogs run wild all over
the island Poultry is numerous, and there plenty
OF wild guinea hens An army of any size be easily
supported.
Gen Jordan has 10 NewYork TO ascertain If
the past system OF warfare cannot be naugu
rated He hopes to raise American nucleus around
which the patriots rally Then he can form an army
Under the present system he finds it impossible to do
This.
The patriot chiefs think they do better each fight
1ng on own account. Gen Jordan says that with
email body OF Americans he could break down this feel
ing and unite the scattered forces into effective
army The island says is the finest field for military
operations in the wOrd-and few men can accomplish
great material results When he fought the battle Of Las
Minas last NewYears Day. he had only about COO men
against five bataons Of the finest Spanish infantry, his
command being intrenched. The Spaniards charged
twice bravely but his Remington guns, worked by
negroes. slaughtered them like sheep.
On his return to Cuba Gen. Jordan proposes to carry
the in the Cnco Villas district. That he regards
the only way TO get harbor He intends to nberate
the slaves in those States there occupied by Span
tards This has been all along the uniform policy Of the
patriots Wherever the spanards there is Slavery
where the Cubans there is freedom. In the Cuban
army there is separation between white and black,