The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-12-19
TO THE BATTLE FIELD OF VIA
MONIES.

Field-ShOckinR Sights-AtrOcities of
the War-What Both Sides Say OF the
Fight.
And 80 your correspondent having arrayed him.
self in light linen clothes, immense Panama hat,
buckskin shoes, "leggins" and spurs, armed with
revolver, and with waterproof coat, blanket ham,
mock, and saddle bags strapped before and be-
hind, on his saddle, at about one O'Clock P. M.
between the lieutenant and the surgeon, led the
way out OF Puerto Principe.
THE CUBAN HORSE.
The horses ridden by our little company wore all
natives. Tho Cuban horse deserves some atten-
ton. The best authorities upon the subject say he
is but the offspring OF the Spanish horse affected
by the popularity Of the climate in his breeding.
lie is now fine animal, with short stout, we'll
built body, neat clear limbs, fine intelligent eyes,
thick neck, heavy name ana TAIL and peculiar gaits
under the saddle. The Marcia Is fast walk, and
is the easst gait possible, aud el poSo, something
| like what is known in our own Southern States as
q ''singlefooted rack,n Is more pleasant
than any gait peculiar to American horses.
But the most valuable quality Of the
! Cuban horse Is his endurance. 1t almost
seems as If weight were too much for him In the
opinion OF his driver rider, and 1t Is said that he
| will make fifty or sixty miles per day under the
saddle for an indefinite time without the slightest
sign OF exhaustion and this too, on about halt the
quantity OF food necessary for the American horse,
which latter animal Is used only in carriages in the
principal cities OF the island Owing TO the great
demand created by the present war the price OF
Cuban horse is now high it being impossible to OBJ
tain good one for less than one hundred and
seventy-fve dollars. Tho duties and expense Of
landing alone an imported horse are about one
hundred and twenty dollars Upon one OF the
easiest of these exceedingly easy-gaited animals
| then your correspondent at the head OF his little
cavacade, left Puerto Principe on Wednesday,
October 80. Putting our horses to the gait 'et
pdSon in a short time we passed beyond the limits
OF the city aud struck into the open country under
broiling hot sun. Traversing
"R0YAL ROADS,"
which were In wretched condition, and lay be-
tween fences or hedges OF guavo or maguey,
passing the ruins OF many sugar estates destroyed
by the Cubans, In about an hour aud half we
reached the first OF the military posts that form
line across tho island south from Puerto Principe.
This Is known as "San Antonio" and had. when
we visited it, a force of but eleven men, who were
acting as guard for the protection Of a gang OF
laborers who were making some much needed re-
pairs to the carmina real Two miles further on,
passing tall sm0kestack, which, with the
enclosed spacious grounds above, showed
where there had been one OF the largest
and finest sugar estates in the de I,rad
Camp Mercedes, which had also been q fine sugar
estate. It viii be impossible and useless to speak
among the sugar estates In the Central Depart
ment 1t is enough to say that there Is not left
single one OF those formerly splendid buildings
used for the manufacture OF sugar. Everywhere
the sight is the same. The chimneys generally
their former owners, amidst the debris OF fallen
walls and heat.wrenched machinery, testify to the
INTENSITY OF CUBAN HATRED
TO Spanish rule. For be II known most OF these
destroyed properties belonged, not to Spanards,
but to Cubans, who themselves applied the torch
that impoverished them 1t was enough that their
beloved Cuba Libre" demanded the sacrifice. and
believing that when the cost TO Spain OF carrying
on the war would be greater than her revenues
from the island, they determined to make of their
beautiful country a waste in which the mother
country could find no profit From Camp Mer-
cedes, after rest OF half an hour, leaving our |
your correspondent, with our servants, galloped |
OH alone two miles farther, to second
CAMP SAN ANTONIO,
passing through two magnificent groves one OF |
palms and the other Of cocoanuts covering about
sevenly-dve and hundred acres respectively.
mounted infantry or ''gue rlas as they are called
officially. provision train Of thirty OK carts had
ing it were then at their dinner, and we followed
their example. In horribly filthy house made Of
beef and a hash, into the composition OF which en-
tered, it seemed, every kind OF meat and vegetable
in Cuba.
the same room and we sought repose. sought, but
did not find it; for in addition TO the discordant
noises outside from men, bulls and donkcys, the
howell swarmed with MOSQUITOES, and as there was
no escape from them but by being smothered in
blanket they had to be borne, amid curses loud and
WV DANSERous GAME.
Much stress was laid by the the, officers met here l
Antonio without guard. The absence OF danger
from the insurgents In this neighborhood was
dwet upon until the thought forced itself upon
me that this tw0-mile unguarded gallop had been
premeditated and what Aguero, who had sug-
spur OF the moment was really but the carrying
! out Of orders given In Puerto Principe For,
was e Tsns as sef an e Evidence ss Of the
contempt in which Spaniards held Cubans, the
former claiming that four OF them would not hest
i tate 10 engage fifty insurgents Captain Lander,
i commanding this post, was very kindn explaining
| to me the operations OF his command and the
wretched condition OF the insurgents In this de.
/ partment. He produced before me couple OF ne
groes who were dressed, he said, precisely were
the insurgents. Their raiment consisted OF coffee
sack tied about the waist and sandals of untanned
skins secured to the feet by leather thongs passing
between the toes to the ankle. The next morning
! we arose from our hammocks rested, but unre.
freshed, and, after 'cafe, resumed our travels with
1 a new escort OF mounted infantry. About hour
| alter leaving San Antonio we overlook the pro-
vision train That biyoucked there the night before
and which had left before daybreak. This train OF
thirty carts, drawn by either SIX or eight bullsin
no case oxen-and guarded by about thirty In.
/ fantry, was about one mile long and moved very
the distances between the many military posts
saved 1t rom attack; for the ereakng or the cart
\ wheels and shouts OF the drivers as they prodded
1 the bulls could be heard quite distance Passing
\ Military Camp sOmblas, three miles from San An
i tonic four miles further Is
CAMP P0RCAYAs.
4 at which were the same number OF men az at
i Somblas-yiz., thirty Lieutenant leopold Cento,
/ who was IN command, received US Hospitality, and,
in q trice, brought out the square bottle OF gin
ezra" (gln), that seems TO be necessary part or
4 every ofiicer's equipments. Somblas ana Porcayas
are small three story forts, built or bricks, with
| loopholcs in each story and are, doubtless, almost
impregnaLle against forces destitute OF artillery.