The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-15
FIGHTING CUBA.
An Uncompleted March with a
Spanish Battalion.
TO THE CONFINES OF CUBA LBRE.
How the Soldiers Look, Dress, Arm
and March.
The Herald Commissioner Well
coined and Petted.
ARMY COMMISARIAT AND RAPID FORTUNES.
Effect of Long Tramps and Short Com
mons on the Men.
WILD SIGHTS AND SCENES.
Contempt Of the Regulars for an
Enemy Of AmbuScaleS.
The Question of Shooting
Prisoners of War.
TERRIBLE RAvAGES OF THE CLIMATE.
One Hundred Thousand Men Dwindle
to Twenty Thousand.
Six Thousand Officers Killed in
Five Years.
Six Thousand Officers Killed in
Five Years..
"A Handful of Rebels That Cannot
Be Beaten or Seen.
THE MYSTERIOUS ooUNTERMARCH.
An Impartial Portrayal Of Passions and
Opinions on Both Sides.

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, JAM 70, 1879
In view OF the impossibility OF obtaining anything
like reliable information relative to the insurrec
ton at Santa Clara owing to the disappearance
from the district Of the larger insurrectonary de-
tachments, proceeded by way OF Cienfuegos to
Santi Esptritu, where hoped to find the operations
OF the campaign on larger scale. The scenery
along the coast to Trinidad singularly i'm
pressive and appealed to the Imagination
in all the majesty OF utter desoation. Before the
war the lower hills and the valleys near the coast
were highly cultivated, but during the struggle all
the estates have been abandoned or destroyed. so
far the eye could reach nothing was visible but
dark OF iorest-clad hills, whose awful still
ness was unbroken by any sign OF habitaton.
Until late period the almost inaccessible noun
tains and forests in this region gave shelter i'm
pertant bands OF insurgents but the construction
of the trocha southwark had the effect OF causing
the majority OF the bands to 20 southwark from
fear being cut or from their friends in the south
eastern departments, where the chief strength OF
the insurrecti0n has been from the outset.
THE ADVANTAGE OF THESE TRoCHAs
has been clearly shown in the comparative tran
utilization OF the district west Of Moron. Although
the Cuban sympathlZers with whom had come in
contact admitted the actual state of affairs with
certain amount OF frankness, l was I'M
willing to accept anything on mere hear.
say, and therefore persisted in my intention
to go to Santi Espiritu fog detained us some
twelve hours beyond our time, but at last we
arrived at Tunas, an embryo town situated on a
tongue Of land, which is the seaport OF Sancti
Spiritus. As there Is only one train q day each
way, was obliged to put up at one OF the tiendds
for the night. In the morning found that the
hour of starting was entirely dependent on the
amount OF freight and the more or less industrious
frame OF mind OF the colored man whose business
IL was to load the wagons About two O'Clock in
the afternoon we steamed out OF the station, which
is about quarter Of mile distant from the town,
in the midst Of salt swamp. Here
THE GUARD OF SOLDIERS CAME ON BOARD
and disposed themselves about SO as to have q
good view OF the country-that is to say. OF the
woods and bushes, that after few miles Of sand
and swamp extend for leagues on all sides until
we have passed about three-fourths OF our Journey
when the country becomes more open and signs OF
cultivation appear. On the way managed to get
into conversation with one OF the guard, who ap-
peared to me likely subject to know something
about the war. He was just the sort Of fellow to
drive martinez to desperaton-untidy and with
a suspicion OF the picturesqueness Of dirt about
him, but
DEvIIMAY-CARE LOOK IN TIE EYE
and certain hard expression about the mouth,
which was drawn at the corners. He had been in
specting me rather attentively, and was expect
ing every minute q request to exhibit my papers-a
formality which / confess l dislike heartily. A
lucky stopping OF the train in deep cutting to
take in wood for the engine furnished me with a
pretext to inquire the cause OF the delay and once
the ice was broken the soldier and got on very
veli together. He informed me that Ne had been
over three years In active operations, and that II
was pretty tiresome work Like most OF the Spanish
soldiers whom have met with, he entertained q
supreme contempt for an enemy that never fired
except from an ambuscade. he had been engaged
with them any number Of times, but had very sell
dom seen any OF them.
'THEY LIE IN WATT"
ne said deprecatngiy, sin the forest, ard FIRE JUS
one voley, when they run, and as they know al
the paths in the forest they generally get away
However, most OF the white men have been killed
or have surrendered themselves, and there are
only the negroes in the woods now IL Is very dim
cult to nd them, for they might be lying at twenty
yards distance in the forest where we pass by
without our discovering Them In the interior o.
the woods the brushwood is so thick that we are
opnged 10 cut our way through with our machetes
WE HAVE now GOT BLooDHoUNDs,
however, ne said, with animation, sand we car
follow them into their hiding places- In answer tC
an inquiry as to what they did with their prisoners
Tue soiu'er sihpiy sald:-'Neary all the white men
have presented themselves and we do not take many
black prisoners; they are generally Killed II found
with arms, but II they present themselves they are
sent back to their masters. When the blacks catch
white man they kill him." According to this
mans computation the number OF refugees in the
woods was not more than one hundred and these
he said were divided up into small bands who neve,
attacked any party OF armed men, but cut OF
etragglers ana travellers without mercy. Ever