River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-01-17

time our cause was hopeless. Now,
sir, venture to assert that if we were
provided with sufficient quantity of
arms the majority of those who sur.
rendered would promptly return to the
ranks of the insurgents i have made
inquiries into this matter and feel con-
fident that with our prospects little
brighter our army would increase to
probably 60, 600 men,
"May / inquire, Mr.. President. in
what you stand most in need of lust
now Z"
ONLY ARMS.
Arms, sir; only arms" replied
President Cespedes, very promptly.
"Our men you might suppose were
poorly clad and badly fed. That, how.
ever, is far from being the case. First
of all, the climate is not such where
anything but the slightest garments
could be worn. Besides, most OF the men
here have been accustomed to wear
nothing more than you see. They are
used to it, just as you would be to an
overcoat in winter in the North"
" Are your troops well provisioned 2"
g AS for food" SAID President Cess
pedes, smiling, "the Central Depart
ment, as we term it, abounds in wild
cattle, and we always have more than
plenty. Oh, sir, there is no lack of
provisions none whatever. / have
never yet heard a man complain for
want of nourishing food, and then, as
for vegetables, there is all that could
be desired. Vans can be found every
where in abundance, and, indeed,
every other vegetable to which the men
have been accustomed can be obtained
without difficulty. On the score of
food and clothing we have nothing to
complain.
PLENTY OF AMMUNITION.
"Mr. President" next inquired.
" it is said that you are ever in want of
ammunition, and that sooner or later
your supplies will be cut off, and that
in consequence the war must speedily
come to an end in favor of your adver.
sary."
"That is a mistake, sir-a great
mistake" he responded, with apparent
good nature; but, quickly changing
his cheerful look to that of one who
was suddenly vexed, he added. "Yes.
and doubtless one of the stories circu.
lated by the enemy to injure our cause.
| will tell you exactly how the matter
stands. We were sadly in need of am
munition until within a year ago. L
confess the situation then was far from
pleasant to contemplate. But now,
sir, he continued, in a cheerful and
confident tone, "we manufac-
ture our own powder. The American
expeditions brought us more sulphur
than ever we can use. Our supply of
nitre, however, was short, and soon
gave out. You have a good saying in
America that necessity is the mother of
invention, and finding ourselves reduc.
ed to some extremity we managed TO
extract it from the ordure of bats that
frequent the caves and rocky parts of
the island. Perhaps the only thing we
depend upon outsiders for is fulminat-
ing powder, and when Others fail to !
supply it we have no difficulty in pur-
chasing it from Spanish officers"
"Do 4 understand you, Mr.. Presi- !
dent, inquired with some surprise.
"to say that the officers of the Spanish |
army sell their powder to the Cuban
insurgents when they fail to obtain it
through other sources ?"
:" Without doubt, SIR" he reioined, !
with a smile not unmingled with con-
tempt "they sell their powder and
occasionally they get the benefit of it.
We are not wasteful by any means.
The cartridges, for instance, that we
use with the rifles, are carefully picked /
up everywhere and refilled with pow
der. You appear to be surprised to
hear of our making purchases from the /
Spaniards. Why, sir, we can buy al. |.
most anything from them excepting
arms, and these the officers and PR /.
Yates are obliged to account for to \
their superiors. You see this map. /
sir, unrolling large map of the rail |
road between Nuevitas ana Puerto /
Principe, upon which were not only
all crossings and bridges, but grades /
and curves, with the angles of the lat /
ter; "this plan was purchased from a
Spanish engineer for five ounces ESQ.,
Are all your departments as well
provisioned as this, which you call the
central one Z"
9 may say they are, although vege.
tables are more plentiful in this quar-.
ter Up TO the present time, as l have
said, no complaint has been made by
the men, either in respect to food or
clothing"
AMERICAN SYMPATHY.
Cespedes had hitherto maintained a
calm and dignifed demeanor. He
seemed to think that the American Gov
eminent had acted haishly in frus-
trating the plans of the numerous Gu
ban expeditions of relief. He dwelt at
some length on the object which the
Cuban patriots had in viewl and in
semi-mounful tone observed that the
cnugN baing n worthy one should have