The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-16

that contented itself with advancing a few
ment was
! SENT no KILL CATTLE
in potuo Or cattle farm close to the town, .
service they accomplished without Interrupt
Hon. 1t was evident from this circumstance
thai the Spaniards would not come out to
attack We position at Canadon. SO force of
some threeRundred armed men and about one
hundred and fifty conuoyros and servants
were sent to complete the destruction of the
cattle farm, with instructions to carry off as
many Of the cattle as they could catch, and in
any case to kiln as many as possible of the ami
mails, 80 as to
DEPRIVE THE TOWN OF ITs CHIEF MEANS OF
SUPPORT.
These orders were faithfully carried o7t by
Colonel Sanchez and the troops under his
command. BY half-past eight the potrero
was in flames for q distance of league, and
the cattle either dead or driven into the woods.
The soldiers and the unarmed men were
LADEN WITH THE MEAT,
and orders were given to form a line of march
of the potreo the road is slightly depressed,
and a wood extending in the direction of the
town forms semicircle commanding COM
pletely the outlet from the potrero. The Cuban
forces had reached this point when their
bugles sounded silence. Scarcely had the
sound died away when a volley was delivered
FROM SPANISH AMBUscADE,
| otr,1, ,kal ~, d., u,
noone was touched, and the Colonel, dsmount-
ing, ordered the men to advance. In moment
the sacks Of meat fell to the ground and O
rapid and well sustained fire was opened on
the Spanish ambuscade It was their turn now
to be surprised; for the Cubans possessed
plenty Of ammunition, and were confident in
their numbers The Spanish forces did not
number over one hundred and fifty, and by
strange freak of fortune
! THEIR THREE BUaLERs HAD BEEN SHOT,
one after another, as soon as they sounded an
order: Notwithstanding the disparity of the
forces
THE sPANIARDs FOUGHT WITH vALoR AND TE-
NAcrTY,
as they always fight, but were obliged to give
way before superior numbers. A movement
of retreat in the face of Cuban force is dis
astrous. The moment the soldiers perceived
that the Spaniards we're retreating they ad-
vanced with rush, and the defeat was turned
into rout. Then
THE HORRORS OF THE SITUATION
were developed The Spanish soldiers, lost in
the woods in the darkness fell an easy prey to
their enemies So dark was the night that it
was necessary to inquire whether the person
encountered was an enemy or friend before
striking.
THIS DID NOT LAST LONG,
for what remained Of the Spanish troops were
in full fight for the town, which, fortunately
for them, was close at hand. The most terri
BILE and inhuman feature Of this awful warfare
was, fortunately, hidden by the dark cloak of
night.
THE WOUNDED spANIARDs
who had fallen had crawled into the woods to
save themselves from the vengeance Of their
foes. Here the Cubans followed them, CROP
ing in the dark and listening for the sigh OF
groan of the wretched men to direct them to
where the helpless wounded lay. In most
i
deadly machete finished the work Of the rife.
GAVE MARIA, ME MArAR!"
exclaimed one poor fellow as the heavy
machete cut his cord Of life, and the appeals
for mercy of the helpless were the more heart
rending that they were made to ears that were
deaf and to hearts steeled by the bloody mem
cries of four years of war to the death 1t
was revolving and disgusting. My heart sick
ems when / think Of it, and l am thankful
that the sight was spared me. Is liberty
worth such atrocity, I thought. 1t pains me
to have to record deeds of such dreadful bar
barity, but my mission is to tell the truth,
plain and unvarnished My instructions are
to spare neither Spaniard nor Cuban
WHEN CONDEMNATION Is DEMANDED,
as we'll as to award praise where deserved
whether for Spaniard or Cuban. Therefore
must pronounce this butchery Of helpless
wounded and prisoners what it s-barbarous
and inhuman.
THE MATERIAL RESULTS OF THE VICTORY
consisted in three bugles, seventeen rifles, the
boots, clothes and other effects of the slain,
and the sentiment that the men who had
fallen few nights before were amply avenged.
THE LOSS OF THE sPAN1ARDs
in dead was estimated at twenty-five killed on
the spot and thirty wounded in the retreat,
who had not been discovered in the darkness
of the night, or owing to the proximity Of the
town had escaped. The Cuban loss was one
officer killed, two wounded and six soldiers
! wounded. The morning after this success the
Cubans quilted the encampment, according
to their custom, 80 that when the Spanish
troops should come to avenge their comrades
they would find no one
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