The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-21
THE LATE SPANISH DEFEAT.
FlCr AND FICTION or THE FIGHT
ChEETAL OONZALES.

WINS In the Battle How n spanish Don
0uixotte Describes tits Resulis.
A Spanish Colonel who was engaged In
tho late nsht at the Cafetal Gonzales, between
Trinidad and Villa Clara, on the 20 h ult., gives
an interesting account of 1t In letter to a
cousin Of his in this city. He tites that Gen.
Jovellar escaped capture because he rode fast
horse that they were fairly outgeneraled'
caught In n trap, and cut down like sheep; thew
hardly know what or who hurt them they lost
over 100 men. Killed and wounded, and an un-
known number he saws, will be reported miss
ing. lie winds up bis letter with the statement
that It was tho worst rout the Spaniards nave
experienced since the commencement OF the
war, and that there Is now nothing left for them
to do but to clear out.
Tho results OF the night 50 FIR are that Gen.
Gomez has invaded the district OF Colon In
force and IL now destroying all the plant ions
In his way; that Jovellar has returned suddenly
TO Havana. slightly oG color, and that tue mar
ket value ~ gold is rising RAPIDLY. In view of
these facts. which the Spaniaris foolishly ALLOW
to be cahlcd over to us, the following account 81
the light from the pen Of the fighting editor, we
presume, Of the TOs de Cuid Of Havana, is very
amusing Ccrvantes never beat u:
Translated nom TIE Ios de cuba
1HK FIGHT AT THE GONZALES CoFFEE ESTATE.
The interesting news received from the Pcnin-
the attention Of the public here that IL hes
hardly been able TO az It for a moment upon
the very important battle which tool, place OF,
the @'b ult. IN the woods called Cofetnl dc
Gonzales. situated betweonN lila Clara and Trim
dad. We propose to describe this battle IN n
lew words, IA well "a its me ,nini and It's re-
suits. II IA unquestionaby the most heroic nc-
ton which has taken place during the present
war, and perhaps the most important one as Ear
a. concerns the results which II has prod uced.
Maxine Gomez, whom everybody believed to
be cstnbshcd IN the woods close To Sancti
spintus. had been for some time hidden on this
coffee estate, collecting there strong force.
sufficient to undertake his proposed rid
through the jurisdiction Of Colon. DESTROY
Ing subsequently through the jurisdiction Of
Cioniuegos with the some intent. II Is now
some time since the bodies Il men which he has
scattered through the Villas have ESCAPED
with tho same impunity in their partial raids
Mhloh thei mot win oeioie. ~ Wa olmchlt i1r
them To move any considerable distance with
out lncurrng the risk Of being DESTROYED, on
which account their operation. were being day
by daN reduced to more limited zones. ami this
T. the re- son why during tho Ina weeks the
numb of I'll cir vdndalic operations had 50 mo-
Maxine Gomez WIS bound to nstil new life
into these operations Hts only object being. as
he stated N his letter published In the Indfptn
denciI of New York, to destroy properly. the
plan whic1 NJ had formed e. realize this object
was well com htned. This pian consist d, a. we
have alr,a dv stated In collccting secretly IN the
woo r IL the Cafetal Gonzales a considerable
fur.r ana suddenly rushing thence with il
through G. Ion. To- destroy 90 quickly ~ possible
tNery sla-S 81 property IN MA path. IL was
n0tursl ttet the columns ~ our army actually
IN operation in the immediate vicinity should
start in nursWt of MIN. which would give liberty
90 IN su4ll bodies Of rebels. which are to day
h slu 10 ,hrrk in con pdrdtiNely cifcumscrbed
iucglitie-, mi who misht. I'm such event, extend
ibef ol,r.tiuus 81 rubber, md iucend arism
world b., u,Acning To- Colon. and before they
onu,d ,v rrun II to preserve 1t from sucn van
daiisri. NaNiWu HuiucZ, who would have one or
two Gr'~ ut 9i item, woul courleiu arch
Sud9frIy through the Jurisdiction at Cienfue-
r,- tnero I@e"ise destroying everything he mot
GOMEZ IL A urHRY.
MaNinl ,ioHO WIS bound t. realize this plan
yitA all haste. We are already In March. A
lrasi u.rt 4 she sugar crop has been made and
tae rrst VII soon he finished. Aud as the burn
in- q y ii ids. which greatly facilitates the
,.urk II distraction, and which Is so e 'sy to-
day wi!l be more difficult. not to say Impossible,
when he season Is further advanced and as
moreover the principal object of this chief Is TO
"csitoy all he can during the present season,
oil th"-e reasons compelled him to realize his
Ian wltnput the loss Of moment OF time.
TO ear, /; into execution Gomez relied upon
snldi /, accustomed 10 war. y hich he could OBJ
tIlh solely from the Eastern Department. The
Ioople .t the villas nave not nocked 10 me
standard. and his army has received little aug.
Inent ton beyond that OF the negroes he he'd
been al lie 10 retain In the ranks from the sugar
cst.tet which he has destroyed. But this class
u-ns. was not suited 20 the class 81 operations
about 10 be undertaken. Now, are there any
I'Gcl fo'cns accustomed To war which could be
spared from the Central Department.
hose whose services could he dispensed with
there had already passed into the Villas with
AaximO Gomez. and 1t was necessary therefore
10 cal, IL has been stated, on troops from tue
Eastern department
This Maxine Gomez did. and the Government
Of the Mangua (busO which approved his plan
ordered Vicente Garcia-who was the chief In
command OF that departmeDt--to send At once
10 lha Villas the troops applied for by Maxine
uomez. But Vicente Garcia. who had use for
All the force M his disposaI refused to obey the
order. lie was in consequence deposed by the
Government, who r pl iccd MN ny Modesto
Diaz' who after extraordinary enotts-6ecsus'
Inent-nannvcd to send two hundred and nifty
49, IL, -, "a recommended hv s,rr,uI n NJ
liodrigucz and with portion Of the force M
bad before. Naximo Gomez collected IN III
two hundred and nifty infantry. With thi.
body OF men he got ready for his projected
operation. preparing for Ito more certain success
by rest. by renorsing and reorgdnizing thi
force in the extensive woods OF the coffee estate
JOvELIAR IN HOPE.
But his Exc-ency Gen. Jovear was advise
of all this and took measures to fall uneXpcct I'd
~ ON this rehel leader, aud hoped, II II were no
possible to annihilate him at a single blow o
account OF the facility with which these peopl
can scatter and hv through the woods, TO re-
unto subsequently, at some distant plao,
at least to completely. Illustrate Gomez
plan ard thcreupon 10 commence series 9
Operations winch must rasult ia his complet
dstrdcti"n and cxtermlnaton. ...
For Mus purpose he combined movement
three colUhns which, starting from dineren
points, shout! ell march to the centre Of tho col
zee stttc, 80 flaming II that the three column
should r'a, IA tie appointed place al the sam
moment. one oi these columns was command
cd ~ lhi-ider BaNle We 90 not remember IN
name of the officer who commented the secOnt
ana the third. winch was accompanied 10y h
I,Xc. lleucy Gen. Joyel1r, was under tho con
n.,nd of liIiggdlcr Armin N.
Althuugh these columns moved with such ~
crecl that II was OnlN when they were clos
upon II that even their respective commando
were aWaic of their objective point, II - NJ
surprising that the enemy, IA ute and always O
the " Itch, IS ell assisted hy his srirs, which h
keeps scattered ana posted in every direction
should have been advised Of tire operation; an
although ne rad but IA few moments Of WEit
10 ayt ia himself. he managed to avoid the BIO
ana c,ca % by tiyht. But the General-in-th I'M
Nas urepited Tor this. lie knew how easy
WOULD be- tIr taXmo GOmez TO avoid the bl ,
BY "a Il nh movement through the wood
which hu could execute unseen NOV
men; which, II carried out, won
enable hun to steal march on OF
columns. For while the lattcr would be us
lcssly moving uNon the point Of cOncenlratl o
whica was the old site Of the house on tho con
estate, aud while they were there taking son
Tesr. ana were then dividing themselves in
bodies Tor ths purpose Of following the enou
in tho WoOd~, The latter could easily be mare
Ing toward his objective point, which, AS
have shown. was the invasion, by means
n rapid march. Of the jurisdiction OF Colon, al
then couutcrmarch through the Jursdioti'
OF Cientucgos.
The squadron - cavalry which made reco
noissnrce on the left had rejOined its colunl
some hours later, without having seen sign
the enemy. hut II was otherwise with that
the rshl wing which was commanded by I
gallant Major honXalO, This fot Ce consisted
Of tho regiment HaV. under col