The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-03-14
Escaped in a HOgshead.

A few days ago arrived in this city a
man who left Cuba on the gath of Deem
Der last, who served four years in the
patriot army. He was Captain in the
Second Regiment, Second Brigade of Cav
airy, under the command of Mazimo Go
mez, the present Commanderin-C Chief of
the patriot forces, who now number % 400
men, of whom 5000 are Americans, prin-
cipally ex-Confederate soldiers. This cap
tain was one of the Stonewall Jackson
men during the period of our civil war,
and shortly after its termination he en-
listed in the ranks of the patriots. Under
orders from his superior officers, his com
pany, numbering eighty men, was de-
tailed to destroy q plantation belonging
to Spaniard, near the city of Cardenas !;
but, being betrayed, the entire command
was surrounded by force of 600 Spanish
cavalry and all of them, with the excep-
ton of Captain w. and another, were
killed. After series of thrilling adven-
lures and narrow escapes, Captain w.
made his way in disguise into Cardenas,
and through the assistance of an AMeri-
can at that place, was brought to the
office of the American consul, who had
him placed in an empty hogshead, rolled
along the wharf and put on board of an
Italian ship bound for Antwerp. The cap
tain of the ship hove to and put him
ashore at Key West, and from that point
he made his way to this city, where he is
now awaiting the receipt of letters and
funds from relatives in Wisconsin and
Baltimore. Captain WIS description of
the barbarity and inhumanity of the Span
ish soldiery is appalling.
He states that all the stories of desertion
from the Cuban ranks are false; that in
the four years he has been in the service
he is not aware of one instance of a Cuban
surrendering himself to the Spaniards.
The patriots are plentifully supplied with
war material, and having no faith what
ever in the promises of pardon, amnesty
or other favors offered by the Spanish
Government, are determined to fight to
the bitter end. On the opening of the
spring campaign in March, the yellow
fever comes to the aid of the patriots and
carries off the unacclimated Spaniards by
thousands. The description of the Cuban
capital, Santa Lucia, makes it appear as
difficult to take as Gibraltar itself, being
situated in the heart of the Sierra Cobre
Mountains, and accessible only by two
very narrow passes, which can be held by
a handful of men against the whole Span
ish army. The patriots have full conf
dence in their final triumph. Maxine
Gomez, their present President and com
mander, is thorough soldier and the
very embodiment of patriotic honor.
They have active agents in every Euro
pean capital, and even in the midst of
their enemies, in the towns in Cuba held
by the Spaniards, their agents are at
work. All plumber and valuables cap
tured from the enemy are divided among
the officers, one-third only going to the
Government. They have Senate, House
of Representatives and other Government
al machinery, modelled after our own,
and the majority of the leaders are look
ing to us anxiously for recognition, feel
ing they are entitled to it after ten years
of successful resistance against all the
power of Spain.-St. Louis Times.