The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-14
THE CUBAN WAR.
A sUCCINCT HISTORY or CUBA's NINE
YEARS STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM
The Declaration Of principles-Heroi
Efforts Of the Insurgents various
Efforts spain HAS Made ~ secure
New York Herald !

8 New York Herald
The history of nearly ten years struggle,
which commenced OF Yara on October 10, 1863,
Ia one Of the deepest interest. The events
That Immediately preceded The outbreak have
IL close connection with the condition ofpo-
tics in the mother country, as Spaniards love
TO call old Spain The revolution OF 1868
promised great reforms on tho Peninsula. but
the Cuballs possessed o deep and burning
hatred OF spain, had no faith whatever TINT The
benefits to be enjoyed by the Spaniards would
be extended to them. They, the Cubans, knew
from experience that. no matter who ruled in
Spain, Cuba would continue TO be regarded az
~ d t1tt4 tered dependency. from which the
sinews Of war OF the means for political III
trigue would continue to be drawn. there
hi Spain as the -hopad-for opportunity Of
putting In practice the cherished design OF
revolution and the expulsion Of the Spaniards.
Among the leading spirits IN the insu y,
Francisco Agulora, Manuel Aguilera. Bell
saiio Alvarez, Vicente Garcia Danato Mar
mol and Manuel Fernandez each represent
ing Il local revolutionary iuhta In the Eastern
Department OF the Island. Tho information
regarding the projected outbreak having
reached Havana. an order was sent to Man
zanilo for the arrest Of the oonepirators But
Il friendly Governor of Bayamo gave them
timely notice, and they escaped. Early in
October II had been determined to begin the
war Of Independence on tho fourteenth, but
the Notion OF tho spanish government seems
TO have forced tho Insurgents to commence
on the tenth by the now historic Declaration
Of Principles and the proclamation OF the
4 Cuban Republic at Yara. With few hun
dred poorly armed followers the brave Ces
pedes took the field and won his first success
In the capture OF the town of Bayamo on the
eighteenth, and of tho citadel on the twenty
second. A Spanish force Of 800 infantry. with
cavalry sent under tho command OF Col. Out
ros to relieve Bayano, was entirely defeated
Iy the Guhans. After this stFccPss Republi-
cal, government was formally organized I'M
der Salvador Cisneroa Betaneourt. Marquis OF
Santa Lucia, and the brothers Agramohte.
Meantime Count Valmaseda, the segundo
Ohio. Of Deputy Captain General at Havana,
was ordered to take the field against tho in
surgunts. He commenced operations by
making q final tender of terms to the patriots,
but failed to make any impression on them
nv fair promises. He then advanced with a
force of about 92oo men. chiefly made up Of
volunteers, but counting few regular troops.
He was attacked between Nuevitas and Pu-
erto Principe, and left his dead on the field.
He finally reached San Miguel after n har
assjng march of five days, during which the
patriots hung on his Hanks and rear, cutting
Of many OF his men. Increasing his force TO
1000 men he reached Bayamo, after series Of
bloody checks, only to find the place burned
and abandoned by the Cubans
In other parts of the Eastern Department
The progress of tho Spanish troops was con
tinually being checked, and Col. Acosta Al
year was defeated by the patriots Mt Las
Yaguas with heavy loss. On December 26
Gen Quesada succeeded in landing q cargo of
arms and took command Of the insurgent
army Of Camaguey. Lersundi, the Spanish
Captain General made great efforts to secure
n peaceful settlement of the trouble. but
IL sap p 4ee p" foWard The close Of Se
administration Of Lersund the volunteers in
Havana perpetrated wholesale massacre
of innocent persons at tho Villanueva Theatre
aud the Louvre, undcr the pretense Of aveng
In N iuci1tt pffnrf4l la bn npilb fiar Ebn
organization Of these corps OF resident Span,
iards created condition Of affairs that rem
dered the negotiations between the Spanish
authorities and tho insurgents wholly fruit
less.
In February. 1869, Capt Gen. Dulce sent
commissioners to The Cubans to open negotia-
tlons offering them everything but indepen-
dsnee but met with no encouragement To
ward the end Of the same month congress-
OF the representatives oil the revolution met
at Gamaguey. and the first act Of the new
government then organized was the abolition
Of slavery. Gen. Ralotf, d Pole with 1000 in
surgents OF the Villas, was successful in sew
eral battles with the Spaniards IN February
1850. On April II Cespedes was formally
elected President Of tho Cuban republic. and
Gen. Quesada Commander-n-Chefo of the
army In tho meantime Valmaseda- called
the tiger" ISSUED u general order that
every male over fifteen years of age found in
the country away from his home without
good reason should be shot, and that every
house on which white flag was uotdisplayed
should be burned. and that all women and
children found alone on their farms should be
removed, if necessary. by force, either to
Bayamo or 1iguani.
Important landings were made of arms and
men during May, one under Rafael Quesada
and the other under Gen. Jordan The first
reached its destination without molestation,
the latter was attacked twice but repused
the Spaniards and reached the Cuban camps.
The command of the army of the Oriente was
given TO Jordan. who afterward succeeded
1870. Mr.. Fish, the United States Secretary Of
State, proposed terms for the cession of the
island to the Cubans. but the authorities
ut Madrid declined to consider them. Gen. !
Caballero do Rodas succeeded Dulce as
Captain-General, arriving i'll Cuba in
July with reinforcemcnts equal to
10000 men De Rodas not proving to be
popular with tho volunteers Of Havana, he
1870. The rule Of Valmasetla has been stained
by the cruel murderof eight medical students
fer so-ealed political demonstration at q
cemetery, and by tho issue of many barbarous
orders. which were III general carried out to |
tho letter by the willing volunteers and mill
tary officers. He was succeeded in 1879 by
Ceballos. and in 1873 by Gen Pieltain. who
tried to open negotiations with the Insurgents
on the basis of Cuba remaining a State |
of the Spanish Republic This offer was
however, declined. and the operations Of The
patriots pushed vigorously westward into the
Central Department In November, 1873,
ElelbhlH WIS SubtiStitu Ny NrtH bbNtllhI rs
Captain-General, and Gespedes gave way to
Cisncros as President OF the Cuban Republic. |
From October, 1868, TO The end Of 1876, Spain
lost S. 900 out of the 10000 troops she had sent
to Cuba exclusive of her losses Of resident
Spaniards, and in the first three years, ending
October, 1871, over 900. The destruction
Of sugar estates and other property continued
without interruption ring all this time. and
lighting was Of daily occurrence on the lines
between the opposing forces.
The reader will remember the excitement
created in tho country on the arrival Of the
news OF the capture of the Cuban steamer
Yirginus off Jamaica, and the subsequent
shooting Of her passengers and many Of her
crew at the slaughter house in Santiago de
Cuba. Coincident with that massacre was an
attack by the insurgents on Manzanillo, and
also the battle Of La .Hania. The horror
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