Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-18
GEN. srEPHAN,s MARCH.
Terrible Experiences Of GILLIAN Soldiers
While Crossing the Cordillera.

Terrible Experiences OF GILLIAN Soldier,
While Crossing the Cordiller.-
The newspapers OF southern Chill give few
| details of the terrible experience of Gen
Stephan Of the Balmacedan army and hand
| full of his men in crossing the Cordillera after
having been driven from Argentine territory
| and their small force twenty times dispersed by
| the Argentine authorities.
Some time during last spring Gen. Stephan
with troop composed of about 600 cavalry and
between 100 and 200 infantry, was on his way
from Copiapo with about fifty political prison
ers, residents Of Copiapo, among whom were
Don Manuel Antonio Malta and Senior Vallejos.
At ysllenar, eight leagues from San Antonio,
a revolt occurred among his troops, which
Gen. Stephan was powerless to prevent. The
prisoners were allowed to escape and all re-
turned to Copiapo, while Gen. Stephan was
obliged to flee for his life with faithful rem
nant of his cavalry.
1t was said at the time that Gen. Stephan
had made himself so odious in the sight Of his
men by his cruelties that they had been wait
ing for some tirpe for the propitious m oment to
mutiuy.
The dispatch which told of this revolt closed
with the following sentence: 1.-The disheart-
ened Stephan could escape with only sixty men
toward the Argentine Republic"
The next tdings from Gen. stephan were re-
ceived at Santiago and announced that he had
descended into Argentine territory through a
pass in the Andes to avoid travelling through
hostile Gillian territory. His small band at
this time were all mounted, having made the
march without losses
BALMACEDA's INSTRUCTIONS.
President Balmaceda telegraphed to Gen.
Stephan to proceed to Buenos Ayres and take
ship for Chill, if that seemed preferable to an
attempt to cross the Andes. The Argentine au-
A. f,aa hon. raf,. 10 hic do
claring that the presence Of Gillian soldiers in
the Argentine Republic was an invasion OF
neutral territory,
The Gillian soldiers were ordered off the
territory Of :ha Argentine Republic by the
nearest route This necessitated the scaling Of
the Cordiller almost in midwinter (the month
of June.)
The Chilians were not permitted to proceed
in one body, hut were divided into squads of
fifteen men each by the Argentine authorities.
WITHOUT GUIDES OR PROVISIONS
The soldiers we're disarmed and were clothed
in the garf Of peasants, and in this manner,
without guides or provisions, they sought to
cross the mountains all the passes Of which
were now blocked by the winter snow storms
The depth of snowdrifts AZ various points
ranged frCn. TO 30 feet. As the men PRO-
ceeded in their desperate march, one after an
other the horses foundered in the snow and
were left buried there with all their trappings
until the entire band was pursuing its toilsOme
way on foot
Men tramped half fanished and with both their
feet frozen Many times on the verge of de-
SPAR. 1t required the utmost porsuasiors OF the
spirited Stephan to keep his men on the march
The perilOus situation of the little band was
aggravated ten-fold by a terrific blizzard which
was encountered near the mountain tops. No
such storm had been known for years. 1t ex-
tended to Santiago, and was regarded as phe-
nomenal at that point, but ragged at its tiercest
in the mountains.
As he neared the summit of the Cordillera
Gen. Stephan dispatched Norwegian guide on
snOwshOes to secure aid at the nearest available
points in Chilli. On the morning of June II
the Norwegian reached Juncal, on the Chlllan
side. He reported the condition of Gen.
Stephans men as most desperate.
The governor OF the Gillian province of Los
Andes transmitted this intelligence to Presi-
dent Calmaceda, who ordered reinforcements
to be sent to the interior with provisions,
blankets and everything necessary to rescue
the struggling men. Guides and carriers were
dispatched to assist those soldiers whose feet
had been frozen on the march or who were
otherwise unable to cross the snow.
Fifty rescuers made determined but I'M
successful nttempt to reach the soldiers by way
OF Fl PortillO. Fifteen others set out for
Calavera but when they reached that point
their provisions were exhausted, and there was
no nope OI more IOOu from DclOW on
account of the phenomenal fall of snow.
A number of the experienced nountaineers
of the Andes, however, were more successful
in reaching Calavera with quantity of provi-
sions and other supplies
SAFE AT LAST.
Gen. Stephan. on June 10, accompanied by
ten officers and ten soldiers, reached Las
Cueyas, station ON the Gillian side, near the
summit of the Uspalata range. Here there
was neither shelter nor fire, but some provi-
sions were found.
The soldiers proceeded on their march and at
last reached point in the descent Of the
Cordillera which placed them practically out of
danger and insured their safe return to the
CHILEAN capital.