The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-20
FIGHTS FOR FREEDOM,
=: =;
Engagements in Which
j. the Cubans Showed
" VaiOr.
THE MEN SLAUGHTERED.
Fever and War Caused Great
Havoc Among Spanish
Soldiers.
FORMATION OF A REPUBLIC.
General Masseo Declared President
:. of the New Island Gov
i eminent.
Special Correspondence of The United Press.

:. SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Aug. To-, via Key
West, Fla, Aug. 19.-Rebels under Major
General Gomez had an encounter on the
18th. inst. with Spanish troops under Cen
eral Mella in Puerto Principe, between the
road from Santiago and the road of Nue.
yitas According to a Spanish report the
rebels had three killed. The Spaniards
also took three prisoners. They do not
renort the number of wounded. In an
other encounter where the insurgents at
. tackled a convoy that the Spaniards were
taking to Guayamaro on the 5th inst. the
rebels had fourteen killed and forty
wounded. Among the insurgents killed
they mention Civil Engineer Menocal. but
this has not yet been reported officially.
The Spaniards do not mention their LOGS
IN either of these engagements.
Affairs in Puerto Principe seem very bad
for the Spaniards. Great numbers of
Cubans have left the city lately and joined
the rebels. A passenger who arrived here
Yesterday from Havana said that a few
moments before the vessel sailed from
there there was rumor that General
Mella, Governor of Puerto Principe, had
been killed. A captain of artillery will
leave this city to-day with company for
Puerto Principe. He has received orders
to go Immediately.
The Government has officially acknowl-
edged the landing of two large expeditions,
one of Seratin Sanchez and Roloff with
.255 men, 1000 Mausers and $4,000 cart
ridges, and the other OF Maya Rodriguez,
q lame gentleman of this city who served
the whole ten years of the first war. The
news of the landing of these expeditions
has disheartened the Spaniards very much
and enlivened the Cubans.
- On the night of the 8th inst. party of
Insurgents under Joaquin Planas set fire to
Moron station of the American railroad,
completely destroying it, having slight
skirmish with the soldiers that were in the
fort On the 8th inst. an encounter took
place in Zacatecas, near this city. The
Cubans lost four killed and seven wounded
and the Spaniards six killed and eighteen
wounded, among the latter a lieutenant.
In Songo, a village on the line of the
American. railroad, the authorities ar
rested painter yesterday who used to go
around selling jewels as an excuse to find
news for the rebels. They arrested him
for visiting the fort and making inquiries
there. General Martinez Campos has
asked for more quinine from Spain, saying
that it has given good results. This is
laughable when one sees the number of
soldiers who die daily in the island from
yellow fevers and other fevers. The mill
tary hospital Is always crowded with SOL
diers sick with yellow fever, and in the
city there are many cases.
. The Cuban meeting that was to be held
in the district of Puerto Principe to form
the Provisional Government of Cuba took
place on the 18th inst, with the following
result: General Bartolome Masseo has
been proclaimed Provisional President of
the republic of Cuba, the Marquis of Santa
Lucia Minister of the Interior, General
Maxine Gomez President of the re-
public Of Cuba and Minister of War, Con
zaia du Quesada Secretary of Foreign Re-
Iations, with residence in the United
states; Grantonio Maceo, general-in-chief
of the Cuban army; General Jose Maceo,
commander of the Eastern army, with
Pedro Perez, Capote and Angel Guerra y
: Rahi as generals of brigade.
:: According to an official report from
= General Antonio Maceo eighteen regi-
ments Of 800 men have been organized in
the eastern district of Cuba, 5000 of which
are cavalry.
.. General Maceo says that 1000 men are
very well armed with Remingtons, Win
5chesters and Mausers, 5000 with machetes,
fevolvers and short-fring weapons, and
the rest with machetes only the troops
being all in very good spirits.
!: General Gomez has been informed that
he has 1000 men in Puerto Principe and
50O0in Las Villas. It is said that DR.. Cas-
tllo will be appointed diplomatic agent of
the. Cuban republic at Washington and