Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-03-25
They Meet With Serious Losses In r
: Battle With Cuban Insurgents.
1mpromptu Forts Erected to
fx Protect Property.



island.
Among them them was q man who has
been at Manzanilla from Jan. 8 to March
IL, excepting occasional visits to the In
terior. He states that tho uprising oc-
Cured simultaneously throughout the
province Of Santiago Feb. "a. Next day
General Lachambre arrived at Guam.
tanamo, from Santiago, with 200 Spanish
soldiers, returning to Santiago OH tho Goth
with part OF tho same troops His
reason was unknown.
The chief of tho rebels around Guam
tanamo Is Henry Brooks Some state
thut he Is insane, and others think him
very able, but all concede his bravery de-
termination and efficiency In the use Of
firearms. He has no Americans with him
Since the first outbreak no has been joined
by Periquo Perez, n very good soldier
They have 800 men at Guantanamo.
In Santiago province there are 6O00 men
under arms. The opinion Is that should
Puerto Principe rise, as planned upon,
this would win strong force OF deter
mined men, increasing tho insurgents to
about 1000 men.
Spaniards Heavy Loss.
About 30 miles from Santiago, near
Elcobrs, 400 Spanish troops were on March
10 ambushed by an insurgent band under
command of Pallaoio. The Spaniards'
loss was exceedingly heavy They were
routed and the Cubans notified the Span
ish authorities to send for tho dead and
wounded. The number OF the Cuban
band Is unknown.
Guillermon, who has band In tho
vicinity OF Crsto, was seen by tho passen-
gers and interviewed. He is leader OF
strength and the government forces fear
and watch him. They have circulated re-
ports that Guillermon died recently OF d.
abetes He was a government cmploye
under the Congo treaty, but has renounced
his employment for the present insurrec-
ton. That his band Is we'll equipped 1t Is
positively known.
The alcalde (mayor) Of Irmaza, at the
first outbreak, received orders from the
governor OF Santiago province to collect
all arms possible from the inhabitants,
which he did, and then. fled 20 meet Gull
lermon at IN appointed place in the noun
tains OF Amador.
Guerra under command eS Masso, Is
considered the bravest insurgent leader.
He hovers near Manzanilla, commanding
500 woll-armed cavalry. About March 1G
he ransacked Champuegla village, which
consists Of about 200 inhabitants and
which was guarded by 30 Spanish SOL
diers.
The commanding lieutenant was cap
tured while absent from the garrison, but
refused to give up the arms of the fortif-
cation, which was surrounded, and upon
the promise Of his life being spared the
arms OF the barracks were surrendered
This happened in midday.
That night, after the insurgents had
gone, fresh Spanish troops arrived. The
surrendering lieutenant was arrested by
them and sent to prison. The Guerra
band carried Spanish flag with diagonal
white stripe.
Dcserters Join Rebels Ranks.
A great many ex-Spanish soldiers are
with Guerra and Masso. -Four miles from
Manzanilla, Guerra captured all the arms
from the plantations. In Manzanilla Jhe
volunteers and citizens are constantly
fearing capture. The entrances to it are
guarded and no one allowed to pass the
gates at night. Those entering during
the day arc compelled to surrender their
machetes or other arms to guards. The
streets are constantly patrolled ut night.
Some of the richer stores have erected
opposite their stands small turreted
towers, with their round bodies projecting
into the streets from corners, so that loop
holes command the four directions on the
streets Tho towers are of stone, IA
inches thick, about ID feet high and IL
feet diameter -Four have been erected I'm
Manzanilla, where six old turrets of tie
former revolution have been repaired and
several impromptu towers have been con-
structed. The same work is being done
at Bayomo for the protection Of property,
the owners Of djaccnt property paying
therefor.
Amudor Guerra has charge Of the coast
from Manzanilla to Cape Cruz, 90 miles of
Cuba's richest territory. Tho latest 10.
ports arc that tho insurgent forces have
Withdrawn into the interior to plan an ut.
tack, IL Is thought, upon Santiago.
Colonel Santocilda has arrived mt Man
vanilla from Santiago, and is In commaii
Of the Manzanilla section Of the Spanish
troops. rs Masso is OF the Cuban forces
Santocilda was In command Of 100 soldiers
who, after fight ut Baire. started for
Manzanilla. When passing Bayaino, and
about five miles distant,
He Was Ambusl,cd
by nearly 400 insurgents. Tho fro was 30
fierce that they were compelled to form a
hollow square to protect themselves from
each direction.
The Spanish ranks were fearfully
moved down, while tho Cuban losses
were not Insignificant Among the latter
Rodriguez, an aide OF Masso, was killed
Had It not been for tho timely arrival OF
Spanish troops from Bayamo tho band Of
Spaniards would have been total loss
This assertion was made In person by San
tocildn to n passenger interviewer. This
conflict was tho one seen from the house
tops Of Bayamo and occurred March TO-
At tho battle Of Los Negros the govern.
ment reports that they defeated the In.
surgents This was not 80, as the battle
was an even draw.
Another encounter Mt Vlgucto. 10 miles
from Manzanilla confirms previous re-
ports
On March 10 the Spanish troops at-
tempted to regain possession Of Yara, now