Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-12-27
WHERE is GOMEZ?
His Friends in Havana Don't Be.
lieve He Is Retreating.
PREPARING TO DEFEND THE TOWN.

still Coming ON to Fight Force i'm tho
Open That Is Three Times Their Number
-Campos Expects n Decisive Battle In
Matanxas That Will End tho War by
the Defeat Of the Insurgents.
HAVANA. Dec. 27.-Sincc the arrival
here Of Captain General Martinez de
Campos from Matanzas he has been in
conference with leading military and
naval officials, the civil dignitaries and
the leaders Of the different political par
ties. They assembled at the palace and in
the course of a number of patriotic
speeches pledged their unconditional
support to the government in its efforts
to suppress the instruction, and promised
to do everything possible in the way of
moral and actual assistance. Senior
Galvez, president of the Autonomist party,
advised the captain general not to expose
himself to the fire of the insurgents, who
1.-THE speaker claimed) made war against
the lives and property of civilians, never
making a stand long enough to
cause an engagement between the troops,
and adopting all methods of savage war
fare.
Says 1t Is Fight or Surrender.
He compared the army of Gomez and
MaceO to wandering hordes of Tartars, :"
and expressed the opinion that the raid of
the Cubans into the province of AIatan-
zas where they had done go much injury
TO crops, would turn out to be the worst
thing for them in the long run. rs the
fields, cleared of the standing cane, were
now much better for military operations.
News from the front seems to he inter-
ruptcd by rail and telegraph and no in.
formation was Obtainablc concerning the
movements of the insurgents. The cap
tain general upon his arrival here an
nounced that the Spanish troops in Ma
tanzas occupied advantageous positions
and that the Cubans would either be COM
p He'd to fight n pitched battle in that
province or surrender.
Don't believe Gomez Is Retreating.
1t is not generally believed, however,
that the march of Gomez and Maceo upon
Havana has really been stopped and that
they are in retreat The fact is that there
have been SO many announcements of the
defeat and retreat of the insurgents that
it will require strong confirmation to
make anybody here believe that such is
an actual fact. When the insurgents first
entered the province of Santa Clara, for
instance, it was announced that they had
been defeated with great loss and had re-
treated across the border. But the next
news received from the front was that the
Cuban army was threatening Placetas,
more than half way between the border
and the capital of Santa Clara.
Looking After the Front and Rear.
Tn, hn
arc being made here for the defense and
the forwarding to the front of all the
troops which can be spared 1t is under
stood that the Spanish columns in the
rear of the insurgent army have been Or
dered to concentrate as quickly as posi-
bic on the frontier of Matanzas. and that
every effort is to be made to prevent the
retreat of the Cubans into Santa Clara.
While these preparations are being made
to apparently stop the insurgents from es-
Gaping back into Santa Clara, the land
Notifications of Havana are receiving at
tentiOn day and night. A number of nd
ditional earthworks have been thrown up
during the last month also, and these are
being hastily completed and supplied with
guns as rapidly as possible.
Number Of the Insurgcnt Forces.
There is considerable speculation here
as to the actual number of men under
the command of Gomez and Maceo The
highest estimates have it that the Cuban
army numbers 1000 men, while the low.
est number Of followers the insurgent
leaders are credited with having under
their command is 600 1t is to be pre-.
sumcd, however, that Gomez and Maceo
may have 10000 men with them, as they
are known to have been joined by large
numbers of adherents since they entered
the province of Matanzas. The insurgents
have also been plentifully supplied with
ammunition, said to have been stored for
their use ut different points and &C.
cumulated and hidden for months past.
What They Would Meet M Havana.
A conservative estimate of the force at
the disposal here of the captain general
has been made and it is estimated that he
has 10000 regulars and about 5000 volun
tccrs with which to meet the insurgent
army. In order to enable as many troops
as possible to be sent to the front all the
marines and sailors who could he spared
from the Spanish feet have been landed
and the former are doing duty as artillery.
men wherever their services are needed.
All the volunteers available are under
arms and every male inhabitant capable
Of doing active service or of finding some
body else to do it for him has or is being