The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-12-26
ADTlhaaG ON HAVANA
Cuban Insurgents Rapidly Nearing
sssas the Capital City.
oAMPos UNABLE 70 CHECK THEM.
BY Clever Strategy the Insurgent Com
,nAndsrsg Avoid tins spanish Army. Lsavs
the Spanish Leaders Behind and Destroy
Railways and bridges Between Them.

inandsrs. Avoid the spanish Army, Lsave
the Spanish Leaders Behind and Destroy
Railways and bridges Between Them.
HAVANA, Dec. 49, - Further details
reached here yesterday from 'Matanzas Of
the rapid advance OF the insurgent army,
numbering abont Ia,00o men, upon Har
vnna, after forcing lbs way through the
province Of Santa Clara and into the PROV
ince of MataHzas, In spite Of the efforts OF
Captain Generai Martinez de Gampos and
about $1,000 troops at bis disposal in the
territory trayersed and invaded
The reported Important battle on Tues
day between the spaniards under sCnmpes
and the insurgents at Coffseo plantation,
twelve miles from Cardenas, does not ap-s
pear to have been q very severe engage
ment. .Cardenas Is a seaport quite an I'M
portant place for Cuba, Of about |, 600 In
habitants. 1t Is only twenty one miles from
Matanzas, capital Of the province Of that
NAME fsh z sf l~f
The Spanish forces do not appear TO have
encountered the main body Of the insur
gents as at first announced. The fight at
the Coliaeo plantation was between q por-
tion OF the northern column Of the three
insnrgent columns now pushing through
the province Of Matapzas, and instead Of
turning out to be great victory for the
Spaniards the result Of the engagement
was virtually defeat for Campos, for the
Cuban army pushed onward unchecked,
and is still advancing on this city.
The fighting took place amid burning
cane, under wood, tall grass and trees, and
was of the usual guerrilla nature. At
times both the troops and the insurgents
were surrounded by walls Of flame, and
the smoke was SO dense over certain por-
tions Of the ground contested that the
Cubans and the troops, unable to see each
other, kept banging away at open spaces,
wasting vast quantities Of good ammuni-
tion. 1t Is true that this indiscriminate
firing was more noticed upon the part Of
the troops than on the side Of the insur-
gents. For one insurgent killed at least
1900 shots must have been fired
General Campos seems to have a su-
preme contempt for the bullets Of the in
surgents, but he is rapidly learning to ad-
mire their tactics. In spite Of all the vet
eran Spanish commander does, the Cubans
are marching through his forces, with but
few skirmishes here and there, and he
seems to be utterly unable to concentrate
ahead of them forces sufficient to draw the
enemy into pitched battle. When Cam
pos establishes headquarters and lays
out place Of battle the Cubans seem, by
some mysterious means to hear Of it. for,
pretending to fall into the trap they push
body of men forward, skirmish with the
troops, draw the Spanish forces upon them
and then the Cuban army proper out
fanks the Spaniards and pushes steadily
onward towards Havana.
tsThe admirers OF the captain general
claim this Is his plan Of campaign, thai he
is allowing the Cubans to get by him and
near and nearer to Havana, only for the
purpose Of eventually falling upon them
in the rear and scattering them to all the
points Of the compass This sounds plaus-
ible, but tine insurgents are destroying all
bridges, railways and plantations behind
them. The route they have followed Is
marked by blackened swath of smoking
ruin and desolation, and the Spaniards
will have very difficult task to push on
after their fleet footed enemies.
All the Spanish generals in the rear Of
the insurgent army have been instructed
to hurry after the enemy with all possible
speed. Here, however, comes in the weak
est feature of the campaign Of the Span
iards. The poorly fed, half grown lads
shipped here from Spain are suffering ter
ribly from the effects of the climate and
unusual exposure, in spite of the fact that
this is the so called healthy season in Cuba.
IeilOW IeNcI, anu HldihTidi leYtrs
have told terribly upon these unfortunate
troops, and, III addition, they are utterly
unfit for campaigning in this land of bad
roads, high grass swamps and low bush
wood They simply have not the strength
to push steadily on after the Cubans.
Then, again, the Spanish troops are
thoroughly dispirited. Their hearts are
not in the fight in spite of the gallant
manner in which they respond TO Viva
Espanap and dash at the enemy. only to
be shot down or cut clown, or else to find
the Cubans disappear as If adorned with
wings.
The Cubans, on the other hand, are AMI
mated with the spirit of patriotism, with
the all absorbing desire for freedom, with
the fire which drove the British before the
American patriots under the leadership of
Washington.
While these facts cannot be denied,
there Is one feature of the march of tho
insurgents upon Havana which cannot be
overlooked. Admitting that they num-
Der $4,000 men, can they capture this city
and can they hold it If they do obtain pos
session of it? There Is the strong garrison
of this place, the high walls of the forts
and tho Spanish fleet to be reckoned with.
1t must be quickly done or fail altogether.
In any event. the next few days should de-
eide everything.
The advance guard of tho army com
manded by Gomez and Maceo is less than
fifty miles from Havana aud, apparently,
steadily advancing In this city every
preparation is being made to give the in
surgents a hot reception. All the outly-
ing posts have been strengthened, the new
Notifications are being hurriedly pushed
to completion, ammunition is being over
hauled guns have been made ready, and
tho troops are kept constantly on the
alert, although the Spanish officials laugh
at the idea of the insurgents being able to
approach Havana
Even the most stubborn of the Spanish
officers agree that the march of Gomez
and Maceo across Santa Clara and Ma
tanzas Is a most remarkable military feat
to have been accomplished within three
weeks and i'll spite OF all the forces that
Spain could throw across their path.
General Campos arrived in Havana last
evening 1t is asserted here that the Span
ish commander has deliberately suffered
bhe advance of the insurgents into the
open and populated country where they
now are. with the purpose of closing In
behind them while he attacks them from
Havana, thus crushing them between tho
upser and neither millstones. His arrival
In Havana shows thnt the hour for his
coup has arrived. How much of an avail
able force the Spaniards have left in the
rear Of the insurgents to cooperate In
such u blow is not accurately known, but
the official reports themselves indicate
that 1t Ia in q badly di6or1ari lied condition