The evening times., 1895-12-19

o staDcl friend ever to all Americana.
was enrolled as lieutenant and served
on Gen. Perez's staff Till left on the battle
field for dead by my brave companions. l
made two trips through Cuba down as far
as Santiago, and saw the defenders OF
every Spanish fort, either voluntarily close
themselves in, upon promise OF not being
| molested, or else run away before the
Cuban machete.
FEAR THE MACHETE.
"The Cubans are tremendous In their exc
cution with this weapon, and the Spania rds
are about as afraid OF it as most youngsters
are OF the sbogy man. Every Cuban
rancflcro carries one about from the time
they wear pants. They use 1t to cut their
meat and bread, cut the underground out OF
their way pick their teeth, clean their nails,
sharpen their pencils, aud IL is anost
most deadly weapon in the hands OF a man
fighting for his very life and liberty against
his uniformed oppressor in the shape of
Spanish soldier.
1.-The Spanish officer that can hold his
troops together when the cry of "A ma
ciete' has rung out on the air is very
scarce individual in the Spanish army.
saw Gen. Martinez Campos run away from
II himself, and he ran because he couldn't
fly. This happened at Valcnzuela, or
Peralejo. as the spaniartis choose to call
Ii, hating the place SO very bad as to change
its name. So that nobody Will think ex-
aggerate when say that the detachmcnts
| that occupy the forts along Cuban roads,
about twenty or twenty-five men, com
| manded by q subaltern, as rule, will
generally submit, OH being assured or per-
| sonal safety. They do it every time.
The patriots go into the plantations occu-
| pied hy the Spanish troops, yes, into the
| very towns, with impunity. rode through
| Santi spiritus city with eighty men nalater
| than the end of September, and we We're not
molested, The Spanish soldiers all ran
into their barracks. and did not show their
| faces. santi spiritus then had a garrison
| of from two to three Thousand men. We
| went in to tempt them into an engagement,
| as the Cuban general. Suarez, WAS outside
The town with 5000 men. But they would
not give us a show.
"The Spanish soldiery is utterly demor-
allied. They are inadequately clothed
| for a climate like that OF Cuba, and they
| tramp through Cuban roads with mud up to
| their knees, shod in cloth slippers. They
are marched and countermarched along the
roads, under orders communicated by tele-
phone from some Spanish official sitting
In his office, without consideration for the
| troops under his command, nor knowledge
| OF the hardships they undergo.
COMPASSION FOR YOUTH.
1.-THE Cuban soldier frequently allows
l tne poor spdUtsi SOi1lcT hcs W cut
of pure compassion, as will be seen by this
| instance. About the middle OF September
l was sent on a mission 10 the Saledad
plantation, some nincni from Cienfuegos.
] arrived at the plantation in the early morn
| ing. Shortly after my arrival Il detachment
| of Spanish infantry came up. under orders
| of a Lieut.. Miranda. We were at break
| fast, about l a. m, a nd the Spaniards were
| roasting steer that had been given them
t,t- nf b.. rat
see them at the fire from our table. Sud-
/ denly they all made q run for n house adj
| joining the one we were seated in. shut
| and locked themselves in, closing even the
| window shutters.
I'VE got up to See what was the matter
and were met by a servant with the news
| that 'Rego was coming.'
Mai. Joaquin Rego is cultivated gem
| tleman, speaking several languages, and
| he is as brave and indonitable as a lion.
| He commands cavalry in the Cicnfucgos dis
| trict, and the Spaniards have many times
| felt the weight of his broad 'machete.
| He rode boldly into the center of the 'batey,'
| or yard of the plantation. although he knew
| Spanish troops were there, was met by the
manager and again informed of the fact.
"'Where are they was his reply. Why
don't they come out and show their faces
"The manager prevailed upon Maj. Rego
not to look for them rs the shots migh. have
damaged some OF the machinery stored In
| the surrounding sheds But the patriots
ate the meat the Spanish troops had been
| roasting. kept them shut in till 4 p. H.. and
| then retired i accompanied Maj. RegO,
| and as we had heard that the Spanish Off
| Ger had received orders by telephone to re-
| turn to his barracks, We laid III ambush for
| them on the road.
SPARED THE BOYS.
"They passed within thirty feet of us
and we could have killed every man. mean
boy, for there were no men among them.
They were some sixty in number and we
about hundred. They passed by us, lit
orally dragging themselves along: utterly
| played out and hungry, as they had eaten
| nothing since the previous day. ] know i
| felt sorry as / covered my man with my
| Winchester: he was too much OF Il boy for
| a man to kill in cold blood. and Rego must
| have felt sorry, too, for unexpectedly the
order, recover arms, rang out There
| was not man among us who did not ex-
press sorrow for those poor boys.
1--WE ran out upon them, pistol in hand,
| and disarmed them to q man. They begged
OF us by all that was most sacred, to take
| them with us, as they would he shot for
giving up their arms. But Max Rego
had no Use for Spanish soldiers, and we
left them in the road, after giving them to
eat and drink, and hearing their oaths that
| to be shot like dogs.
II have no doubt that the poor fellows
| would have been shot, as Gen. Martinez
Campos ordered, as far back as May last
! that any Spanish soldier who gave up his
| arm, no matter what The odds might be.
| should be shot for cowardice before the
enemy. From what have said il will be
seen that the Spaniard has lost all hope OF
! subduing the patriot, and this feeling exists
| among them from Gen. MartincZ Campos
down to the last soldier. But Spain is too
proud and naughty to give up until she has
not a man to send 10 Cuba.
''Should this great, Christian, American
nation stand by and see this slaughter car
ried on, right at our very doors, and not put
stop to 1t by doing the merest act of
| justice, by recognizing the belligerent rights
OF our long-suffering Cuban neighbors?
How will that show up in history some
fifty years from now?
''What would be the sentiment of the
Cuban patriot toward us when he plants his
lone-starred banner in the ashes and ruins of
Cuba. but waving over free country, and
with no thanks to us?
MAY SHAKE CUBA's FRIENDSHIP.
"Cuban faith in his American neighbor
would be forever shaken, and we should
commit an injustice that would make our
sons blush. The Cusans would have been
wanting, not only In self-respect, but even
in the instincts of self-preservation, If they
would have endured such q degrading and
destructive system. Their grievances are
of such nature that no people, no human
community capable of vaIuing its honor
and OF aspiring to better its condition, could
bear them without condenming itself to
utter nullity and annihilation.
'Spain denies to the Cubans all effective
powers in their own country. Spain con-