Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-25
A DASH AT HAVANA
The Westward Movement of the
Cubans.
FAILURE OF GEN. CAMPOy ADVANCE
Greatest CONSERVATION Prevailing
in the City.
RECENT SPANISH DEFEATS

AS previously detailed in the dispatches
to The Star, the Cuban insurgents little
over week ago entered the province of
Santa Clara from the province of Puerto
Principe, at Isuara, and there defeating
Col. Segura and a Spanish column, made
wonderful advance through that prov
1nce, passing through the flower of the
Spanish army assembled there and said to
number about $4,000 men.
Spanish Defeated.
After some sharp skirmishes, in which
| the Spaniards were worsted, Gen. Campos,
who had made his headquarters at Santa
| Clara, transferred them to Cienfuegos with
| the announced intention of personally COM
manding the troops which were to check
| the insurgent advance. But, in spite Of re-
peated repulses the insurgents pressed on
ward, and passing PlacetaS Santa Clara
| San Juan de Lascyeras, Ranchuelo and
other towns, pushed on for the frontier of
MatanZaS. AT one time it was reported
that they intended to attack Santa Clara
but their tactics seemed to pass all the big
towns ana press on for Havana.
1t was only few days ago that the an
nouncement was made that the insurgents
We're at Las Lajes and marching onward
| to Havana. Then came the news that the
insurgents had entered the province Of
Matanzas at Palma Sala. Before this, how
ever, Gen. Campos had changed his head
quarters to Colon, and he commenced hur-
! rIedly concentrating his forces there, in
| tending to compel Gen. Gomez to fight a
pitched battle before passing that place.
Campos Outfianked.
A day or so ago the insurgents caused
a scurry in Colon. Firing was heard at
| Ajuica, fifteen miles from that place, and
reinforcements Were sent to the front from
| Colon. But this turned out to be little
more than an outpost affair, and while the
lfSh n far inf
| the main BODY OF the enemy passed south
ward of Colon, near the line OF railroad
| and headed steadily for the frontier of the
| province of Havana, thus turning the hank
! of the captain general, who, with the bulk
| of the Spanish forces in the Island Of Cuba,
| is now we'll to the rear of the insurgent
columns. The latter, moving much more
| rapidly than the Spanish troops, who are
utterly unused to travelling in this thickly
| wooded country, without regular roads and
with heavy grass and with low brushwood
| to interfere with every movement, are hot
| thought likely to be able to catch up with
| the quickly moving Cubans, whose mach
| etes clear a road for their advance, and
| who, much more familiar with the country
and accustomed to the climate, easily dis
| tance the Spanish soldiers, only recently
| brought into the country.
Corners Fine GencraIship.
| Gomez. by a beautifully executed coun-
| termarch, has turned the flank of the
| famed Spanish commander, and yesterday
! with his army made his appearance close
| to the town of Jovelanos, well 10 the rear
| of Colon and commanding the railroads to
Cardenas, MatanZas and Havana. The
| movement of the Insurgents was an eN-
| ample of splendid generalship accomplished
| under most trying circumstances and in
| the face of overwhelming numbers of
| Spanish troops commanded by the best
officers of Spain.
| The odds against the Spania: is being
al, 10 To a IL
Surgeut army are very heavy. Not only
| have the insurgents destroyed the railroads
| behind them, thus burning their ships, as 1t
| were, but they have in many other ways
| done everything possible to impede the
progress of. the Spanish army. and the
| friends of the insurgents in Havana are
confident that The arrival of Gomez before
| Havana will be shortly announced. As it
| is the insurgent cavalry has been sighted
| within about fifty miles of Havana, to the
| westward of MatanZas, as exclusively stat
ed in yesterdays Star and apparently TAX
| ing possession of the railroad lines joining
| that seaport to this city.
Gen. Campos has ordered the Spanish
| commanders nearest to the INSURGENTS,
| Gems. NaldeS, Alrocoa and Navarro, to 40
| everything possible to attack the insur-
gents under any and all circumstances;
| but it is not thought likely that these gen.
| erals will be able to do what the captain
| general himself has been unable to accom-
plish.
Another dispatch says that Gen. Campos
| has managed to get out of Colon and that
| he has placed himself at the head of the
| Spanish forces at Limonar. twenty miles
| east of MatanZas, where he expects to be
able to strike at the insurgents.
Terror ut Matanxas.
Thousands of people from all parts of the
country around MataEZaS are f1ockng in
| terror into that city, according to the oIfi-
| cial dispatches. But other reports say that
| they are in the main Offering to join the
| insurgents, who are being plentifully sup
piled with provisions by the inhabitants OF
| all the towns along the route they follow.
| The Cubans were divided into three col
| umns-one to the south, under Lacerete
and Suares, numbering over 1000 men; an
| other northward, under Antonio Maceo,
numbering over 5000 men, and the center,
| the main body of the insurgents. numbering
| over 5000 men, under Gen. Gomez In the
| center of each column was the artillery,
| consisting only of two field pieces for each
column. Ahead of these three columns
! was the vanguard of the insurgents. COM
| posed of 1000 men, and commanded by
Gen. Francisco Perez
The insurgents burned the railroad sta
| ton of Quintana, eastward OF Jovellanos,
and destroyed the railroads behind them
| to prevent the advance of the Spaniards
| upon their rear. The last news received
| was that they passed Limonar. small
| town only a few miles from Matanzas
| and were pushing for the railroad which
| connects Matanzas with Havana.
May Besiese Havana.
| 1t seems that there is nothing likely to
| prevent them from besiesing Havana
| within the next few days, for the Spanish
commanders appear to have entirely lost
| their heads, and unless Gen. Campos has
ACCOMPLISHED a miracle of daring strategy
| in allowing Gomez and his forces to slip
| by, in order that the Spanish troops may
| be hurried after them. and, by sDrtie
| from Havana, catch them between TWO
| fires, the insurgents are masters of the sit
| uation.
| Christmas eve was ushered in with
| something very like dismay in Havana
| and there was apprehension that Havana
| would be besieged by armed forces before
| Christmas day is over. The advance of
| the insurgents seemed at last advices TO
| be uninterrupted, thus contradicting a re-
| port sent out during the afternoon that
| they had been turned back in a pitched
| battle by Campos himself, and We're striv-
| ing to make their way back into Santa
| Clara province.
This rumor stated in great detail that
| Gen. Campos in person, at the head OF the
| Spanish forces, had succeeded in coming
| face to face with Gomez and his forces at
| the plantation of Coiseo, which was in
flames This plantation is situated twelve
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