The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-06-28
Hand Hand Fight. with SIachetes
as Weapons, I'm Which the Span
iards Were Outnumbered.
GOMEZ NOW CAUSING ALARM
STU ALTON SO SERIOUS THAT CAMPOS
HAS CABLED FOR HELP.
Spain Asked to Send $4,000 Additional
TroOps-The Revolt Caused by
Burdensome Taxes.

HAVANA, June 27.-Details reached here
to-day of desperate fight between a por-
tion of the insurgents force under Maximo
Gomez, in the province of Puerto Principe.
and seventy OF the auxiliary troops of the
Spanish government, known as guerillas,
under command of Captain Aguerro The
engagement took place on the day of the
insurgent raid upon San Geronimo The
seventy guerrillas were surprised by the
vanguard of Gomez's forces. commanded by
Nicasio Mirabel. and there was great
slaughter on both sides, the fighting being
mainly with machetes. The gurrllas were
out on reconnoitering expedition. and un-
expectedly came across the insurgent van
guard, consisting of about four hundred
men. AT first the guerrilas imagined they
had only a comparatively small body of
men before them. and their commander,
Aguerro, called upon the insurgents to halt,
crying out: who goes there
Spanish forces" was the reply of the in
surgent leader. as his men continued to ad-
vance rapidly upon the government guerrl-
las. Twice three times more did the
guerrillas try TO halt the insurgents, but
the latter pushed on quietly until, finally,
their eader, seeing that the Euerrillas were
in awkward position, cried: AT the
ment force that they were confronted by
insurgents and not by a detachment of
Spanish guerrillas, as they had been led to
believe, and, the mask being thrown off. the
guerrillas replied to the oft-repeated cries
of "At the machete.' with volleys from
their carbines, they commenced to re-
treat before the vastly superior force Of in
surgents.
onr1f sol nd in
surgent troops became engaged in a hand
to-hand combat, which quickly became little
more than massacre TO the unfortunate
guerrilias. The insurgents. in the mean
while had been reinforced. until they were
said to have numbered fully 1850 men. COM
posing tile main body of men under the
command of Gomez. Against these over
wheiming numbers the gCerrillas fought
heroically, shouting "Vive Espana," as they
defended themselves best they could
against the enemy. using rocks or any
thing available behind which TO shelter
themselves they fired as fast as possible
at the insurgents, who pressed forward
from all sides upon the little band. For an
hour the fight lasted, and nothing could be
heard but the rattle of musketry the shouts
CT the combatants and the clashing of ma
chetes. 1t is believed that few, if any, of
the guerrillas escaped without being killed
or wounded. Captain Aguierro led his men
gallantly until an insurgent slashed at his
horses head with a machete, causing ii TO
fall and throw the guerrilla leader heavily
to the ground.
The insurgents engaged with Aguierro S
guerrillas are believed to have formed part
of the bands who burned the towns of FL
Mulato and San Geronimo after capturing
the forts and garrisons OF those places, and
ii Is said the news of this fresh disaster
has caused very uneasy feeling in official
circles. There is no doubt that If the gov
ernment officials are willing to admit these
disasters to the Spanish army in Puerto
Principe within a few days, and not far
from the capital of that province, the sit
uation of affairs there must be very grave
indeed, and may prove much more so when
Maceo, who is reported to have made his
way from the province of Santiago de Cuba
into Puerto Principe, joins his forces 10
those Of Gomez. That this is real cause for
alarm may be gathered from the fact that
it is reported in well-informed official circles
here to-day that Captain General Martinez
de Campos has cabled to the Spanish gov
ernment asking for the prompt dispatch OF
large reinforcements of troops from Spain.
Advices received here from Santiago de
Cuba to-day say that insurgent force.
numbering about 400 men, has made an at
tack upon Tiarriba, in the province of San
tiago de Cuba, and that they were repulsed
and are now in flight and being pursued by
:he Spanish troops.