The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-26
SETBACK FOR THE SPANISH.
THE GARRISON AT DOS CAMINOs
JOINS THE PATRIOTS.

A Battalion of GuerriIIas Enlisted
by the Spanish Also Goes over to
the Insurgents-The Garrison De-
Tending the Village of Venta De
Casanova Surrenders to the Cubans
With All Its Arms and Ammuni-
ton.
Santiago de Cuba, Dec. Il. via Key West,
| Dec. 25.-On the morning of Dec. 10. the
whole garrison Of Dos Caminos town join
ed the rebels. The Spanish Col Toje-
da's battalion of guerilas was in great
state of excitement yesterday. as the time
of their engagement was up. and the gov
ernment wanted them to re-enlist. They
refused to do so because they were not
paid regularly and because they were
badly treated. In consequence forty guer-
rllas Joined the rebels with their arms
and ammunition. The government is now
trying to dissolve the battalion.
The village of Venta de Casanova, near
Romanganagus, defended by a Spanish
garrison, has been taken by leader Rabi
The garrison surrendered with It's arms
and ammunition.
This morning dec. 1D two battalions
left this city for the town Of Cobro. which
| IS threatened with an attack by the in
surgents, who are eneamped near that
| place in great numbers. At this moment
| 40 O'Clock a. m.) the sound of heavy
| firing is heard, and it Is said that the
| Spaniards and rebels are fighting in La
Iona de lie Cruz, between this city and
1t is reported here that two expedi-
| tons have entered the island lately, one
IN Boca de Dos Rios, between this port
and Asseradero and the other near Bar
| acoa.
The Spanish gunboat Nueva Espana
| came into this port yesterday C3th inst)
| with her propeller broken on the 18TH
inst. the gunboat was sailing near land
| of Baracoa, when she received several
| propeller. 1t is said that this was done
5y the expeditionaries, who had can
| non with them.
On the 9th inst. Spanish Commander
| PTats, with a large column, had an en-
| gagement with the rebel colonel, Carta-
genso gena and nd his party, near & Sagqa de Ia,
nineteen wounded and the insurgents
! seven wounded.
Santiago de Cuba, Dec. II, via Key
| West, Dec. 25,-The arrival of Gen. Pando
/ IN this city has produced a shock almost
/ as great as If a bOmbshell had been cast
among the people, for he is well known
| instincts. Men leave the city to join the
| insurgents daily by the hundreds and
soon Santiago viii be left entirely TO
The concentration of large Cuban forces
| in this district IS expected by the end of
ne present anl i1Ost month when y s pr o6sple
Several sugar estates in this jurisdiction
| are preparing to grind sugar cane, but
Y Is very much douDted here whether they
will be allowed to do so by the rebels.
The iron mining companies are working
! steadily and have many laborers working
| for them who refuse to work I'm the su-
| gar estates because of want of security
| both of their persons and their wages
Fearing the use of dynamite by the in
| surgents the government does not send
| the soldiers by railroad to the interior,
| but compels them to make long and
tedious marches to the places where they
| are sent. For the same reason passen-
| gers don't use the trains.
Yellow fever is raging here fearfully In
spite Of the winter season. The death
| rate among the officers is something
! dreadful In four days commander
| four captains and two lieutenants have
| died of the disease. In the military hos
| pital Of this city there are more than
| LOCO sick soldiers, of whom from ten to
| fifteen die every day. The government
| has forbidden the publication of news
| about the death rate from yellow fever.
News has just come Of an engagement
near Songo, between o Spanish column
\ 400 strong and the rebel leader Pancho
| Sanchez, with 250 men. 1t Is said that
the Spanish loss was heavy as the rebels
used machetes, which always strike ter
| ror among the Spanish soldiers. No de-
| tails have been received yet.
| Washington, Dec. &.-Senor Sepuy de
| LONE, the Spanish minister, believes that
4 the insurgent forces reported in the vicin-
| ity of Havana are in great danger Of be-
| ing completely routed. He has not, as
| yet, received any untoward news from
official sources that Havana is in danger,
| and laughs at the idea that the city Will
| probably be besieged. His confidence in
| the success of the Spanish army Is in
creased by cablegram he received to-
| night from Madrid. which is a confirma-
! tion of the message he received yesterday
| from Gen. Arderius, acting governor gen.
eral OF Cuba. The dispatch says: "The
| Ar ,xe( at,A
and are riding about burning plantations
| The commander-in-chief, (Gen. Campos)
met the most important of the bands un-
| der Gomez near Cimarrones, defeating
/ and dispensing them with great losses"
Senor de LONE says It is foolhardy to
| suppose that Maceo and Gomez will at
/ tack Havana. 1t is reported that the in
| surgents have a force of 1000 men to do
/ this hazardous work, but according to
| Minister de Lome's inside information the
/ number Is less than 5000 men,
Havana, he says, has militia volunteer
1 force of 10000 men, who, in most cases,
have seen active service. as from time to
number for a months service with the
| Spanish army. 1t is the minister's opinion
| that the insurgents have ventured too far
| into the government lines and VIII have
a great deal more difficulty in retreating
| than they had in advancing.
Key West, Fla, Dec. 25.-Passengers by
| the steamship Olivette to-day report that
| Martinez Campos LEFT Havana last night
| for Matanzas with 1000 troops to meet
| the insurgents under Gomez and Maceo,
reported marching on the province of
Havana. 1t is reported that big battle
will take place within the next fifteen
hours, which will decide the fate of the
Cubans. All communication with Car
denas has been cut off and no railroad
tickets are sold beyond the city of Car
denas, as all the track beyond that point
has been blown up.
Brig. Gen. Lacret is reported in Los
Palos, province OF Havana, with a strong
band OF insurgents. and there is another
band In Colondron, about thirty miles
from Havana.
on the I'D, Gomez captured the town of
Rogue. between Colon and Matanzas, and
hoisted the Cuban flag on the public build
ings. The officials Of the town came in
and offered their congratulations. Gomez
took all the city funds. During the past
two days the insurgents have destroyed
twelve sugar plantations.
The Diaria de la Marina, published in
Havana, publishes an article this week
calling on all loyal subjects TO come TO
the rescue OF Spain.
A supplement TO La Lucha, dated the
2fth, reports a battle on the 23d In the
province Of Matanzas. In which the insur-
gents were defeated and that Gen. Suarez
Valdez had taken q position in front Of