The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-12-28
Apprehension That Armed Forces
Will Besei2e the City.
WILD REPORTS ARE AFL0AT
First Information, That the Spanish Had
Defeated Gomez, Is Dec AIRED
TO BE Untrue.

Havana, Dec. 24.-The friends Of the
insurgents here are confident that the
arrival of Gomez before Havana will be
shortly announced. The insurgent cav
airy have been sighted within so miles
of Havana, to the westward of Matan-
zas. and had apparently taken possess
sion of the railroad lines joining that
seaport to this city. The railroad and
telegraph communication between Jo-
vellaEo, Colon and Matanzas is inter-
rupted and ii is believed to be only a
few hours when the telegraphic com
munication with Matanzas and the east
will be cut. General Campos has ordered
the Spanish commanders nearest to the
insurgents, Generals Valdez and Navar-
70, to do everything possible to attack
the insurgents under any and all cir
cumstances.
A later dispatch says that the captain
general has managed to get to Colon
and has placed himself at the head of
the Spanish forces at Limonar, 20 miles
east Of Matanzas, where he expects to
be able to strike at the insurgents.
Thousands of people from all parts of
the country around Matanzas are flock
ing in terror into that city, ccording to
the official dispatches.
Christmas eve is ushered in with
something like dismay in this city and
there is apprehension hourly gaining
ground that Havana will be besieged by
armed forces before Christmas day is
over The advance of the insurgents
seemed. at the latest advices to be un-
interrupted, thus contradicting the re-
port sent out during the afternoon that
they had been turned back in a pitched
battle by Campos himself, and were
striving to make their way back into
Santa Clara province. This rumor
stated in great detail that General Cam
pos In person a the head of the Spanish
forces had succeeded in coming face to
face with Gomez and his forces at the
plantation of Cotiseo. This plantation
is situated p miles from Matanzas The
insurgents, 1t was said. were hemmed
in and were compelled to fight Desper-
ate engagements were reported, the
combatants being surrounded by the
flames of the burning plantation. The
insurgents. il was said. were dispersed,
leaving 700 dead and wounded on the
field. The troops loss, it was reported,
was comparatively insignificant, being
only IA; and General Valves and Cen
erai Luque had already started to Sa-
banilla del IncOmadon, supported by
several other columns. in pursuit of the
flying insurgents. who were supposed
to be making their way back to Santa
Clara province at their best speed.
This report had the effect of generally
restoring confidence here and it was
generally believed for the time, as it in
dictated that Gomez had given up his
campaign for lack of support in Ma
tanzas. Details of this engagement had
hardly become disseminated through
the city, however, before there came
further reports that the insurgents were
marching towards Cuanabana and that
Captain General Campos had fastened
to that point to oppose the advance,
thus once more moving his headquar-
tiers westward and nearer Havana, as
he has had to do so often within the last
few days. Cuanabana is only about
five miles out of Matanzas, where Cen
eral Campos was said TO have won his
victory over Gomez in person. 1t be-
came evident that the reports of Cen
eral Campos' successful stand and the
rout of the insurgents were either un-
founded or that the force he had met
with was merely a wing of the insur-
gent army, sent to make a diversion
while the main columns pushed on tC
the westward.
All is confusion here. and the author
tiles are apparently all at sea as tC
what will be the next step of the insur
gents.