St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-26
EVERYTHING is IN EXCITEMENT
PREPARING TO RECEIVE
THE INSURGENTS.
SPANIARDS ARE F0RTIFYING.
WHILE THE CUBANS ARE STEAD
lily NEARING THE CAPITAL
CITY.
To Prevent the Onward March,
Brilliant Exhibition of Mill
tary Skill.

HAVANA, Dec. 25.-Further details
reached here today from Matanzas
of the rapid advance of the insurgent
army, numbering about 10000 men,
upon Havana, after forcing Its way
through the province of Santa Clara,
and into the province Of Matanzas,
in spite of Gen. Martinez de Cam
pos and about $4,000 troops at his
and invaded.
The reported important battle yes
terday between the Spaniards under
Campos and the insurgents at Coli
SEQ plantation, twelve miles from
Cardenas, does not appear to have
been a very severe engagement. Car
denas is a seaport, quite an impor-
tant place, for Cuba, of about 1000
inhabitants, is only twenty-one miles
from Matanzas, capital of the prov
ince of that name, and the largest
town between Cardenas and Havana.
The Spanish forces do not appear to
have encountered the main body, Of
the insurgents as at first announced.
The fight at the Coliseo plantation
was between a portion of the north
ern column of the three insurgent
columns now pushing through the
province of Matanzas, and instead of
turning out to be a great victory for
the Spaniards the result of the en-
gagement was virtually a defeat for
Campos' forces, for the Cuban army
pushed onward unchecked and is still
ADVANCING ON THIS CITY. y
The fighting took place amid burn
ing cane, underwood, tall grass and
trees, and was of the usual guerrilla
nature. AT times both the troops and
the insurgents were surrounded by
walls of flame and the smoke was SO
dense over some portions of the
ground contested that the Cubans and
the troops, unable to see each other,
kept banging away at open spaces,
wasting vast quantities of good am.
munftion. 1t is true that this indis-
criminate firing was more noticed
upon the part Of the troops than on
the side Of the insurgents; but, for an
insurgent killed, at least 1000 shots
must have been fired.
The Cubans following their Gus
tomary tactics seemed to melt away
into the distance so soon as the troops
got within sighting distance of them,
otoo.1xy o11 ha f,,i, otf1
long range, although the soldiers
made several gallant charges through
the burning territory. This style Of
fighting is termed defeat of the in.
surgents, but as they succeeded in
accomplishing their object, holding
the Spaniards in check while the
Cuban army pushed southwark, the
result was really a Cuban victory.
The captain general was as near
the front aus possible, throughout the
battle, encouraging the troops by
word and action. One of the cap,
tain generals orderlies, who was sit
ting on his horse by the side of Mar
tinez de Canpos, received a bullet
in his chest, and fell to the ground
seriously wounded. The shot no doubt
was intended for the Spanish COM
mander.
The correspondent Of Correspondent
cia, Manuel Escobar, was decorated
on the field of battle by the captain for
gallant conduct at the battle of Ensen-
ada de La Mora, and it may be here
added that several other newspaper
men have displayed a good deal of
pluck, remaining with the captain gen.
eral under fire. Campos seems to have
a supreme contempt for the bullets of
the insurgents, but he is rapidly learn
ing to admire their tactics. In spits of
all the veteran Spanish commander
does, the Cubans are marching through
his forces with but few skirmisheS here
and there, and he seems to be utterly
unable to concentrate ahead of them
forces sufficient to draw the enemy into
a pitched battle. When Campos estab-
fishes headquarters and lays out a
place of battle, the Cubans seem by
some mysterious means to hear of IL,
for, pretending to fall into the trap, they
push a body Of men forward, skirmish
with the troops, draw the Spanish
forces upon them, and then the Cuban
army proper
OUTLAWS THE SPANIARDS
The admirers of the captain-general
Havana.
The admirers of the captain general
claim this Is his plan of campaign that
he is allowing the Cubans to get by
him and nearer and nearer to Havana,
only for the purpose of eventually fall
Ing upon them in the rear and scatter
ing them to all points of the compass
This sounds plausible enough, but the
insurgents are destroying all bridges,
railroads and plantations behind them,
The route they have followed is mark
ed by a blackened swath Of smoking
ruin and desolation, and the Spaniards
Will have very difficult task to push
on after their f1eet-footed enemies.
Besides, within two weeks Campos
has changed his headquarters from
Santa Clara to Cienfuegos, from Glen
fuegos to Palmillas, from there to CO.
lon, then to Jovellanos, from that point
to Limonar and then to Guanabana,,
where he slept last night. All these.
changes were direct retreats before the
enemy in hope it is true of being able
to bring about pitched battle. This
seems to be the secret of the failure OF
the Spaniards to check the advance Of
the Cubans.
AS this dispatch is sent, about noon,
the exact whereabouts of the captain
general is not known, but he is report
ed to have made another change OF
base and to be making another attempt
to engage the enemy. All the Spanish
generals in the rear of the insurgent
army have been instructed to hurry
after the enemy with all possible speed.
Here, however, comes In the weakest
feature of the compaign Of the Span