Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-08
BALLARD SMITH.
DOUBT ABOUT INsuRGENr DEFEAT
Movements Do Not Indicate They Are
Badly Crippled.

Movements Do Not Indicate They Arc
Badly Crippled.
copyrighted, 1895, by the Associated Press)
HAVANA Dec. I'm spite of the re.
ported defeats of Maximo Gomez and Antonio
Maceo by General Jurez Valdez, General
| Navarro and General Aldeco, the latter being
understood to be in pursuit Of the insurgents
who were believed to be caught between the
column of troops commanded by, these gen
| erals, and that of General Aldave, it is now
stated that Gomez and Maceo, having united
their forces, instead of being in fight in the
| province Of Puerto Principe, are advancing
| through the province of Santa Clara. General
| Aldave, as already cabled, was said to be in
| pursuit of the insurgents after they had
| turned his flank and crossed the line be-
| tween Ciego de. Avila and Moran, in the
| province of Puerto Principe, on, their way to
! Santa Clara. ~
| Maceo and Gomez, 1t is now stated, have al
! ready passed the road from Iguara on the
| frontier to Taluasco. a little north of Santu
Spiritu. This news would seem to be cor
rect, If only from the fact that iiie column
of troops commanded by Colonel .Segulra, con-
veying 300 mules loaded with ammunition and
provisions seems to haze had :; brdsh with
the enemy near 1guara, with the los, it is
! claimed, of only nine killed. But It is ad-
| mitted that the Spanish troops had to fight
! desperately in order to escape being captured,
| and soon afterward the insurgents were di-
! vlded into two corps, one marching northward
in the direction Of the Remedies distritt. and
the other heading southward toward the Trlni-
dad district. From this it would seem that
Standards hat n
Santu Spiritu or else their force of troops
there is so insignificant that the lnsurgent
commanders have no hesitation in leaving it
later by the column commanded by Colonel
Aldave.
The movements of the insurgents throw an
entirely different light upon the campaign in
Cuba, and If correctly reportsd would ndis
cate that the spaniards have been unable to
prevent the advance Of the enemy from the
province Of Puerto Principe into the province
of Santa Clara, and that the combined armies
of Gomez and Macao are strong enough to
enable them to be divided into two corps
which are advancing into the heart of the
district where General Campos has made his
headquarters and where about 10 900 Spanish
troops are reported TO have been assembled.
This view of the case is all the more note
worthy from the fact that only this morning
1t was officially stated here that the friends
OF the insurgents who expected Gomez and
Maceo to- move rapidly upon the province of
Santa Clara and later upon the province of
Matanzas, which would bring them danger
ously near Havana, had been disappointed at
their failure to do so.
The reported defeats of the insurgents
olassed as having been dua TO their shame
ful and cowardly behavior" were said to
have demoralized them, and It was stated
further that the Spanish officials considered
the rebellion to be morally broken. These
rapid movements of the insurgents, which
their friends hoped they would accomplish
before the arrival of fresh troops" now
seem TO have actually taken place, and, there
fore, the rebellion, instead OF being broken,
looks as If it were making rapid progress, In
spite of the efforts of the Spanish govern
ment
Only this morning however, the sup
porters of the government wefe SO hopeful
of the speedy suppression. of tie .insurrection
that it was announced that they were ex-
pecting to be able to reap good sugar crop,
and that many of the planters, In view of the
recent events, were preparing for grinding
their sugar cane. At the same time 1t was
admitted that the arrival of reinforcements
was impatiently awaited. and when the
steamer MOntevdeo arrived here from Spain
today with the Cantabria and Baillon bat
taions, the soldiers were accbrded most
enthusiastic reception. This is the situation
is nutshell,
The insurgents, according to the report re-
ceived this afternoon, and having practically
official confirmation, are advancing in two
strong columns through thel province of
Santa Clara, where II may b. said nearly |
the entire effective Spanish force is con-
centrated. This startling news is in conflict !
with the government adyices, given out |
earlier in the day, TO the effect that the |
insurgents were In retreat Through the |
province of Puerto Principe. The reported !
advance of the two columns under Maceo and |
Gomez into Santa Clara and the defeat of |
the Spanish troops near Iguaraf have caused |
some excitement in Havana tonight.
Protest Against Lynching OF Negroes.
Womans Liberal association, held at South |
port In the county Of Lancaster, Mrs Jacob |
Bright presided. The conysntlon passed the |
resolution:
Resolved. That We desire TO enter |
most emphatic protest against the barbar-
tiles known as lynehing. burning and all the
other iorturos practieed more especially
upon the colored people IN the United
States.