The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-06-28

HAVANA, Juno 27.-Do,ails roachod
hero today Of u desperate fight between
portion OF the Insurgents iorco, under
Muximo Gomez in tho province OF
Puerto Principe, aud sovOnty OF the
auxiliary troops Of tho Spanish govern
mont, known as guorrillas, under Cap
Tain Agucrro. Tho ongagcmen. took
place on the day OF tho insurGcnt raid
upon San GeronOmo. as exclusively ca.
blod to the Associated PrOss last night.
The seventy gucrrilIas were surpriscd
by tho advance guard OF GomOz's force,
commanded by Nicasio Mirabut. aud
thSre was great slaughter on both sides,
the fighting being mainly with ma.
chstes.
Tho guerrillas were out on reconnoi.
tering expedition, and unexpectedly
came across tho insurgont advance
guard, consisting Of about 400 mon. At
first the guorriIlas imagined they had
only comparatively small body OF men
before them, and their commander,
Aguerro, called upon the Insurgents to
halt, crying out: "Who goes thore2"
Spanish forces" was the rcplv OF the
insursert as bis men continued to ad.
vance rapidly upon the government
guerrillus. Twice or three times moro
| did the Suerri!las try to halt the insur.
gents. but the latter pushed on quickly.
until finally their leader, seeing that
the guerillas were in an awkward posi-.
ton. cried: AT tho macheie." This
| cry showed the government force that
they wcre confronted by insurgents.
and not by detschmcnt OF Spanish
guerrillas. a' they had been led to be.
Iieve, and the masks being thus thrown
of. tho guerrllas replied to the Oft
repeated cries OF AT the mache,n" with
volleys from their carbines, as they
commenced TO retreat before the vastly
superior force o! insurgents.
Soon tho government soldiers aud tho
insurgeu, troops became engaged in n
hand to hand combat, which quickly
became liitlo lcas than massacre OF
the unfortunate guerrlllns. The lnsur-
cents In the meanwhile had bean rein.
forced until they arc said TO have num-
bered fully 1900 men. composing the
main body Of men under the command
| OF Gomez.
Against these overwhelming numbers
the 2uerril!as fought h0roically. shout.
ing viva E4pana" as they defended
themselves rs best they could against
the enemy. using rocks or anything
available behind which TO shelter them
selves as they fired ns fast as possible at
the insurgents, who pressed forward
from all sides upon the little band.
For an hour tho fight lasted, ard
| nothing could be heard bu. tho rattle Of
muske,ry, tho shouts Of tho. comba,an,s
and the clash OF the mach e:cs.
1t is believed that fow, il any, OF tho
guerillas escaped being killed or
wounded.
Captain Aguerro led his men gallant.
ly until an insurgcnt slaIhed nj his
horses head with machetc, causing it
10 fall and throw tho guerrilla leader
heavily TO the ground. The insurgents
engaged with Aguerro's guerrlIas arc
believed 10 form part OF tho body OF
men which recently burned tho town OF
FL MulatU AMI San Gcronolno, after cap.
turing tho forts and garrisons OF those
places and it is said the news OF thi.
fresh disaster has caused very unca, v
feeling in official circlcs. Thrrc is no
doubt that ii tho government officials
are willing 70 admit these disasters TO
tho Spanish army in Puerto Principe
within n few days. and not inr from the
capitol OF that province, ,!ia: tho siiua
ton OF affairs there must be very grave
indeed, aud may prove much moro so
when Maceo who is reported to have
made his way from the province OF San.
tiaso do Cuba into Puerto Principe
joins his forces to those OF Gomez.
That thore 10 real cause for alarm may
be gathered from the TACT tina. 1t is ro.
ported in well informed official crclcs
hero to-day that Captain General Mar.
tinez dc Campos las cablcd to tho Span.
ish government, asking for the promp.
dispatch Of largo reimiorcemonts Of
troops from Spain.
hdyiccI received horo from Santiago
do Cuba to-day say that IN insurgnnt |
force, numbering about 400 men, has
mHde m attack upon Tinrribn, in tho
| province of Santiago dc Cuba, and tha,
they wcrc rcpulScd, aud arc now In
flight mud being pursued by tho Spanish
| tr0ops.
-------------