Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-07-11
FIGHTING IN CUBA
THE SPANISH VICTORIOUS IN
THREE ENGAGEMENTS.
REBELS LOSE MANY MEN
4 Spanish Courier Hanged and His
Dispatches Changed 70 Suit the
Enemy-Troops Led Into Ambush
but Defeat the Insurgents ire
Utilized in Warfare.

Havana, July "a severe engage
ment has taken place between the
Spanish troops under command OF Col
AZuar and Gen. Rabi, the insurgent
leader, at the head of a large force
and go Of the latter We're killed. 1t
appears that Sanchez received infOrma-
ton to the effect that a force OF LOO
iSurgentS, under command OF Rabl,
had occupied strong positions near
Manzanillo He sent a messenger to
his superior officer proposing that they
Join forces and make an attack upon
the insurgents. The messenger fell
into the hands Of the insurgents who
hanged him and sent word to Sanchez,
in the name of Col, Azuar, to make an
attack upon the insurgents position
from d point which compelled the
troops to approach them through d
narrow thoroughfare. Sanchez, rec
ognizing the difficulty of the movement
he was apparently directed by his
colonel to execute, sent forward two adj
vance pickets of y and 30 men re-
spective1y, with Instructions to push
forward ito the right and to the LETT of
the narrow thoroughfare far removed
from them and to be careful to take
up advantageous positions from which
they could protect the advance of the
main body of the troops un-
der Sanchezs command. The ser
geants cleverly followed out
Sanchez then advanced carefully upon
the insurgents position, protecting
the men by every inequality of the
ground. But, as he expected, the
troops were 10 sooner inside the defile
than the insurgents attacked them III
force. The first charges the insur-
gents made with enthusiasm and
their machetes played havoc among
the troops who were hemmed in and
unable to reply ON account Of the
narrow road they had to follow. But
it was here that the two advance
pickets came to the rescue. From
their elevated position they kept
continuous and we'll directed fire upon
the insurgents within range and
eventually by a charge the Spanish
troops compelled them to retreat out
side the defile. The Spanish rushed
after them and once in the open they
charged THE insurgents with great
collra &c and compelled them to retreat
hastily. The insurgents then sought
refuge in strong position they had
previously left in order to attack the
troops; but the soldiers carried this
position and put the enemy
to flight with a loss of up
wards of $50 killed. The troops
lost fifty men killed and wounded.
In another fight reported from We
guita the insurgents under Rabi lost
five killed and many wound
ed and of the troops one
officer and four soldiers
were wounded. The insurgents were
also defeated at Bellamontas which
was garrisOned by an officer and fifty
soldiers and was attacked by the ill.,
surgentS under Castillo. The enemy
built 4 large fire to the WindWard and
the flames communicated with the bar
racks The insurgent leader sent
word to the officer in command to sur
render under penalty Of being burnt
alive with his men. He replied that he
preferred death to surrender. In the
meantime some soldiers succeeded in
eXtinguishing the flames and while
they were doing SO the remainder Of
the garrison kept up continuous firing
on the insurgents. The latter replied
from every point, but the garrison held
out gailantly Tor two hours. News Of
the insurgents attack had meanwhile
been communicated to a detachment
of Spanish soldiers in the neighbor-
hood and they pushed forward and at
tackled the insurgents who Immediate
ly retired leaving many dead and
wounded on the field. Of the troops
only three were killed and four
wounded.