The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-26
CHANGING HIS BASE
Campos Is Busy These Days Hunting
aSoft Place to Fall On.
THE INSURGENTS TACTICS
In and Around Havana the Atmos-
phere Is Heavily Impresnated
With Apprehension and Ill
Suppressed Fright,

Copyrighted. 1885. by the Associated
Press)
Havana, Dec. 25-Further details
reached here to-day from Matanzas Of
the rapid advance of the insurgent
army. numbering about $4,000 men, on
Havana, after forcing its way through
the provinces of Santa Clara and Mat
anzas, In spite of the efforts OF Captain
General Martinez De Campos and about
5000 troops at his disposal The re-
ported important battle yesterday be-
tween the Spaniards under Campos and
insurgents at the Coliseo plantation. IL
miles from Cardenas. does not appear
to have been a severe engagement
Cardenas is a seaport and quite an i'm
portant place for Cuba. of about 1000
inhabitants, only 21 miles from Matan-
zas. the capital of the province Of that
name, and the largest town between
Cardenas and Havana. The Spanish
forces do not appear TO have encoun-
tered the main body of the insurgents.
as at first announced.
The fight at the Cohseo plantation
was between a portion of the northern
column of three insurgent columns now
passing through the province Of Mat
anzas. and instead of turning out to
be q great victory for the Spanish. the
engagement was virtually a defeat for
Campos' forces, for the Cuban army
pushed onward. unchecked. and is still
advancing on this city. The fighting
took place amid burning cane. under
wood. tall grass and trees, and was OF
the usual guerrilla nature. At times
both the troops and insurgents were
surrounded by walls of flame, and the
smoke was so dense over certain por-
tions of the ground contested that the
Cubans and troops were unable to see
each other, but kept banging away at
open space, wasting good ammunition.
1t is true this indiscriminate firing was
more noticed upon the part OF the
troops than on the side of the insur-
gents; but for one insurgent killed at
least 1000 shots must have been fired.
The Cubans, following their customary
tactics, seemed TO melt away into the
distance so soon as the troops got with
in fighting distance of them, and near
ly all firing was at very long range,
although the soldiers made several gal
liant charges through the burning ter
ritory. This style of fighting is termed
the defeat of the insurgents; but as
they succeeded in accomplishing their
object, holding the Spaniards in check,
while the Cubans pushed on south
ward, the result was really Cuban
victory. Captain General Campos was
as near the front as possible through
out the battle, encouraging the troops
by words and action. One of the cap
tain generals orderlies who was sitting
on a horse beside Campos received a
bullet in his breast and fell to the
ground badly wounded.
The correspondent of the Correspon-
dencia, Manuel Escobar. was decorated
on the field Of battle by the captain
general for gallant conduct at the bat
tie of Enseneda De La Mora, and 1t
may be here added several other news
paper men have displayed a good deal
of pluck with the captain general un-
der fire. Campos seems to have a su-
preme contempt for the bullets of the
insurgents; but he is rapidly learning
to admire their tactics.
In spite of all the veteran Spanish
commander does. the Cubans are
marching through his forces. with but
few skirmdshes here and there. and he
seems to be utterly unable to concen-
trate ahead of them forces sufficient to
draw the enemy into a pitched battle.
ters and lays out a plan Of battle, the
Cubans seem, by some mysterious
means, to hear of IT. pretending to fall
into the trap. push a body of men for
ward, skirmish with the troops, draw
the Spanish forces upon them and then
the Cuban army proper outfianks the
Spanish and pushes onward toward
Havana The admirers of the captain
general claim this is his plan OF cam
paign: that he Is allowing the Cubans
to get by him and nearer and nearer
to Havana, only for the purpose OF
eventually falling on them In the rear
and scattering them to an points of
the compass. This sounds plausible
enough. but the insurgents are destroy
ing all buildings. railways and plan
tations behind them. The route they
have followed Is marked by a blacken-
ed swath of smoking ruin and desola-
tion, and the Spaniards will have a
very difficult task TO push on after
them
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
generals in the rear of the insurgents
army have been instructed to hurry af-
ter the enemy with all possible speed.
Here, however, comes in the weakest
feature of the campaign OF the Span
iards. The poorly fed. half grown lads,
shipped here from Spain. are suffering
| terribly from the effects OF the climate
| and the unusual exposure. in spite of
the fact that this is the so-called
healthy season In Cuba Yellow fever,
smallpox and malarial fever have told
| terribly upon these unfortunate troops.
and in addition they are utterly unit
for campaigning in this land of bad
roads. high grass. swamps and low
bush wood They simply have not the
strength to push steadily on after the
| Cubans who. as a rule. are thoroughly
acclimated men. accustomed TO the
country. familiar with all its peculla<i-