Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-12-26
HAVANA EXCITED.
The Cuban City Expected to Be Be-
sieged by the insurgent S
GOMEZS GOOD GENERALSHIP
The Insurgent Leader Outnanks the Famed
spauisi Com raanf ~ COUNTRY People
1iosLin. ia = rrcs 30 .r.aI1ts--
N0c Eeuoyea 81 Unsi.:Is wa.


hension hourly gaining ground that
Havana will be besieged by armed
forces before Christmas day is over
The advance OF the insurgents seemed
at latest advices to be uninterrupted,
thus contradicting a report sent out
during the afternoon that they had
been turned back in pitched battle
by Campos himself and were striving
! to make their way back into Santa
! Clara province. This rumor stated, in
great detail, that Gen. Campos, IN
person, at the head OF the Spanish
forces, had succeeded in coming face
to face with Gomez and his forces at
| the plantation Of tOliseo, which was
in flames. This plantation is situated
70 miles from Cardenas and 81 miles
from Matanzas. The insurgents, it
was said, were hemmed in and COM
PEELED to fight, all retreat being cut
off. Desperate engagements took
| place, the combatants being surround
ed by the flames of the burning plan
tations. The insurgents, it was said,
were dispersed, leaving 700 dead and
wounded on the field. The troops loss
was, it was reported, comparatively
insignificant, being only H. and Gems.
Italdes and Luque had already started
to Sabinalla del Incomdadum, sup
ported by several other columns, in
pursuit of the flying insurgents, who
were supposed to be making their way
back to Santa Clara province at their
best speed.
The details of this engagement had
hardly become disseminated through
the city, however, before there came
in further report that the insurgents
( were marching toward .Guanabana
and that Capt. Gen. Campos had hast
ened to that point to oppose the adj
vance, thus once more moving his head
quarters westward and nearer Havana
J as he had had to do so often within
the last few days. Guanabana is only
about five miles out of Matanzas and
| ten or fifteen miles west of Coliseo
plantation, where Gen. Campos was
said to have won his impor tant victory
over Gomez in person. 1t became evil
dent that the reports of Gen. CampoS'
successful stand and route of the in
surgents was either unfounded or that
the force he had met was merely a
wing of the insurgent army sent to
make a diversion, while the main col
umns pushed on to the westward.
All is confusion of mind here and the
authorities are apparently all at sea as
to what will be the next step of the
| insurgents, whether MatanZas will be
besieged, or whether the advance on
that point is merely a feint to hold
the Spanish forces there, while the in
surgent forces make way once more
in the west for Havana. which is less
than so miles from Matanzas. The
near approach of the insurgents to
Matanzas has, in fact, had the effect of
concentrating all the available Span
ish forces at that town, and the coun-
try people for miles around have flocked
in to Matanzas.
A day or so ago. the insurgents
caused scurry IN Colon. Firing was
heard at Ajuca, about Is miles from
that place, and reinforcements were
sent to the front, but this turned out
to be little more than an outpost af-
fair, and while the Spanish troops
made for this point, the main body of
the enemy passed south of Colon, near
the line of railroad and headed for the
frontier province of Havana, thus turn
ing the flank of the captain-general,
who, with the bulk of the Spanish
forces in Cuba, is now well to the rear
of the insurgent columns The latter,
moving much more rapidly than the
Spanish troops, who are utterly un-
used to travelling in this thickly wood
ed country, without regular roads and
with heavy grass and low brushwood
to interfere with every movement, are
not thought likely to be able to catch
up with the quickly moving Cubans,
whose machetes clear road for their
advances, and who, much more IA
miliar with the country and accus-
toned to the climate, easily distance
the Spanish soldiers, only recently
brought into the country.
Gomez, by a acknowledgements
countermarch, has turned the flank of
the famed Spanish commander, and
yesterday, with his army, made his APP
pearance close to the town of Jovol-
lano, we'll to the rear of Colon and
commanding the railroads to Cardenas,
Mantanzas and Havana. The move
ment of the insurgents was an eX-
ample of splendid generalship, accom-
plished under the most trying circum-
stances and in the face of overwhelm-
ing numbers of Spanish troops, COM
manded by the best officers of Spain.
A late dispatch says that Capt Gen.
Campos has managed to get out of
Colon and that he has placed himself
at the head of the Spanish forces at
Limonar, 90 miles east of Matanzas,
where he expects to be able to strike
at the insurgents. Thousands of peo-
Pile from all parts of the country
around Matanzas are Aocking in terror
to that city, according to the official
dispatches But other reports say that
they are in the main offering to join
the insurgents who are being plenti-
fully supplied with provisions by the
inhabitants of all the towns along the
route they follow.
DIsCREDITED AT WASHINGTON.
WAsHINer6S, Dec. 2j.-The officials
| of the Snanish leTation annenr not to