Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-06-28
MORE TROOPS NEEDED.
Spaniards Appear to Be Unable to
Cope With Insurgents.
Detachment of Guerrillas Fall
Into q Trap.
Compelled 10 Retreat Aner Fierce Fighting
Against Great Odds

HAVANA, June 2S.-That there Is real
cause for alarm may be gathered from the
fact that General de Campos has cabled to
the Spanish government asking for tho
prompt dispatch of large re-enforccments
of troops from Spain.
Advices received here from Santiago de
Cuba say that an insurgent force, number
Ing about 400 men, has made an attack
upon Tierriba, in the province of Santiago
de Cuba, and that they were repulsed, are
now in flight and are being pursued by the
Spanish troops.
Details have been received of desperate
tight between a portion of the insurgent
force under Maximo Gomez, in the prov
ince of Puerto Principe, and 20 of the
auxiliary troops Of the Spanish govern
ment, known as guerrillas, under Captain
Aguero.
The engagement took place the day OF
the raid upon San Geronimo, when the
fort at that place was captured, and its
garrison of 80 men were made prisoners,
shortly after the capture of El Mulato and
its garrison of 90 men.
The 20 guerrillas were surprised by the
vanguard of Gomez force commanded
by Nicasio Mirabel, and there was great
slaughter on both sides. the fighting being
mainly with machetes, the deadly wood
chopping sword used by the Cubans, as
we'll as by the inhabitants of the South
and Central American republics.
The guerrillas were out on a recon-
noitering expedition and unexpectedly
came across the insurgent vanguard,
consisting of about 400 men. At first tho
guerrillas imagined they had only COM
parativcly small body of men before them,
and their commander, Aguero. called
upon the insurgents to halt. crying out,
"Who Goes There?"
Spanish forces," was the reply of tho
insurgent leader, Nicasio Mirabel, as his
men continued to advance rapidly upon
the government guerrillas. Twice or
three times more did the guerrillas try to
halt the insurgents, but the latter pushed
on quickly until, finally, their leader, see
ing that the guerrillas were in an awk
ward position, cried:
''At the Macbeth" This cry showed
the government force that they were con-
fronted by insurgents and not by de-
tachment of Spanish guerrillas as they
had been led to believe, and the mask
being thus thrown of the guerrillas re-
piled to the then oft repeated cries of "At
the lnachetu," with volleys from their car
bnes as they commenced to retreat before
the vastly superior force Of insurgents.
In fact. from that time on until almost
surrounded the guerrillas fought while
retreating.
But, eventually the government soldiers
and the insurgent troops became mixed
up in terrible hand to hand combat,
which soon became little more than a
massacre Of the unfortunate guerrillas.
The insurgents, in the meanwhile, had
been REINFORCED until they are said t.
have numbered 1900 men, composing the
main body Of men under command OF
Maximo Gomez.
The guerrillas fought heroically, shout
Ing, "Viva Espana!" as they defended
themselves as best they could against the
enemy, using trees, rocks or anything
available behind which to shelter them.
selves as they fired as fast as possible at
the insurgents, who
Pressed Forward on All Sides.
For one hour the fight lasted, and moth
ing could be heard but the cracking OF
carbines, the shouts of the combatants
and the clashing of machetcs, and it is
believed that few. II any, of the guerrillas
escaped being killed or wounded.
Captain Aguero led his men gallantly
until an insurgent slashed at his horses
head with a machete. and put terrible
cash in the animal, causing it to fall and
throw the guerrillas' leader heavily to the
ground.
The insurgents engaged with Aguero's
guerrillas are believed TO form part of the
men which recently burned the body of
towns Of FL Mulato and San Geronimo
after capturing them.
The forts and garrisons of those places
and the news of this fresh disaster has
caused, it is said, very uneasy feeling in
official circles. Be that as 1t may, there is
no doubt that, If the government officials
are willing to admit these disasters to the
Spanish army in Puerto Principe within
few days, and not far from the capital of
that province that the situation of affairs
there must be very grave indeed, and may
prove much more so when Maceo, who is
reported to have made his way from the
province of Santiago de Cuba into Puerto
Principe, joins his forces to those Of
Gomez.