The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-28
a Desperate Fight.

Havana, June "details reached
here today of a desperate fight be-
tween portion of the insurgent force,
under Maxine Gomez, in the province
of Puerto Principe, and seventy of
the auxiliary troops of the Spanish
government as Suerrillas, under Cap
tain Aguerro. The engagement took
place on the day of the insurgent raid
upon San Geronimo, as exclusively
cabled to the Associated Press last
night: The seventy gUerrillas were
surprised by the vanguard of Gomez's
forces, commanded by MirabeI. and
tnere was great slaughter on both
sldeS, the hghtinS being mainly with
matchetes
The guerrillas unexpectedly zame
upon the lnsurgent vanguard. consist
ing of about 400 men. At first thA
guerrllas Imagined they had only a
comparatively small body of men be-
Iore tnem- Commander Aguerro called
Who goes there?"
"A Spanish force" was the renlv oe
the lnsurgent, as his men continued tn
advance rapidly upon the government
forces Two or three times more did
the Suerr1llas try to halt the insIIr.
SehtS, put the latter pushed on quick.
~ until nnaHy their leader, skeins
mat the Suerrillas were in an awkward
position, cried: AT the machstes' -
ms cry showed the guerrilIas that
Ihey were confronted by Insurgents
ana not by a detachment of Spanish
tIorces' as they had been led to be-
neVe, and, the mask being thrown off
the guerrillas replied to the then Oft
repeated cries of 'at the machetes''
with VolIeys from their carbines. as
they commenced to retreat before the
vastly superior forces of Insurgents
Ihen the government soldiers and the
lhSurSent troops became engaged I'm a.
hand to hand combat, which quickly
became little more than a massacre
OF the unfortunate guerrillas.
me insurgents, in the meanwhile
mad been reinforced until they are said
20 nave numbered fully 1900 MOI.
composing the main body of men IN =
der the command of Gomez
Against these overwhelming numbers
the guerr1lIas fought herOfcaIly. shout
ing Iva ESpana" as they defended
themselves as best they could against
the enemy, using rocks or anything
available behind which to Shelter
themselves. The insurgents pressed
forward from all sides upon the little
band.
For an hour the fight lasted and
nothing could be heard bat the rattle
OF Inusketry and the shouts of the
combatantS and the cIaShine Of ma
chetes. 1t is believed that few If anV
OF the guerrillas escaped being killed
The insurgents engaged 80 the
suerrilas are believed to fo - part
of the body of men whichSs ecentIv
burned the towns Of FL Mutto and
San Geronimo, after Capturing the
forts and garrisons of those places.
and it is said the news of this fresh
disaster has caused a very uneasy
feeling in official circles.
The rebels are lar from the capital
of the province Of Puerto Principe,
and 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.
That there is real cause for
alarm may be gathered from the fact
that it is reported in we'll informed
circles here today that Captain Cen
eral Martinez de CampOs has. 4abled
to the Spanish government asking for
the prompt dispatch of larg& re-
Inducements of troops from Spain.