Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-07-11
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 Fire
Utilized in Warfare.

q
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 $50 of the latter were killed. 1t
appears chat Sanchez received informa-
ton to the effect that a force of 1,5o0
isurgents, under command of Rabi,
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 point which compelled the
troops to approach them through a
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 II and 30 men re-
spectiveiy, with Instructions to push
forward to the right and to the left 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 Sanchez's command. The ser
gcants clcycrly followed out
the instructions given them.
Sanchez then advanced carefully upon
the Insurgents position, protecting
the men by every inequality Of the
ground But, as he expected, the
troops We're no sooner inside the defile
than The insurgents attacked them in
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
1t was here that tile two advance
pickets came to the rescue. From
their elevated position they kept
continuous and well directed fire upon
the insurgents within range and
eventually by a charge the Spanish
troops compelled them 70 retreat out
side the defile. The Spanish rushed
after them and once in the open they
charged the insurgents with great
courage and compelled them to retreat
hastily The insurgents then sought
refuge IN a strong position they had
previously left in order to attack the
troops; but the soldiers carried this
position and put the enemy
to fight 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 in-
surgents under Castillo. The enemy
built a 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 50 the remainder Of
the garrison kept up continuous firing
on the insurgents. The latter replied
from every point, but the garrison held
ont CALAMITY 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.