The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-26
A RAPID ADVANCE.
INSURGENTS APPEAR TO Be
STEADILY GAINING.
CampOs Evidently Out-GeneraIed at
Excellent Showing.

HAVANA, Dec. 25-(Copyright, 1895.
by the Associated Press. )-Further
details reached here today from Ma
tanzas of the rapid advance of the
insurgent army, numbering about H.
900 men. on Havana after forcing its
way through the province of Santa
Clara and into the province of Ma
tanzas, in spite of the efforts of Cap
tain-General Martinez de Campos and
about 5000 troops at his disposal to
the territory invaded.
The reported important battle yes
terday between the Spaniards under
Campos and the insurgents at Coliseo
plantation, twelve miles from Car
denas. does not appear to have been
a severe engagement.
Cardenas. a seaport and quite an
important place for Cuba, of about
1000 inhabitants. is only tWenty-one
miles from MatanZas, capital of the
province of that name, and the largest
town between Cardenas and Havana.
The Spanish forces do not appear
to have encountered the main body
of the insurgents, as at first an
nounced.
At CoIiseO.
was between a portion of the northern
column of three insurgent columns
now pushing through the province of
Matanzas. and instead of turning out
to be a great victory for the Spanish.
the result of the engagement was viz
tually a defeat for CampoS' forces, for
the Cuban army pushed onward I'M
checked and is still advancing on this
city. The fighting took place amid
burning cane, underwood, tall grass
and trees. and was of the usual
guerrilla, nature. At times both the
troops and the insurgents were sur
rounded by walls of flame and the
smoke was so dense over certain por-
tionS of the ground contested that the
Cubans and the royal troops were I'M
able to see each other and kept banging
away at open spaces, wasting good
ammunition. 1t is true that this IN
discriminate firing was more noticed
upon the part of the royaiStS than on
the side of the insurgents; 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 dis
lance so soon as the troops got within
fighting distance of them, and nearly
all the 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 a. defeat of the insurgents, but
as they succeeded in accomplishing
their obiect-holding the Spaniards in
check while the Cubans pushed south
ward-the result was really a Cuban
victory. The captain-general was as
near the front as possible throughout
the battle. encouraging the troops by
words and action.
A Bad Aim.
One of the captain generals orderlies
who was sitting on his horse beside
Campos received a bullet in his breast,
and fell to the ground badly wounded
The shot was no doubt intended for the
Spanish commander.
The correspondent of Correspon-
dencia, Manuel Escobar, was decorat-
ed on the field of battle by the cap
tain general for gallant conduct at the
battle of Ensenada de Ia Mora, and it
may be here added that several other
newspaper men have displayed good
deal of pluck with the captain general
under fire CamDos seems to have a
supreme contempt for the bullets of,
the insurgents; but he is rapidly learn
ing to admire their tactics. In spite of
all the veteran Spanish commander
does. the Cubans are marching through.
his forces, with but a few skirmishes
here and there and he seems to be.
utterly unable to concentrate ahead of
them forces sufficient to- draw the