The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-12-28
THE ALARM IN HAVANA.
Official Reports Declare That In
surgents Are Retreating,
BUT THE CITY is IN A FERMEHr.

OF the City There VIII be an Uprising
Holding Their Own.
HAVANA, De;. 2s--Reports Of small en-
gagements and movements Of the troops
and many more ruInora 6kd unauthenti-
Gated reports arrive here continually, all
accompanied by the claim that the insurg-
ents are in full ratreat, and that the raid
into Matanzas Is ended. No reliable esti-
mate could be made of the real intentions
OF the insurgents, or the force which they
mustered In any one place. Their move
ments could only be surmised by the re-
ported movements of the Spanish forces
and their encounters with forces Of the in
surgents, which do not appear to have
been In great numbers In any Of these en-
counters.
The official reports, or that portion Of
them which is allowed to gain publicity,
give the impression tiat the insurgents
arc no longer making ahy aggressive
movement toward tho sA,st, nor striving
TO make any further advance towards
Havana but are striving by every means
to effect retreat back into Santa Clara,
while the Spanish forces are reported to BIO
putting forth every effort to secure bat
tie with a large body Of the insurgents
ana TO cut on their retreat.
While the official report states that
Quintin Bandera, the commander of the
northernmost column of the insurgents, is
retreating, the points named as being oc
cupied by him do not indicate any marked
change from his former position. For In
stance, an official report states that Ban
dera has retreated from Guamacaro, which
Is several miles north of and near Ma
tanzas and Sumidero, where Bandora was
reported yesterday. The movement OF
Gomez's column in the south, or the re-
treat as the official report terms it, is in
apparently good order and without loss
from attacks by the Spaniards, while the
column leaves as destructive a trail be-
hind 1t as it did on It's course westward and
over an entirely different route.
Reports would Indicate that a portion,
at least, of Gomcz's column has crossed the
line back into Santa Clara, and is now
near the Cienega Oriental de Zapata, the
great swamp land in the southern part OF
Santa Clara province. II that report be
true, IL by no means follows that the in
snrgents have determined to evacuate
Matanzas province.
Bandera and Maceo, in the north, seem
to bc holding their own against the Span
ish forces. The fact that Gomez has not
been repulsed in any serious engagement,
and is not being driven by any pursuing
force, would indicate that his movement
is n strategic one.
Here in this vicinity, in spite of the re-
ported bad position Of the insurgents, tho
work of preparing for the defense of
Havana is being pushed with all the vigor
possible, and all the regular soldiers and
volunteers who can be spared are being
hurried to the front. Provisions are being
collected, cattle are being driven in and
everything denotes the greatest anxiety
and excitement, a state Of affairs not at
all in keeping with the glowing reports of
Spanish victories and insurgent defeats
which are announced here.
Many people are convinced that II Gomez
succeeds in pushing his forces to within a
reasonable distance of Havana an uprising
of the friends of tho insurgents here is not
at all unlikely. Everybody you see in the
streets seems to be in a state Of great nerv-
GUS excitement, and there are not a few
people who are asking themselves how it is
possible that Campos is now in Havana il
the insurgents are In retreat, and II the
city Is threatened why it is he does not go
out to meet the enemy.
The authorities are not blind to the fact
that there is a strong element among the
younger male population OF this city
which is in strong sympathy with the in
surgents, and in case Of serious trouble
with the insurgents outside the city it is
an open question whether the fire depart
ment, and even the bulk of the civil guards
and volunteers here, could be counted
upon for any length of time
The triumphant march Of the insurg-
ents seems to have great effect upon the
populace, and those who three weeks ago
laughed at the idea of the insurrection ever
amounting to more than an uprising of the
disaffected portion of the population are
now anxiously looking for news from the
front, and are extremely apprehensiye OF
hearing within short time that the ad-
vance guard OF the insurgents has been
sighted from the outer works of the city of
Havana.
The merchants Of this city while still
loyalty supporting the government, are
beginning to be very nervous, and look
forward with great deal of alarm. to tho
prospect of an uprising here and the entry
of the insurgents into Havana, which it is
claimed is certain to be the signal for
wholesale looting and other serious dis
order
In the face Of all these alarming rumors
and expressed fears the governmen an
thorities insist that there Is absolutely no
danger that the insurgents will ever get
any distance beyond Matanzas, and they
continue laughing mt the mere mention of
the idea that Gomez can get within sight
of Havana. They insist that he and his
forces are in retreat, and that the chances
against the insurgents being able to get
back into tho province of Santa Clara are
very slim indeed
A report is in circulation here TINT the
mayor of Macurijes, his family, including
the ladies, and everyone of his household,
have been murdered by the insurgents
The same fate Is said to have ovcrtaken
the mayor of Lagiura. These towns were
on the course of Gome2's line OF march.