The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-10
BLOODY BATTLE IN CUBA
Spanish Troops Walk Into Trap
and Arc Slaughtered.
NUMBER or DEAD UNKNOWN

| AsS W ~H"o
Pcrico Diaz Defeats General Cannelin's
| Command nt Artcmisin--NO Esti.
| mate OF the spanish Losses
| Can 10 Asccrtaincd.
From Correspondent of the United Press.
Havana, Feb. 8, via Jacksonville.
| Feb. S.--General Marin, who left Ha-
vana a week ago to take personal
command of the opera tions In the field
and who expected 10 strike decisive
blow against the enemies OF Spain, has
not yet succeeded in forcing a battle.
When the captain general. who has
only a brief interval of power before
the arrival of General Weyler, started
| out, Gomez was awaiting the return
| of Maceo from Pinar Del Rio province
and the two rebe. leaders We're sepa-
rated. 1t was General Marin's plan to
place n strong force between the two
and prevent their union. He has not
succeeded in accomplishing this for both
| leaders are now In Havana province
and are acting in conjunction with each
other. During the week there have
been several encounters in Havana
province between Spanish columns,
acting under General Marin's orders,
| and bodies of rebels directed by Gomez,
but only one of these was precipitated
by the Spaniards. The Others were
| plan by the insurgents. In none of
| them has the result been to the adVan-
tage of the Spanish side.
The first fight since General Marin
took the field occurred on the day he
went out. General Cannella was or
dered west from t;uanajay. town
near the border line between the prov
inces of Havana and Pinar Del Rio.
He was to head of Maceo. who was
moving east The insurgents set a
trap for General Cannella's force on
the Saladriges stock farm, few miles
southwest Of Ariemisia. The road
| which Cannella waS on passed through
| the estate and Is banked on one side
by fields divided isto squares by stone
| fences. Just west of these fences is a
small hill. Perico Diaz, one of the best
fighting tnen In Gomez's following, had
400 rebel infantry lying fiat on the
| ground behind the stone fences to the
| left of the road. With 1000 rebel cav
airy Diaz waited IN hiding behind the
| hill further down the road.
Walked Into the Trap.
The rebels waited about two hours.
| Then the Spanish force appeared, and
advanced until the head of the col
umu had passed the stone wall The
rebels then opened with II volley fire
| from behind the wall. Many Of the
Spaniards broke and ran across the
| fields to the right of the road. while
others held their position in the road
and returned the rebel fire. DiaZ sent
half his mounted force down the road
giving the men in the road a machete
| charge. and with other mounted men
rode across the fields and headed off
the Spaniards who hrd broken ranks.
| IL, .hen was in aS.,osltion 10 give the
| troops in the road u cross fire. and this
wrought havoc among them. General
Cannella managed to pull his shattered
forces together and retreated toward
Guanaiay.
The fight was Of brief duration but 1t
was one of the most sanguinary Of the
war. No accurate account of the
Spanish losses can be obtained and
probably none will ever be known.
General Canne!la threw out picket lines
extending over one mile and allowed
no one to enter while he buried his dead.
Their number is said to be near two
hundred General Cannella himself is
said to have been wounded. The insur-
gent loss was very small. Although
this fight occurred January 30 the gov
ernment has issued no official report of
1t, Il very unusual thing.
Fighting NJ pinar.
Havana. Feb. 8. via Key West, Fla,
Feb. 9.-The fighting In Pinar province
In the last few days has been the most
severe since the beginning of the war.
The condition to which the Spanish
forces in the west are reduced has led
Marin to abandon the attempt to force
a battle with Gomez. delay his return
to Havana and go to the relief of the
| beleaguered towns. Maceo's forces in
clude the bands of Miro. Sotomayor,
TNal 10 20 nd Ilarpn,r1au Tho
official government report gives them
strength of GOO. 1t Is probably much
greater
The combined forces fought pitched
battle with LuQue. at Paso Real. Mon
day. The latter reported that the rebel
forces formed in line of battle and
charged the Spanish lines with great
valor. Luque claimed a complete vic
tory, and asked for the San Fernando
cross. having remained i'm command.
though shot through the leg. After the
fight Luque withdraw his forces to the
capital Of the province.
"Wednesday thc'same parties of rebels
besieged Candelaria, railroad town
near the Havana province border.
They had apparently recovered from
the battle with Luque. The volunteers
and a small detachment made heroic
defense of Candelaria for 2e hours.
Marin who was about leaving Arte-
misia for Havana, ordered Cannella to
the relief of Candelaria and to attack
Maceo. He took all the available forces
| and proceeded in person to support
Cannella. The latter made remarkable
march. reached Candelaria and found
insurgents swarming in the towns in
that vicinity. The garrison held out
| though many fell. The troops of the
Simancia and Zamoria battalons at
tackled the besiegers and the fight con-
| tinued two hours. The insurgents
made several machete charges against
| Spanish troops The latter used artil-
lery. The losses were heavy on both
sides. The troops finally entered Cam
delaria Thursday night. The insur-
| gents moved west to San Crstobal.
Marin's column arrived at Candelaria
and Cannella followed Maceo. Another
battle is expected. 1t Is impossible to
| learn the losses at Candelaria accu-
| rately.
The government says twenty-six
dead insurgents were found on the field
of battle and that nineteen more were
afterward discovered Their own
losses are given as five dead and forty
eight wounded.
Gomez Near Artcmisia.
Gomez was last reported between
Artemisia and the western border of
Havana province.
Pando arrived here last night. Marin
is expected tomorrow and Weyler Mon
day. The city Is being decorated with
bunting and preparations made for an
| enthusiastic reception of the troops by
| the officials and loyal citizens.
The American correspondent, Man.
nix. remains. pending the result of the
action of the state department at
Washington against the summary ex-
pulsion.