The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-01-21
H RESURRECTION.

Recruits Said to Be Wei Armed
Marching Toward Havana--Artillery
Needed.
HAVANA, January 15.-Confirmation
has been received of the report Monday
night from the eastern provinces that
the lnsurgent leaders, Rabi, Jose Maceo,
ChOngO Rivero and others, at the head
of strong forces of insurgents from the
provinces of Puerto Principe, believed
to be much better armed than any pre-
vious forces aud to have been rein
forced by flibustering expeditions con-
tanning numbers of Americans, are
moving eastward, apparently with the
intention of reinforcing the insurgents
now operating in the nelghborhood of
Havana.
The Captain General has been forced
to meet this move by sending back to-
ward Santa Clara several columns of
troops which were on their way through
the province of Matanzas to reinforce
his forces in this vicinity. The insur-
gents, it is believed, will thus be able
to continue for come time longer their
almost unchecked operations, and If
the Spanish generals are not able to
prevent a junction of all the insurgent
forces now in this vicinity the situation
will become more critical. Estimating
that the insurgents now have about
Is. 900 men, more or less well armed, in
this vicinity, and that they are rein
forced by say 10, 900 more we'll armed
men from the eastward, Gomez will,
friends Of his cause say, have under his
command quite a fair-sizad army and
should be able to take the offensive
even against q strong force or Spanish
troops defending Havana.
Several insurgent bands, numbering
from 100 to 300 men, are reported to
have gave gathered in the Province Of
| Colon and MataDZas, and all of these,
it is understood, will help to swell the
Rabi Maceo forces. In any case it does
not seem possible to deny that the in
%surrection is increasing in Importance
every day. Practically, the whole in
terror of the island from east to west,
with the exception of the large towns,
is in possession of the insurgents, who
have burned everything combustible
and have levied tribute right and left
under the very noses of the Spanish
commanders, and cutting down the
revenue of the Spanish Government
from Cuban sources about 80 per cent,
according to the insurgents estimates.
Under these conditions it is not aston
ishing that some change In the COM
membership of the Spanish forces is
expected daily.
The insurgents are not acting hastily
in any way. They have plenty of time
before them, and intend to make the
most of it. They have a central gov
eminent established at Hermosa, in
the province of Puerto Principe; their
forces are organized in excellent mill
tary style; they have regular army
workshops, hospitals, in addition to
the field hospitals; dep0ts of provisions
and ammunition. Their cavalry ls
vastly superior, both in number and
quality, to that of the Spaniards, and
the military experts assert that the I'M
portation of 5000 or 4 600 Spanish cav
airy will in no way affect the situation,
as the Spanish horses cannot stand the.
climate. The weak point of the Cuban
army is it's artillery, but friends here
assert that quite a number of rapid fire
guns recently came into the possession
of General Gomez and they were landed
not far from Havana at that.
Yesterday afternoon it was stated on
good authority here that General An
tonic Maceo has pluudered San Diego
de Nunez. quite an important town a
little to the eastward and southwark of
Bahia Honda.
Exciting news from the front was re-
ceived about noon in a shape which
prevented it's accuracy from being
denied. The sound of continued ar
tillery firing was heard south of Rim
con, not far from Bejucal, the town
which was attacked by the insurgents
with the result that, according to the
official statement of the affair, they
were forced to retreat after a heroic
resistance upon the part of the govern
ment force defending that place, the
battle lasting, it is claimed, five hours.
But it is admitted that the insurgents
plundered stores in the outlying streets
of BeiucaI, burned a number of houses
aud: destroyed the railroad depot by
} fire. Previous to this, they had burned
the town of Salud, quite a good sized
place, and partly destroyed QIivican,
a smaller place. They varied these
} operations with burning freight trains
and destroying railroad engines as they
pushed northward and toward Havana.
} This force of insurgents is the one sup
} posed to be commanded by Gomez in
person.
WILL BIZ TRIRD IN ENGLAND.