Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-25
The Stars Cuban Correspondent in
the Insurgents Camp.
Ills PERILOUS TRIP FROM HAVANA
HighEstimate Of Campos Expressed
by His Former Opponent.
QUESTION OF BELLIGERENCY
From The Stars Special Correspondent.

1t is not mere than sixty miles, as the
crow flies, from Cubas capital to this point
the camping place OF Gen. Gomez's d.
vision Of the rebel army, for the past four
hours. In another four hours the army
will again be on the move, and by this time
tomorrow night Q1 o'clock), will have ad-
vanced forty miles eastward.
Under ordinary circumstances, and pro-
vided with the proper papers, the reaching
of the rebel lines from Havana is not very
difficult. Immediately upon leaving the
city you are halted by the Spanish outpos.s
and your military passport examined. A
little further On ard you are for the second
time halted. And thus it is until perhaps
you imagine you are to be shot, for the
sentry appears thoroughly frightened as he
raises his Iiece to the shoulder and cries
out, after you have answered "Vive Es-
pana," for you to advance singly Even
tho Ugh YOU are upon an open road and
with open fields about he commands you to
come up to him alone, and you wonder how
under the circumstances you could do any
thing else.
Sometimes the sentry cannot read, and
although he thinks from the looks of your
papers you are all right, he marches you
to the nearest officer in command of that
district Che may be either corporal or a
generaD, and turns you over for cross-ex-
animation. Then, If you are thirty miles
from Havana, they become suspicious and
demand your reasons for desiring to go
further. 1t is always well in such an emer-
gency to know the name of some higher
officer still beyond and inform your ques-
TONER that you are to join his command
Should the man who endeavors to bar your
progress then assert that you are going In
the wrong direction to meet the general
Eamed Che must always be general in
this case), you on the other hand insist that
you are possessed of inside information as
to the whereabouts of that certain officer
that cannot be questioned.
The Murderous Plntealos.
This clash of opinion and assumed in
formation is not very pleasant, especially
to the soldier, but the little bluff works, and
you are allowed to proceed. Sometimes, by
way Of encouragement. you are informed
that the terror of Cuban peasantry and
lonely travellers through the country, "pla-
teados," are numerous in the section just
ahead.
Yes, and it is these same plateados who
make the going from one army to another
a difficult and dangerous proceeding. They
are murderers and cut-throats of the worst
order, and are especially numerous in Ha-
vana province at the present time A great
many of them accompanied the army from
the far eastern end of the island, and reach
ing Matanzas or Havana deserted. They
respect neither side. but kill and riot at
every opportunity.
Beyond Bejucal your correspondent was
warned by man who came out of house
hat orfv nf n1o ofco6 dos 4
about a mile away. He said he expected
they would come and attack his house and
kill his wife and five daughters who were
in hiding in the cellar. Later on the pla-
teados appeared In the thin cane about two
hundred yards away. A victim had fallen
into their hands, and, in plain sight of the
house, they felled him to the ground with
stones. finished his life with machetes, and,
rebbing him Of his clothes, departed.
1t was not sight such as would tend to
increase the desire to proceed further in
that direction, but with the information
that they had gone back into the cane
fields, and the further knowledge of the
fact that plateados carry no firearms,
while The Star correspondent was we'll
provided with the latter and rode a good
horse, the journey was continued For the
next two leagues to the eastward good time
was made.
Not man, woman or child was seen in
the six miles, although there We're in that
vicinity tnree or four large Spanish col
umns. Belucal itself was attacked by the
rebels few days before, and the hand.
some charcn was almost totally ruined.
But the rebels had gone again like tho
wind, and no one knew whittier.
At the Rebel Outpost.
About thirteen miles east from Beiucal
the sudden cry of "Quien Var rang ont
Ihe rebel outposts. or rather the rear line
OF skirmishers, was being neared. This is
readily known by the difference in the cries
the Spaniards asking who lives?" and the
rebels who goes?'
To answer "Espana! at this time would
mean death, providing you were unluckv
and the rebel picket better marksman
than the majority of his comrades. The
opportunity Is provided for, end after being
certain that you are not in Spanish hands
you dig down into your riGing boots and
produce the rebel passport that entities
you to ride from one end Of the island a.
most to the other, and guarantees you an
escort the entire distance.
You at once appreciate the difference in
value between the two military papers you
carry. One, given Dy the government of
Spain, says you may go with the forces in
operation" but you are hindered and
watched in every movement you make. The
other, issued in the name Of the republic of
Cuba, wins for you friends at every turn
and valuable assistance in reaching any
particular destination.
Shortly after passing the first rebel picket
a rebel party Of perhs ps between three and
four hundred men was met. 1t was a de-
tachment of the forces under Gen. Quintin
Banderas, whose main body was one league
to the south. Here 1t was learned thai
Gomez was moving toward the Cienaga
Zapata, or great Cuban everglades, in
southern Matanzas. He was only twelve
miles away, but as his entire force was
cavalry, there was no chance to delay If he
was to be caught up with.
Several small detachments of Banderas'
force were encountered in the next three or
four miles. A majority of the soldiers were
negroes; strong, hardy fellows, who ap-
parently were enjoying life even though
they marched barefooted through the stub
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