The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-22
MACHETEI MACHETE!
Description of the Cuban Methods in
the War of Independence.

Description of the Cuban Methods in
the War of independence.
Havana Cor. New York Mail and Express.
A detachment of the San Quintin bat
talon, under Col Constante, was moving
along the road from TEAR to Moire. There
were 400 men in the column, and their
weary, shutting tramp raised cloud of
red dust which a gentle breeze carried
over the canefields. Sometimes the dust
would rise high in the air, like huge
red plume, if the breeze freshened; but
in the fitful calms it hung with the col
umn, suffocating, binding, singing the
wearied fellows who had been on the
march since early morning.
The sun was near the meridian. 1t
glanced out of a leaden sky upon the
parched land, shedding the fierce heat of
tropical MONDAY. No one spoke. With
every man ii was effort enough to keep
moving and to watch for the thorns and
sharp stones in the road, which might
tear open the sores of his bare and bruised
feet.
No halt had been made for three hours
The canteens were drained of their last
drops. Longing eyes were raised occas-
ionally for some signs of a refreshing
stream but only to drop again to the
pace and catching the binding cloud of
dust they raised.
d
brush and stunted verdure. Except a few
towering, solitary royal palms, brandish-
ing their huge OStrieh-like plumeS as If in
remonstrance to the whitening south wind,
this wooded strip through which the road
ran for 200 meters was the first grateful
shade that had fallen on their path.
Half an hour later the column halted
within few hundred meters of the woods.
The advance guard approached it eau
tiouSly, apprehending a possible ambush.
Satisfied with the reconnoiter, the column
al va a fpy m m
were resting in the delicious shadows.
Some dropped exhausted. Others sat and
again upturned for drops that possibly re-
mained. Few fell to talking, and then
only of the weary leagues that remained
before Moire should be reached, or of the
seen all day, despite the rumor that Del
gado's band of 500 had the night before
gone out from Gomez in the direction of
1--WE are going into Moire empty hand
ed said Lieut.. Martinez.
And lucky to do that" grumbled Ser
geant Guerra. Ten leagues is a long
days march under such a sun as this"
And when Martinez did not reply, he
and if the men drag themselves. there be-
fore midnight there won't be a kit left in
the outfit. Some of those fellows were
loosening their cartuchos cartridge cases)
until l caught them at it. Boys! Boysl
That's what they are sending here to fight
these black devils"
only gusts of wind. These palms are
noisy in the dry season. When l was
here in the long war we had men, not
boys; and even then the trees seemed to
hear two Cubans to every one we killed.
Nothing, nothing, only the wind-and we
had battles then. Now it is only marches;
to MORE to-day, back to Tejar tomorrow
empty handed always; but God knows
Cuba's graves are not. A hundred Span
iards die in these days who haven't shot
a Mambi. These days are our Cuban bat
1uh yVa err the losses.
Mambis never fatigue when they are at
home. Why, I've seen"
A tumult of voices drowned the rest
With the suddenness of lightning and
with an uproar of a tornado the woods
seemed to belch forth mad, plunging,
bowling throng of horsemen, riding flu
orders were given were unheard. 1t was
too late for preparation, and impulse alone
led every man to throw himself upon the
ground and begin firing upon the advanc-
ing force.
But it was too late.
9'Machetel MacheteI Machete!' shrieked
as if with the voices of a thousand hye-
mas drowned almost the crack of the
rifles as the overwhelming and resistless
band dashed onward, firing not shot,
chete with a skill which only Cuban,
its master. can exhibit
In one instant all was over. They had
ridden on to the Spanish line, broken it,
and gone over it, And as quickly as they
had come they were away; still screaming
with the voices or INDIANS.
The enormous sword-lke knives had
done their work. The dead and wounded
lay everywhere. Bodies had been cleft in
twain Some had lost arms, some legs,
some were pierced through. few had
been trampled to death by the horses.
When the cries of ''Macheter ceased it
seemed as if the silence of the dead had
settled over the scene as suddenly 4. de-
strrction had fallen. Then, from the d.
rection of Mambis had taken, some scat
evident thew
made a good stand, and the Spanish line
which had been formed out OF the wreck
prepared to charge upon them. The firing
duicl<ened as the Spanish moved, but hard
ly ten PAGES had been taken when upon
their back came another band of horse
men, and the trap was sprung.
Voices giving command We're drowned
in the panic that followed. The sounds
that filled the air were the lhorrfyingg.
the thunder of hoofs and the cracking of
Spanish rifles.
But again the line was cut through, and
a Spanish square was broken. Then, fee
ing as rapidly as they had come, the
Mann bis swarmed onward in the direction
the first band had taken.
There was no effort made to follow
them Squares were formed again and, for
what seemed to them an eternity, the
pected attack. But the time had come
when more blood would have to be shed
than Cubans ever count on losing in a
battle and the attack never came.
Hours after, when the burying of the
dead was finished, the remnant of the
San Quintin battalion moved again to-
ward Moire-not empty-handed There |
was one Miambi with the score of Span |
ish who were carried into the city.
She Cfshing)-I know. Alfred, I have
my faults.
He-Oh, certainly.
She angrily)-Indeed? Perhaps you'n |
tell me what they are?-Tit-Bits.
Her Extravagance-Mrs. smith--Dear
me. ] am getting a double chin.
Mr.. smith-You ought to be ashamed to |
have SO much of anything these hard |