Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1896-01-01
Short Engagement a Ruse to
Outwit Campos.
THE INSURGENTS GOT BY HIM
The Army Moves Closer and Closer TO
Havana, Which Prepares
for Defense.

tanzas In spite of the efforts of Captain
General Martinez De Campos and about
5000 troops at his disposal. The report
ed important battle yesterday between
the Spaniaris under Campos and the
insurgents at Coliseo plantation, II
miles from Cardenas. does not appear
to have been severe engagement. Car
denas is seaport and quite an import
ant place for Cuba, of about 1000 inhab-
itants, only 81 miles from Matanzas
capital of the province of that name
and the largest town between Cardena
and Havana. The Spanish forces do
not appear to have encountered the
main body of insurgents, as at first an
nounced.
A SPANISH DEFEAT.
The fight at the Coliseo plantation
was between portion of the northern
column of three insurgent columns now
pushing through the province of Ma
tanzas, and instead of turning out to
be great victory for the Spanish re-
serves, the engagement was virtually a
defeat for the Campos forces. for the
Cuban army pushed onward unchecked
and is still advancing on this city. The
fighting took place amid burning cane,
underwood, tall grass and trees, and
was of the usual guerilla nature. At
times both troops and insurgents were
surrounded by a wall of flame and the
smoke was so dense over certain por-
tons of the ground contested that the
Cubans and troops were unable to see
each other, banging away at open
spaces, wasting ammunition. 1t Is true
this indiscriminate firing was more no
tced upon the part of the troops than
on thn Ct1 nf .
tnsurgent killed at least 1000 shots must
have been fired, The Cubans, following
their customary tactics, seemed to melt
away into the distance so soon as the
troops got within fighting distance of
them, and nearly all the firing was at
very long range, although the soldiers
made several gallant charges through
the burning territory. This style of
fighting is termed defeat of the insur-
gents, but as they succeeded in accom-
plishing their object, holding the Span
iards in check while the Cubans pushed
on southwark, the result was really a
Cuban victory. The captain general
was as near the front as possible
throughout the battle. encouraging
troops by words and actions. One of
the captain generals orderlies who was
sitting on a horse beside Campos re- |
ceived bullet in his breast and fell to |
the ground badly wounded
The correspondent of Correspondent
cha, Manuel Escoba, was decorated on
the field of battle by the captain gen
eral for gallant conduct at the battle of
Ensenada de la Mora, and it may be
here added that several other newspa-
per men have displayed a good deal of
pluck with the captain general under
fire.
AN ELUSIVE ENEMY.
Campos seems to have a supreme con-
tempt for the bullets of insurgents, but
he is rapidly learning to admire their
tactics. In spite of all the veteran Span
ish commander does, the Cubans are
marching through his forces, with but
few skirmishes here and there and he
seems TO be utterly unable to concen-
trate ahead of them forces sufficient to
draw the enemy into a pitched battle
When Campos establishes headquarters
and lays out plan OF battle the Cubans
seem by some mysterious means to hear
of it, and. pretending to fall into the
trap, push a body of men forward to
skirmish with the troops, draw Spanish
forces upon them, and the Cuban army
proper outfianks the Spanish and
y
The admirers of the captain general
claim this is his plan of campaign; that
he is allowing the Cubans to get by him
and nearer and nearer to Havana, only
for the purpose of eventually falling on
them in the rear and scattering them to
all points of the compass. This sounds
plausible enough. but the insurgents are
destroying all the buildings, railways
and plantations behind them. The route
they have followed is marked by a
blackened swath of smoking ruin and
desolation, and the Spaniards will have
a very difficult task to push on after
them.
As this dispatch Is sent, about noon, |
the exact whereabouts of the captain
general are not known, but he is report
ed to have made another change of base
and to be making another attempt to
engage the enemy. All the Spanish gem
erals in the rear of the insurgent army !
have been instructed to hurry after the
enemy with all possible speed.
Here, however, comes in the weakest
feature of the campaign of the Span
ards. The poorly fed, half grown lads 4
shipped here from Spain are suffering
terribly from the effects of climate and
exposure, in spite of the fact 4
that this is the so-called healthy season b
N Cuba. Yellow fever, smallpox and I
feyers have told terribly upon s
these unfortunate troops, and in ad- q
iition, they are utterly unfit for cam I
oaigning in this land of bad roads, high c
grass. swamps and low bushwood. They
simply have not the strength to push 4
steadily on after the Cubans, who, as a
'ule, are thoroughly acclimated men, >
accustomed to the country, familiar
With all Its peculiarities and able to bear
ong marches without suffering severe ?
y. +,
In any case a few days should de- q
ide everything. Generals Valdez and Il
.uque are pushing on for Sabanilla, a.
nut the Cuban army is believed to be 10 g
be westward of Sabanilla. After the "
attic of coliseo yesterday the insur- 81
ents moved rapidly westward, passing
, the south of Limonare While some o
were engaged with the troops com
landed by Campos, the Cuban army
'ent by Coliseo, MADAM, Tosca and SUI q
lidero, burning the plantations of Pc e.
"a, Atrevideo. Santo, Guavalejos. Alta 50
Iosal, Aguadita and Retribucion as is
ley swept onward. The last named 70
antation is situated between Cuana-
ana and Yharra, close to and south of "
atanzas. proving beyond doubt that a.
e Cubans have continued their march
J Havana.
-- -