Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-08-20
GEL Machete.


that Is winning Cuba's freedom, for at
the beginning of the present revolt
there were but few hundred rifles IN
the possession of the insurgents, and
until the Bermuda landed her cargo
on the island, only an occasional fill
clustering expedition, and these carry
ing small supplies, had managed to
elude the vigilance of the Spanish
watch dog.
The ease of the transmission from an
implement Of husbandry to weapon,
and the fearful effectiveness Of the
machete when employed against hu-
man flesh instead of sugarcane or log
wood has made this great cutlass from
time immemorial an important factor
in private quarrels in Cuba, and the
patriots were not slow to perceive Its
advantages when they began their
struggle for liberty. 1t was the one
weapon with which every peasant was
familiar. Even had these poor noun
taineers been versed in the handling
of firearms, the supply of the latter
was so precaIious that a large proper
ton of their troops would have been
quite useless but for the cutlass; and
a terrible foe have these manchete-men
proved themselves in dozen of en-
counters.
1t requires sufficient amount Of
bravery to stand up before a line Of
guns belching out fame and death, but
in hand-to-hand struggle, such as
becomes inevitable with these great
knives, personal activity and physical
strength are tried to the utmost, and
the leaders of the insurgents are forced
to originate a serious of tactics quite
at variance with the rules of military
science. There were few wounded
after the bloody battles of Cecoa, To-
bite or San Geronimo for the Cubans,
having crept through the long grass,
their machetes held between their
teeth. would await in breathless silence
the approach Of the Spanish troops
and the suddenness of the spring from
the ambuscade left no time to shoot ;
it became cutlass against bayonet on
the instant, and the cutlass generally
did its work better.
At the battle of Cacoa, Rabi, the IN
surgent leader, found his men sup
piled with two rounds of cartridges
and the country was too open to admit
of an ambush Compelling captured
trumpeter to sound the Spanish bugle
call, he rode full gallop with all his
force at the approaching column, cry
ing: Viva Espana." In the clouds
of dust the Spaniards did not perceive
the truth until their enemies were
within few yards, and then it was toe
late, for their ranks were shattered by
the impetuous onset of the Cubans, and
only bare handful of the detachment
escaped the deadly machete.
The Spanish generals have tried the
experiment of arming their troops
with the machete, but it was found to
be almost useless in the hands Of the
inexperienced, and the insurgents have
still a monopoly of its terrors. The
mere shout of "El machete has been
known to create panic in the enemy
columns, and is dreaded with reason
I
for there is preserved in the Madric
museum of artillery rife which, dur
ing the Ten Years war, was cut
squarely in two, wood, steel and all
by single stroke of cutlass.
1t is not surprising that the Cubar
should be so wonderfully proficient II
handling this weapon when one reflects
what it is to him in times of peace; i
is then about as comprehensive an I'm
plement as could be devised he use
it for anything from peeling a stick 0
sugarcane TO telling tree a foot an'
5 a half in diameter, and it is really
rare sight TO see a peasant without HI
cutlass. either carried in his hand o
swinging in long sheath. In aP
, pearance it is much like corn knife
, but it is usually longer and heavier
with a homemade handle incompara
! bly, more comfortable than the blister
s raising device which every countr,
! boy has tested in cutting down a roy
t Of corn. The ready-made handles
. horn look like quite the proper thin
l to the novice, but the veteran machet
t man is almost sure to discard this as
e snare and delusion, substituting
: piece of wood carefully cut out to +
e his hand and bound around ingenious
r " with twine to hold the blade frI
: and give good grip. So attache
n do these men become to their implt
= ments that YOU can materially lesse