The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-03
in WAR CAMPS In CUBA
NEW WORKERS. IMPRESSIONS OF
SPANIARD AND CUBAN.
BoastfuIness and Brutality of Spanish
OHicers-Pnnic Caused by the sight
of N Cuban Party.
New York sun.

city. gives the following account of his OBJ
servations among the Spaniards and in the
camps of the Cubans:
My trips on horseback covered close
upon l. 200 miles" he said My position
was such that j was always well received
by the Spanlards. / met many officers I'm
the Spanish ranks, and with very few eX-
ceptOns was treated by them as dis
tingushed guest; but many of them were
despotic, brutal. insulting in their language
to their interiors, even to women. l found
in my journey two soldiers being sent 10
| hospitals in straitjackets, completely de-
mented from the beating received at the
hands of their superior officer. In the ma
| jority of cases / found the Spanish soldier
| badly clothed and with worse foot gear
| and if their rancho affords a sample of
| what they eat where provisions plenty
! L don't wonder at the soldiers stealing all
| they can lay hands on wherever they go.
| Wherever a Spanish column stops the resi-
dents of the locality are obliged to lodge
| them, and many complaints withheld
| for fear of the rebuke the complainant re-
| ceives.
| THE Spaniard is imbued with Quixotism.
| While he is in a safe place great are his
| powers. so his stories of the terrible
| encounters with the insurgents. and at no
| time have L ever found one honest enough
to admit that he had been beaten or for
| safety had been forced TO make a counter
| march in order to avoid the enemy. have
| personally seen large sums paid for in
| formation concerning the location of an in
| surgent post. and have known Spanish
| column of two thousand men under one of
| their most distinguished generals to coun-
| termarch and go at least thirty miles out
| of their way because less than six hundred
| insurgents were ambushed on their line of
| march.
| II lost MY patience once and that was in
| conversation with several Spanish officers.
| They assured me that Spain would finish
| the Cuban war inside Of three months, and
they regretted that, instead of returning
| home to rest, they had it from good au-
thority that war would be declared with
The United States they would capture Bal
| iimore, Washington. New York and Boston
this seemed to be the limit of their
| geographical education): and these four
| principal stronSholdS once captured the
| United States would make no further re-
sistance. and they could then claim large
Indemnity for the assistance rendered TO
he insurgents by the United States. The
olan as far as [ could make out, was to
and 200 600 men in New Orleans or Tampa
md march right north or to land directly
n New York. They argued as the United
1
600 men, and no defenseS, and are purely a
commercial people. the conquest would be
staggered when 1 informed them that we
had the best naval vessels in the world
that inside of forty-eight hours could
have 100000 men under arms, well disci-
plired, well differed. and in the best condi-
ton. and all backed up with unlimited
wealth that Spain lacked; but all that
| would be unnecessary, as in all probability
If they should attempt to land in New York
they'd be arrested by the Broadway police
squad and sent to jail for ten DAYS for dis
| orderly conduct.
IN A GARRISON TOWN
I'm the particular town where / speak OF
now where / had considerable. business to
attend to, there was garrison of nearly
two hundred men, often more. For several
days reports came in that large nsurgent
force was approaching to attack it.
learned through a 'montuno' that an insur.
gent commission was in the neighborhooc
attending to civil matters; in fact Just the
two parties L wanted to see. / made ar
rangements to meet them on certain da,
and occupied myself about my affairs Tn,
Following day this commission. i'm croSsinl
one OF the main roads about l50O ward:
from the town, were seen by the sentries
the alarm was given and the panic was in
tense. Women and children ran in ever,
direction. doors and windows banged
whole families jumped pell nell into the
[ safety pits (holeS five or six feet deep ans
r | i've feet square dug in the yards or undel
their hoors). and men let themselves dowI
Wells. me soldiers concentrated in thei
4 | stockade fort and sent volley after yolIey
accompanied by three cannon shot all O
t which not in the least disturbed the marcl
e joined on the following day
Getting out was easy enough for me
Z the military commander gave me a pas
e good for one month for another town.
e started my trip to that town but OF
: the way took one OF the most enjoya bl
l and exciting trips through Cuba libre tina
m a 4 nfertt he --lI
mat MS commission simply came on
e monthly round for supplies of clothing
pieces OF drill for clothing. tools for thei
shoe. harness and repair shops. medicine
e for their sick and wounded and money col
lected from lumber exporters. cattle am
: | sugar estates, tax on cane carts and con
II tributions from stores run by Spaniar,ls
{ 1t seems strange that although all tn
!, sugar estates. coffee plantations cattl
ranches and other business enterprises wer
!, | conducted last season apparently unde
Spanish protection and we'll garrisoned, tn
{ proprietors in reality were under insurgen
= | protection, sums varying from 900 [
y $4,000 having been paid to the insurgents
A tax of S. a thousand feet was imposed o.
lumber. and one of 50 a head on cattle al
= lowed TO enter towns for slaughter. A con
y tribution or tax was levied on cane cart
. and their Jokes OF oxen working in IN
: fields. and monthly tax was imposed o
). all stores situated on the estates All thes
n contributions were payable in America
:, gold or its equivalent
:. IN THE GOMEZ CAMP.
III "All the districts under the civil govern
= ment OF the Cubans have governors pre-
e fects. subprefects secretaries, purveyoI
d and .subpurveyors. Under this manage
n ment perfect control is maintained. Wor
If ! is distributed and provisions and meat SUI
% piled 20 families Of the insurgents dwellin
in the monte system of 'postas' exist
which is remarkable for the speed wit
which dispatches and orders are transmit
IT | ted All this / saw with interest as v
p, made slow progress so as not to tire OF
- our beasts and the pack train of supple
:, When reached the general enCampmel
II where General Gomez and the gOyernmel
i, had united | was filled with surprise.
n, was the busiest scene possible and so di
to ferent from what my imagination had pi
N tured that | stood spellbound, gazing at IN
OF human beehive. There fairly goo
+ house. surrounded by what one tin
lg might have been a stockade inclosing
i'm weed-grown garden. Every part of In
err house was taken up with the different d
in partmentS. on the Veranda, which WI
DIS tastefully decorated and shaded with pal
X boughs sat the President. surrounded
a his Secretaries. I was introduced to
ne Excellency. Salvador Cisneros. or. as he
Ok more Familiarity known. the Marquis of s
ur Lucia President of the Republic of Cub
ct Treasury and of State. all of whom treat
he me in the most courteous manner. lendiI
me every facility for my purpose. i m
many officers and many former acquair
ances 7 had known I'm New York. In loo
n ! ing back one cannot help but admire {
70 | sacrifices these patriots have made, Civil
- up everything in order 10 free their la