Evening star., 1896-01-28
MACEO'S DARING ACTS
Spanish officials Compliment the
Insurgent Leader.
CAPT. STUbRD'S STORY OF A Fight
Impressions Of Former British
Army Officer.
THE PURCHASE OF CUBA
From The Stars Special Correspondent.

HAVANA, Cuba, January g. 1896.
Antonio Maceo seems to be the hero of
the hour. His daring marches in Pinar del
Rio have astonished the government, and
Spanish officials for the first time during
the present struggle are paying compli-
ments to rebel leader
Pinar del Rio province is now livelier
than it has ever been, and the marching
and countermarching of troops, the num-
ber Of shrewd strategic moves, as well as
the number Of engagements between the
forces. fairly rival the brilliant dash of
Gomez into Matanzas and his clever opera
tions from Colon to Coliseo.
Communication between Pinar del Rio
| and this city is almost entirely severed,
| and the recent reports Of battles in the vi
| cinity of the provincial capital are wholly
unreliable. Their exaggerations are SO ap-
parent and inconsistent that even the gov
ernment censor Of the cable office refuses
| to allow correspondents to wire them to the
American press.
Capt. Stuard's Story.
| Capt. Stuard, formerly of the British
army, who has been with the insurgents
| for three months, and who is now attached
to the staff of Maceo, sends The Star cor
respondent the following account of the
| fight at Las Taironas, four miles from the
| city of Pinar del Rio, on the 18th instant:
| THE first real battle in this province was
| fought at Las Taironas, eight miles north
| Of our present camp, yesterday. l may not
| sum it up correctly, but 1 believe there
| were more killed and wounded on either
| side than in any other engagement since
Maceo's big fight at Peralayo, six months
| ago.
| about mile from little hamlet called
| Cruces Our Gen. Bermudez was four miles
away, between us and Pinar del Rio. At
| about o'clock on the morning OF the l9th
| his command, which was of cavalry and
numbered about three hundred men, rode
! into camp and informed US that outposts
had reported convoy train beyond the
| Las Taironas bridge.
| "Maceo Immediately ordered a march in
| that direction, and at o'clock the Span
iards were in sight Our men were tired,
but the morning was cool, and the thoughts
| of rich convoy inspired them. CThese
darkies are great fighters when there is
| anything in sight, and l think II they were
paid so much month they could whip an
equal number of devils)
"Col Echavarria, commanding the Span
| iards, at once threw small shells at US.
while he ranged alignment Of infantry
directly in our front, and he began with
| four companies to form square beyond
the train. L could not but see the absurd
ity of such a move, indicating that he ex-
| pected to lose the train, and only hoped to
save his party from utter annihilation.
| "Maceo lost no time when he saw this
movement, and he charged the front and
left flank. From my position the ele
waited ground at the rear 1 could see every
man in the Spanish column and am sure
there were not more than 80, all told.
THE Spanish infantry poured half a dozen
| volleys into the advancing Cubans, but
their fire was high, and 1 believe more bull
lets flew about my position than that of
| Maceos soldiers. 1t was all very pretty.
The Spaniards didn't stand long, and the
Cubans rushed upon the train. Then the
infantry retreated and formed into the
square one hundred and fifty yards away.
1.-THE mules composing the train and the
half dozen mail and provision wagons ac-
companying IL were used as breastworks
by the Cuban rif1emen and during the next
few minutes the square suffered terribly.
There was but feeble response from the
Spaniards, and even the small field pieces
were hurried away out of range.
while the light firing was going on Ber-
mudeZ appeared at the right of the Spanish
position, and was about to make charge
when large Spanish column. cavalry, in
fantry and artillery, seen hurrying
through the open tobacco fields There
must have been 5000 in the reinforcement,
but instead of all making an advance, Col.
Echavarra broke his square and fell back.
"Maceo had captured the train, Which
was almost equal to the rich haul made by
Banderas at Iguara, and he decided not to
expose his army to the artillery fire of the
, Spaniards, which they were now well pre-
pared to give him. The Spanish column
! now advanced slowly, and Maceo moved his
|. army over the hills to the left, and made
. a feint in the direction of Pinar del Rio
. Then the enemy fell back, and we moved
. in another direction to examine our booty
. and count our losses.
"Our killed numbered about 100, none OF
whom were left on the field and our wound
ed perhaps as many more. The Spanish
loss must have been in the neighborhood
of 200, for over half that number were kill.
ed at the first charge on the train. No pris
oners were taken by either side"
The official report of the above battle
makes the number of rebels killed 271, and
the Spanish loss in killed and wounded 123
Capt. Stuard further states in his letter
that Maceo's force is double in strength
as compared with it when he entered the
province few weeks ago. He says tina
all the people of the province seem to bt
with the revolution, and Maceo is the lido
i of the army. He has made a dozen daring
II marches, and in no engagement have tn,
H him.
1t is evident, from all the reports, tha
Maceo wants the Spaniards to think tina
| he intends to attack the city of Pinar de
Rio. He is lowering around within radius
| of twenty miles, and Is attracting a larg,
Spanish force. He declares he will marcl
to Cape San Antonio the western extrem
ity of Cuba) and then return to Havan,
| province. Those who have watched tn
| movements of the armies during the pas
month or six weeks believe the brave lieu
| tenant general will make good his words
q Planters Given a Rest.
q At length the planters are being given
4 show. There was CONSERVATION among then
q | fortnight ago Wnen the government pro
q claimed that they must proceed at one,
: with the grinding Of cane or take the con
sequences. The. planters. menaced on tn
g one hand by the insurgents and threatene,
= with the destruction Of their properties 1
= they attempted to harvest the crop, and OF
( the other hand ordered by the governmen
J to begin operations. were justified in con
( sidering their lot an unenviable one Fo
( months they had been between the devi
J and the deep sea, but now they were in tn
deep sea and Satan swimming alongside.
\ Then Gomez came to the rescue. H
! knew that many of the planters were hi
friends, and in sympathy with the revolu
! ton, and he knew that majority Of then
( were in the hands of the government an
( unless they obeyed the order to grind, the
J would be summarily dealt with. There
( fore he issued an order to his army in a.
( parts Of the island to allow the plantation
< mills to start up, but with the provision
- that no able-bodied Cuban, capable of bear
is ing arms, should be employed. I'VE hav
4 work for all Cubans to do" he said. '1et tn
u Spaniards and Cinnamon gather the crop.
e This was good news to the plantation
e owners, but the government at one