Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-01-15

from the front was received about noon
in a shape which prevented its accu-
racy from being denied. The sound of
continued artillery firing was heard
south of Ricon not far from Bejucal'
the town which was attacked by the in
surgents yesterday with the result that
according to the Official statement OF the
affair. they were forced to retreat after
a heroic resistance upon the part of the
/ government force defending that place,
the battle lasting, it is claimed, five
hours.
But it is admitted that the insurgents
plundered stores in the outlying streets
Of Bejucal, burned a number Of houses
and destroyed the railroad depot by
fire. Previous to this, they had burn
ell the town OF Salud, quite a good sized
I place. and partly destroyed QuiVacan,
a smaller place. They varied these
operations with burning freight trains
and destroying railroad engines as
they pushed northward and towards
Havana This force is Insurgents is the
one supposed 10 be commanded by Co
mez in person, although it has been
I insisted that he is sJill in the province
of Pin9r del Rio and that he was in
conflict with Spanish troops commanded
by General LinareZ. 1t is believed that
an important engagement is taking
place and further information is anX-
iOusly expected
Confirmation has been received Of the
I report last night from the eastern pro-
/ vinces that the insurgent leaders, Jose
| Mace0. Chongo Bjyero and others, at
the head OF strong
FORCES OF INSURGENTS
fro mthe province Of Puerto Principe,
believed 10 be much better armed than
anw previous forces and to have been
reinforced by fliDustering expeditions,
containing numbers of Americans. are
moving eastward, apparently with the
/ intention of reinforcing the insurgents
now operating in the neighbOrhOOd of
/ Havana. Those insurgent forces are
said TO have moved iutO the Remedies
1 district apparently having crossed the
frontier at about the same place as
Gomez crossed il an dto have moved
In a nOTthwesterly direction from Santa
Spirius to Remedies and from there on
west.
The presence OF this additional force
insurgents moving through the PROV
.nce eli Santa Clara and in the direction
or the province Of NatanZas. viii. nat
urally, prevent The Spanish commanders
from sending into the Havana district
all the troops hey intended to draw from
santa Clara and Nata1zas with the in
/ tanti0n of driving the insurgents now
IN this vicinity INFO the province Of
/ Plnar del Rio, westward. until they were
all placed in position where they could
be either eXterminated or forced to
/ surrender.
The Captain General mas been forced
to meet this move by sending back to-
wards Santa Clara several columns of
/ troops which We're in their way through
/ the province of MaanZas TO reinforce
his forces in this vicinity. The insur-
gents, &c is believed, would thus be able
To- continue for some time longer their
/ almost
UNCHECKED OPERATIONS
and if the Spanish generals are not
/ able to prevent a junction of all the
insrgen- forces now in this vicinity.
! the situation viii become more critical.
Estimating that the Insurgents now
I have 10000 men. more or less. well
/ armed, in this vicinity, and that they
are reinforced by say 10000 more we'll
armed men from the eastward. Gomez
VIII have under his cOmand quite a far
sized army and should be able. all
things fairly favorable, to take the Of
fenslve even against a strong force of
Spanish troops defending Havana. OF
| Course, these are the views taken by
! the friends of The insurgents and are
directly al variance with those OF. the
Spanish officials, who claim that the
second Cuban army advancing from the
east under Rabi and Jose Maceo. does
not number and VIII never number 5000
men.
They admit however, that the insurg-
eu- forces commanded by GARLIC. Jcse
Agu.re and RegO, have already Joined
the Ral.-M3cel forces In the Remedies
district and consequently. it is TO be
presumed that all. or nearly all. the
d.dren, Cuban band eastward will
ioin the army commanded Inv R7bi and
Jose N9ceo with the view of Drsb;rr
westward iU the strongest force pes
s.ble. Su9posing. on the 3DDro9cb
of this force towards -be 7rovinca of
Havana that The Insurgents columYs
now fn this vicinity were ?, ~s.rea+
westward fin body. drawing after +bam
an the Spanish tro9Ds possible. t5e sn-
surgen-s forces would be i'm D9s'-i9n
10 ho.d between two fairly large 9rmie-