The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-25

| hands on wherever they 90. wherever
Spanish column stops the residents of
the locality are obliged To- lodge them. and
T many complaints are withheld for fear
/ OF tho rebuke the complainant receives.
THE Sraniard is imbued with QuiXot-
I ism. While he is i'm safe place great
arc MS powers. more 50 his stories OF
tho terrible encounters with the insur-
gents, and AT no time have ! ever found
one homes enough to admit that he had
been beaten or for safety had been forced
TO make cOuntcrmarch in order 70 avoid
the enemy. | have personally seen large
sums paid for information concerning the
location Of an insurgent post. and have
known Spanish column OF 1000 men UNI
der one OF their most distinguished gene
rails 20 &C untermarch and 80 at least thir-
~ miles out Of their way because less
| than go insurgents were ambushed on
their line OF march.
Il lost my patience once, and That was
IN conversation with several Spanish Of
icers. They assured me that Spain would
nnish the Cuban war inside of three
months, and they regretted that, instead
OF returning home 10 rest, they had il
from good authority that war would be
declared with tho United States. they
would capture Baltimore. Washington.
New YORK. and Boston this seemed 10
be the limit of their geographical edu-
cation, and these four principal strong
holds once captured. the United States
would make no further resistance. and
they could then claim "a large indemnity
Tor the assistance rendered 10 tho inSur-
gents by the United States. The PLAN as
iar as / could make out was 20 land 300
OI1 men In New Orleans or Tampa and
march right north or 90 land directly IN
New York. They argued as The United
states nave no army % speak OF. some
1000 men. and no defence. and are pure
~ commercial people. the conquest
would be comparatively easy. They were
4f4
that We had the hest naval vessels in the
world. that inside Of fOrfy-eicht hours
we could have 100000 men under arms.
well disciplined. well differed and in the
best condition, and all backed mp with the
unlimited wealth that Spain lacked. but
all that would be unnecessary, as in all
probability II they should attempt 10 land
IN New York they'd be arrested by the
Broadway police squad and sent TO jail
for ten days for disorderly conduct
In the particular town where / speak
OF now where had considerable business
10 attend 10. there was a garrison of near
~ two hundred men. often more. For
several days reports came in that 4 large
lnsurgent force WAS approaching 10 at
tack 10. ! learned through 'montuno'
that an insursent commission was in the
nri~hhornood attending TO civil matters.
I'm fact just the parties ] wanted 10 see
l made arrangements TO meet them on a
certain d1v and occupied myself about my
anairS. Ihe following day this commits
sion in crossing one Of the main roads
about l.j0O yards from the town. were
seen by the scntries. The alarm was given
and the panic was Intense Women and
children ran I'm every direction. doors ana
windows banged whole families jumped
pell nell into their safety pits holes I'VE
or six feet deep and five feet square dug
I'm the yards or under their floors), and
men let themselves down wells The SOL
diers concentrated In their stockade fort
and sent volley after volley. accompanied
by three cannot shot. all OF which not In
the least disturbed the march Of the TWEEN
ty-two Insurgents whom | Joined on the
following day
Getting out was easy enough for me-
Tho military commander gave me a pass
good for one month for another town.
! started on my trip 10 that town. but on
the way took one Of the most enjoyable
and exciting trips through Cuba librc that
can be imagined. II might be well 10
state that this commission simply came
on a monthly round for supplies OF cloth
ing pieces OF drill FOR clothing. tools for
their shoe. harness. and repair shops.
medicines for their sick and wounded
and money collected from lumber export
ers. cattle and sugar estates. tax on cane
carts. and contributions from stores run