The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-01-06
The Capital of Cuba Practically
Surrounded by the Insur-
gent Army. L
Columns of Bandera, Gomez and
MaceO Are Fast Closing in
Oh the City.
Spanish Officials Have Entirely
Lost Their Heads Blame
the Generals.

HAVANA, Jan. 6.-Unless all indica-
tions are misleading, the end of the
Cuban insurrection is at hand, and the
result, it would seem, must be in favor
of the insurgents, whose armies under
Maxine Gomez, Antonio Maceo and
Gu ntin Bandera, are nearing this city
from three different directions
The above facts, so frequently denied
In otfic!a circles during the past two
weeks, are now generally admitted
even III official circles, although all
sorts of lame excuses for the triumphant
advance of the Cubans are put forth in
the hope of calming public excite. But
no amount of explanation will alter the
fact that the insurgent cavalry scouts
are believed to haye been sighted from
here.
AS these advance bodies of Cubans
We're ut Tapaste, IS miles from Guiana.
baco, practically suburb of this city
Friday night, it is by no means i'm
probable that the report that the Gu
ban scouts have been sighted from the
lines defend lng Havana is correct
Cry of "On to Havana" Out of Date.
Y No longer a cry of "On to Havana" :"
from the Cubans. They are here, slowly
but surely surrounding this capital,
after triumphant march from the
eastern end of Santiago de Cuba to the
capital Of this island, in spite of all the
best troops of Spain could do to prevent
Step by step, General Campos has been
driven back before the advance Of the
victorious army until here preparations
are being completed on both sides for
the final and decisive struggle.
General Bandera and his column
camped at San Jose de las Lakes, very
short distance from Tapaste, and his
forces are now said to be moving on
Granabaco or it's vicinity, in order to
take up the position assigned to them
for the siege of Havana.
Camp Within Sight of Out posts.
Another report has it that Bandera
will try to pass Mount Bejuica to Rim
con, and from there to Santiago Las
Vegas to cut the railroads leading into
Havana, but in any case it is admitted
that he will push onward toward this
city and his camp fires may by night be
visible from the Spanish outposts
around this city.
N fact it is claimed that Bandera
will camp at the Vento farm, within a
riff shot of the outposts of the Span
iards.
Column of Gomez Moving On.
The main body Of the second insur.
gent column, under General Gomez,
was reported to be at Duran, moving in
the direction of Guira Melona, at the
bend of the railroad leading from the
province of Pinar del Rio into Havana.
Other portions of Gomez column, by
far the strongest of the three and now
said to number 5000 men, were sighted
at Guivican and San Felipe only
slightly to the eastward and northward
of Guira Helena.
The third insurgent column, under
General Maceo, was announced to have
passed Coiba, Mocha, with Gomez,
when last heard from and should now
be in the vicinity of San Antonio We.
gas, or between there and Nazareno
All three columns have been contin.
uing the work of destruction, burning
canetields and plundering the houses of
the Weather class as they pushed on.
ward.
Government Ofloials Blame Generals.
Here the utmost CONSERVATION pre-
walls in government circles. There is
no denying that Havana is to all in.
tents and purposes invested by the in
surgents. Their columns are pressing
unchecked around this city, and the
military authorities seem to have fallen
into a complete state of helplessness.
Government officials are blaming the
INHERENT Spanish generals for the con-
dition of affairs, utterly regardless of
the fact that it was Campos' plan of
campaign, the wild scattering of his
forces all over the island, which is
mainly to blame for this crisis,
although other influences have had a
great share in the bitter humiliation
of the Spaniards. Incapacity has been
supplemented by sickness and treach-
cry. The Spanish soldiers, in spite of
all denials, have deserted in consider.
able numbers. and have in many in
stances shown sympathy with the in.
surgent cause. Stories are afoat here
Of a wholesale Republican propaganda
at work among the soldiers from Spain
and it is claimed that it will yet bear
astonishing fruit.
But the most astonishing feature of
the climax is the cool manner in which
the insurgents have pushed onward
during the past 10 days. Right on the
ground the insurgents have Just ira.
versed are several strong columns OF
Spanish troops. said to number in
al about 10000 men, but we hear of