St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-05
REBELS SHOW FIGHT
DESPERATE ENCOUNTER BE-
TWEEN SPANISH TROOPS AND
MACEO,S FORCES,
FORMER CLAIM THE VICTORY,
BUT MACEo,S FORCES CONTINUE
ON THEIR WAY TOWARD HA-
VANA PROVINCE.
SPANISH COMMANDER WOUNDED.
Insurgents Said to Have Lost Sixty
Two Killed and Two Hum
dred Wounded.

HAVANA, Feb. A detailed official
report has been received tonight of the
engagement between Gen. Luque and
the forces of Antonio Maceo, which
corroborates the first account already
cabled from here as to the number of
killed insurgents, namely. g.. The bat
tie was fiercely contested, and the adj
vantage is claimed to be all on the
side of the Spanish as a result, But
1t is significant that Maceo's forces,
instead of being turned back to the
westward, proceeded on their way to-
ward Havana province after the battle
The following points are gathered
from the official report of the engage
ment:
Gen. Luque left the city of Pinar del Rio
at o'clock in the morning of Sunday, Feb.
2 and met the insurgents about o'clock
in the afternoon at the town of Paso Real.
An attack was Immediately opened upon the
insurgents in the town. They held their po-
sition with the greatest tenacity. making their
defense in the village itself from the vantage
ground of the houses and the walls of the
streets. From this point it found diff
hcult to dislodge them through fire directed
upon them from all sides.
The vanguard of the columns under Col.
| Hernandez charged their position by the left
! flank, while the center and rear guard OF
| the Spanish under the direct command OF
Gen. Luque. forced themselves into the
| trail street Of the village. and attacked by the
right flank, charging with vigor and determi-
nation
Seeing their position imperiled, and them
selves in danger of having their retreat cut
! of. the insurgents made rapid retreat to
! the extreme western limits of the village. do
| ing some fighting during the retreat Here
| they formed their lines for a further stand
against the attack of the Spaniards. volley
| from the rifles of the troops failed to break
| the lines of the insursent forces. They
| fused to bulge an inch. after three vol
| leys of rife bullets had been fired into their
/
| with great valor upon the devoted band The
insurgents were unable to stand this
! slaught and their formation was broken and
| they were
PUT TO FLIGHT.
| ten of them being killed with cavalry sabres.
! They were pursued by the Spanish cavalry
outside the village, but the pursuers were
here met by force of insurgent cavalry num-
bering a thousand, and the pursuit was
checked. The cavalry attacked the Spanish,
stubbornly refusing to give way in face OF
the Spanish fire until the Spanish infantry
came up.
Meanwhile the Cubans had worked their
way into the Gale Real and once more made
| a vigorous stand against the onslaught of the
Spanish troops The battalion of San Quin-
tan advanced upon them, but 1t only after
repeated volIeys had beer hred into them that
their position was taken. But still the in
surgents did not abandon the field, but pre-
pared to make last stand in palm grove
| about three kilometers distant. The line OF
the troops was formed and the artillery was
placed and opened fire. upons-the. enemyaat a
distance of 600 yards.
The insurgent cavalry did not wait for the
near approach of the Spaniards, but charged
full upon the Spanish formation with what the
official report terms savage valor. These
intrepid horsemen threw themselves upon the
points of the Spanish bayonets. but the Span
iards stood firm and repulsed the charge.
| They in turn made a bayonet charge. The
| fnsurgent cavalry retreated but only to form
a second line for another charge. The troops
were formed into a hollow. square to meet
this charge. Their artillery opened up on
the insurgents at distance of only $50 yards.
THIS charge was also repulsed. many insur-
gents being wounded with bayonets, and the
insurgents thereon retired. = @sT'''
The insurgents took their departure in the
direction OF Los Palacios, to the eastward, or
toward Havana province. The Spanish then
made an investigation OF the insurgents
camp and found there sixty-two dead and 1870
horses and mules. besides taking numerous
saddles. arms and ammunition. The insur-
gents carried away over 200 wounded.
Gen. Luque wounded in the leg at the
beginning of the battle. Majs. Luis. Lopez
and Mijares were seriously injured, and Majs.
Jose, Ruiz and Perez were killed. The loss
of the troops in killed is placed by the Of
ficial reports as thirty soldiers.
Gen. Luque was carried TO Pinar del Rio
after the battle, delivering over the command
to Col. Hernandez.
| Capt. William NJ. Mannix the correspondent
of the Army and Navy Journal and of the
Washington Star, has been ordered by the
| authorities to leave the island. protest
against this action has been sent to Secretary
Olney by Consul General Williams.