The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-01-15


Llhs Tails from Romance.
HAVANA. Jan. ii.-Exciting news
from the front was received about noon
In shape which prevented us accuracy
from being denied. The sound OF con-
tlnued artillery firing was heard santh
OF R!aeon. not far from Betueal. the
town which was attacked by the insur-
gents Yesterday with tho -chuit that ,ae-
cordliig 10 the official statement OF the
tffatf. they were forced 10 retreat aster
A heroic resistance upon the part OF Sats
sovernment force defending shat place
sha battle lasting, it Is claimed, ttNs
hours. Hut Il In admitted that the In
surEsrts plundercd stores in the out
lying streets OF Bejucal, burned mum
ber Of houses and destroyed the ran
road depot. Previous TO this. they ha9
burned tho toNcn OF SalGd. quite a 62ot'
sized place. and partly destroyed gun, ,
acan. a smaller place. They varied
these operations with burning irelSht
trains and destroying r1iitdad engines
MS they pushed n0rthwarh and tow1tas
Havana. This force OF insurgents is
the one supposed 90 be commanded oy
Conner In person, although Il has been
Insisted shat he is stIil in the province
az Pinar del Rio. and that he was Ia
conflict with Spanish troops command;
ed by General LinaTez, II is believed
that an important engagement rs TAX
ing place aud further Information Is
anxlously expected.
c1nfrmation has been received OF the
report last nigh; from the eastern ply n,
yfnces that the.insurEeat leaders, Rabi,
Jose Maceo, Chongo Rivero and Others
q. the had OF strong forces OF insur-
cents from the province Of Puerto Prin-
cine. believed TO be much better armed
than any previous forces ana to have
been reinforced by fllbusterinB expedl-
tIons, containing numbers OF AmeTl-
cans, are moving eastward. apparently
with the Intention OF reinforcing the
insurgents now operating In the ne'gh-
borhood OF Havana.
Those Insrrgent forces are said 70
have rnoyed into the Remedies district,
anparently have crossed the frontier At
abou, the same place as Gomez crossed
81. and to have moved In northwest
erly direction from Santo Spiritus TO
Remedies and from there on west.
campos outwfued.
The presence of this additional force
Of Insurgents moving through the pro-
vince OF Santa Clara aad In the dlrec-
zion OF the province OF MRtanzas. win.
naturally, prevent the Spanish COM
inaIiders from sending into the Havana
district all the troops they intenued 70
draw from Santa Clara and a1tanzas
with the intention OF driving the insur-
gents now In this vicinity Into the prov.
sncs az Pinar del RIO, westward until
they were oil placed In a position where
rhey could be either exterIniuated or
forced to surrender.
The captain general hns been forced
10 meet this move hy sending back to-
wards Santa Clarn several columns OF
TROOPS which were on their way
ehrourh the province OF Mat0nzas TO
reinforce his forces in this vicinity The
Insurgents, Il is believed, would thus be
able 10 continue for some time longer
their almost unchecked oprratiorS and
n 4he Spanish generate are not able
"a preyent a junction OF Nll the instir-
srent forccs now In thisvicinity, the situa
sIon Will become more critical. Estlma-
ting that the insurgents nov have
about 90 men, more or Tess, we'll arm
ed m thls vicinity and that they are
reinforced by say 10000 men well armed
froni the eastward. Gomez Will. Es'iends
Of his cause say. have under his COM
niand quite fair sized army. and
should be able, nIl things fairly favor
able, 10 take the offensive even against
a strong force OF Spanish troops Ge-
Tending Havana. OF course these aFe
the views taken by the friends OF tht
Insurgents and are directly OF variance
with thoSe uf the Spanish officials, wfl3
claim that the second Cuban army nu-
ynnclnF from tho cast under Rabi and
Jose Mnceo, does not number and VIII
never number 5000 men. They admit.
however, that the lnsurScnt forces
commanded by Garlic, Jose AEdire ana
Rcgo, have already, Joined the Rabl-
MaccU forces IN the Wemcdlos dlstrict,
and Consequently. Il Is 10 be presumed
that all. or nenfiy all, the different Gu
ban bands eastward will join the army
commanded by Eabi ard Jose Macse
with the view OF pushing westward In
the strongest force.
A SuPpoSabie Case.
supposlng. on the approach Of this
force ;ownrd the province of Havana
that the lnmrgcnt columns now In this
vicinity were to retreat westward In u
body, drawing after them all the Span
ish troops possible, tho Insurgents
!Orccs would he In position 70 hold be-
tween two fairly large armies the bulk
OF the Spanish troops, ana would thus
be able TO operate. Judging from their
previous tactics, In n very successful
manner.
Several inFurGcnt bands numbering
from 100 to 800 mon. nre reported to
have gathcred in the provinces Of Colon
aud Mathnzns and all of these. II tE un-
Gerstood, will help to swell the Rnbi-
siacco forces.
In any case, 4 does not Fecm possible
70 deny that the insurrcctlun Is incrcaH-
ing in importance every day. Prnctl-
caily the whole Interior nf the island.
from east 10 west. with the exception Of
the large towns, II In possession Of the
insurgents, who have burned every.
thing cntnbuHtible and have levied trib-
ute right and left. under thevcry noses
OF the Spanish commanders, aud cut
ting down the revenue Of the Spnnlah
government from Cuban sources about
SD per cent. according TO tho insurgents
estimates. Under those conditions II iB
not astonishing TINT some change In the
cummandcrship Of the Spanish fOrceH Is
expected daily. Even thr most init.
mate friends OF General Camp0g do not
claim that he hnE bcen hRtf successful
IN his operations.
Tho insurgents nrr not acting hnntily
IN any way. They have plenty Of time
before them and in the end 10 make the
fnnHi nj IL They hnyr n central puyCrn-