The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-12-25
FIGHTS AND FEVER.

dictory as were the news from the seaC
of war. At the end of June ABOUT
40 600 Spanish troops were In CuDa,
and the military hospitals we're crowd
ed with patients sick with yellow fever,
which was prevalent in its most nal'g-
nant form. -.
The severest engagement since the
revolt started seems to have taken
place on July 18th, nj ar Bayamo, prov
1nce of Santiago, when General AntO-
Mo Maceo defeated Generals Campos
and SanIocildes. The latter fell III the
fight and Marshal CampDf broke the
insurgent lines, not without consider
able loss. although at the close OF the
month he had an army of 90, 900 ana
large numbers of guerilleros, volun-
teers, under his command.
REVOLUTIONARY LEADERS.
Not a few other rebel leaders with
rejnforcements had arrived from
abroad to extend operations westward,
and soon there were numerous encoun-
ters in Puerto Principe and Santa
Clara. Gomez had made NaJasa MS
headquarters. Sanchez, Serafln and
Suarez established themselves later 10
Southern Santa Clara aud Roloff, in
the northern part of that province.
Sanchez and ROloR landed at 'funas,
southwest of Trinidad. Other leaders
mentioned were Carlos M. Cespldes,
son of Cuha's first provisional president
in the former war, Zayas, NUM-:
Guerra, Tamayo, Miro, CapOte aud
Vasquez. To each, it appears, was as
signed a certain area which to keep ia
alarm. while the commander-ln-chief
extended the field Of operations to the
rich and loyal provinces of the West.
There was a fight at Pcralejo in
August, and others at Sas del Indro
aud Ramon de las Yaguas.
Late iH August the Spanish captain
general, in Santa Clara, was building
small forts at different points and for
tifying the highrCad of that district,
thus Initiating. as it would appear, the
"trocha," afterwards SO famous in The
continuation of the guerrilla warfare,
and described in a recent number of
the Sun.
On September 10Th, at Camaguey, at
a meeting of deputies drawn from the
various bands, government was or
ganized as follows: President, s. T..
Betancourt; vice-president, B. Maso;
secretary of war, Carlos Roloff; gen
eral-in-chief of the army, Maxine Go
ez, a white man; acknowledgement,
Antonio Mace o, colured person, but a
man of education, who had won dis
tiuctiOn in the last Re bellion.
PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT.
The insurgent army, at first unor-
gained and without concerted plans, in
the beginning of October, 1895, cOnsis.
the western Icing commanded by Gen
eral Gomez, the eastern by General
Antonio Maceo. Against them the
Spaniards were arrAigned with a force
of about 10000, of which, however.
only about 10000 were immediately
available troops.
In the same month mention was
made of Salvador Cisneros as president
of the provisional government, whose
babitatiOn, composition and very ex-
isteuce appear always to have heen
somewhat doubtful and operating
through secret channels. Dyna te
and guerrilla warfare, filibustering AID
incendiarism were the chief methods
of the campaign of its military depart
nent. engagements were numerous,
but hardly of any c,nsequence. Bara-
Goa, port ON the northern extremity
of Cuba, vas reported to have been
blown up by the rebels on October 10Th,
and the increase of yellow fever
worked great havoc among the Span
ish troops.
AT THE CLOSE OF 1895.
Fighting occurred at Mount Mogote
in October and at Tagnasco, in Santa
Clara, November 18th and 18th. Gu
December nth Gomez attacked the
town of Rudgo, in Matanzas, and
on the 18th a band of 500 insur-
gents, led by Rodrigney Lopez and
ReciO, surprised Spanish column
near Minas, between Nuevitas and the
town of Puerto Principe, and almost
it. Later actions were re-
ported in the vicinity of Colon, in Ma
tanzas, with equivOcal results. Ger
tain bands, being pursued, took refuge
in ZaI alta, the swamp country in the
province of Santa Clara, south of Ma
Upon the whole, nothing occurred
to show what the end was to be, and
the expense of the war was exhaust
ing Spain.
About Christmas, 1895, insurgent
bands invaded the loyal province of
Havana, but were repulsed. Towards
the close of the year Marshal CanIpos
the capital without having
secured any lasting success against the
rebels, who, with the new year, resum-
ed their march in the direction of the
city of Havana.
CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES.
AS has been repeatedly stated in the
columns of the Sun, the first cause of
the Cuban rebellion was Spanish
the second, the beet
sugar production of Germany. which
lowered the price of sugar to such an
extent that the chief industry of Cuba
ceased to be profitable. While mOuev
could be made and workiugmen had
the oppressive taxation,
injustice, nepotism aud stupidity of
The Madrid government could be en-
dured, but with hard times came dis.
content. which was easily given a DO
lttcal character. Exiled patriots saw
heir opportunity. Money was raised.
arms bought, ships chartered and par.
lies of patriOts-eOme of them veterans
1f the war of 1868-7S-were landed in
the eastern provinces. where white and
cOlOred wOrkmen of the plantations
and small villages were induced to |
lake up arms
The prOpertied classes, who led in
he previous rebellion, when slavery
existed, took. as rule. little part in |
he present movement. Now that the |
slaves are free. the white planters
,Ancy that independence OF Spain
gained hy the help of the colOrSd eIe- |