The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-12-09
RETURNED FROM CUBA.
A Tennessee Soldiers Experience in the
Rebel ARMY


NASHVILLE, Tenn, Dec. 3.--Lieut.C.
G. Blood, formerly OF company &.
Second Regiment, n. G.. S. T., is just
back from the war-racked island, ard
is now in Nashville with friends.
Lieut.. Blood says that at the dedlca
ton OF Chickamauga Park he was &C
costed by secret agent Of the Cuban
Junta, Rouberto Cutrazo, and thai
the meeting terminated in his enlist
ment in the Cuban army.
He was given $500 in Galloway
near his home, and $3.50 after signing
enlistment papers en- route to Cuba.
Lieut.. Blood left New Orleans on
the naptha launch Kitty, which was
wrecked on the gulf coast a few
months ago, with thirty other white
aspirants for fame, and three negroes,
who represented the crew, all under
command of Cutrazo.
The voyage to Cuba lasted four
days, the usual trip being much less,
but owing to the presence Of several
Spanish gunboats much time was con
SULACo Ill OOOS1AS.
The launch Kitty landed on the
eastern coast of the island, and the
party was piloted to Gen. Gomez's
headquarters in the province OF FL
Principe, where Lieut.. Blood imme
diately commenced his labors as
drill master.
AS he could speak no Spanish, his
instructions were made entirely by
signs, and after arduous manual labor
he succeeded in getting four or five de-
tachments in something like working
order.
Lieut.. Blood's expedition carried to
the Cubans 100 Springfield rifles and
30 rounds OF cartridges.
He says he was for four months
with Gen. Gomez, the most important
engagement during his stay being the
battle of Ell Principe, in which 50, 900
Spanish troops were routed by zoos
or S, 900 Cubans
In this engagement the Cuoans lost
300 or 400 killed, wounded and miss
ing. The Spanish loss largely exceed
ed this figure. The Cubans, after this
battle, destroyed much valuable prop
erty and ten or fifteen miles Of rail
road.
On December 25, 1895, Lieut.. Blood
went to West Cuba and resumed his
labors under Gen. Garcia, who had
something like 5000 men in his army,
which was moving constantly and
did incessant fighting along the tro'
cha for four months.
Lieut.. Blood says the country is de,
vasiated and deserted, the men being
in the army and their families follow
ing to escape the Spanish insult and
vengeance.
After four months OF this disultory
warfare, Lieut.. Blood returned to El
Principe, where he again bebgan his
labor OF drilling cigar signs" This
is his term for the Cuban soldiers.
A short tine after this the Cuban
,forces were massed in the -hiiis In toe
province OF Ell Principe, and it was il
an assault on their position there that
Weyler lately suffered such loss.
. The position of the Cubans is pro.
tectea by large number of dynamite
mines which are connected with head
quarters by electric wires and the cur
rent manipulated by keyboard. Lieut..
Blood, who assisted in laying these
mines, says that not less than eight
tons of dynamite has been placed
there. The electrical connections
were made by an expert from New
York named Cover, who was recon-
mended to the Junta by Electrician
Reid of New York city.
Weyler, he says, is a wooden
| man." that with the forces at his COM
mand he could surround the position
of either of the Cuban armies and
starve them into submission or sur
render.
The island is desolated, and the Gu
bans, non,combatants, subsist as best
they can, and the Spanish army is en-
tirely victualed from abroad.
The Cubans are well supplied with
vhiskey, rum, quinine, carbolic acid
and other medical supplies.
There are now five or six thousand
Americans in the Cuban army, the
most efectual and prominent organi.
zation being the Texas battalion,
which is unde" the command of Capt
Buchanan. commander of the Texas
Rangers They are the best disciplin-
ed and most daring troops the Cubans
have, and are well provided for, and
fight like "devils."
These Texans are supplied with q
most destructive arm Of German man
ufacture, which is ranged for five
miles, and are largely used as sharp,
shooters.
A large bounty is payable in land
grants for the heads of all Spanish otli
GERS. These land grants represent the
only source now left to the Cuban
Junta, and of course are valuless in
case of the failure of the revolution
lists.
Lieut.. Blood tells several very in
teresting experiences, among others
the attack of twenty Cubars on a
Spanish supply train, which was
guarded by 100 Spanish troops, at 3
o'clock in the morning. Only eight
OF the twenty Cubans returned to
camp, the Spaniards having been
awakened by the accidental discharge
OF gun.
In this engagement Lieut.. Blood re-
ceived wound on the left side of the
skull which necessitated trepaning,
and also wound in the right ankle,
from which he still has lame leg.
Shortly after receiving these wounds
he determined to quit the Cuban army
and this was not an eas7 task.
In order to get away the young
American had 10 traverse a section
occupied by the Spanish, and through
the province of Havana, in which the
whole Spanish army is often concen-
trated. Blood says he spent twenty
four hours on hands and knees while
passing the pickets and guards along
the trocha.