The morning times., 1896-03-15
BATTLE OF VILLA CLARA
Important Letters Give a New
Version of the COnfIiG'.
DIRECTED TO The JUNTA
Gen. Sanchez Says That the Fight
Lasted Five Hours, the Spanish
Loss Was Heavy and the Insnrgent
Loss Very SmHil-Staff Officer of
Sanchez Also Writes.

ant letters from leaders OF the insurgents
cause i'll Cuba.
The letters are interesting as giving the
Cuban version of Il batlle, only the Spanish
accounts of which have before appeared in
print. The following is an extract from n
letter from Gen. Serafln Sanchez:
Las Varas, Feb. 16, 1896.
had a great baltle on the Sth of this
month In villa Clara, Majanabo, Viajacas
Gordas, a battle which lasted five hours i'll
open field. The encmy'S forces were 400
men. / fought with COO men, and the
Spanish troops were unable TO advance one
yard from their square.
The result OF the battle was seven killed
and fifty-eight wounded, OF which thirty
five slightly. A few horses killed and
wounded, as gave the batte dismounted.
The enemy-I know ii positively-had 235
losses, among which were sixty odd killed.
We captured some horses with their saddles
and several mules with blankets and other
camp utensils.
l have to lament the death OF Major
Aurelio Noy, who died the following day
from wound received in battle.
The battle of the Sth of February has been
tue greatest and most considerable in Las
villas. The war goes on strong in the
western provinces. In the rest of the island
the enemy is filled with fear and has done
nothing in this winter campaign, notwith-
standing their lying declarations.
tSigned) SERAFIN SANCHEZ.
STAFF OFFICERS LETTER.
The following is from Maj. +. Loyhas
del Castillo, of the STAFF OF Gen. Sanchez:
General Headquarters in La Campana
Santa Clara, February 10. 1896.
Gen. Serafin SANCHEZ. chief OF the Fourth
Army Corps, after his return from the
tTNs. .-fg Of
centrated a part of his troops first in La
Campana and then in Sabanilla, after
leaving sufficient troops I'm all the zones OF
operations. The number OF men COncen-
trated was 2,IiS. With these the general
started towards the west.
The object OF his march was 10 call at
tention OF the enemy TO this region, in
order to protect the operations which in
the western provinces were being realized
by the Cuban invading army, and at the
same time protect the march of Brigadier
Banderas to the province OF MatanZas, ard
TO show with cur presence III Las Villas
that, not withstandiDg the large army which
has been sent TO invade the west, the
revolution is powerful here.
The army with its flag unfarled passed
through the rich districts OF Remedies.
Placetas, Camajuani and Santa Clara. Ou
the 7th we encamped in Via jacas Gordas,
four leagues from The capital OF Las VII
las, where we were to meet the com
pands OF Brigadier BanderaS, that of
Brigadier Rojelo Castillo, and b rig ade
of Villa Clara under Col. Alemau.
Brigadier Bandcra did not come. as he
had received orders from the general-in.
chief calling HIM urgently with his forces.
On the Sth, at 10 a. M, the enemy, / 800
strong, came upon our advance guard The
general Immediately ordered The retrea,
of the reserve, Of the unarmed men, ETC.
10 a sure place in the rear guard where
he also placed the representatives of the
government of the Cuban republic and the
sanitary corps
On the height where the staff was he
placed the cavalry regiment "Honorato,' .
forming our right wing. situated in such a
manner that ii could not be seen by the
enemy.
TOOK THE OFFENSIVE
The latter. considering the retirement
of our reserves as retreat or the army ad-
vanced quickly toward our front and
crossed stream. and as it was receiving
already our concentrated fire, opened is
ranks into two vigorous wings toward the
left, who took the offensive
In the meanwhile, the center took strong
positions on the shore of the stream. tn,
men lying on the ground and protecting
themselves by the accidents OF the land: nj
lnS we could see distinctly, as we Were
only 200 meters apart.
On our left, on the same hills, very near
the enemys position, the cavalry regimen
villa Clara" under Col. Aleman, was
stationed. In the center OF our line, which
followed the configuration of the Gland. and
which was Semi-CirCular. the staff and the
escort of the general placed themselves.
This order OF battle produced a concentriC
fire; ten minutes afteritScOm menCement.the [
stopped; while this was happening. Gen
Sanchez had sent the regiment of cavalry
Maxine Gomez,'' under the comma nd oi
Col. j. NJ. Gomez, and two compa nies OF
infantry, under Col. Jose Gonzales. and a
section of cavalry of the regiment "Marti,'
commanded by Col. Justo Sanchez, all ol
these forces forming one column, which lie
ordered by a circular march to place itscll
| i'll the rear guard OF the enemy.
These forces should reach the field o1
battle by the same road which the enemy
| had passed, and they We're 10 open fire
| at the same time that u general and stimuli
| taneOus advance was made in front. Gen
Sanchez pa Ssed from one end to the othnl
| OF our line OF fire and commanded that
| the soldiers should shoot with aim, anC
| slowly, in order to have enough ammunition
| to last them two hOIrS, which wa necessary
| for the execution of the proposed movement
AS the enemy appeared again with
| numerous infantry along the stream adyanC
| ing in open formation, the general sem
| Col. Garcia with the "Bonorato'. Rcgi
ment. Major Angel Rodriguez with the
Victoria and Brgadier Feria, with
his escort. to charge the Spanish.
FORCED THE ENEMY.
Our horscmen advanced impetuously
! TO the enemy's bayonets, but they could not
| give them the machete, because there was
4 underbrush around it; yet they obtained
the principal object of the charge, which
| was 10 stop the enemy and force 1t tC
| form an immense square, upon which
infantry and dismounted cavalry made
| fire with mortal effect.
The whole mass of the enemy was con
centrated near the stream, their thousand
| and odd rifles incessantly firing. Col
| Garcia, who was wounded in the foot il
| the brave charge, diSmounted his soldier
| on the height TO our right, so that they
could shoot aiming. And the escort OF
| Gen. Sanchez, which fought with great
| courage, did the same thing.
We had unfortunately to desist from
| our planof cutting off the enemy completely
because after three-quarters of an houl
| of fire, there was not in our front 6
cartridge, and we were forced to retire
| a part OF the troops toward our left; oul
| fire ceasing on the right. But at that
moment our other columns in the rca
| guard arrived. Having lost the guide
1t took them four hours TO get to the fielt
| OF battle.
TIE CubanS attacked with their in
| fantry. armed with long Remington rifles
! at a distance of eighty PAGES, and forced
| the enemy to retire from all their po
| sitions.
p In the evening the Spanish retired under
orr fire, with a great many Filters. cross
| ing the farms, without daring to go by
| the roads. The Cuban forces, "MaXinlc
| GoneZ" and MART" and the infantry, en-
camped that night on the field of battle
| which they rnnonn Uttered They fund