Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-22
GEN. COLLAZO
In a Private Letter Writes Glowingly
of the Prospects of the Gu
ban Patriots.

Tampa, Fla, Nov. 21.-The family Of
General Collazo, residing in this city,
have Just received the following letter
from him:
"Saito Tunas, Oct. IL take advantage
of the departure of my friend Mendez,
to write you few lines. Mendez has
been very lucky. He has landed one of
the largest expeditions that has ever
come over, with a mere handful of men,
not losing a single cartridge in disembark-
ing, and he Immediately found our PEG
pie. He leaves Immediately for the
states, and 1 am sending some books and
papers with him, SO sure am of his
good luck. The things wish to keep as
souvenirs
"Of myself, 1 can write little Perfect
peace exists in this territory. The Span
iards have shut themselves up In Mania
bon and Las Tunas so that 1t is merely
when there are stores to be conveyed
from place to place that we have a
brush with them. 1 have been very much
surprised to see that the Spaniards have
determined to risk another campaign,
because l thought that after their last
supreme effort they would not make an
other, but / see they have sent 10000
more men. This is the heighth of blind
ness and obstinacy. l had hopes that
things would have been finished this year.
ruary or March, in which months they
will be convinced of the inevitable and
sure triumph of the revolution, for while
every day they are getting weaker and
weaker, we are getting stronger For
uniform and adequate idea l roughly
sketch our position without the slight
est exaggeration:
The excellent and intelligent way with
which our friends in the United States
have worked and the rapid arrival of ex-
petition after expedition means the exit
of all Spanish hopes l was unfortunate
in the beginning, but after l opened the
ball one after the other has followed.
Those totally landed are Braulie Pena,
Calixto Garcia, Portuondo Cabrera, and
the largest and luckiest of all, Mendez.
These have all landed in the military
department of the east so that we can
say that we have sufficient arms and
ammunition to begin the coming cam
paign in favorable condition and with
the following men,
FIRST ARMY CORPS.
First division, brigade of Baracca, 800
men,
First division brigade of Guantanamo,
Second division, brigade of Gambute,
1000 men.
Second division, brigade of (Santiago)
Cuba, 800 men.
SECOND ARMY CORPS.
First division, Brigade of Jlguany, 700
men; First division Brigade of Bayamo,
800 men; Second division, Brigade of
Tunas, 700 men; Second division, Brigade
of Holguin, 900 men; Oriental division of
Holguin, Brigade of Sagua. 700 men;
Eastern brigade of Hoguin, 500 men; Sec
ond brigade of Holguin, 600 men.
The Third army corps is made up of the
Camaguey division of about 1,500 men, so
that Calizito Garcia has at least 10000
men under his orders between Punta
Maisi (the eastern extremity of the
island) and the trocha of Jucarro and
Moron Che trocha built by the Spaniards
In the former revolution)
The other military departments under
Maceos orders I cannot give exact fig
ures but it is more or less as follows:
FOURTH ARMY CORPS.
First division, Brigade of Santo Spiri-
tus, 600 men; First division, Brigade Of
Remedies 1000 men; Second division,
Brigade of Villaclara, 800 men; Second d.
vision Brigade of Sagua, 200 men; Second
division, Brigade of Trinidad. 500 men;
Second division, Brigade of Ceinfuegos,
500 men; First division, First brigade Of
500 men.
FORTH ARMY CORPS.
First division, First brigade of Ma
tanzas, 500 men; First division, Second
brigade of Matanzas 1,500 men, First di-
vision. Third brigade of Matanzas (south-
brigade of Havana, 500 men; Second d.
vision, First brigade of Havana, 700 men.
The Sixth army corps Is divided into
three brigades, consisting of about 5000
men. These are all west of the present
trocha.
/ cannot give exact figures, but can say
that we have at least $4,000 fully equipped
men and 10000 more properly drilled and
ready to take their places In the army
as soon as there are means to arm them.
In the last revolution of ten years we
never had over 5000 men armed, and we
were always short of ammunition. Now
we have three times as many men,
plentiful supply of ammunition and
perfect faith in our ultimate triumph.
: I'VE find ourselves In possession of this
department where the families live peace
ably in their houses. Our mounted sem
tlnels patrol the main roads within sight
of the Spanish forts. General Gomez Is
laying siege to Cascorro and as yet no
assistance has been sent the Spanish
forces from Puerto Principe and 1t is
probable that while / am writing this
the place has surrendered. Think, in
what condition the Spanish soldiers must
find themselves in, abandoned by their
friends completely. 1t seems that the
Spanlards have lost all hopes of ruling
here. but they believe that In accumu-