The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-06-17
Nearly a Dozen Generals
meet in Habana.

WVOt III A0O0ud'
HvBANA, June 13s via Tampa, Fla,
June Is --For the last 10 days a lot
OF Spanish generals have been flock
ing into Habana from all parts Of the
island There are here ct present
Generals Oldare, Barague, Gonzalez
Munoz, Ruiz Melguiso, Hernandez,
Ferrer, Bazan, Altachete, Suarez
Inclan. without counting Suarez
Valdez, brought disabled from the
wounds he received in the "Des
canso'' engagement with Maceo.
Naturally, with these generals, there
have arrived great number of ccl-
oneIs, lieutenant colonels and other
minor officers forming the staff of the
generals, the list of which would FIJI
column. The hotels are crowded
with them to the great satisfaction o
the great hotel keepers, who are
reaping a. rich harvest with so many
guests. The cafes are also having a
boom, for at night nothing is seen in
them but the white caps and blue
uniforms of officers of all ranks,
slipping their lemonades or other
refreshing drinks, discussing war
matters. Nobody looking at these
men taking their drinks with such
tranquility would ever imagine that
the island is convulsed with tre-
mendous war which only the Ameri-
can seems to ignore, and that some
of them still have on their hands the
stains of innocent blood, shed in
their plscable fury to destroy what
ever bears the name Of Cuban, be it
man, woman or child Nevertheless,
some of them bear on their frees the
stamp of their characters Take for
instance, Melguizo, tall, lean, close
shaven, with snail piercing gray
eyes and a general sneakish express
sion, which denotes his cowardice
and brutality, repulsive to witness.
The presence Of all these generals
and officers is exciting comment.
Many believe they have been called
by General Weyler to arrange another
Of his famous combinations against
Naceo in order to force him out of
Pinar del Rio, where it seems that
chief is doing whatever he chooses
without the least intention of leaving
the trap" they had set for him. They
now appreciate the stupidity of hav
ing established that Gordon after Ma
Geo got inside of the province and
not before he tried to enter it, as any
other foreign general would have
done, according to the simplest rule
Of military tactics Consequently,
seeing the grave error they have
committed, aud that the trocha is
crumbling to pieces on account of
the rains and fevers which are sweep
ing away the men by the hundreds,
they have decided to push Maceo on
the line and force him to cross it in
order to have pretext to break. up
the line. 1t is also said that they
will clear the road and put no great
distractions on his way for that pur-
pose. The question is to break up
the trocha, which is sore wart on
Weyler's nose 1t remains to be
seen what Maceo has to say about
it
Another version Of the generals
visit is that they have come to ask
money to pay the troops who are
without pay since the middle of
February last. # is said that there
is great discomfort amongst them,
and this is the principal reason for
so many of them deserting to the
rebel ranks. 1t is also rumored that
two battalions mutinied against their
officers at Los Palos, Habana pro.
vince, few days ago, but the mutiny
was quelled by paying them their
arrears. And that there is some
truth in this is proven by the fact
that in this city you are accosted fre-
quently, almost daily, by some poor,
ragged soldiers, requesting the gift
Of few coppers to buy cigarettes or
other articles. Nothing more sick
ening can be seen than these poor