The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-03
CUBA'S LEADERS CONFIDENT.
THE ARMY UNDER GOMEZ AND MA
GEO $4,000 STRONG.

J.
The Troops Ragged. hut Wen Armed
and Under Good DiscipIine-Ha-
vana Reported in "A state of Great
Excitement aud Confusion on Dec.
20-The Military Reserves Threaten
to Revolt.
! Philadelphia. Jan. New light on the
/ actual numerical strength of the Cuban
/ insurgent army undet the direct command
I of Gems. Gomez and Maceo. and concern
| ing the great destruction OF crops, was
/ furnished upon the arrival in Philadel-
\ phia to-day OF the British steamship Ar
dandhu. which sailed from Havana on
/ Dec. % last This information is to the
| effect that these two generals alone had
| $1,000 men massed under them and that
| Havana was in a state OF great confusion
! and excitement on the Ardandhu's sail
/ ing.
| During the first part of the steamships
voyage along the Cuban coast fields OF
blazing corn and cane could be seen for
a long distance. The scene of devastation
| extended all the way from Havana TO
Cardenas. and was soon reduced to ashes.
The business men of both Cardenus
and Havana hope. according to reports
brought by the Ardandhu, for insurgent
! success. and many believe it to be near
at hand. They say there is a financial
panic impending in Havana owing to
! Spain's lack of both money and credit.
! The young military reserves who have
not been paid for months, and have sur
vived the yellow jack, openly curse the
cause of Spain ana threaten to revolt.
John c. Deemer an American civil en-
| gineer, who was a passenger on the Ar
| dandhu, had been on a railroad train that
was stopped by the insurgent army five
| miles from Cardenas Instead of there be-
| ing only 5000 insurgent soldiers, as report
ed from Spanish sources, there were, he
/ says, at least Is 900 men under the COM
| mand of Gen. Gomez and 5000 more a
| short distance in the rear commanded by
/ Gen. Maceo. Some idea of the army, he
| says, may be gathered from the fact that
| the troops were three hours and forty
/ minutes in marching across the railroad.
| There was also a train OF 100 mules loaded
| with provisions and ammunition. He
| says the soldiers were ragged after their
| march through the forests but well arm
| ed and disciplined.
The passengers on the train were not
disturbed; but the official mails were seiz-
| ed and passed into the possession of Gen.
| Gomez. The other postal matter was car
ried to Havana on board the Ardandhu.
! Santiago de Cuba, Dec. %, via Tampa,
| Fla, Jan. 2.-The Spanish transatlantic
| steamer Baldomero lglesias, that sailed
| yesterday for Havana, embarked the fol-
| lowing political prisoners from Guanta-
/ namo, for Ceuta, on the coast of Africa,
! Manuel Justiz, Manuel Rodiles, Porfiro
| Carcausez, a lawyer, DIR. Joaquin Ros, Pe-
| dro Perch, and mulatto named Pa
| casio.
The following political prisoners were
embarked from this city: Augustin La
! faurie, Tuzbio Carabllo, Antonio Figu-
redo Pavon and Jose Carmen Ramirez.
on Dec. 19 the cane field of the Me-
tnns
& Co., of Santiago, were fired and de-
| stroyed by the rebels. IL is reported that
they have partially destroyed the cane
ed party of eight rebels, who intended
| firing the cane at the San Luis estate,
| fell into an ambush prepared by soldiers
| of the battalion of Asia. One rebel was
| killed and one wounded.
On the evening of Dec. 20 twenty-four
| political prisoners from the fort at FL
| Cristo reached this city and were placed
| in the city prison. They had been con-
l Vlcted of political crimes.
| The Circulo Espanato, the Spanish club
| of this city, gave a banquet on Dec. IS to
the recently arrived battalion of marines.
| The city was en- fete.
Madrid, Jan. "A dispatch from Ha-
vana says that the insurgents have chosen
Guanajay, 45 miles from Havana, as the
| Senior Navarro Porter minister of
| finance, denies the truth of the state.
| ment that the Spanish government in
! tends to raise a new loan for the pur-
| pose of meeting the expenses of the cam
! paign in Cuba, or for any other purposes.
A dispatch to the Impartial, from Ha-
! Yana, says that a body of government
| troops, under Col. Galvis, has defeated,
near Alfonso XIII, strong detachment
! of rebels belonging to Maceo's command.
| Heavy loss was inflicted on the insurgents.
| The dispatch adds that the rebels are re-
| treating from the interior of the province
| of Matanzas.
Waycross, Ca Jan. 2.-The following
| letter was received this afteru oon:
| Doctortown, Ca, Jan. 2, Correspondent
| Morning News, Waycross, Ga.-Dear Sir:
| / saw your article in the Morning News
| of Dec 81. IiegaHdiatg Altamaha river
| steamer Carrying Georgia volunteers &c
| Cuba, via Doboy and Altamaha sounds.
/ was coming up the Altamaha river
| this morning and noticed a piratical look
! ing craft of about twenty tons at Lake
Morgan, near Lake Bluff, preparing to
II saw a good looking crowd of volun-
| teers on board, ready to join the insurg-
ents in capturing Havana, Cuba. Yours,
etc. r.. j. Freeman
The Morning News correspondent learns
| from c. A. McSweeney, that a stranger
claiming to be an insurgent agent was
with him the project or an ex-
east Georgia. Mr.. McSweeney was
told that colored persons, as well as the
white persons. were wanted to join the
insurgents. Colored people would be
preferable, because they are not so sus-
agent according to Mr.. McSweeney,
stated that the volunteers would be Sc
cretly notified of the time and place for
the members of the expedition to meet,
and that the expedition would leave the
Georgia or Florida coast at some suitable
place. The Morning News correspondent
has not been furnished any other informa-
ton regarding the matter, except as has
been previously stated. which was OBJ
tained through the means of the alleged
Cuban agent. Whether a Georgia eXpedi-
ton for Cuba is being organized in South
Georgia remains to be seen, and the Morn
ing News correspondent only gives the
information for what it is worth.