Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-04-17
VICTORY FOR MACEo.
DEFEAT OF wEVLER's FORCES IN
PlNAR DEL RIO.

The intrepid Leader OF the Patriots out
generals the Spanish Oficers and Routs
Their soidiers-ConsuI williams Com
pTlnents His Successor.
HAVANA, April 15.-News has been re
oeived here Of a battle near Leohuza be-
tween the Alfonso XIII battalion, under
command of Colonel Debos, and the insur.
gents under Maceo.
Colonel Dehos reports that his battal.
ion. In combination with other bodies OF
Spanish troops, left Mariel in the prov.
ince of Pinar del Rio, for the purpose OF
giving the enemy battle
They met the advance guard of the in
surgents. consisting of force of 200 cav.
airy. who opened fire upon the govern
ment column.
The Spaninrds continued their march
toward Lechuza, although opposed at ev-
cry step and every elevation being occu-
pied by them at the cost of a fight.
Upon arriving in the vicinity of Lechu-
IA they found the insurgents gathered in
strong forces, and the patriots made an
attempt to surround the Spanish column.
The Spanish troops fought with great
desperation against heavy odds, says De.
bos, but were defeated with losses of many
killed and wounded.
Divining the intention of the enemy tc
enoircle his column, Colonel Debos order
ed a retreat
The Spanish column retired TO the San
Claudio estate on the north coast, where
the troops fortified themselves, awaiting
the arrival of other government columns.
Kept the Enemy at Bay.
General Inclan arrived with his column
very opportunely, and the troops under
Colonel Debos were also protected by the
Runboat Alerta which kept the enemy al
bay.
Colonel Debos estimates that the forct
of the insurgents who charged upon his
command numbered 5000 men. The off.
oial report says that the losses of the enc
my must have been very great, as many
men were seen to fall before the fire OF
the Spanish troops.
The government column, according tc
the official report, lost men killed and
officer and 13 soldiers wounded, but the
fact is that the government losses WERE
very heavy, the details being withheld by
the authorities.
A civilian who volunteered to carry the
news of the predicament of the govern
ment column to the nearest fort ran the
gantlet of the rebel fire and was compel
led to jump into the water twice to saw,
himself.
General Inclan reported that upon hi.
arrival at Colonel Debos' camp he com
PEELED Maceo to retreat from San Claudio
Trying to Force a Battle.
The object of the Spanish general fol
some time past has been to compel the Gu
ban leaders TO fight a battle. Genera
Weyler drew up plan some time ago tt
prevent the reunion of the two separate
armies of the insurgent army and to de
stroy at a single blow that one of then
which for some weeks has been the mos
aggressive and successful.
The force under General Maceo, mum
bering between 10000 and $4,000 men
has been under the province of Pinar ives
of Havana, more than 100 miles away from
the force under General Gomez. The OBJ
jeot OF the Spanish general was to conflnt
Maceo's force within the district which i
occupied, so that the main body of thl
Spanish army might be directed agains
1t with overwhelming force.
The maneuvering ON both sides begaI
about fortnight ago and went on day
and night. The Spaniards thought tha
Maceo was shut up in narrow quarters
from which escape was impossible
Two troohas, OF walls, of soldiers haC
been established across the island near Ha
vana, and upon these there were at leas
$4,000 Spanish troops, supported by othe
bodies stationed in Maceo's rear and OF
both sides.
1t looked as though Spain had at las
caught the second best Cuban leader oil
the inside of that quadrangle which Wey
Ter had repeatedly tried to draw him int
since he discovered that a triangle ooult
not hold him.
The object of the Spanish maneuverinj
was to close upon Maceo, and the objec
Of Maoeo was to prevent the enemy from
closing in upon him.
1t now looks as II the Cuban taotioial
had once more succeeded in frustrating
the carefully laid plans of the Spaniards.