The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-22
THE CUBAN CAMPAIGN.
The Position of the C0mbatants and
Weyler'S Plans.
The Two Trochas on Which the Span
iards Base so Many Hopes.


The period from June until this month
was the rainy season, and the heavy down
pour made the roadless country impossible
for Spanish infantry or cavalry But,
though no vigorous campaign is possible
under such circumstances, tho insurgents
have not beon idle. They have destroyed
many small villages ard sugar plantations
that escaped destruction last spring. They
have been particularly active in this direc-
tion in the provinces of Havana and Pinar
del Rio They have greatly damaged the
railroads, particularly the Western railroad
running from Havana TO the town of Pinar
del Rio have carried away miles of rails
and destroyed many bridges AS tho Span
iards To this day have made no efforts 10
organize commissariat and transport
service the wasting of the country and i'm
pairmont of the railroad service will mako
1t all tho more difficult TO move and pro-
vision the Spanish forces In the interior.
Tho Spanish Forces. The 400 re-
endorsements landed on the island from
Spain late In September increase the Span
ish army TO over 200, 900 men of all arms,
including about 40, 900 volunteers drawn
from the Spanish residents Of the island.
What proportion Of this force Is incapaci-
tated for service 10y illness Is not exactly
known. A large part Of the army is scat
tered over the country on detachment duty,
many in places where there are no hospi-
tails, and from which medical returns are
not regularly received. Late In September
military men in Havana did not know
how many men they had ready for active
duty. The latest Spanish returns report
10, lao sick and wounded. The Spanish
force in Cuba Is as large as the British
force in India, and includes 43 generals.
When the soldiers arrive, they are
healthy and as n rule a cheery looking
lot, but they are very young, and this fact
is against them, called, as they are, 60 face
campaign in Cuba's trying climate.
There has been no disaffection among
them, and they are docile and well con-
Quoted, but they have had little or no
drill, are not subjected to any discipline,
and most of their officers ere utterly in
competent. The larger part OF them are
Ia the neighborhood of Havana and along
the line of the Mariel trocha. Many thou
sands of them are doing garrison duty In
the principal towns throughout the island
guarding lines of communication and
manning the two strntegic lines or trochas
that extend north and south across Cuba.
Themilitary position is that the Spanish
troops hold most Of tho important towns
and very small areas whore their camps
are pitched, but tho country districts
throughout the island are i'm the hands of
the insurgents, and of late the spaniards
have interfered ycry little with the patriots
In the eastern part Of the island and have
kept garrisons In only few of the princi-
pal towns there.
The Insurgent Forces. The Spanish es-
timato Of the number Of armed Cubans In
tho field against thcm is 25,000 and they
add that there are in the Cuban service as
many more unarmed supporters who serve
as scouts spies and camp followers. Asa
matter of fact there are today moro than
30, 900 fighting men in the Cuban ranks
equipped with artillery, small arms and
ammunition. The most formidable nuclei
of the patriot forces are in the extreme
western province of Pinar del Rio, under
the command of General Antonio Maceo
whose forco Is variously estimated mt from
IL 600 to 10000 armed men, and in the
noighborhood OF Puerto Principe the capt.
tai Of the eastern province of that namo,
where, according to the latest authentic
reports, General Maximo Gomez was In
camp about 90 miles from the city. All
the Cubans are heart and soul In the pa
triot cause They may not be fighting In
the field, but they are insurgents none the
less, and ihoy are assisting the insurrection
by every means in their power.
Insurgents Strong In Cavalry. pa
triots have "a striking advantage in tho fact
that their bands, for tho most part, are
mounted, and thus they are able TO move
more quickly through the country and can
easily elude pursuit The Spanish columns,
on the other hand, are mostly infantry.
The Spanish authorities spoke too lah
when in December last, they issue.
proclamation requiring all owners of horses
to place thcm Mt the disposal of the n.ili-
tary commanders out OF reach Of the enc
my. The patriots had already got all the
horses they needed, even In the provinces of
Matanzas and Havana.
Filibustera Eighteen Spanish mon-of-
war and 90 gunboats and steam launches
specially built for watching tho shores of
Cuba are constantly patrolling the islands
thousand miles of coast line on the lookout
for vessels laden with munitions of war
and men for the insurgents. They have
sgnally failed to prevent the landing OF
these supplies Since the war began In
February, 1905, tho Spaniards have been
successful In only two instances of any inn
portance In foiling these attempts and ar
resting the particlpators in these ventures
Spain is simply unable TO watch such ex-
tensivo COASTS with her present naval force
and she Is also hampercd by the fact that
she can do nothing outside the three mile
limit of her jurisdictional waters. The
insurgents arc obtaining and apparently
will continue 10 obtain all the war material
they need az long as they and their friends
can raise tho money To cover the cost.
Many Of these supplies have been landed
ON the coasts OF Pinar del Rio for Antonio
Macoo, and the Dauntless and other fill
bustering vessels have landed east Of the
two trochas such substantial supplies OF
arms and ammunition for Maximo Gomez
that he has recently organized and equip
ped several fresh regiments, the recruits
from tho town and country folk, who
daily join his ranks, and most Of their
equipment being derived from the United
States Considerable quantities OF sup
plies have also been captured from the
Spaniards.
The Two Trochas. Tho western limo is
lpavcu oo tho Marfel A rtef,fan trocba IL