The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-29
The aaiea aau Eagle a01edneslay gono january 70 1896

ter. On the con trary. the Spanish SOL
Giers always IN battle wear their Wnlte
straw hats. and the Cuban brings down
his huge knife wherever he sees one
BANDERAS' FINE PHYSIQUE.
The last detachment met on the road,
about o'clock, was under COMMAND OF
General Banderas himself. He IS
man of splendid physical build, rather
gruff in mis- manner al first sight, ana j
as blask as the ace of spades. He was
marching his men in detachments, ne
said, just 70 keep half dozen large
Spanish columns worrying.
Banderas IS one of the truest patri-
OTIS and best fighters in Cuba. He is %
years OF age now, but he is almost as
active as when, nearly a decade ago, he
was sent TO the Spanish prison at Centa
Africa, to serve out a life sentence for
being a rebel. Centa was as great an
institution in those days as ii IS now,
even greater. for hundreds Of women
We're confined there. Among the lat
ter was Moorish maiden, and she, az
ter the manner OF DesdemOna, loved
Banderas for the dangers ne had pass
ed. Together they conspiTed, and at
ter time escaped from Centa. The
Moorish maiden that was has long since
been the wife of AIaceo's black Heuten-
ant.
I
2anderas provided an escort Of three
mounted men. as night was coming on
| rapidly and il was by no means certain
that Gomez was not hurrying toward
| the east. If he was marching in his
usual manner ii might. indeed, be morn
! ing before the rear guard would be
! reached. So the horses were not spared
/ The road for several miles was fairly
! good, but after passing little village
1 Id TD--T Tho %
combination of mud and rocks 10 be
| found anywhere. Surely Gomez could
not march fast on such road! But
| there was little consolation in this, be-
| cause what could hold back the tireless
| rebel leader would unquestionably re-
! tard 10 a slight degree.
About 9 o'clock camp fires were seen
! ahead and an hour later the party rode
| in among the rebels, who were enjoying
| the first meal of that day. It was not
! because of a scarcity of food. but Co
| mez does not believe in eating when
| there is marching to be done, and even
| when affairs are not unusually lively
| the army stops to cook but one meal,
| although the men may MUNICH bread
or crackers from the saddle bags.
EVENING IN CAMP.
The army was strung out along the
| road for several miles. The horses
We're picketed in large groups and near
| at hand to the several companies. \
| number of large pots of water, from
| which emanated strong doors of coffee,
| were boiling over fires made OF dry
| cane and pieces Of dead timber Every
body was eating bread and drinking
| strong black coffee. There was no bar
becue of beef, and, as was afuerward
| learned, the lack of cattle in Havana
and Pinar Del Rio induced Gomez to
| divide his forces and himself return for
| a brief period to MatanZas.
| There was a surprisingly large num-
| Der of seriously wounded. They were
| together in their hammOcks which.
while the meal was cooked and eaten,
were suspended from the stubby trees
near by. The wounded had been feed
| and attended to before the remainder
of the army began their meal
DESCRIPTION OF GOMEZ.
Gomez and his staff were found with
| the vanguard. He had finished his
| dinner of chicken. potatoes. bread and
| chocolate, and was smoking a small
/ twisted cigar. He was seated on q
camp chair made of leather and iron.
| He wore fatigue cap. with a single
! star over the visor. a blue frOck coat,
| from which were missing several of the
| buttons, and black leather leggings.
| His face was clean shaver, but his
| linen collar and shirt front were not
| immaculate.
The Inter Ocean correspondent rode
| to within rod of the Cuban Napoleon,
dismounted and then to one of his ad
jutants, who came forward, announced
mis- name and mission. General Co
meZ arose and was very cordial in his
| greeting.
Il am pleased to welcome an Ameri-
can newspaper man." he said, but I
I 4 70
American congressman who might visit
my camp" And the little general
| laughed almost immoderately at his
own joke. while he beckoned all 10 b.
again seated.
| SURPRISE OVER CAMPOS.
Turning TO the Inter Ocean CORES
pondent. General Gomez asked:
What news from Havana"
"Campos has gone was the reply.
There was a chorus Of ordinations
and the rebel commander stood erect.
1T cannot be true" he said; and then.
after standing several moments in 81
lence, he added: Yes; l rather eX-
pected it."
''You see" he went on, 'CampOs did
not want this war. He abhors blood
shed and does not like 10 see other men
meet in mortal combat. But even more
repulsiVe to him would be the employ
ment of methods such as the Spanish
government and the people of Spain,
for that matter, have been clamorinc
for. They wanted him 10 treat and
fight the CUbanS not as men but as
dogs, TO be shot down in the streets or
murdered in dungeons.
1T is a sad day for Cuba that Martl-
nez CampOs leaves. More than that, i
is dark day for Christianity and civil
lization. l myself have said unkind
things regarding him, and only the
other day, at Guira, / told the people
that CampOs had murdered prisoners.
| But l was not referring to the man, but
TO the despotic and tyrinnical govern
ment which he represented, or was sup
posed TO represent, in Cuba
PRAISE OF CAAIPOS.
Indeed. 1 love Martinez CampOs: all
Cubans love him, for IL was his hand
that stayed the bloodthirsuness of
Spain. He wanted peace; peace with
honor; not peace with crime and bar
barism But the pressure was too
great, and the grand old commander
was compelled 10 give way.
His enemies, within his own ranks,
have said he lacked military ability
and force Of character and decision. As
10 the first, l am satisfied that no Sener-
al in the world could have made bet
ter military disposition OF the troops
at his command than he did. His col
umus seemed 70 meet US az every turn
in all our march from the Oriente: but
the fortunes Of war favored Us and We
succeeded in our original plans.
LAS 70 the charges that he laced
force Of character and decision. we all
know what that means. Had he beel
possessed Of those requisites. dubbed
force Of character. he would stu be the
caprain-geueral Of her majesty's forces
in Cuba. and the plauditS or Spain
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