The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-02-05
THE CUBANS BRAVE FIGHT
Desperate Battle With Spanish Forces
at PaSO Real
REPORTED DEFEAT OF INSURGENTS
Though Said to Have Been Put to Flight
the Revolutionists Seem to Move in Amy
Direction They Choose Letters
From General Maceo.

! taken place at PdsO Zeal, east OF the city
Of Pinar del Rio, between the Spanish
forces under General Luque and the in
surgents under Antonio Maceo The loss
of the insurgents is reported to be sixty
two killed and over 200 wounded. The loss
on the Spanish side is not stated beyond
the fact that General Luque was wounded,
how seriously is not stated
| The battle was fiercely contested, and
the advantage is claimed to be all on the
side of the Spanish as a result But it is
significant that Maceo's forces, instead of
being turned back to the westward, pro
seeded on their way towards Havana prov
| ince after the battle.
According to the official report of the
engagement General Luque went in search
of the engagement, and met the insur-
gents at o'clock Monday afternoon. An
attack was Immediately opened on the in
surgents in the town. They held their
position with the greatest tenacity, making
their defense in the village itself from the
vantage ground of the houses and the
walls of the streets. From these points 1t
was found difficult to dislodge them,
though fire was directed upon them from
all sides
The Spanish formed for a regular and
systematic attack, the vanguard of the
columns under Colonel Hernandez charg-
! ing their position by the left flank, while
the center and rear guard of the Spanish
under the direct command of General
Luque forced themselves into the central
street Of the village and attacked by the
right flank, charging with vigor and de-
termination.
Seeing their position thus imperilled and
themselves in danger of having their re-
treat cut off, the insurgents made rapid
retreat to the extreme western limits of
the village, doing some execution during
the retreat. Here they formed their lines
for further stand against the attack of
the Spaniards. A volley from the rifles of
the troops failed to break the line of the
insurgent forces. They We're given n sec
ond volley, but still they stood their
ground and even in face of a third volley
of rifle bullets they refused to bulge an
inch and obstinately maintained their for
midable line.
! The Spanish cavalry was then ordered
! to charge and it swept down with great
| valor upon the devoted band led by Lieu
! tenants Herrera and Berenguer. The in
surgents were unable to stand this on
slaught and their formation was broken
and they were put to flight, ten of them
/ being killed with cavalry sabers.
They were pursued by the Spanish cav
airy outside the limits of the village but
the pursuers were here met by a force of
insurgent cavalry numbering a thousand,
and the pursuit was checked The insur-
gent cavalry made a stand and met the at
tack of the Spanish covering the retreat
of their friends and stubbornly refusing
to give way, in face of the Spanish fire, un-
| ~ -, ,fgb inf
Meanwhile the Cubans had worked their
way into the Gale Real, and once more
made IA vigorous stand against the on
slaught of the Spanish troops. The bat
TALON of San Quintin advanced upon
them. but it was only after repeated vol
leys had been fired into them that their
position was taken, and the village was in
| possession of the Spanish.
But still the insurgents did not abandon
the field, but only gave back before the
troops, and prepared to make a last stand
in palm grove about three kilometers
distant Here they formed line of de
Tense again.
The Spanish artillery then opened fire
upon the enemy at a distance of 800 yards
The insurgent cavalry did not await the
nearer approach of the Spaniards, but
dashed down the declivity out OF the palm
grove and charged full upon the Spanish
formation with savage valor These IN
trepid horsemen threw themselves upon
the points of the bayonets of the Spanlards
The Spanish infantry however, stood flrm
and repulsed the charge with the bayonet
They then in turn themselves made bay
onet charge The insurgent cavalry re-
treated, but only to form a second line for
another charge
The troops were formed into a hollow
| square to meet this charge Their artillery
! opened upon the insurgents at a distance
of only l50 yards. This last charge was
also repulsed, many insurgents being
wounded with bayonets, and the insur-
gents thereupon retired, taking their de-
parture in the direction of Los Palacios, to
the eastward, towards Havana province.
! A report received from the province of
/ Santiago de Cuba says that the column
under command of Colonel Tejeda num-
bering 800 men, had a fight at Oiocinado,
Cautoabajo, with the bands of Jose Maceo
! Boune and Borrero, which had acted as
escort for the insurgent government.
Their position and camp were taken and
| they We're forced to retreat, leaving seven
| teen killed, with arms and quantity of
ammunition.
AT Playa, in the district of Bahia Honda,
] Pinar del Rio, the insurgents attacked a
convoy of troops under Major Leal. They
were repulsed with loss of four killed
and six wounded,
The village of ltabo was attacked by the
insurgents, who plundered the stores, but
with the assistance of the troops they were
dispersed with loss. They also attacked a
passenger train from Jovellanos. The
trains escort repulsed the Insurgents, kill
ing four of them.
The band led by Tumba Puatro at
tempted to burn the village of Iulueta,
Santa Clara but were unsuccessful, where
upon they burned the surrounding cane
fields.