The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-07-09
SNEAKING SOLDIERS.
How Warfare Is Carried On In Centry
America.

How Warfare Is Carried On In CentrSi
America |
Their Indian blood makes the Centr9l
American soldiers take to shelter aI4i
ambush when fighting. When ca
Garfias, with his regiment, started up
Picacho mountain, above TegucigalpH |
Honduras, 10 drive the revolutionary
from the little table land where thf
waterworks reservoir was found, asw$ |
told in the Sun the other day, his mep |
sneaked from rock to rock, and the 81 |
envy in falling back did the same.
During the same revolution Gen. VAS
ouez had the forces of Policarpo Bonilla
cooped up in place called Tatumbia.
His men outnumbered Bonilla's, ind,
besides having cannon, they were bet
ter armed and better supplied with am
munition. The village Bonilla occupied
was in valley, while Nasquez occupied
all the hills around, save one. When
Vasouez attacked this hill. his force,
though greatly superior, insistedl on
running forward from rock to rock In
dian fashion.
But the most noticeable feature VI the
Tatumbia situation was in the length
of time the two forces sat looking at
zach other and doing nothing but fire
an occasional shot. They were1it~ W
startling and splitting at each other for
DAYS. Then Bonilla slipped away in the
shadows, and next day was found in the
suburbs of the capital and holding the
crest of mountain that commanded
the town.
1t was here that l found the two com
: oatants, and for three days saw them
facing each other, snarling and growl-
ing, but doing no more, and then Bonllla
slipped away again. When Bonilla left
Tatumbia for Tegucigalpa, he made a
5 regular panther spring upoi his enemy,
but for lack of ammunition Jailed to get
t a GOOD cav hold on his vi,tfm's neck.
e Ard. panther fashion, he NEITHER wor-
ried over the failure nor m,de anothe.
immediate dash.
He waited until he had another chance
as good as that and then made another
leap. He came back again, this time
with his claws so well snarpened that
VasuueZ was the one to sneak, and he
There was not one good stant-up-and
fight battle IN these wars, n'r have
ever heard of body of Genital Amer
lean troops carrying a position with
the bayonet.
With these things in mind, every Eng
disappearing man l met in Contra
America spoke contemporary of Cen
trail American soldiers. Thy were
called towards. of course, audit was as
serted that they had neither tact no
persistence. 1t was said over and Owe
again that one English or German reg
iment, properly equipped, could sweel
the country from San Jose de Costa Ric
to Guatemala city. To my mind this /
all nonsense. | heard such nlk in tn
g presence of natives, and the natives lis
= tened, as it seemed to me, in on attitud
IL like that of panther crouched in tn
''N brush when the gauchos are after hin
~ ~ a IL 49, !i>spsS "a
Iy NO one who has seen the Seysith req
n. lICent, y. &. S. n. Y, on parade an Loo
at the ordinary Central American sol
To- dler without smile. His uniform con
p slSts OF blue drilling shirt orblouse
RI blue drilling trousers and staw ba
X nothing more. He commonly carrie
ID AZ old-style Remington rifle, anl this i
10 held, even when on drill. muh as a,
+ Adirondack wooGsman holds lis Win
IS chester-"at all angles" And that i
the soldier in the regular armyin tim.
is OF peace. The revolutionists tht | saw
p in Honduras had for uniforms onl,
q White bands around their haS.
I Their clothing included the common
d cotton shirt and trousers wornby fieIc
~ hands-they went to battle rs the,
r went TO plant corn. Their arms were
= Tor the most part pitiful to box at
p they carried the cheap little pot-metal
f muzzle-!oading shotguns, made in Eng.
: gand for the export trade. To put in
= two drachms of powder and four buck
shot would be to load them to the las,
p gasp. 1t was on such weapons as these
! that the revolutionists staked their
. lives. And that they did this is worth
considering in forming an estimate OF
, the men IS soldiers.-N. Y. Sun.