Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-20
SECOND EDITION.
GREAT VICTORY BY GOMEZ
Almost Cut a Spanish Army in
Pieces.
RELIEF ONLY SAVED IT
The Attack Was Brilliantly Executed-Dyna-
mters at Work in Hayana-Yellow
Fever Staying Spanish Soldiers.
RELIEF ONLY SAVED IT

Havana, June II, via Tampa, Fla, June
19-The event of the week has been Go
mezs splendid victory at Najasa. Puerto
Principe. The Cubans have reason for
being proud of their leader, as he has
again demonstrated his capacity, not as
a simple guerrilla, as the Spaniards
give him credit for being, but military
tactician in the full sense of the word.
This last achievement of his in routing
the Spanish forces, greatly superior in
numbers, in open field, led by one of their
Oldest generals, is sufficient to prove that
the "Old Chinaman," as the Cubans
fondIy nickname him, is a match for the
Spanish on any occasion and that he can
outgeneral them whenever he pleases.
The details received SO far are meager,
the best report received here up to the
present being Varela's, pubhshed IN
La Discussion, the best informed indie
pendent paper in Havana. He says that
Gen. Jiminez Castellanos left Puerto
Principe with 2114 men, 342 horses, five
mounted pieces of artillery and sec
ton for same. On the 9th they encamp-
ed at a cattle ranch named Saratoga,
after exchanging random shots with reb-
ell skirmishers. About o'clock p. m. the
attack commenced by a charge of 1000
rebel cavalrymen with machetes, which
the Spaniards admit was made with
great decision. From that moment
until the morning of the 18th the insur-
gents continued harassing the troops
killing and woundng many.
The story of General Castellanos, who
commanded the Spaniards, Is that the
Cuban charges were repealed either by
artillery fire or by forming the hollow
squares. which the Spaniards consider
unbreakable. Still Castellanos confesses
that there were moments of great dan
ger, and only by displaying the greatest
no
pelling the attacks of the enemy he
also admits the number of wounded
Spanish troops obliged him to erect his
camp hospital in the farm house of the
ranch, brick and tiled roof structure,
which was so riddled with bullets that
some of the wounded men were struck
after being placed inside, Castellanos
likewise acknowledges that General Go
doye's arrival was very opportune, since
the twenty-fotfr hours fighting had ex-
hausted the troops. In view of the loss
inflicted on the troops Generals Godoye
and Castellanos decided to return to the
city without pursuing the enemy, who
had already inaugurated the retreat on
Godoye's approach.
Varela also states that the Spanish
troops fired $4,000 cartridges and thirty
shells and the rebels $4,000 shots. Natu-
rally he figures the rebel losses from 400
to 500 and the Spanards al 80, of which
only four were killed and the rest wound
ed, more OF less, iflciuulHS TWO OHlceiS,
but he candidly confeSSeS he has not been
able to obtain information of the number
of horses or pack mules killed or wound
ed. He concludes his story by simply an
nouncing the arrival of both columns in
Puerto Principe without stating in what
condition they entered the city, whether
all their commanding officers of high or
low rank returned, or who We're missing
Now, this is the Spanish story of the
fight, which has been accepted by the
government as true, since the official re-
port published tells the same story. 1t
can be said that the original document
has never been made public.
From other reliable sources, although
incomplete and lacking important de-
tails, 1t is known that Gomez had only
1900 men. 1t was known in the city that
Gomez was encamped at Najasa with
that number of men. In the first charge
the Spanish admit that there were only
1000. Then the Spaniards Increased it to
5000.
General Castellanos' force amounted to
$500 men, according to this version, which
is about accurate, for no Spanish general
even less Castellanos, who is an old war
rlor and knows Gomez's way of fighting,
would march at the head of 1900 men to
attack such a formidable opponent.
Gomez, knowing of his rivals ap-
proach, placed his men in convenient po-
stions dividing his forces in small
groups of 300 men each. AS soon as the
Spanards were comfortably encamped
in the ranch, preparing for the next days
attack ON Gomezs stronghold at NajaSa,
the Cuban chief suddenly made his APP
pearance, attacking their positions
simultaneously on all sides. Taken una
wares and completely surrounded. all