The record-union., 1896-06-20
Spanish Losses Reported at Over a
Thousand Men.
Only the Timely Arrival of Large
Force of Government Soldiers Pre-
vents Complete Defeat of Cas-
teilanOs' FOrces-The Sanitary
Condition of the Army Getting
Worse Every Day.

HAVANA, June II (via Tampa, Fla,
June 1O.-The event of the week has
been Gomez's splendid victory at Ma
jasa, Puerto Principe. The details thus
TAR are meager, the best reports re-
celved here up to the present time be-
ing from the correspondent of La Dis
cussioR" which is regarded as the
best informed Independent paper in
Havana.
He says General Jiminiz Castellanos
left Puerto Principe on the Sth inst.
with 2,114 men, 342 horses and five
mounted pieces of artillery. On the 9th
they encamped at a cattle ranch called
Saratoga, where about 4 o'clock in the
afternoon the attack commenced by a
charge of 1000 rebel cavalrymen with
,nachetes. From that moment until
the morning of the 11th the insurgents
continued harassing the troops, killing
and wounding many.
The story of General Castellanos.
who commanded the Spaniards, is that
the Cuban charges were repelled either
by artillery fire or by forming hollow
squares, which the Spaniards consider
unbreakable. STILL Castellanos' report
says there were moments of danger
and that only by displaying the great
est valor could the Spaniards succeed
IN repelling the attacks of the rebels.
He admits that the number of wounded
Spanish troops obliged him to erect
his camp hospital in the farmhouse Of
the ranch a brick structure, which
was SO riddled with bullets that some
of the wounded men were struck after
being placed inside.
Castellanos also acknowledges that
General Godoy's arrival was very op-
perfume, since the fourteen hours had
exhausted his troops. In view of the
loss inflicted on the forces, Generals
Godoy and Castellanos decided to re-
turn to the city without pursuing the
enemy, who had already inaugurated
the retreat on Godoy's arrival
Valeria, the la Discussion" corre-
spondent, also states that the Spanish
troops fired $4,000 cartridges and thirty
shells and the rebels $4,000 shots. He
figures the rebel losses from 400 to 800
killed and wounded and the Spanish
$50, Of whom only four were killed
He concludes his story by simply
announcing the arrival of both COL
umns in Puerto Principe. without stat
ing in what condition they entered the
city, whether all their commanding
officers of high or low rank returned, or
who was missing. This is the Spanish
side of the fight
From other sources, incomplete and
lacking important details. it is shown
that Gomez had only 500 men. Gen
eral Castellanos' forces amounted to
$500 men. He, knowing of his rivals
approach, placed the men in convent
ent positions, dividing his forces in
small groups of 300 men each. AS
soon as the Spanish were comfortably
encamped in the ranch, preparing for
the next days attack of Gomez's
stronghold, the Cuban chief suddenly
made his appearance and attacked
their positions simultaneously on all
sides. Taken unaWareS and completely
surrounded, all they could do was to
defend themselves from the continuedk
charges which, with marvellous mill
tary precision, were kept up night and
day, without affording the Spaniards
q moments rest. Thanks to General
Godoy'S timely arrival with $500 men,
Castellanos was saved from complete
defeat. 1t is said that if Godoy had
delayed his march six hours longer
Castellanos would have surrendered,
as he was already too weak to stand
fighting much longer.