The morning times., 1896-02-09
CUBA WON EVERY BATTLE.
UnGs. s0red Reports Show Ter
rihle Spanish Losses.
OANNELLA WAS AMBUSHED
Reported Spanish Victory Turns Out
TO Have Been a Heavy Defeat ard
Al Foolish Blunder-Two Other En-
agements Won by Gomez ana
Maceo-Cartridges Captured.
tsne,.ial Correspondent United Press.

Especial Correspondent United Press.l
Havana Feb. ., via Jacksonville, Fla,
Feb. S.-Gen. Marin, who left Havana
week ago TO take personal command of the
operations in the field, and who expected
TO strike a decisive blow against the enemies
OF Spain. has not yet succeeded in forcing
a battle.
When the captain general, who has only
a brief interval of power before the arrival
OF Gen. Weyler, started out, Gomez was
awaiting the return OF Maceo from Pinar
del Rio province, and the two rebel leaders
were separated. 1t was Gen. Marin's
plan TO place a strong force between the
TWO and prevent their union.
Hehas not succeeded in accomplishing this
forbJtl leaders are now in Havana province,
and are acting in conjunction with each
other. During the week there have been
several encounters in Havana province be-
tween Spanish colu.1ns, acting under Gen.
Narin's orders and bodies of rebels directed
10y Gomez, but only one OF these was
pTecipitated 10y the Spaniards. The Others
were planned 10y the insurgents.
NOT a SPANISH VICTORY.
IN none Of them has the result been 10
the advantage of the Spanish side. The
first fight since Gen. Marin took the
field, occurred on the day be went out.
Gen. CanneIla was ordered west from
Guiana jay, a town near the border line,
between the provinces OF Havana aud Pinar
del Rio. He was to head off Maeeo, who
was moving east. The insurgents set trap
for Gen. Cannella's force on the Saladriges
stock farm, a few miles southwest Of Ar
temisia.
The road which Cannella was on, passes
through the estate. and is flanked on one
side by fields divided into squares 10y
. stone fences. just west of these fences
gc al nfaz nf tho
best fighting men in GOmez's following, had
400 rebel infantry lying flat on the ground
behind the stone fences 10 the left of the
road. With / 900 rebel cavalry. DiaZ
waited IN hiding behind the hill further
down the road.
TRAPPED GEN. CANNELLA.
The rebels waited about two hours.
Then The Spanish force appeared. and ad-
vanced until the head OF ihe column had
passed the stone wall. The rebels then
opened with a volley fire from behind
the wall. Many OF the Spaniards broke
and ran across the fields TO the right Of
the road. while others held their position
IN the road and returned the rebel fire.
Diaz sent half his mounted force down the
road giving the men in the road machete
charge and with other mounted men rode
across the fields and headed off the Span
cards who had broken ranks. he then was
in a position 10 give the troops in the road
q cross fire. and this wrought havoc among
them.
Gen. Canneua managed 10 pun his shat
tered forces together and retreated toward
Guiana Jay. The fight was of brief dura-
ton. but il was one OF the most sanguinary
Of the war. No accurate account of the
losses can be obtained, and probably none
viii ever be known.
WAS A BLOODY FIGHT.
General CanneIia threw out picket lines
extending over one mile and allowed no
one To enter while he buried his dead.
Their number is said to be near 200. Gen
eral Cannella himself is said 10 have been
wounded. The insurgent loos was very
small. Although this fight occurred Janu-
ery 80. the government has issued no Of
ficial report of IL. very unusual thlng-
on Saturday, February /. the second i'm
portant fight occurred. 1t was on the
itrong line itself. and showed how little
regard the insurgents have for the So
called wall Of men between Havana and
Batahano.
II was the attack on the train south
OF San Felipe near Pozo Redondo. -Four
hundred insurgents did the work. Ap-
parently they had information about the
train which was a special. carrying muni-
tions OF war 10 the troops al Batabano, and
for shipment to points along the south
coast.
CAPTURED THE TRAIN.
Two rapid fire guns We're on the train
when IL left Havana. but were sidetra cked
at San Felipe. according to the government
report. Cubans, who claim 70 be well in
formed. say that this is not so and that
the guns fell into the hands of the in
Eurgents. together with 900 Mausers and
0,00O cartridges.
They look upon the capture or the train
as one OF the greatest feats of their cam
paiGn. They were badly in need of am
munitiOn. as the persistent campaign which
General Marin is conducting had nearly ex-
hausted their supply.
The third fight of the week was at the
Luz estate, near AlquZar. Gomez, after
remaining only two days east OF the strong
line, had crossed south of San Felipe, and
going 10 the west of Guira dc La Melenes
closely followed by government troops en-
caniped on the Luz plantation. Here Col.
Ruiz with seven squadrons OF Spanish
cavalry largely made up of infantrymen
recently mounted upon horses which the
government has seized, came upon the
rebel outposts.
1t was en- Sunday last. Col Ruiz waited
for several large detachments of infantry
TO come up and then attacked the rebel
lines.
From the government report it appears
fbatbe cut lhroughthe first line andreached
the main body of rebels. He reports killing
with the sw machete. Cuban
planter who ar the Luz estate says
that Col. Ruiz Aattack and cut into
the first line, but Ihat the main body fell
upon him, and instead OF there being
twenty dead rebels and four wounded
Epaniards the losses were just the reverse.
j. FRANK CLARKE.