The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-02-10
TRAPPED BY GOMEZ.
4 Spanish Division Cut Up and Ut
terry Routed.
WAS CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO FIRES
And Three Hundred of the Troops
We're Killed.
SUPPRESS THE BARBARlTlES


Key West, Fla, February 9.--Thc pilot
boat Nonparell reached this point at noon
having on board Or. j. u. Castillo. sur
geon general of the Cuban army. who,
with his servant was taken from
schooner In the gulf Dr. Castillo left
the headquarters OF General Gomez We'd
nesday, with important dispatches to be
delivered In Now York. Dr. Castillo
gives a graphic description of the situa-
ton In Cuba, which he claims Is highly
favorable TO tho Insurgents. lie says If
congress would recognize the insurgents
their triumph would speedily follow pr
Castillo was present at the battle be-
tween tho Spanish forces and insurgents
on February 8 near GuanaJay. already
briefly mentioned in these dispatches,
Tho spanlards were led 10y General can
nela and the insurgents by Patricio Dluz,
one Of Gomezs ablcst leutenants. Ac-
cordinE TO pr Castillo tho battle was
ono OF the bloodiest OF tho war and tho
Spanish forces came near being wiped
out.
"Canuella," snid Or. Castillo, had been
sent with 1900 regulars by Marin to IRE
vent junction between Macco and Go
mez The latter, who has spies In the
Spanish army. learned of this nnd
planned to trap Cannclla Tho road which
| Cannella was on pa ised through the sal
drigcs stock farm and is ianked on the
sdo by fields divided by stone fences.
West of these fences s hin, and there
Gomez set his trap.
behind the stone fence on tho left sixty
insurgout Infantry were placed, aud plaz
waited behind the hill with 1000 rebel cav
alrymcu AS soon az the column Of can
nclla was IN the trap the Cuban Infantry
men poured IN whitening fire. Many Of
the Spaniurds broke and fled across the
fields. a portion of cannclla's command.
however. returned the fire. which did
little execution, as tho Cubnns wcro pro-
tcctod by the wall.
at this time Diaz sent half his cavalry
men down the road giving the Spaniards
who were lighting macho'o charge,
which broke their ranks with the other
500 cavalry men Diaz rode across the field
and headed off the Spaniards who had
fed The Spaniards were caugh, beiwcon
two fires which played havoc with them
Iluddlcd IN the road like sheep they were
an easy mark for our bullets. Finally
Diaz ordered another charge. The Span
iards fled towards Guanajay. The only
thing that saved Cannclla's troops from
utter destruction was the fact that they
were met while fleeing hy strong rein
forccmrnts from Guanajay. whore tho FIR
ing had been heard when these fresh
Spanish troops appeared Diaz stopped the
pursuit
gully 800 Spaniards were killed, for
counted over 200 corpsos myself I also
noticed about 100 spanlards who were too
badly wounded TO get away. General
Cannella himself was badly wounded ana
has been ia n hospital ever since the bat
tie The cuban los was only forty
killed and sixty wounded. owing 10 the
fact that the insurgents were protected
by tho stone walls"
DR. Castillo reported Gomez as being IN
good health. The wound IN the leg pr
CaaAllo says, is chronic ulcer and is OF
no Importance.
lie said that Gomez was encnmped IN
the southern part OF Cuba. with large
army and plenty OF provisions and am
munition. lie also said that the ultimate
success OF ohe Cubans was assured In n
short time.