Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-20
THE BATTLEFIELD OF CUBA
Where General Weyler is Trying to Crush the
Patriots
MaceO Supporting the Families of
Many Recruits Who Came to
Him In Pinar del Rio.
From the New York Sun.

province of Pinar del Rio was never very
favorable, even On times of peace, when
they were obliged to mortgage from one
year to another the outcome of their small
farms to get money to continue their work.
The tobacco business Is a good one for all
concerned except the farmer. While the
excellent Havana cigars, made of the best
leaf of Vuelta Abajo, which is grown in this
province, leave a lot of money in all hands
until they reach the smokers the MEN who
produce the material are poorly paid, and
after each crop they find themselves IN
debt for the next. What terrible misery
mas prevailed throughout Pinar del Rio
since the day when fierce war and the in
Vaslon OF Maceos army put an end to ali
work and enterprise!
one OF Maceo's greatest difficulties, when
ne 'egan to organize mis- army with the III
tentlon of remaining in the province, Wa
to safeguard the large number of famiIj,.
OF MS newly enlisted soldiers of La Vueil;1
AbaJo The Cubans generally marry vel,
young, and have many children. In this
country, where resources for living are
scarce, newly married couple usually re
side either with the wlfe's parents or TN,
huspands s. They contribute TO the general
support of the family which is Away
cheaper than to establish their own home
me traveller is surprised TO find on ever,
the poorest farm in Cuba eigh; ar Ten wo
men and regiment of children. Every on,
works after he is six years old The hoys
90 with their fathers to the field to lear
how to sow, and to take care of the 10
bacco leaf. The girls help their mothers
IN the house, washing and cooking, and go
10 the nearest country grocery TO buy pro
visions.
When his new recruits Joined the army a
Maceo, they were obliged to take thei.
families with them Maceo refused at tirsi
10 receive the soldiers under such cundi
IONS out he was compelled to do it later by
considerations of convenience and human
!ty. Ihe Cubans love of wife and children
IS as great as his patriotism. Before leay-
ing MS family to starve and TO he expose:
10 tne terrible prosecutions which the Span
isn army 1nf11ct on the pacificos or neutra,
inhabitants, he would prefer to go to ia,
Guy OF Plnar del Rio, now in the hands OF
the Spanish government, OF to Havana.
- as ~ Weyiers troops left Maceo undisturb
ed Tor long time, he awaited himself OF
this opportunity to organize in the noun
talns stores Of provisions and a convenient
snelter Tor the non-comba tants A we'll
informed person in this city said to the cor
respondent of the Sun that the non-fight
ing people Maceo has under his care nun,
Der more than 10000 persons
Inc CUBAN leader proved this time to b..
not only a gallant fighter, feared by tn
Spaniards and admired by the Cubans. hut
great organizer well. All his soldiers
ADORE MIN, and every one carries out his
orders and submits to his discipline w,,h
degree or self-abnegation that could hardly
be expected of volunteers never trained he
fore in a soldiers duty.
In the cities held by the Spanish govern
ment Maceo has strong sympathizers who
help him by communicating to his van
guard all the plans and intended move
Inents of the Spanish troops. The prem
dice which prevailed at first against him
when the Spaniards said that Maceo was
a mulatto has all disappeared Now the
whites are his most enthusiastic parti-
sans. and with his gentle manners and
social ability he conquers the hearts OF
the proudest. He is considered among the
Insurgents as the reverse of Gen. Gomez
The latter is feared, for he Is rigid and
severe while Maceo. without being unduly
familiar with his subordinates, is kind and
polite to all.
Maceo's staff is composed of young men
belonging to the best Cuban families and
famous as shots. The bullet which struck
Gen. Echague IN recent engagement was
fired by one of these officers of Maceo's
staff who was at the moment with Perico
Delgado carrying out the orders of the
general.
1t is doubtful If Weyler and Maceo will
come to severe engagement. The Cuban
leader has distributed his vanguard under
the orders of Degado so as to keep up
guerrilla fight with the Spanish columns,
diStracting their attention from the strong
corps of the insurgents, and firing them
continually. No man is better fitted than
Perico Delgado for such task. He knows
the province Of Pinar del Rio thoroughly.
for his reckless courage
The Spanish advance in heavy bodies
with their artillery, which is proving to be
more noisy than effective. When they are
fired upon by the Cuban vanguard they ar
ray themselves in line of battle and be-
gin to their cannon. They continue
sending cannon balls into the air long
after the enemy has disappeared from the
field. The usual result Of these engage
ments is that some Spanish soldiers are
killed by the first shots of the Cubans,
and whole day, and sometime two or
three days, are lost by the column in its
march. Later, the engagement is always
reported by the Spanish commander as an
important victory, and then the column
enters some town to take rest
Fortunately for Maceo, who Is a native
of the province Of Santiago de Cuba, and
never fought in the west before, as dur
ing the ten years of the revolution of 1868
he fought only in the east, the topography
Of Vuelta Abajo is very similar to that of
Santiago de Cuba. After the Orient, Pinar
del Rio is the most mountainous part of
the island.
The plan of Gen. Weyler is to compel
Maceo to withdraw till he reaches Cape
San Antonio the eastern extremity of the
island, and then oblige him to surrender
or to try to escape by sea. This Is the
subject Of every conversation among the
Spaniards in the city of Pinar del Rio, as
ell as in Havana, and TIE fact that Wey
Ter started fol- the field in company with
Senior Barrera, chief Of the Havana police,
Is an indication, in their opinion that
Maceo will he taken prisoner and carried
to the capital.
But the prospects Of the campaign do
not look at all ia, orable to Weyler's sue
cess. The Cuban sympathizers believe that
Weyler will soon have to return to Havana
defeated.