Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-13
GOMEZ IN THE WEST
Cubans Proceeding Through the To-
bacco-G Growing Districts.
An ATTEMPT ON HAVANA UNLIKELY
Little to Be Gained by Capturing
the City.
SPANISH GETTING CAVALRY
From The Stars Special Correspondent.

From The Stars Special Correspondent.
HAVANA, Cuba, January 8. 1896.
1t Is not more than a fortnight ago that
high Spanish officials In Havana were fond
of going on record as prophesying that
within six months the rebellion would be
at an end and the insurgents all killed or
captured. Perhaps such will be the ulti-
mate result, and within the prescribed time,
but it certainly does not look that way.
Indeed, the events of the past week would
almost lead one to believe that inside Of a
much shorter period the rebel hosts will be
knocking at the doors Of Havana, If not in
actual possession of the city, and the 'lone
star flag of Cuba be floating from the tow
ers Of MORO Castle.
This is not an idle thought 1t is not,
perhaps, the expression of hope. But
what must one think after he has studied
the splendid march Of Gomez and his army
from the far eastern end of the island,
breaking through one strategic line of
Spaniards after another, gaining adherents
and enthusiasm at every mile, winning a
number of victories more or less important,
and finally camping within cannon-hearing
Of the capital?
Gen. Campos has not, Of course, acknowl-
edged defeat. but when he wired today for
Gen. Pando to take immediate command of
the third corps. that which has been direct
division, he practically told that he had
been outgeneraled, and, in a measure beat
en-. Campos Would never own to the fact
that the rebels had whipped him. He is too
proud for that; his record in the field and
senate too great; his love for Spain too
profound. He would rather die by the rebel
bullet or machete than return to Madrid a
vanquished commander Therefore, he re-
mains In Havana as general in chief hut 1t
Is safe to say that ne will not go into tho
field again. at least untn the final great
battle is fought
Nothing to Gain In Taking Havana.
AS Is natural TO expect, Havana Is in
state of great excitement, and will rumors
are af1oat on every hand, and some people
are even preparing to leave the city in an
ticipation Of an attack. To be sure, the
| rebels are Lut few miles away to the
south, but your col res pon lent Goes not be-
| lieve an attack will be made upon Havana
within the next month. OF course, there is
| no telling wha' Gomez may next do, but he
would have comparatively nothing to gain
| by Icing in possession Of the city at this
| time. 1t is believed that he could make a
| successful attack, drive back the forces now
opposing him, and quarter his army in a
| section of the city, but being practically with
| him to capture the Moro and other forts
| With these in the hands of the Spaniards
| with their big and modern guns, they could
| render any position he might take, within
| a radius of seven or eight miles, untenable
| Still, the Spaniards apparently do not
| relish the poss ibility even Of his coming too
artillery en- all the hills about that cover the
| approaches to the city. On the south side
| especially is an array of foreboding cannon
| that must strike awe into the heart Of the
| Cuba1i Napoleon. and one who has
| studied his tactics can think for moment
| that he would put his machete-bearlng fol-
| lowers against cannon balls. bombshells
and the sweeping volleys Of Gatlngs Un-
/ al "a wi nah oil tn hi, At
| Iection, he did at Matanzas. but he will
| not attempt a capture of Havana at this
| time
| Invading the West.
| The western end of the island Is already
| in arms under the command of Perico Del
| gado. AS yet Delgado has not more than
| 1000 followers, but the entire province Is
r'pe for rebellion and. with Gomezs strong
! force within its borders, many thousand
| men, now awaiting the opportunity, will
| join him. The province includes the great
| tobacco district Of Cuba, and the hundreds
! OF planters and laborers who have suffered
| during the past few years from the opposite
| evils of low prices and excessive taxation
! Will become alherel is to the Cuban cause.
In the central portion of the province
| runs rocky and rugged range of noun
| ta.ns covered with jungle growth of tim
Der and well adapted TO the rebel mode of
| warfare. In this particular it closely re-
sembles the Sierra Maestro district of San
| tiago de Cuba and the central portion of
the province of CamaSuey, or Puerto Prin-
cipe, from which sections the Spanish
troops have been urable to drive the rebels
after months of endeavor.
Cavalry for the Spanish.
The Spanish army has lacked cavalry
and in this country, where marching il
especially severe, the raw recruits from the
vineyards of Malaga and Andalusia have
been unequal to the task Of keeping w
| TIT, x-1,:A
of the rebels. Maceo's division is composed
almost entirely of black troops; strong
active fellows, who are untiring and fear
less. In hundreds of cases they are with
out shoes, but this does not Inconvenience
| them in the least for there are thousand.
of negroes upon the plantations of Cubs
| who never Wore a foot covering of any
kind. The soles of their feet are as hare
as leather, and they would regard shoes a.
CselesS ornaments.
Gen. Campos has arrived at the con
clusion that he must have cavalry to sue
cessfully cope with his opponents for h,
has issued an order declaring all horses IL
| Cuba subject to the demand Of the govern
ment. The animals will be taken and du
bills, payable when the war is ended-o
course on the presumption that Spain will
win-are given.
A loud protest has gone up from all quar-
tiers, but as the horses are going also, tn
protest appears to have little weight witt
the powers that be.
turned over their fine horses to American
I friends, evidently not knowing that in al
countries in time of war the horse is sub
iect to the demand of the government, re
gardless of the nationality or citizenship
Of it's owner.
Soaring Military Headquarters.
! Communication between this city an,
: Batabano the principal seaport town o.
i the south coast in the western district o
: the island, was cut off for the past fou
I days, and no trains are running through
: Sunday the rebels gained control of tn
= telegraph wires and attached instrument
= between the villages of Guivican and Beju
. cal, and for several hours sent dispatche
:. to various points, purporting to be fror
- | Gen. Valdes, In command Of SPANS
: troops at Batabano, asking for reinforce
y r1ents, ordering various commands hithe
and thther, etc. Military headquarters i
| this city was intensely excited over dis
| patch signed Valdes, which came about
u o'clock, and saying that II reinforcement
" | did not come to his assistance within tw
. | hours he must surrender. AS he had 1000
= | men under him, and it was impossibl
= to send reinforcements within two day!
;. | the panic at government headquarters ma
= | be easily imagined.