The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-02

Henry Steele, Familiarity known as
Hank" Steele, returned from a visit
to Cuba yesterday. and was full to the
brim with information in relation to
the war which is now going on be-
tween the Cubans and the Spanish
government. Steele says the people
of this country do not know anything
of the real nature of the situation in
the island; that all The reports which
are sent from the new republic are
either edited by the Spanish officers
or smuggled via Key West
As regards the rumors to the effect
that the insurgent army does not court
a fair fight, Steele says this is untrue.
There are more fair fights than the
Spanish troops want The results are,
in the main, of a nature tending to
discourage the Spaniards and encour-
age the insurgents Inasmuch as the
Spaniards lose a great many men in
each battle, while the insurgent
losses are trifling, It would tend to
discourage the parent government if
correct news was sent out. while the
reliable information would have a
tendency to make the rebels, so called,
feel confident, and these are two con-
ditions which the Spanish captain
general is endeavoring to escape.
The Cubans are good fighters, and
while the Spanish army is armed with
modern small calibre rifles of great
range, the insurgents have been en-
abled by the assista ace of the foliage
20 make good fights with the Ameri-
can Springfield rifles, of which great
quantities have been shipped in. While
the Spanish arm is capable of a range
of a mile or more, the battles which
have been fought have been at close
distance thus far. The lines have been
of an irregular nature, as a matter
of course, owing to the methods which
have been employed by the CubanS.
The latter, says Steele. fight like the
average American soldier. The Cuban
follows the maxim that He VINO fights
and gets away will live to fight an
other day, while he who is in battle
slain viii never live to fight again."
Hence, while the Spanish officer
marches his men on and off the field,
the Cuban tells his men to take to
cover and keep picking them off. A
few hand-to-hand conflicts have taken
place, in which the hosts Of Spain
have always got the worst of it. AS
has been stated, the foliage is very
dense. By feinting with small ibody
of men the CUbans induce the Span
iar0s to make a charge, and when
they reach the main line they have
always found a hot breakfast awaiting
them.
If the insurgent army had a few
machine guns they would be able to
wipe the Spanish off the island As it
is, the Cubans are short of ammuni-
ton ard every man is instructed to fire
only when he knows the man he shoots
at viii go down. In close quarters the
machete is used, and il the hands of
the rebels it is a terrible weapon. Very
few struck with a sharp edge ever find
relief from the plaster and bandages
of the surgeons. When the Cubans
charge they assist themselves by the
use of the most blood curdling yell
which ever emanated from human
Threats. 1t is more like the shout Of
lost soul than a human cry, and Steele
says he has known of cases where the
Spaniards fed without waiting to be
attacked, save by this shrek.
There are many Americans fighting
in the Cuban army. Several of the
national guard Of the various states
and many eX-regularS are there. AS a
rule the bright Americans hold COM
missions. 1daceo has a signal corps of
Americans and the boys are doing
good service. They are keen and alert
and make splendid scouts. Several
photographers are in use and many
and MANY a time when Weyler and
his officers thought they had the Gu
bans cornered, this signal corps of
Americans has been the means of find
ing a loophole of escape and has APP
prised the insurgent army of the man
ner of effecting it.
W. w. Wilson, formerly of the First
battery of this city, is now a colonel
and is with Maceo He entered the
service as a. private and was made cap
tain of a company soon after. In one
engagement he distinguished himself
in such a. manner that he was pre-
NOTED and now has battalion of men
which are noted for their bravery and
valor. Wilson was cornered one day
by three regiments Of Spanish troops
and the only way he could get out was
by a hand-to-hand fight He accepted
the alternative, and at the head of his
men made his catholic majeSty's
troops weep. The Cuban loss was
very small, while Wilson turned the
apparent victory of the Castillan into
an utter rout The dispatches an
nounced a great victory for Spain,
when, as a matter of fact, one-third
OF his troops were rendered hors du
combat
The Cubans have been thinking that
the United States would come TO the
rescue and they would have a chance
to become a part of this nation, but
have given up all hope now. The best
informed say the money power of this
country owns it and that our congress
dares not do anything without its con-
sent. So they expect to gain their
Independence and run a sort Of re-
public themselves. At this time they
have all the confidence of success that
a people can maintain. They are get
ting supplies of all kinds from this
country and the South American re-
publics. Every once in awhile small
vessel from the eastern coast Of South
America succeeds in landing stores,
and the insurgent army is better
clothed and fed than are its opponents.
Then, too, the Spanish are not accli-
mated and cannot stand the heat and
changes of temperature. Dysentery is
Very prevalent and more Of them die
every day from disease than are killed
by bullets and blades.
The Cubans are fighting with all the
confidence of yictors, and come and go
where they please, while the enemy,
being in a strange country. is obliged
to feel his way about, not knowing
when he viii fan into an ambush and
be slaughtered.
Steele left the city yesterday after
noon and viii transact some business
in the state, after which ne will so
back to the Queen of the Antilles"
WAS A QUIET DAY.