The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-13
THE REVOLT IN CUBA
NINE MONTHS OF SPANISH FAILURE
AND PATRIOT SUCCESS.
A Hundred Thousand Soldiers and nm
Expenditure of $4,000, 900 Not suf-
Acient to Cause a Check.
radrid Disnatch in I,ondon Standard.

had discovered widespread separalst con-
spiracy, and that some small bands Of in
surgents, chiefly colored people. had un-
furled the flag OF secession in the province
OF Santiago; and seven months have elapsed
since Spain sent out to Cuba her ablest mar
shall, Don Arsenic Martinez Campos. Yet
the rebellion is still in full vigor. and the
insurgents have found themselves in a po-
sition to invade those provinces in which the
royalist forces are concentrated In strength.
To understand the difficulties which Mar
shall Campos has had to cope with during
these seven months, and which have con-
demned him to remain almost continually
on the defensive, much allowance must be
made for his having assumed the command
just before the beginning Of the rainy and
unhealthy season, and with totally made
quate forces. The Spanish government can
not be criticised for having so long persist
ed in undertaking the grave import Of an
instruction more formidable than all pre-
vious risings in Cuba, when the colonial au-
thorities had affected, before and after the
outbreak, to treat lightly the repeated
warnings that they had received.
When the isurgents began. only nine bat
taiions Of infantry, formed with men draft
sent out in March. Then ten battalions of
the line, and some artillery and engineers,
were hurried over at the end of March and
beginning Of April, about the same time
as Marshal Martinez Campos was sent out,
when the instruction spread from the prov
ince OF Santiago to that of Puerto Principe.
Directly the marshal reported further de-
velopment of the insurrection in Las Villas
de Santa Clara, and applied for more REIN
forcements, the government OF Senior Cano-
vas del Castillo dispatched some artillery
and eighteen squadrons of cavalry, drawn
from the Hussar, Cazadore and Dragon
regiments at home in May. Preparations
were actively pushed during the summer
and in June and August the Spanish Trans
atlantic Steam Company carried over seven
teen battalions Of the line, six battalions
of foot Cazadores. three battalions of ma
rineS, a battalion of foot artillery, a bat
talon Of sappers and miners and some thou
sand drafts for the corps already in the
colony.
DRAINING THE RESOURCES OF SPAIN.
The reinforcements had much reduced the
peace establishment of the Spanish army,
which is only $500 strong, SO the govern
ment had gradually to call out the men Of
the last conscriptions who had been sent
home on unlimited furlough for the sake of
economy, some $500 young soldiers and
1900 first-class reserve men, many of whom
showed reluctance for colonial service. glad
ly as they lad responded to a previous call
for service in Morocco during the Melilla
conflict in 1885, Nor was this deemed suff-
Gent. as the Minister of War decided 10
months earlier than usual, and. in fact, he
intimated that $500 men would be sum
moned to join the colors. an1 very short
delay allowed for buying themselves off.
The Finance Minister has been NEST agree
ably surprised at getting an increase of
100000 in the first quarter Of 1s95-S6, and
an increase of f150,0O0 in October besides,
the proceeds Of the payments made by the
families of conscripts who elect to pay $50
IN na ibe eadS nan Sba sne
bullets of Mambises, as the insurgents are
nicknamed by the Spaniards and 10y alists.
With these raw materials to fill the gaps in
the Army Of the Peninsula, the Madrid War
Office was able to undertake to forw.ir5
to Cuba, between the middle of November
and Christmas. $500 more men. :. e.,
twenty battalions Of the line. six battalions
Of Cazadores, one strong battalion of ma
rines, several mountain batteries OF foot
artillery. dozen squadrons of light caval-
~, and four companies OF engineers. Heavy
drafts from the depotS were also sent out to
take the place of the victims OF the yellow
fever and of the men whose health broke
down during the rainy season in colonial
army of 1000 men, that had at one time
nine thousand men in hospital. With al the
reinforcements in Cuba, the marshal will
have very nearly 100. 900 men at his disposal.
Large this force may seem TO outsiders.
it is not deemed excessive by those vino
are acquainted with the East territory in
which the Spaniards have to operate. ard
with the sort of foe that confronts them,
while SO many of the Inhabitants at heart
sympathze with the insurgents. Cuba is
Very large island, 1,oso kiIoneters long from
Cape Maisi, in the Oriental department., to
Cape San Antonio, in the province of p:nar
del Rio. with breadth varying from forty
one to 225 kilometers. 1t has an area of
1880 square kilometers, including the al
jacent isles on its north and south coasts,
and it has 1874 kiometers OF coast line. The
population of Cuba, according to the latest
Spanish statistics, amounted to I.22S. GOO
whites, 1892 foreigners. 1881 Asiatics,
mostly Chinese, and 49, 249 mulattoes and
negroes. This population is more dense in
the western and central provinces than IN
the two eastern.
THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.
The province of Santa Clara has an area
of 222S0 square miles, with $4,000 inhabi-
tants, and contains important towns and
ports. railway and telegraph lines connect
ing 1t with the three rich western prov
inces, numerous plantations and sugar mills
in it's plains, while the mountais and forets
Of other parts OF the province afford easy
shelter in this var, as they did in the past
rebelions for the insurgent bands. particu-
larly in Las Villas. In this province Mar
shall Martinez Campos established his head
quarters at Santa Clara itself. and distriD-
uted in garrisons, outposts and flying coll
umns nineteen battalions of infantry one
battalion of marines, ten sQuadrons of cav
airy of spanish and colonial regiments, two
mountain batteries, one battalion of foot
artillery, several companies OF engineers,
and many local corps of volunteers. In the
province of Puerto Principe there is an area
600 inhabitants. In this province the towns
are few and wide apart, and the mountains
and forests are the favOrte resorts of the
insurgents. who find the majority of the
people of the rural districts very favorably
disposed for the cause Of secession. especial
~ in the district of Camaguey. which has
been the headquarters of Maxine Gomez,
and one of the principal training grounds
of the insurgents for several months 1t
has been thought necessary to keep in Puer-
to PRINCIPE thirteen battalions Of infantry
ten squadrons of cavalry. five companies of
engineers and mounted battery. The
most eastern province, Santiago de Cuba
has an area Of q, 400 square Kilometres and
$50 900 inhabitants This province has been
always a hotbed of instructions. and with
in its boundaries Cespedes started the rebel
lion of 1878 at Yara. and Antonio Maceo
caused the present rising to begin at Barre
in February. 1895. Nature seems TO have
made this province like that OF Puerto
Principe, for guerilla warfare in which the
insurgents can easily defy the efforts of
regular troops in the almost impenetrable
forests. La Manigua, as the Spaniards call
II. and in the Sterras that cover five-sixths
OF the whole territory. Within very short
time after the beginning of this
rising, and during the greater part
OF the last instruction, the insurgents be-
came masters of the whole province of
santiago outside the ports and towns garri-
soned by Spanish troops. Marshal Martinez
Campos had placed IN this disaffected dis
trict twenty-six battalions of infantry, four
squadrons of cavalry. three mountain bat
teres and three companies of sappers.
generals at the head OF the Santiago Hol-
gum, Gibara, Bavamo and Manzanillo dis
trctS have not been able to prevent the
rebels making the province OF Santiago the
seat of the insurgent government, the prin-
cipal center of their political and military
N iva ion 10 MA Of