The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-18
STRENGTH OF THE CUBANS.
THE INsURGENT ARMY ESTIMATED
AT $4,000 MEN.


their Lot With the Patriots if They
CouId Secure Arms and Ammuni-
,;on-A Statement of the Where
abouts of the Different Divisions
of the Army.
From a staff Correspondent of the
United Press.
Havana, March IA, via Tampa, Fla,
H-arch 1.-THE present strength of the
insurgent army is close TO 5000 men.
Crbans themselves estimate the number
of men in the field as high as 60,000 men,
hut even if unarmed camp followers, men
in charge Of provision trains, hospitals
and camps were counted, it is doubtful il
that number could be found actually in
service. There are thousands of Cubans
who would willingly cast their lot with
the patriot army, but lack of arms ana
ammunition prevents. The insurgent
forces operate as a rule in zones or dis
tricts and are organized on military lines.
The columns of Gomez, Maceo, Lacret and
Banderas, are, however, limited to no one
province, but pass from one TO another
under direct orders of Gomez. The COM
mander-in-chief is now in Matanzas, and
the others have reinvaded Havana prov
ince. The following is statement or
the strength and location of the forces
of the principal Cuban leaders:
Maxine Gomez, in Matanzas .......... 5000
ers, in Havana NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 5000
Zeratim Sanchez, in Santa Clara. 4OOO
Jose Maceo, Rojas and Rodriguez, in
santiago ..-.............-...s 800
Lacret, in Havana ......................... 5000
Cuntan Banderas in Havana ........ 5000
Nunez, in Havana ...;.,............ 5000
Degado, Bermudez. Sanchez and 9TH
ers, IN flnar gel hlo ;......-:....--.. $500
Clos, in Havana ......:;.....:......... $500
Mayai Rodriguez and Others in Cam
aguy ....--....r........-. l,500
Iendieta, in Santiago ................ 1000
Rafael Cardenas in Matanzas ...... 800
Neron. Ruporto Sanchez and others,
in Pinar del Rio Observation-Disclosures. 800
Olivia and others, in Pinar del Rio.... 600
Cotilde Garcia, in Matanzas ......... 600
Garlic, Joaquin Garcia and others.
in Santiago ...........-............ 600
Roof. Pancho and Perez, in Santa
cara .....-............ ................. 800
Mirabel, Ferrer and Veita, in Santa
Rero Srd sxio RoaI1cn Paioo ana San. 0OO
chez, in Santa Clara .................. 800
Cortuna, Vidal and Juan Bravo, in
Santa Clara ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 400
Juan Toledo and El Inglesito. in San
Matagas, in Matanzas .................. 400
Rooau, Cebreco Ruen and Planas, in
santiago ............................ 400
do Garcia, in MatanZas -.............. 400
Aulet, Morejon, Dimas Martinez and
,Ssotolongo, in Matanzas .............. 400
Fmaneoa Acosta, Aguilar and 9TH
ers, IN Havana ........,......s 200
Munoz Chapotin, Socorro and Limo
Perez, in Santa Clara ................ 200
Total :..................................42,SOO AZ, 800
The distribution, according to PROV
lnces. IS: Havana, 1880; Matanzas, 5000;
santa Clara, $500; Santiago, $500: Pinar
gel fklO. 800. CtamaguV. 40. Total 40
In addition to the above there are in
Vulnerable local bands of from Is men
to 50, or even 100. These do not form
part of the fighting force, and should
not be counted as part of the army Their
chief functions are to carry out the or
ders of Gomez prohibiting the grinding
of cane, the movement of troops and sup
plies by rail, the transportation of pro-
visions to cities, and the suppression of
'plateados," who rob, burn and commit
other crimes. These small bands serve as
recruiting agencies, and when they grow
too large for local operation they are
attached to one of the army columns
Of the army proper, fully two-thirds are
well mounted and about half are well
armed. The others are armed with shot
guns, reVolvers or only with the ma
chete. Some of Maceos men have old
style muZzle-loading guns, and lead is so
scarce that telegraph wire chopped into
short lengths is used for the charge. Span
lsh surgeons have on several occasions
reported soldiers wounded with bits of
wire.
The insurgents have a few pieces of
mountain howitzers captured from the
government troops. There are perhaps a
dozen of these guns which have been used
with disastrous effect against the small
est wooden forts which the Spanish
troops have erected at various points.
The Cuban Army of Liberation, as 1t is
called, has grown to its present size in
the face of almost insurmountable diff
culties.
From the beginning it has been outnum-
bered by the army of Spain in the ratio
of never less than four to one. 1t has es-
capped annihilation in many encounters
when ammunition ran out. 1t has lived
on forage; been almost constantly under
fire, and is to-day, a. reckless, daredevil
army, with but one idea in view, and that
is to free Cuba What comes after is not
given thought.