The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-12-25
THE CUBAN VERSION.
The Battle Fought at Yacta Ford
on the Cauto.
A Crushing Defeat for the Spanish, Whose
Officers were O~utGenersIed aud Forced
to Retreat, with Heavy Losses,
by Their Weaker Foe.

NEW 1OHk, Dec. SS.-tO GLOWING -
the Cuban version of the battle fought
at Yacta ford. on the Cauto river, on
December il last. The details were
received through the mails by Capt.
Alfredo Rodriguez, aCuban insurgent
officer, who is invalided in this city.
1t tells of a crushing defeat inflicted
upon the Spanish general, Pando.
Capt. Roderiguez's correspondent says:
"A part of Gen. CaliXtO Garcia's
force. under Lieut.-Col. Salvador Rios,
was holding the Iacta ford of the
Cauto river. 1t was important for
Pandos force to reopen the river. In
order that reinforcements might be
sent to tine city OF Bayamo, be5ieged by
Gen. Roloif. Gen. CaliXto Garcia's
main force was IA little further up the
river. protecting Il ford threatened
by Gen. PandO. Gen. Aldaye, in COM
mand of 1000 Spanish infantry ''regu-
lars" IL squadron of cavalry and 5000
guerilla volunteers, 22 cannon and six
light gunboats, attacked Rios.
Disposing his artillery on the hills
commanding the Yacta ford, Allave
i opened n hot fire on the insurgent
works on the opposite side of the river.
Rios and his 5OJ Cubans retired into
the cover of the woods and the ford
was open for the Spaniards' passage.
"Aldave advanced a column of in
fantry across the ford, holding their
rifles and ammunition belts abOye their
heads, the men being protected by a
continued artillery fire. ;
Rios seeing that he could not hold
his position witnOIt help, sent Il vol
unteer courier, Lieut.. Charles HictI-
man. an American, to Gen. CalixtO
Garcia, up the river. Hickman had to
ride directly through the enemy's fire,
but made the passage safely.
Meanwhile Gen. Aldave landed |, 500
more men on the farther side, and Zen.
Pando, with a large force, at this time
made a feint upon the upper ford. Gen.
Garcia, deceived by Paudo's movement,
decided that he could spare only a
small reinforcement to Col. Rios, and
sent Col. Carlos Garcia with only 200
mounted men down the river. This
reinforcement, small as it was, re-
newed the hopes of the defenders of
the Yacta, and they charged the Span
ish with the bayonet.
"The Cubans, however. were SO
heavily outnumbered that they were
forced to give way. Carlos Garcia's
horse was shot under him, and Col.
Rios was wounded slightly i'll the leg.
Col. Garcia's escort renewed the charge,
with maclIetes this time, and held the
Spanish forces i'll check for q short
while.
BY this time Gen. Calixto Garcia had
seen through Gen. Pando's feints on
the upper ford and dispatched zen.
Jesus Rabi with 1000 cavalry to their
relief. These arrived just as the Span
ish were recovering from the machete
charge, and fell suddenly upon their
rear, throwing the troops who had
crossed the ford into confusion. The
Spanish had to give ground and be-
came exposed to the fire from their
Own artillery in the bills, and from the
six gunbOats which had joined in the
bo~Ipbardment of LsioS' men.
Gen.. Aldave ordered this destructive
fire to cease, reformed his attacking
party, and dispatched Il message to
Gen. Pando for assistance in carrying
the Cuban position
But it Wa too late. The Cubans,
Reforming, raised their battle shout
of "A Imachcte; Cuba libre, and fell
upon the Spanish ranks with terrible
effect. A body of Lou guerillas was
.,, ~ E.,, NLI,," Fpn, ,,I fLr.,y
down their arms.
'esen. Rabi. knowing the half
hearted loyalty OF these volunteers,
told them thai they must fight their
OWN comrades or DE cut to pieces. and
they obeyed, and really fought desper-
ately on the Cuban side
Gen. Aldavc, seeing hat his men
would be apnihilated, Withdrew them
across the ford, again protected by the
artillery fire. Gen. Pando. with an
escort. rode down from the upper ford
Ind directed the Spanish retreat.
The Cuban loss in this engagement
was 10G killed and about 800 wounded.
Gen. Rabi's men found 2OO Spanish
dead, and Gen. Aldave, in his re-
port to Havana, said his wound
ed numbered 200. The Cubaus be-
lieve they inflicted much more dam
age; that the Spanish troops
carried away many of their dead aud
minimized the number of wounded,
reporting only one-fourth. Among the
Cubans killed was Maj. Lelada and
Capt. Garcia, a son of a rich planter.
The Spanish left on the field, Lieut.
Col. Clave, two captains and an assist
ant surgeon and the standard OF arms
of the battalion Llanaro's.
Gen. Garcia promoted Hickman, the
daring courier, to captain on the field.
"Pando has reported to Gen. Blanco
hat 100, 900 men are needed to break
the backbone of the insurgent opposi-
ton in the east, and that it is no
longer practicable to continue the cam-
paign to relieve Bayamo.
This city Gen. Garcia expects to cap
ture early in January, being o able
to detach troops from his command to
send to Roloff's aid"
ASHORE AND DOOMED.
r.