The Indianapolis journal., 1897-01-24
Insurgents Succeeded I'm killing and
wounding Several of the Spanish
.'Butcher's" Special Guards.
GUNBOAT COMETA CAPTURED
HALF THE CREW KILLED AND THE
OTHERS MADE PRISONERS.
All Arms and Ammunition Removed
and the Vessel Then Burned by
Its Insurgent Captors.

KEY WEST. Fla. Jan zs.-Advices from
Havana received here say: General Weyler
has received his baptism OF fire in the field.
He has been astounded by the brilliancy OF
the fash of the insurgent steel before his
very eyes. AT all events. ten OF his espe-
cial escort or bodyguard. a corp, OF Cuban
negroes who enjoy the distinction OF guard
ing the person OF the captain general when
he takes the field. arrived here Tuesday
night seriously wounded with machete
thrusts. Several have since died. Eighty
members of the same corps. all wounded.
reached Havana on Wednesday morning.
From their accounts il is clear that early
on Tuesday morning the rebels under Aran-
guren and Arrange made a startlingiy bold
and dashing attempt TO capture the captain
general which was nearly crowned with
success.
General Weyler who was marching sur
rounded by the column of Colonel Segura,
entered the village OF Quatro Camiros on
Monday afternoon. Orders were at once
given that all the inhabitants should leave
their homes within two hours. The village
, being deserted. the torch was applied. and
all the houses. about three hundred i'm num-
ber. were destroyed. The captain general
then proceeded toward Gopaste. sixteen
kilometers further the road TO Guines
Gospaste was reached after nightfall and a
corps of guides sent forward TO recon-
noiter. General Weyler. with the main
Spanish column under Colonel Segura. halt
cd some distance outside the village.
The insurgents, at the orders OF their
leaders. Aranguren and Arrange. had con-
cealed themselves in the houses i'm the town.
Their plans were evidently we'll laid. and IL
ceeded in capturing the desired prize. the
Spanish commander himself. And in any
event. from their covert. they could have
inflicted great loss upon the Spanish column
il entered the town unprepared for an
ambush conceived under such unusual cir
cumstances and i'm so bold manner.
Unfortunately for the fulfillment of the
design of the insurgent leaders. while the
Spanish scouts were engaged In the recon-
noissance, the guns of some of the con-
cealed rebels were accidentally discharged.
giving the alarm 10 the royal troops. Before
the Spanish advance guard recovered from
its surprise the rebels seeing that their
plan had partially failed, rushed from their
places of concealment and attacked the
enemy with great fury, infiicting severe
loss in their resistless onslaught So bold,
i'm fact. was the insurgent column that IL
pursued the rapidly retreating Spaniards to
a point almost within range of the troops
in General WeylerS main body. and easily
within the compass of field glass. If the
captain general had cared TO inspect the
dispersal of his own soldiers. Captain Gen.
eral Weyler spent Wednesday night i'm Gel
mas. and according TO official reports re-
ceived here, expected TO enter Matanzas on
Friday.
Great anxiety is expressed here as 10 the
situation of the garrison at Bayamo. The
destruction of the gunboat Relampago ends
all attempt TO revictual the besieged garri-
son of six hundred men by way OF river
communication. No land conveys have en-
tered the beleaguered town for ten weeks.
all having fallen into the possession OF Gar
cia, and the commander OF the garrison
will withdraw if possible. News from this
point is awaited with ill-concealed anxiety.