The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-03-11
TROOPS DEFEATED.
More Than Ono Thousand spaniards
Left Dead on the Field.
Remainder Of the Troops Dispersed IN
Great Disorder-The spanish Com.
mander, Gen. vars del Roy, Mar
rowly Escapes Capture.


New YORK, March 8-A special dis.
patch to the Sun from Manzanillo, Feb
ruary ~, via Havana, says: The Spah- t
lsh column. Of Gen vara del Rey, 1000
men strong; was defeated and dispers-
ed two days ago by the Cuban forces
under command OF Gen. Cafxto
Garcia. More than 1000 Spaniards were
left dead on the estate Costomada,
and the remaining part of the column
entered Manzanillo in the greatest dis.
order, proving how serious the defeat
wan
In spite of the art of snatching VIC
tory from defeat, in which the Spanish
officials reports so greatly excel. Gen.
Vara del Rey is obliged to confess his
disaster, though finding an excuse in
the superior numbers of the Cubans
and the advantage of their position.
In his report, known at Manzanillo,
though probably it will not be pub
lished in Havana, he says that his col
umn was only 1,500 men strong and he
estimates the Cubans at over 1900.
The Spanish dead. he says, were 500,
and he adds, that notwithstanding he
was obliged to retire, the losses of the
insurgents were severe.
The battle turned against the Span
iards when Gen. Vara del Rey tried to
cross, on his way to Man zanillo, the
river Buey, Notwithstanding the heavy
FIRE from the Cuban rifles and two can.
non, one 12-pounder, which caused
terrible slaughter.
While crossing the river all was dis.
order and confusion among the Span.
iards, and they could not reply to the
volleys of their foes. Nearly all their
horses were drowned and they had to
abandon the more important part of
the convoy they were escorting. A
small bridge of wood of which they
availed themselves broke down, and
with it one Spanish cannon sank to
the bottom of the river. Other cannon
were left on shore and were captured.
On the other side of the river Gen.
Vara del Rey found another Cuban
column waiting for him. In the state
of panic and confusion to which his
troops had been reduced the Cubans
could easily complete their victory.
Vara del Rey himself narrowly es-
capped being captured, and he owes his
salvation to Spanish captain named
Quintero, who bravely protected him
with some hundred soldiers from a
sudden cavalry attack by the insurg-
ents.
In this situation the Spaniards de-
cided to abandon the remainder of the
convoy which they succeeded in taxi
ing across the river and they has.
tened their march to Manzanillo As
<Ln ~ ho 1no mos 70
the convoy, the fight ended there. It
lasted eight hours. The Spaniards
took two hours to cross the river and
they behaved with great courage dur
ing all the battle. Not single Span.
ish soldier deserted. All who did not
reach Manzanillo were left, killed or
wounded on the field.
The battle was directed by Gen.
CMixto Garcia in person, though the
great success he obtained was in great
part due to the skill of his chief-of-
staff, Col. Mario Menocal, who re-
ceived information about the path
which Vara del Rey had decided to
follow. He planned the battle, plac-
ing the Cubans on both sides of the
river Buey. Garcia took command Of
the first body and Col. Menocal of the
second, which made the last and de-
cisive attack on the other side Of the
river. The Cubans captured 80 rifles,
one cannon and 5000 rounds of am.
munition, besides large stock of pro.
visions for the town of Manzanillo.,
Gen. Garcia controls the province OF
Santiago de Cuba SO far that even in
the fortified towns and seaports, where
the Spaniards still hold out, his orders
are still obeyed. Only after paying
regular contributions to the insurge mt
army are the merchants of these
towns able to import and sell their
goods. Bayamo is still in the handt OF
the Spaniards but the Cubans freely
commVpicate with the town, and the
garrison dare not make any sally
against the numerous insurgent bands
which swarm around the place.