Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1897-03-11
TROOPS DEFEATED.
More Than One thousand Spaniards
Left Dead on the Field.
Remainder of the Troops Dispersed In
Great Disorder-The spanish to'n-
mander, Gen. N.ra del Hsy, Mar
rowly Escaps Capture.

NEW YORK, March s-A special dis
patch tn the sun from Manzanillo. Feb
ruary -. via Havana, says: The Span
ish column az Gen Nara del Rcy, !. 900
men strong, was defeated and dispcrs-
ed two days ago by the Cuban forces
under command of ten. CaliNto
Garcia. More than 900 Spaniards were
left dead ON the estate Costomada,
and the remaining part of the column
entered Manzanillo in the greatest dis
order, proving now serious the defeat
was
In spite of the art Of Snatching vie
tory from defeat. in which the Spanish
officials reports 50 greatly excel, Gen.
Nara del Rey Is obliged Ia confess his
disaster, though finding an excuse in
the superior numbers Of thr CubanS
and the advantage of their position.
In his report. known at Man2anillo,
though probably it will not bc pub
lished in Havana, he says that his col
umn was only 100 men strong and he
estimates the Cubaus at over 5000
The Spanish dead. he says, were 800,
and he adds, that notwithstanding he
was obliged To retire. the losses of tho
insurgents were severe
The battle turned against the Span
iards when Gen. Narl del Rey tried To
cross ON his way t. Manzanillo, the
river Bucy. notwithstanding the heavy
fire from the cuban rifles and two can
non. one l2-poundcT, 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
vollevs 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 tn
the bottom of the river. Other cannon
were left on shore and were captured.
On the other side of the river Gen.
Vara del Rev 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 Rev himself narrowly es-
capped being captured, and he owes his
salvation to a 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 dc.
cidcd to abandon the remainder of the
convoy which they succeeded in TAX
ing across the river and they has
tened their march To Manzanillo As
the object of the Cubans was to seize
the convoy. the fight ended there II
lasted eight hours. The Spaniards
took two hour, Ia cross the river and
they behaved with great courage dur
ing all the battle. Not single Span
ish soldier deserted. All who did no,
reach Manzarillo were left, killed OF
wounded on the field.
The battle was directed by Gen
Calixto Garcia in person. though the
great success he obtained was in great
part due To the skill of his chie.-of
staff, Col. Mario Menocal, who re
ceived information about the path
which Nara del Rey had decided tc
| follow. He planned the battle. plac
ing the Cuhans 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 attach on the other side of the
river. The Cubans captured so rifles
one cannon and 100000 rounds of am
munition, besides n large stock of pro
visions for the town of Manzanillo
Gen. Garcia controls the province o
Santiago de Cuba so far that even in
/ Al.
the Spaniatds still hold out, his orders
are still obeyed Only after paying
regular contributions to the insurge nj
army are the merchants of thes,
towns able to import and sell theil
goods. Bayamo is still in the handt o
the Smniards but the Cubans freely
communicate with the town, and tn,
garrison dare not make any sally
against the numerous insurgent band
which swarm around the place.