The sun., 1897-10-31
HE IS FIGHTING FOR CUBA.
J0Hy LYNN TELLS NOW THE SPAN
IlRDS ARE VANQUISKED.

IARDs ARE VANQUisHED.
Privatisus ana nardships or the Patriots
Havoc made In the Spanish Ranks bS
the Raptd-R1re Guns-spnin's Soldiers &c
Orer the Fields kIiing he Cuban wounded.
KEY WEST, Fla, Oct 2s,-A letter was rc-
oeived hero q fow days ngo from John Lynn, tho
young man who left Jacksonville to Join tho
insurgont band last year. and who has been In
charge OF tho pneumatic gun of the insurgents
for months. II said in part:
"S.nco coming here have had pretty hard
time. Many day ] have thought Of my Key
West and Jacksonville friends. and wondered
what they were all doing. We have had hard
campaign here this summer. anl at times,
owing to tho lack OF ammunition and the want
Of food in somo Of the camps, have had pretty
hard timo. | have been moved around from
place to place, having been in Pinar del Rio,
Havana Santa Clara, and other provinces, and
have fought in about every one of them. The
fighting down here is not what 1t Is cracked up
to be, and IL 1t were not that am 80 interested
In the freedom of Cuba would not stay. 1t Is
hard work, tell you, and then the privations
and hardships that endure something
awful compared with the easy life we lead in
Florida, but when | look around and see the
brave men suffering all the hardships simply
for love Of country, all battling for the freedom
shout Cuba Libre with the best Of them.
1--WE have great many little skirmishes,
sometimes using the dynamite guns and some
times the smaller rapid. fire guns that have l
have forty five men under me- and wo have ono
dynamite gun and three rapid.fres One Of tho
lattcr is named Gomez, because 1t is always to
be relied on, while another one is called Weyler
because it Is always out Of order when wanted
and is a lot of trouble
zone Of our fercest fights recently was in
some hills near Sciba in Havana province. We
had large hospital there, in which were num-
Der Of Cuban officers, and was detailed there
for awhile to guard them. as we wcrc making
some repairs to our battery. and also had in
formation that tho Spanish would attack us
there in force. We had things oil arranged for
them with tho battery skilfully concealed be.
hind come light bushes at the head Of the path
that led into tho hills, whilc on each sido OF
the defle troops were stationed with hand
grenades and rocks to pour into the Spanish col.
umns. The hills were almost like q horseshoe
where werc. the open part being roadway
about 500 feet wide vt first, and then contract
ing into O narrow road or path Of not over 25
or 80 feet.
On each side tho cliffs were very high and
stcep, making it impossible for the Spanish
troops TO scale it, so that they had no chance to
attack us in the rear. Our spies led the Span
ish columns on, and they came, carly ono
morning, under command Of Gen. Morino l
am told. about 1900 strong. 1t was grand
sight to see them coming, marching along, and it
made me nervous to think that at any moment
VIC would be slaughtering them like cattle They
came on, with their cavalry in front, struggling
along the road. not fearing any ambuscade,
but still keeping q pretty good lookout.
When they got up to within about 900 feet
OF us they partially slowed up and made up
their columns. and then came on quickly and
quietly, not q note being sounded, and they
marched up quito cautiously. We waited
until We could see the expressions on the mems
faces when ! gave the order to fire. 1t seemed
like very hades broke loose. My shell from
the dynamite gun exploded in the column, and
tho air was filled with dlsmembered fragments
of human bodies while the horrible shouts of
tho soldiers still ring in my ears. Our rapid
fro guns opened at the same moment, and to
add to the horror tho men on each side Of tho
ravine or road on the cliffs overhead threw down
rocks and hand grenades. 1t was the widest
ocene I ever saw in my life. Tho horses and
men houndered together in ono wild scramble.
Tho shouts OF tho officers and shrieks Of the
wounded men and tho neighipg of tho fright
ened horses all produced wild chaos Of
sounds that one can never forget.
Again We opened on them and gave them
0nOtner VOllcy. luc SpduldTub turneo anu
scrambled for tho outlet, tho cavalry rushing
through tho infantry. tumbling down men
by the score. 1t was such a slaughter that
after the fourth shot from the dynamite gun
I could not fire it again. as felt like doing
murder. Tho rapid-fire guns, under the Gu
bans in my command. kept up their deadly
work, and they moved down the fleeing men
on all sides. 1t was Spanish rout, and one
Of the most disastrous battles for them that
they have ever had Our men pursued them
far out into tho hills, and il they had not met
achievements their whole detachment Of
1900 men would have been killed or taken
captive. Even when they met their reinforce
ments coming in they did not dare to attack us.
but retrcated toward Havana.
Our men gathered up the dead and buried the
most of them the number, believe. being over
300. There wero nearly 400 wounded. some OF
whom were released while the others were taken
to the neghboring town by our humane COM
mander, Castillo who was then here and word
was sent to the Spanish officials where they
could find them. Our commanders have given
orders to treat the Spanish wounded with a
great deal of care. but our wounded arc horri
bly, treated by tho Spanish.
At the end of every engagement or battle the
Spaniards go over the field killing our wounded
and mutilating them in terrible shape. We are
now In better shape than wc have ever been
and several expeditions have landed recently
Tho only thing need especially is shells fol-
my pneumatic gun, which are hard to get
Sometimes we have to leave 1t behind on account
OF not having enough ammunition, but was
told yesterday that 200 rounds had arrived or
the last ship and that the Jacksonville Junta
had undertaken to see that ammunition for thil
gun was sent on every ship.
haven't time to write moro now. but an
in hopes that, II our present luck continues, we
can say Free Cuba" before the end of the year
WANTS POINTS ABOUT CUBA.
0enoF CauaIcJAs Here TO study Public Opini0I