Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-22
REAL BATTLE IN CUBA.
7.,,,,,rd, Of Troops Engaged for Hours at
Yacta Ford.
c,BANs CLAIM A DECISIVE VICTORY.
o,.nb,c Prescription of the Battle, by an
Iusurgent ofiiccr-spaniards Tell of
the Past Ten Days Fighting.

.he cuban version OF tne pattle iouSht
y, vocta ford, on the Cauto river, on
n,comber 18th last. The details were
,olyed through the mails by Capt.
,t,redo Rodriguez. Cuban insurgent
asicor who is lnvalided in this city. 1t
,ars OF a crushing defeat inflicted upon
,be spanish general. Pando. Capt.
podrlguezs correspondent says:
"a part of Gen. Calixto Garcia's
.,rce under Lieut. Col. Salvador Rios,
,ras holding the Yacta ford of the
couto river. 1t was important for
pando's forces to reopen the river,
hosieeed by Gen. Roloif. Gen. Callxto
rorcia's main force was little fur
Nor M the river, protecting a ford
,srsatened by Gen. Pando. Gen. AL
Save. In command of 1000 Spanish in
Santry. regulars squadron of cav
airy and 5000 guerilla volunteers.
twenty-five cannon and SIX light gun
boats. attacked Rios. Disposing his
artillery on the hills commanding the
yocta ford, Aldave opened n hot fire
an the insurgent works on the opposite
side of the river. Rios and his 800
cnbans retired into the cover of the
Yrcods. and the ford was open for the
spaniards passage.
Il
,antry across the ford, holding their
Mes and ammunition belts above their
heads the men being protected by a
continual artillery fire. Rios, seeing
thnt he could not hold his position
without help, sent Il volunteer courier.
Lieut.. Charles Hickman, an American,
"a Cen. Calixto Garcia, up the river.
hickman had to ride directly through
,be enemys fire, but made the passage
safely. Meanwhile Gen. Aldave landed
II0 more men on the further side,an
Gen. Pando, with large force at this
time made a feint upon the upper
ford.
movements decided that he could spare
only n small reinforcement to Col.
RIOS and sent Col. Carlos Garcia with
only 200 mounted men down the river.
This reinforcement, small as 1t was,
renewed the hopes of the defenders
Of the Yacta ford, and they charged
the Spanish with the bayonet: The
Cubans, however, were so heavily out
numbered that they were forced to
eve way. Carlos Garcia's horse was
shot from under him, and Col. Rios
was wounded slightly In the leg. Col.
Carcia's escort renewed the charge
with machetes this time, and held the
Spanish forces in check for short
while
"By this time Gen. Calixto Garcia
had seen through Gen. Pando's feints
on the upper ford and dispatched Gen.
Jesus Rabl with 200 cavalry to their
relief. These arrived just as the Span
lsh 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 hills and from
the six guns which had Joined In
the Commandment of Ross men. Gen.
Aldave ordered this destructive fire to
cease reformed his attacking party
and dispatched message to Gen.
pando for assistance in carrying the
Cuban position. But it was too late,
The Cubans. reforming, raised their
battle shout of "A l'machete,' Cuba
libra, and fell upon the Spanish ranks
with terrible effect. A body of 1000
gueras was cut off from Aldave's
force and threw down their arms.
Gen. Rabi, knowing the half
hearted loyalty of these volunteers,
told them they must fight their own
comrades or be cut to pieces, and they
obeyed, and really fought desperately
on the Cuban side
Gen. Aldave, seing that his men
would be annihllated, withdrew them
across the ford, again protected by
Mt aIthlely lre. zen. flnuo, Win an
| escort, rode down from the upper ford
and directed the Spanish to retreat.
THE Cuban loss in this engageme t
was log killed and about 900 wounded,
Gen, Rabi's men found 200 Spanish
dead, and Gen. Aldave, in his report
% Havana, said his wounded num-
bered 200. The Cubans believe they
have inflicted much more damage; that
The Spanish troops carried away many
Il or their Gnn1 and n1inin1iyal fha .
GER OF wounded, reporting only one
fourth. Among the Cubans killed was
Nal Lelade and Capt. Garcia, son
q rich planter. The Spanish left on
the field Lieut.. Col. Have, two cap
tans and one assistant surgeon, and
ne standard OF arms of the battalion
lanaros, Gen. Garcia promoted Hlck-
man, the daring courier, to captain,
on the field.
Pando has reported to Gen. Blanco
mat 100000 men are needed to break
he backbone of the insurEent oppo-
tluon In the east, and that it is no
nlger Practicable to continue the cam
palsn to relieve Bayamo. This city
zen Garcia expects to capture early in
January, being now able to detach
nnvops from his command to send to
Eooffs aid"
capt Rodriguez has also received
1--WE that Gen. Maxine Gomez has
Hossed the Jahonyu river at Ciego de
aNla and has continued on his march
fgez.
LOSS or THE PAST TEN DAYS.
havana, Dec 2l,--It was announced
non the priuce today that during the
,sSsS Ten days the insurgents have lost
n. men killed, and that, In addition,
s ms spanish troops have captured sew
NHltEnngrg hat CtN- to Inn
sMvd Insurgents have surrendered
lug lug troops.it liz further announced, have
Stsured ninety-tlve stands of firearms
,,gning THIS time Among the killed, tho
W'Hleit continues, are three insur-
. ,r emo RS and three officers of the in
Irlssht forces. The Spanish troops, dur
G,s, me same period, according to Off
M. ~, lstics, lost three officers and
h,E, -lhFee soldiers killed and hat
Wounded
',ANisI OPPOSING AUTONOMY
havana, Dec. 2i.--At today's meet.
XXI ot The conservative party, ovei
delegates, said to represent so pei
,,sht Of the wealth of the island. be,
ts,.. present the several speaker.
s1is tl mat the president, the Mar
Ms ' oI Apezyteguia, should explain
lsh,NS pnuuct and utterances as pub
Ibs IN the newspapers of Madrid
drr..u, marquis IN a speech OF two hours
IN oh' satisfactorily explained mat
II howe l'u denied the accuracy of tn,
tvsS, puplished In Madrid. In all
srst.E -eight speeches were mad
rseins That autonomy will not brinl
trot+s." me Island, as proved by tn
"A b5t " the members of the Cubai
M Gnt ol New York and the re