The San Francisco call., 1897-07-26
Victory of Rego'S Forces
in a Hand-to-Hand
Engagement.
Furious Charge of Insurgents
With MaChetes That
Routed Regulars.
From Santa Clara Province Come
Stories of the Butchery Of
Starving Pacificos.

HAVANA, CUBA, July 25.-One of the
hottest engagements of the war occurred
Wednesday at Cartagena, Burros and Los
Eununcos, three small villages in the
middle of estates of the same names near
Cienfuegos. The Spanish forces were the
battalion of Saboya and the Cubans were
led by General Alfredo Rego. About
2000 men fought on each side. The Span
iards were going TO attack Cuban hospi-
tai near Los Eununcos, when General
Rego came to the defense. After brief
firing the Spaniards made dash1ng bayo-
net charge on the Cuban vanguard, and
the Cubans retreated. Had it not been
for Rego's courage the fight would have
ended in his utter defeat and the capture
OF the hospital. The Spaniards reached
the hospital ITSELF but there Rego, col
Iecting the men again, ordered machete
charge. The Cubans poured from all
sides upon the SpanIards, and in terri
bic hand-to-hand fight routed the Span
iards.
General Rego declares the Spaniards s
behaved bravely until the order to charge
with machetes was given. Then they
weakened and in their fight left ninety-twc
killed and wounded. The Cuban Iosse.
are officially declared by Rego to be
twenty-four killed and fifty wounded.
The Spaniards lost forty killed and sixty
four wounded.
After the battle Rego. with his we'll
known humanity to prisoners, treated
the Spanish wounded in the hospital they
intended 10 raid. In the hospital before
the fight there were only n few Cuban
soldiers, women ana children. The Span
iards. deceived by their own spies. prob
ably be ieved the hospital of greater i'm
portance. Reso's popularity throughout
the district of Cienfuegos is now very
great. He has resumed operations in the
field after a long illness at the hospital at
Zlpata Swamps. He has been severely
wounded several times. He is considered
the best horseman in the Cuban army.
After sharp skirmsh with some in
surgents four miles from Yaguaiay, Santa
Clara Province, a Spanish force went to
the hills of Vergara. There they found
the house of a pacifco named Manuel
Luis, They killed LUIS, his brother Ma
tIas, another pacifco named Francisco Es-
pinoso and their wives, i've children and
three other men. After the bodies had
been cut TO pieces the Spaniards placed
them in the house and burned it.
At Sierras Naraniito, Santa Clara prov
vince, large number of pacificos crowded
in forty four small huts last week when
Spanish column passed. Some of the
women asked the officers for permission
to seek food for their dying children. The
only answer was an attack by the Span
iards on the defenseless people. Six old
male survivors, thirty women and thirty
nine children were taken as prisoners to
Santa Clara. The remainder with the
houses were burned.
Manuel Fernandez Chesquillo. natu-
rallied American citizen now under death
sentence and against whose trial Consul
General Lee has protested, is hated by the
Spanish officials because he made an affi-
davit giving particulars OF the murder of
an American, Charles Gown.