The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-03-15
ANOTHER SPANISH VICTORY.
CASTELLANOS MARCHES A COL
UMN INTO THE COUNTRY.
Insurgents Attack Him Repeatedly,
and He Marches Back
Again.

| HAVANA, March 14-Genera1 Jim
inez Castellanos, owing to rumors that
the insurgent Government had adopt
! ed as it's headquarters, San Guinamo,
Puerto Principe, decided to take the
! field on the 4th, proceeding by the Ye-
guas road at the head of a strong col
umn of regulars. He began to encoun-
| ter groups of insurgents at a distance
| of about a mile and a half from the
| city of Puerto Principe. On ARRIVING
at Los Claveles farm, a distance of
about five kilometres from the city, he
! engaged the advance guards of the in
surgents, and a hot fight ensued.
| The insurgents were dispersed, but
the troops, owing to the lack of water
were compelled to fall back to the farm
/ Of La Union Delames. At daybreak
on the 9th march was renewed in the
| direction of Aranjuez ranch. From
| the commencement of the march there
| had been frequent firing upon the van
guard and TANKS of the column and
this was kept up until it reached the
San Jose De Coboa Valley, where the
insurgents held a position in the edge
of forest. The front and right flank
of the column opened an extensive and
| hot fire and after an hours fighting
the insurgents were dispersed by the
| Taragona battalion and other forces
who used artillery.
/ The insurgents retired in two wings
and were pushed until they disap-
peared. This ended the combat.
The column continued the march, the
insurgents retiring on it's arrival
| Finding the water supply exhausted,
! tho TO 4 h.
er. During the fight, General Castel-
lanos had several men severely wound
ed and as it was not convenient to
carry them, he ordered the engineers
to build a fort, where the wounded were
left under an escort of forty men. On
the 9th and the morning of the 7th
the fort was attacked by the insur-
gents, but theoretically defended with
a loss to the insurgents of three killed.
| The insurgents camped close to the
| fort on the night of the Sth. During
the advance of the column from Yegus
River it was fired on frequently and
upon the flank when Lasargus was
reached, the insurgents were ambushed
| in the woods, while a considerable
party was in the valley. The column
| dispersed then and then renewed the
march Within two hours the insur-
gents resolutely attacked the position,
falling upon the advance guard but
the latter being reinforced, repulsed
them, using artillery
During the day the camp was twice
attacked by considerable forces of in
surgents, who, believing that a sur
prise was possible. fought resolutely
and were only repulsed with artillery.
| General Castellanos believes these at
tacks were made by Independent bodies
Of insurgents, who retired after the
| fight ended.
J During the night the insurgents at
tackled the camp for the fourth time.
| but We're repulsed. On the 9TH. after
accommodating for a long distance the
marshes surrounding San Geronimo
without meeting insurgents, the Span
| ish column returned to the Yegus. It
had a skirmish in the Carmel woods,
camping there. During the night the
advance guard was fired on.
! On the Sth the column marched to
the Santa Cruz farm, after withdraw
1 ing the garrison that had been left at
the fort
! Shortly afterwards, the scouts were
| fired on and when the column reached
Porcayo farm, the insurgents appeared
on the right flank, partly hidden by the
woods. They opened a hot fire but
were repulsed after several hours hard
! fighting. The march was then re-
Sumed
When Santa Clara farm was reached
| the insurgents opened fire on the van
guard and the right flank.
They We're intrenched behind a nat
ural embankment. The Spanish artil-
| lery and cavalry forces were used to
seize the strongholds and the fight last
ed more than two hours. The water
supply at Santa Cruz being exhausted
General Castellanos was compelled to
| leave for Las Clavelas from which
point he pushed on to Porto Principe
reaching the city about noon He lost
one lieutenant killed, three lieutenants
wounded, six regulars killed and twen-
| ty wounded. 1t is estimated that the
insurgents losses were forty-seven.
| Put sugar in water used for baStjDer