The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1897-09-24
YHE END In SIGHY
Weyler Forced to Concentrate His
Troops at the Seaports.
SPANISH FORTS ABANDONED
Retreat to the Seacoast Discouraging
and Disastrous to the Whole
Spanish Forces.

The beginning of the end of the
Cuban war is undoubtedly the decision
forced upon Gen Weyler by the extra
ordinary activity of the insurgent
army in the six provinces of the isl
and, and he has decided to abandon
the interior of Puerto Principe and
Santiago de Cuba to the revolutionists
and concentrate the Spanish forces at
tie sea Jorts, where they can be sup
ported by the Spanish navy. The i'm
portant military station Of Pucrno i'll
santiago de Cuba Province has been
abandoned by the Spanish troops. The
Spanish residents of .Iiguani, Bayano
and Holquin. in the same province,
are greatly alarmed by tie prospect OF
being left to the m"l,y az the insur-
gents. In spite OF the o;ders he has
received from Ma|lid not to abandon
Bayamo, he apt .iu General has re-
piled to the Sp.,.lsh merchants OF that
town that the most he can promise
them is to do his best without guaran-
teeing anything. The convoy that
provides Bayamo with food from Man
zanillo twice a month passes between
the towns Of Peralejos and Barrancos.
which are held by the Cuban forces
of Gen. Rabi, who has strongly forti-
fled the route. The TO- 600 soldiers
that Col Vara del Rey deemed neces-
sary few weeks ago to escort the
Spanish convoy to Bayamo would not
now be enough, $1,000 or 10000 being
needed at present. Even this force re-
uuires twelve days for the trip, and
is often exhausted by fighting. One
Of the last escorts lost 800 men. Sss",s
A Cuban writes from Bayamo des-
cribing the arrival of one OF these
convoys. He says:
''It is a wonder how these poor Span
ish soldiers can suffer SO many hard
ships. Those who are not born III
Spain and not Injured to the climate
get here in miserable state Of sick
ness. Seldom is one of them able to
make this trip twice. The burning
heat of eastern Cuba and the hardship
Of a march without halt from Mama
Milo with firing every hour to answer
the volleys of the insurgents, are
enough to ruin the health of the
strongest man from Europe. TIL
soldiers have several times protc, tel
against the duty imposed upon thon,
contending that their own lives are as
worthy Of consideration as those OF the
Inhabitants of Bayamo. But, after
all, when the order to start is given
them, they take their places in the
| herd with that admirable endurance
which makes 50 remarkable the un-
paid, i'll fed and yet blindly loyal Span
ish soldier.
"A few days ago poor private
from Galicia, only Is yeary old,
arrived with the Spanish column,
and on entering the streets of Rayano
fell senselees to the ground. He was
carried to the little dirty military hos
pital of the town. and next day he
died after sudden attack Of madness,
during which, while holding "a bayo-
net he ran amuck, killing two guards.
I asked the surgeon, sensible Spaniard,
what the soldier really died OF, and he
answered. From the crime which Sp lin
commits in sacrificing the best of her
youth in this devastating war.
But the crime cannot be committed
much longer because the 60, 900 soldiers
required to maintain the Spanish
positions in the east are needed by
Weyler in the west.
II hope,' said tho Captain General
to the representatives of the .iguani,
Bayamo aud Holquin, ''that You will
help the short garrisons. / will leave
there to hold the forts against the
enemy without expecting reinforce
ments. The time has arrived in which
Spain needs all her sons, soldiers anc
civilians alike. l will try to send the
conveys, but will attempt only what
is possible under the circumstance.
After the capture and destruction o
Victoria de las Tunas by Gen. Garcia
Gen. Luque retired. toward Mama
Milo and Garcia has not met single
Spanish soldier in ten day.