Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-05-13
Spanish Forces Routed on Their Way
10 Bayamo.
IMPORTANT ISsuReiNr VICTORY.
Midnight Demonstrations In the vlcln'
lily Of Hayana-No tnlciai Re-
ports Of The AFFAIR.

msnths has just reached Havana. II
appears that Gen. Caiixto Garcia and
Con. Rabi fell on a Spanish force
which was carrying food and supplies
rom ManzanilJo to BRyamo early last
week, captured tho convoy, routed
Gen. Lono's column ana pursued him
80 vigorously that he ned to the coast
with the remnant of his brigade ami
took q snip at CaUo de Cruz Ior Man.
zsniiio. 1t 10 said that 30 severe were
the losses anu 80 thoroughly dis0rgE-
nized were his men that the 3 .anisn
general Old not dare attempt TO retrace
his etcps to MauzaAiiio Wy land, feat-
ing that he would be- again attacked
amt this time wiped out of existence.
This engagement, which 10 regarded
by Cubans here az more important
man any battle slnce CAcati loars, goes
to chow how helpless the SPANISH are
In tie country east OF the trocha,
which 10 well called Cuba LibTc.
What 10 known OF the affair came In
private letter to a Spanish officer mere.
This uisaster to the arms OF spain was
due primarily to Weyier's persi,tent
course In attempting TO hold BsyRmo,
which military critics say 10 without
strategic value and not worth tenih
part VI the sacrifices already maue In
attempting to send arms ana pro.
visions from Manzanillo, only ten
Leagues away. Spain has lost OOO
men aud food and arms without emu
along the road to Bayamo and now the
Spanish soldiers call u 'the ROAD To
DEATH"
Gen. Lono laid trap for the insur.
gents and was hoist with his owu
petard. Believing that the convoy
would be attacked he sent his mule
train ahead with q scant e, cort, inteDc-
ing to flank the rebels or fall upon the
rear with his main infantry while the
Escort held their IRE. This force lie
said TO have been between
800 and 1900 men. Gen. Garcia
with between 900 anu 1,OU0
men also waited for the convoy three
leagues from Bsyamo. He WAS told
by his scouts there was large Span
isb force following the poorly patrolled
mule train and suspecting trick he
allowed the pnck mules and small
escort TO pass without mOlestation nj
the time and placed his men In an adj.
vsntageous position to await the com.
ing Of General Lono. The Spanish
eagerly awaiting the sound OF firing
ahead which would tell the train had
been attacked, marched straight tnto
the trap. When the column was with.
In o short range the insurgents opened
IRE. The effect was deadly. The Spau-
iah returned the fire but with little
result. They realized they mad bsed
ambushed snd saw by the gaps In their
ranks tina: the enemy was in force.
They advanced al the word, but an
other vOlley from the insurgents Auseu
some wsvering. Then arose the old
cry, "Ai Mschete" ard beiore the
ranks could be closed, or u square
formed, Gafcla's men were upon them.
As has been generally the case the
spanish Infantry having been subjected
to u heavy fire did not long oppose the
machete with the bayonet.. In lew
minutes the retreat was general.
Ger. LOno and his sIs Il by desperate
efforts succeeded In railying few
hundred men for another stand, but
although they opposed the insurgent
Advance with briik fro 1t was
evident that the day was lost. Fear.
ing that movement among the
Cubans meant an attempt 10 surround
them, the Spanish broke and ran.
Thus the defeat became q r0ut. The
iusurgent iorces were then divided,
ons division pursuing Gen. Lono, aud
the other going TO capture the arms
and provisions.
This last proved an easy task, the
Spanish COMMANDER with the retreat
ing main bsJy was hsrassed for ten
milee. He decided to abandon the
regular road back TO Msnzsnillo, fear.
Ia. h.. ha mi In a.,
Reyes had been u lew days before,
The victorious Cubans were on the
road to Bayamo, bis provisions were
without food. The only way he saw
to escape with the remnant of hi,
forces was to make for the coast at 6
point many miles from Mapzanillo
He marched nearly 40 miles, reached
Cape Cruz and sent word to Manzap.
lilo. A passenger steamer was pressed
into service and carried the dsspon,
dent soldiers back to MansAnillo
81 fierce was the fighting and &C
swIft their retreat that they were able
to carry off lew Of their wounded,
The details are not yet learned. In.
deed, officially, there is ~ yet nl
report OF any engagement between
Garcia and Lono, but tho Eswa
reached Havana nevertheless
Gen. Gomez upon hearing oil
Way ler's declar ration that Santa Clara
was paciled Issued q proclamation oil
his own declaring Santiago dc Cubs
ana Puerto Principe "pacifio." There
was some firing on the outskirts oil
~, 1ana al 2 O'Clock last Saturday
morning. About fifty shots were fired
by q sentry, " h !, It ID said thought he
detected Insurgents. There has been
no lflioisl explanation OF the firms
and the censor would not permit auy
mention OF the report that a party OF
Insurgents had made midnight demon.
STATIONS in tbat quarter. Every effort
was mais TO create the Impression tn al
the affair was Insignificant but thai
there was considerable firing followed
by q rapid movement OF soldiers TO the
Jesus del Monte district where the
firiog OCCUR 30, there cannot be- the
slightest DOUBT. AS the rebels are very
strong In Havana the fact that there
was such firing caused Considerable
excitement. The next day inquiry
was useless. The palace officials pre-.
ier that the affair bo wrapped IN
mystery. The lie wspaper 81 Pats has
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