Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-02-25

Havana, Cuba, vim hoy West, Fla,
Feb. lS.-If the official reports are
correct the insurgent army. under
Gen. Gomez, has been divided into
small corps and Gomez ia in full re-
treat before the continued advance of
Captain General Weyler. DISPATCHES
from Ciogo do Avila say that tho in.
surgeEt commandments chief, With 4. 600
men, has recrossed the military line in
the Province of Puerto Principe, ex-
tending from Jucaro to Moref, and
that he is going eastward through
Puerto Principe and in tho direction
OF the capital of that province, also
called Puerto Principe.
Gen. Calixto tGomez's second in
cummand) was reported four days ago
to DO in the vicinity OF Puerto Principe
and retreating towards the same point
as Gomez. Captain General Weyler
arrived yesterday at Sancti Spiritus,
the most important town in the eastern
part of the province of Santa Clara,
near the boundary of Puerto Principe
and in the territory where the in
surgent headquarters was recently
located. and as he has been able to
reach that place, apparently without
any serious molestation upon the part
OF tho insurgents, the report that
Gomez is retreating would appear to
be borne out by facts.
Tho statements from the Spanish
headquarters are even more explicit 1t
is announced that the insurgents have
retreated to tho mountains and to the
vouds before the Spanish advance, and
that from Sancti Spiritus Captain
General Weyler will push forward his
columns to Moron. Ciego de Avila and
Jucaro. thus seemingly sweeping across
the island with large force and driv-
ing the enemy before him towards the
eastern part of the island.
In Santiago lie Cuba it is known that
strong columns of Spanish troops have
been gathered, and it is believed that
tho plan is to attempt to catch Gomez
and GaliSto between tho armies ad.
yancing under Weyler and the spanish
columns in Santiago dc Cuha. In any
case, the most interesting stage of the
campaign seems to have been reached.
The supporters OF the Spanish cause
hope that Gen. Weyler will succeed in
bringing about decisive action before
tho rains put in and limit operations
for the season. On the other hand,
the friends of the insurgents assert that
Gomez may be trusted to thwart the
plans of Gen. Weyler, and that IL it ia
true that the insurgent armies have re.
treated from the Province Of Santa
Clara into the Province of Puerto Prin.
cipe it ha1 done SO for purpose and in
order to still further carry out the
policy Of exhausting TIE Spaniards.
However, it cannot be denied that Gen.
Weyler now occupies a most advHn
tageous position from which to conduct
operations against the insurgents. From
Sancti Spiritus a short limo of rail.
road communicates with the port oil
Tunas, on the northern coast, and 10y
this means he can have conveyed tc
him all the reinforcements, supplies,
ammunition. &C., which he needs, and
it also gives him convenient highway
over which he can send his sick and
wounded to the rear.
Advices from Santa Clara. unuei
date ot February 18th, say that force
OF over a thousand insurgents wal
camped at SanGla, II miles from
that city. under the command of Gems.
Mayia Rodriguez and Chuco Monta.
guido, apparently intending to continue
their march towards the Vuelta dis
1rlct, IN the same province.
A dispatch from Consolaccon del Sur
Province OF Pinar del Rio, still further
confirms the statements made in thest
dispatches, that pinar del Rio is fai
from being paciiied, as the captain
general claims. Numerous bands uf in
surgents are saiu TO be hidden in tb,
thick, dark woods of that part Of tn,
country. and un Monday last the in
suitenls dynamited and derailed al
exploring train between Los Palacio
anu Paso Real. blowing up culvert
destroying the engine. capsiZing al
armorplated car, killing two Soldiers D
the escort, wounding eight others aEt
RoTiously injuring the engineer anC
fireman. The line 10 still interrupted
and passengers bound from Pinar dc
iio TO this city have to he transferred
70 trains in waiting at the point wher
the explosion occurred. Otherwis
trains to and from this city are runnin!
as usual.
Pinar del Rio reports that small
expedition from the Elsie, which
landed at La Mulat several days ago
was lpd by Manuel Maria Coronado,
correspondent of Ell Liberal OF Madrid
and by tho editor of La Discussion. /
further stated that Collaso landed
band of insurgents, dressed like SPANS!
guerrillas.
Tho schooner Mercedes was captures
on February nth, it is now announced
in tho river Canambo. She had Of
board 30 tons of coal, pWnod by Smitl
o. Co., OF Trinidad. Four of her Gre,
escaped into the burned cane fields q
that district. The insurgents hRv
attacked Vegan A lta and succeeded i
burning 90 houses on the outskirts O
that town.
The military commander of Artemisa
Senior Hidalgo, after accommodating tn
Las Canas district, reports that fanilie
can resume cultivation there under til
forms of Weyler's first eGict, but not Il
living inside fortified zone. BY th
terms Of the captain generals socon
edict over 20 families of that distr,l
were compelled to abandon thei. homes
burning all the houses. including som
handsome dwellings and large stare
factory, and reducing them to stat
OF the greatest poverty.
At Candairria, Pinar del Rio, thor
10 great scarcity of vegetables, &c.
as the insurgents will not permit th
country people TO send such supnle
into the place.
dispatch from Jaruco says this
Emelio Nunez has landed near there.
Tho bank bills .:estlon is produein
serious differences among the prc
prietors OF the exchange houses an
IN