The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-02-17
GOMEZ AGAIN VICTORIOUS
The Cuban Generals Brilliant
Strategy Wen Another Fight.
FOUGHT A SUPERIOR FORCE
His Pneumatic Dynamite Gun Did
some Effective Execution-Then
He Ordered a Machete Charge,
and Hand-tc-Hand Encounter
Ended in the Spaniards Defeat.

New York, Feb. 1.-THE Suns Havana
correspondent, writing under date of Feb
ruary 8, says:
Trusted Cuban news has been received,
giving further details Of the battle at Juan
Criollo, in Las Villas, reported on last Fri
day by cable. The first Spanish account
OF the battle claimed a victory, as usual,
bat with painful paucity Of details. The
second report, which was communicated by
the press censor to the American cor
respondents here, said that Col. Arizona
made a brilliant combined baycnet charge
and cavalry attack on the insurgents, dis
lodging them from their positions after
two hours Of hand-tC-nand fighting. Ia
neither OF these reports was the name or
Gen. Gomez mentioned. nor did his name
appear in La Lucha and the Diario De La
Marina in the accounts of the battle, which
the press censor permitted them to print
All the information proves that the action
at Juan Criollo adds another page OF glory
TO the history of Gomez military career
The battle decided the campaign in Las
villas in favor of the CubauS, and fright
ened weyler so far that. as is already
endorsements, declaring himself unable to
withstand Gen. Gomez unless he had more
troops under his command. The batSle was
fought on February /. and lasted from
about B To 6 o'clock in the afternoon. IL
began after Gen. Gomez had raised the
siege OF Arroyo Hanoo upon the arrival
there OF the column of Col. Arizona. who
came from Clego de Avila in aid of the be-
Sieged garrison OF Arroyo Hanco. When
the first shots of Arjona's vanguard were
heard few minutes after O'Clock Gen.
Gomez ordered his troops To abandon the
siege and concentrate on the estate OF
Juan Crllo. between two hills and with
several prominent positions dominating the
plain in which Arroyo Hanco is located
Gomez took possession OF those strategic
points.
Arizona was in command Of 3, 500 men, to
which he added 600 more. gathered on
his way from Ciego de Avila lie had two
cannon. one of twelve, and the other OF
six pounds His force included 500 caval-
rymen. Gomez mad only $500 well armed
men Gomez had also a pneumatic dyna-
mite gun. but il was not very effective.
However. two or three bombs exploded at
Juan CrilIo in the Spanish ranks when the
fighting began, producing terrible cOnfu-
sion With the aid OF Gen Carrillo. Gomez
succeeded in driving the Spaniards to the
center OF the estate of Juan Criollo, where
a terrible fight began.
Al last the Spaniards. heavily chastised
by the combined fire OF Carrillo on one side
and Gomez CA the other became panic
stricken, and the CuhanS had before them
.
the Spanish Major Posada. fell dead, his
chest pierced by a bullet The confusion
of the Spaniar,is now became greater Il an
ever, for posada was struck down nearly
in the center of their forces. The Spanish
surgeon, DIR. Cerneiro, wenttO ass st poSada,
but when lac lifted him from the ground
to see his wound, another yoIley of the
Cubans killed him also
The order "Al machete," given by Gen.
Gomez. decided the action. The Cubans
charged from all sides. and then hand
to-hand fight began. In the first moments
the Cuban Col. Remgio Lopez was killed
by a bayonet thrust. The Spanish lieu
tenants, Don LONGING Martinez and Don
Federico Pena fell dead, MARTINEZ from
a blow 10y nachete, which cut his head
off. Eighty Spanish soldiers were killed
with the machetes and more than 100 were
severely wounded and left on the field
Before the hand-to-hand fight began the
Spanish losses were already more than
100 men. In great confusion, and suffering
at every step from the persistent figh ting
Of the Cubans. the Spaniards retreated to
the town, reaching it after 6 O'Clock. One
section OF the column did not reach the