The record-union., 1897-08-13
Badly WOrsted in an Engagement
With CuhanS.
Two Thousand Government Soldiers Killed
Near Havana.
The Victory OF the Insurgents
Creates Intense Excitement at
Havana-The Battle the Result
OF an Attempt to Capture Gem
eral Weyier.

HAVANA (via Key West), Aug. ~
further details have been received of
the battle near Aguacate, which is
near the MatanZas line. The fighting
was not. as first reported, in Matanzas
Province, but it was just on this side.
There is no doubt of the result of the
battle, and a conservative estimate
places the number of Spanish killed at
1000, while the rebel loss was COM
paratively triding.
Preparations for General VIEWERS
arrivel at the palace were made on
Monday, but he has only just returned
from the field. He left Matanzas on
Sunday and reached Aguacate the next
day. 1t was there that a rumor came
that he was wounded in the big fight
near there, but the statement proved
to be false.
The excitement in Havana is intense.
The uncertainty regarding the new
Ministry in Spain is partly to blame.
and on top of this there comes news
of a big insurgent victory between Ag-
uacate and Madruga. and also of pitch
ed battle in the vicinity of Sagua la
Grande, the advance guard of General
Gomez having crossed into MatanZaa.
Whether he is close cannot be ascer-
tanned with certainty, but it is reported
that he declined to fight at Sagua Ia
Grande. The largest battle that has
taken place in several months was the
one fought at Aguacate. 1t is known
that the battle was the result of an at
tempt to capture General Weyler or
kill him
The Captain General had made prep
arations to return on horseb2c1 from,
Matanzas to Havana. Along lne road
he had posted three columns of Span
ish soldiers. General Castillo learned
of his plans and gathered a force of
fully 1,500 rebels. This force he hurled
against the Spanish lines near Aqua
cate, where General Weyler was sup
posed to be. General Cactillc COM
manded the insurgents in person, and
the Spanish were under General Mill
tia The Colonel is reported dead. hut
later accounts are to the effect that
both Colonel Aldea and General Mo-
lima were wounded.
The battle began about o'clock i'll
the afternoon and continued until
night set in. The Spanish. were rang
ed along the open road and the rebels
approached them from the rear, COM
ing from the hills. A body of cavalry
was stationed about quarter Of a
mile down the road to cut off Weyler
if he should be there and attempt to
seek safety. The details Of the actual
fighting are meager but many reliable
persons who passed near the place,
which is beside the railroad station,
cfo
they could see many dead soldiers
along the road. The rebels used rapid
firing guns.
When darkness came the s!paniar5s
retired, to return the next morning
with heavy reinforcements, but the in-
surgents only opened fire for about
half an hour and then disappeared
They divided into small bands and
subsequent pursuit was futile.
Information has also been received
of the big fight near Sagra la Grande
1t is said the town was attacked and
that a portion of it was burned hut
this has not been verified. Corre-
spondence from the field, however,
proves that there has been battle
there. General Gomez in person, it is
said, directed the insurgent operations
After the fight at Aguacate General
Weyler fell back upon Guanabacoa
just across the bay from Havana. The
rebel chiefs, Colonel Arnaburan and
General Rodriguez, were in the dis
trict and General WeyIer expected a
reid. General Weyler arrived ut ,iu-
anabacoa with 1000 men. Five miles
from Guanabacoa General Weyler was
attacked by a rebel force under Cen
eral Rodriguez General Rodriguezs
plan was to force General Weyler TO
give fight and pursue him in to the
hills, where the Captain General stood
a good chance Of being either killed or
captured. The rebels fred several vol
leys from the Hills along the roadside.
killing seventeen and wounding a large
number Of the Spanish, but General
Weyler refused to give fight and kept
on the march to Guanabacoa, driving
300 head Of cattle that he had collected
along the line. General Dodriguez fol-
lowed in Weyler's rear to within sigfa
of the town. After the rebels with
drew the Spanish troops commenced a
heavy fire, the noise of which awak-
ened and frightened the residents of
Guanabacca. There is great excitement
in the meantime in Havana over Cen
eral Weyler's inability to check the
rebels, and everybody who can manage
it is moving to the town from the out
skirts, as they nightly expect an at
tack. Hardly a night passes now that
bands of insurgents do not enter some
of the suburbs Of Havana and receive
from their friends supplies Of medicine
and clothing.
A train running from Marianne, in
the Havana, was fired upon recently.
The American Vice-COnsul, Mr.. Sprin-
ger, was on the train. Bullets struck
near him, but he escaped unhurt-
Advocates Lynching.