The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-09


eminent has maintained itself in It's
mountain capital despite all efforts to dis
perse it. The Continental congress fed
from Philadelphia to Annapolis in the
days of the revolution, but the Cuban gov
eminent maintains itself where it was
! first established. It is organized on a con-
| stitutional basis, and its legislative and
executive DEGREES are in line with all
republican precedents. Its president,
Bartolome Masso. is undoubtedly already
IN communication with our government.
Gomez derives his authority as general
the same as Nelson A. Miles gets his au-
| thority here and IS fully as amendable
| TO the law. In no case has the military
authority ever refused TO bow TO the will
of the civil government Obedience TO the
law is as strongly ingrained in the Cuban
army as in the American army. Its losses
have been terrific, but the patriotic fire
burns as brightly as ever in the hearts
of those who survive.
If we judge of the future by the past,
there is no question of the ability and will
lingness of the patriots to materially aid
our forces in their campaign Of liberation.
They are strengthened in this desire by
the assurance official of the president and
Of congress that it is campaign Of liberia
ton. and not one OF annexation, as the
Spaniards assert.
The history of the war in Cuba has never
been written. The American people know
as little about 1t as they knew of the
wholesale starvation Of the reconcentra-
does four months ago. 1t exists in frag-
ments and fag-ends. to be gathered by
some future foreign historian, as Botta
gathered the debris of the American revo-
luton.
The revolution began on February "a,
1895. The first object of Martinez Campos
was TO isolate 1t to the province of San
tiago. On May Gomez had coo soldiers.
mostly cavalry. They wen stationed at
Mejorana, about twenty-five miles from
Santiago With 200 of these soldiers, &C.
companied by Jose Marti, he started for
Puerto Principe to spread the instruction.
Maceo was LEFT behind with 400 mounted
troops. He broke for Holquin, one of the
principal cities of Santiago, twenty miles
from the northern coast. The Spaniards
weret thrown into a panic. They brought
to their aid the garrison of Los Tunas, !
forty miles to the west. This is what |
Macoe wanted. 1t left the way open for
Gomez and his troopers. Marti was killed |
in a little fight at Dos Rios and Gomez |
passed safely into Puerto Principe. Macoe |
withdrew from Holquin and |
back to Cauto Abajo, about fif- |
teen miles northwest of Mejorana About |
this time Martinez Gomez arrived at Man
nil ir+,y -
On July u he began his famous march to
Bayamo Macoe mad heard that Compass
was expected on July 8. Bayamo is at
least seventy miles west of Cauto Abajo.
With Gou1et, Masso, Rabi and Guerra
Maceo advanced toward Bayamo. He had
about 1900 men, the cavalry being armed
with machetes and the infantry with
that could be found In the
shape Of a shooting iron. With these men
Maceo waylaid Campos at Paralejo. The |
Spanish general, Santocildes. was killed,
and Campos escaped to Bayamo without
sven an escort, the Spanish force being
utterly routed. Campos concentrated his
forces, returned to Manzanillo and went
back to Havana.
Meantime Gomez set Camaguey ahame
With instruction. A constituent as
;embly was called, representing every
province, and a civil government estab-
ished. Gomez was made commander-in-
thief and Macoe lieutenant general. The
nuatto general had gone bach to Bana-
)acoe fifteen miles southeast of Cauto
Abajo. While here he received orders
rom Gomez to organize a column for the
w { ion ne lar ~ Of ha 5cIo |
Iavana was nearly 600 miles away On ,
eceiving these orders Macoe marched to .
'aragua, ten miles north of Cauto Abajo. z
here he was Joined by Quintin Bandera !
nd Luis Feria, increasing his army to 2
200 men, of which 700 were cavalry. Cen /
raj Gomez arrived at Baragua on Octo- /
er II. On Octoger % the invading column ,
cyan its march under direct command {
f Maceo. On November 1t was Joined G
Y 500 cavalry under Generals Miro and G
antana- r
All this time Campos was making pre- I
arations anew 30 squelch the insurrec- t
on The Spanish official figures credit I
i'm with 172. 295 men. Add to these 80, 900
panish volunteers recruited in Cuba, and T
200 regulars newly arrived. and his total y
)rce, allowing for losses. was not below I
%, 600. Campos made the mistake of I'M c
eresbimating the strength of the patriots. e
q looked upon them as a lot of bush p
hackers and was entirely unaware Of a
leir plans. The intention was to break v
to Puerto Principe. south OF Las Tunas. +
Il November 5, scouts reported 5000 Span T
rds awaiting the advancing column, Il
velve miles southeast Of Las Tunas. Ma 5,
% sent 300 men, under General Capote cI
make feint on that city. It was a a
strategy. The Spanish column Il
re back to the city to defend it, and c
aceo's troops rushed through the gap Il
1 November Maceo entered Puerto Il
-inoipe. Gomez left the column with a le
lall escort, promising to rejoin It with | fl
Inducements within month. The in Il
ERECTION was spreading. and the Spanish NJ
pops who had been fanked at Las Tunas T
ere on Maceo's trail. General Echague. Ill
no commanded the pursuers. followed 81
aceo's column over a hundred miles, ri
{ finally gave II up after numerous lie
FINISHES. and went down to the Car.b- VI
an coast 10 Santa Cruz del Sur.
daceo's forces grew in numbers as he II
vanced into the more thickly-populated h
untry. BY the end Of November he had m
I the city OF Puerto Principe on his Va
ut. The eastern trocha was only sixty er
les away. This had been constructed pa
the ten years war and had been ",
enlightened by Campos The ditch ran hi
I'M Moron. on the northern coast. 70
caro- on the Caribbean shore Pv -bfs ( IN