The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-12


the New York Herald London Times and
Chicago Tmes-Herald, copyright. 1895. by
James Gordon Bennett-At last the Her
aid is able to give its readers and the
ing the condition and situation OF General
/ Gomez and other lnsurgent forces in
Cuba
The Herald representative. Fred o. Som
erford. arrived at Key West last night,
having just come after journey attend
ed with great peril, from the headquarters
| OF Gomez.
! He left the Cuban general May 4, and
was the last American to converse with
the insurgent leader. For more than two
| months he has been either with Gomez
or other insurgent chiefs. He left Ha-
vana, March 4, commissioned by the Her
aid to make his way into the interior visit
all the lnsurgent camps. talk with the
leaders and learn from actual observation
the real conditions. and he has done IL.
He was peculiarly fitted for his task.
as he has been a resident OF Cuba for
seven years and speaks the language flu
emily. Until the Cuba ninsurTection broke
out he was engaged in commercial pur-
suits on the island. Suspected by Weyler
of sympathy with the insurgents, Spanish
troops destroyed his property and rernu-
neration was refused, although he IS an
American citizen. Since May. 1897, he has
been the greater part Of the time with the
insurgents.
MEN ARE WE'LL ARMED.
1.-The insurgents have now about $500
men in the vicinity Of Gomez's CAMP
that is. within a radius Of thirty miles,"
said Somerford 1.-The best troops east
OF the Jucaro-Moron trocia are the divis-
ion commanded by General Gonzales. He
has 500 infantry, who are well armed with
Mauser rifles, which were captured from
the Spanish. For these rifles there is but
small supply Of ammunition. The other
companies are armed with the long Rem
tngton, which throws bullet of 10 calibre.
This is the weapon in common use among
the insurgents. They prefer it to the
Mauser in spite OF the latters repeating
property.
Comets immediate command consists
of a bodyguard of 150 cavalry and seventy
five infantry. under command of Major
Jose Desrampes. Desrampes is an Amer
lean from New Orleans, and good artdl-
lerlst. This force of $500 is all that are
in fighting shape just at present, but if
there were arms and equipments it could
be swelled to probably 10000.
GOMEZ WANTS 10000 GUNS.
H. I'D
to equip an army large enough to drive
the Spanish from the island. He wants
long Remingtons or Springfields for the
infantry and carbines of the same charac-
ter for the cavalry.
81 believe if arms we're sent to Cnba for
the insurgents they would better be
Springfield rifles, of which our government
has a large quantity in its arsenals. The
Cubans are not accustomed to nor have
they the experience and facilities TO care
for complicated repeating rifles. Twenty
thousand machetes, a weapon OF wonder
full effectiveness in Cuban hands. are also
needed.
Gomez says he can raise 10000 men in
Santa Clara province alone. The recruits
will be mostly rancheros whose occupa-
ton has been practically destroyed by the
Spanish and who are eager for revenge.
Gomez is a great believer in the effect
iveness of cavalry. He wants to organize
MS new army on a basis of 1000 cavalry
in Santa Clara province, 800 in Matanzas
province, 500 in Havana province and soc
in PInar del Rio. In Puerto Principe
province the insurgents are now all cav
airy.
GARCIAS TROOPS ALL INFANTRY.
"Garcia's force in Santiago de Cuba is
all infantry. They are drilled as such
and. never having had horses. are accus-
toned to long marches on foot. l know
Gomez wants 20 unite Garcia's forces with
his own. although Gomez did not tell me
this himself. The old man never makes
his plans known when ne can help it.
My information. however. comes from the
inside. Gomez regards artillery as very
important but the Cubans have none
They have the greatest contempt for the
Spanish artIllerymen. and assert that not
a Cuban has been injured in the entire
war by the Spanish field pieces.
The question of food and supplies IS
an important one to be considered in any
plan contemplating the utilization Of the
Cuban forces against Blanco. A Cuban
army OF any strength cannot be mobihzed .
until after food for It has been furnished
by the United States. The Cuban soldiers
VIII be content with a very modest ration. /
Gomez figures the supply proposition on
the following basis: Two rations q day
Of beans, bacon and bareback They
bread they can substitute such potatoes