Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-04-26


rife and carbino balls. Agrerro is the
little bronzcd man with grizzlcd hair and
beard who Is minus n left forearm ind has
only remnant of a right hand
Born in C.aagucy Of q wealthy ard
much respected family, Agucrro went cut
in 1869 under General IgEacio JGaa Agra
monte TO Gght as a private soldier in the
cause of Cuban Independence. lie was then
% years old.
Tho first serious engagement in which nc
participated was that Of sayanca NUeyas
en- Nov. Is, 1869, which lasted q Lo1-s
The cid nan says with grim satici-al.c1,
ave killed plenty Spanish"
Colonel AgUCrro participated in four
big battles ard innumerablc skirmi5hcs in
the course Of tho ten pears war At tho
battle Of Palo Scco. Dec Z, 1873, nearly
half of his right hand was shot away. ard
in that Of Quasima dc Machado. which
was Ii continuous fight for four nights
and five days, BIO lost his left hand. it was
shattered Ey bullet, and for lack Of caro-
began to sargreno and had TO he cut off.
He bad not paid much attention to littlo
incidents sucn as machctc slcshcs that 81
| most split his skull and severed tho cali Ct
his right lee ard bullet Eolcs in his chest,
but could not ignore the fact that losing
his hands threatened to be serious mat
ter.
To lacl, fingers enough to grip wei thc
! mGchete and be without left hand for
| using the revolver handicapped him. Nov
eTthele.s he went in checrfuliy to 90 what
| he could in the big fight OF Ian. -, 1879,
| at the PcdT0so sugar plantation. Subse-
| qucntly the Spariarls caught him and
sent him to the prison Of Vailadolid, in
| Spain. There be remained for two years
and eight month"; in cell not infroquont-
| l. flooded above his knees, suffering hum
| ger, tortured often by IneToilcss bcGtings
| and wearing heavy chains on beth less.
Grover Flint. the author of the book
Marching With Come, " found little
| household near Cardenas where the Span
| igh army lay i'll force. y little maid hardly
| out of babyhood was helping her father to
develop messages written in Invisible ink
fer the Insurgents The big sister, Gloria,
and the mother were ready day and night
| to help insurgents with food, shelter and
| information. 4 small bog, the youngest
Of the family, had his left arm iii sling.
| While riding rear the railway track on a
| pct donkey brave Spanish soldiers had
| fired on him from an armored train for
! fun. killing his pet and shattering his
arm.
There are women today marching with
the insurgCnt forces, cEcerfully sharing
the hartisLips of tie men ard telling like
slaves as cooks washerv omen and nurses.
Many DO more than that ard scrve as
amazons, fighting side b. side with tho
men. Ill fed, scantily clothed, they sleep
in tho swan:ps, in rains and SCANNING fe-
vcr laden air, ready to protect the camps.
with mechctes If the enemy should brcaL
through the outer lines. Most OF these
women are nogrssses, but Flint met ore
| woman who was the real amazcn Of TO
nance.
She is beautiful and educated woman,
OF good descent, and she has the title Of
lieutenant. She acts as Gag captain and
has been through many charges. Her
name is Nine. Pauiina Ruiz Gonzales.
and her husband, Captain Rafael Con
zales. is an officer Of Pancho Perez, briga-
dicr general CT the Santa Clara division of
the Cuban army. She Joined band Of
Insurgents ono night and rode to Perez
camp. She would not permit the soldiers
10 leave her in the rear, and she begged to
be allowed to carry the Tag.
Two days after she joined there was a
hot fight, and the insurgents were delight
cd TO find that she did net finch even
! when the bullets rained ali around hs-
She pressed on in the van, and heg BRAY
ely was so marked that she wen lieu
tenancy