The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-17
WOMEN IN CUBAN ARMY
SOME OF THE BRAVE DEEDS or NA-
TIVE WIVES AND sNEETHEARTs.
Nine. GONZALES Carried the coIors at
the Head of Column, and Her
Courage Won LfeutenaHcy.


New York Press.
when the Pearl OF the Antilles" shall
be free: when over its palms and on It's
blue surrounding seas shall shine the flag
Of the single star. loig after the fighting
OF it's men has gone into history and be-
comes record instead of story, there
shall be sung the bravery of Cuba's
women. Truly DO they say in Spain that
from Cuban mothers come Cuban sons.
Fathers may be Spanish. they may have
been educated in Spanish schools: they may
have breathed Spanish air through all the
years Of their youth, but the brave Cuban
mothers have held them for Cuba The
ever-faithful isle is faithful because Of the
faith Of its women-a faith that has been
steadfast through sorrow and pain and woes
unutterable.
For the women of Cuba there has not
been the stupendous joy of battle, the in
toxication of fighting TO carry them
Through. Theirs is that courage most Won
'0erful, that has supported them in the
hours when all that is dear to a woman has
lbeen taken away. The little Cubanites, the
fCuban maidens, who once seemed to care
for nothing except the song. the guitar
and the dance, have seen their fathers and
brothers and lovers die; the mothers of
Cuba have seen their babies slaughtered by
the most ferOcious soldiery that ever cursed
The Western world And through their
means of bitter sorrow, through their tears
with their hearts breaking they have
blessed the cause of Cuba. Those tears,
those lamentations of the women, those
hearts that pine for dear, dead little chill
dren, have baptized the flag as never flag
of freedom was baptized before. Outraged
and tortured they have blessed it with their
dying eyes. High-born and humblest of the
humble, rich and poor they have borne the
sorrow of sorrows in sisterhood almost
divine that their country might be free.
We, far away from them, hear their cries
and their sobs inarticuiately; their very
names are unknown to us; we know them
only through the sum, the appalling great
sum. of their sacrifices Who are they that
are so strong? In peace they were thought
less, Idle girls, flirting behind their fans;
women spending their days in the languor
not women with the build of mind of the
women of the sturdy North Yet see! The
slime has come and they are heroic. There
is the woman of Cartagena-her name,
duein sabe? We have many SUCH, say
khe insurgents.
SUCCoRED INSURGENTS.
In view of the Spanish soldiers she sue
cored an insurgent band, close pressed. Her
husband died in the field. She
pected and watched, ais she knew; and she
knew, too, the fate that awaited her if she
were caught with evidence on her. Yet she
rode boldly into Cartagena one morning and
bought drugs with the little money that she
had left. She tied the material beneath her
skirts and Struggled it out of the city gates
knowing that death would be the most mer-
cifui thing that awaited her IL she was
taken That act enabled the insurgents TO
equip a field hospital, and it saved the lives
Grover Flint. the author of the book
Marching with Gomez" found little
household near Cardenas where the Spanish
out of babyhood. was helping her father to
develop messages written in invisible INK
for the insurgents. The big sister, Gloria
and the mother were ready, day and night
to help insurgents with food, shelter and
information. A small boy the youngest of
the family. had his left arm in a sling.
While riding near the railway track on
pet donkey brave Spanish soldiers had hred
on him from an armored train H., Tor run XII XII
brave women told it simply and considered
It not at all brave that they should stay
there doing what they could. The father
of that family was killed year ago while
defending a field hospital. Where the wom-
en- are none knows They have ave, joined once ,d tne
them can only pray that they are dead and
not suffering the 'devildom Of Spain.
General Gomez, in his book. My Escort
SAYS this of one of his captains, Bernabe
-sHe can never forget the tragic end of
his father and the sufferings of his mother.
who was obliged to witness the murder or
her two brothers. It is A sad family MS
".
one There are very few women in Cuba
whom Spain has not caused to shed tears
Very few who do not mourn son. nus
band or lover, for this 10 a country that
Spain has never loved, but has always
wished 10 hold in bondage for lust and
brutality, as a Sultan holds slave"
There is one line in Mr.. Flint's book that
wat not written with any reference to the
fate that ever threatens Cuban women.
but it throws q glazing light on Spanish
chivalry and it shows what the women who
remain true to their land ever have to face
Ia fate that is similar only to what once
awaited the wives and daughters of the
settlers I'm this country when the Indians
were at their worst Flint writes: On the
walls of houses that Spanish columns had
passed without burning. on trees where
Spanish machete blades had Clipped off
ises of nameiess fortunes for Ell Marques
fe Santa Lucia were mingled with OBJ
scene threats of vengeance on Cuban wom-
WOMEN IN THE RANKS.
There are women to-day marching with
fhe insurgent forces. cheerfully sharing the
hsgdships of the men and telling like slaves
rs cooks. washerwomen and nurses. Many
do more than that. and serve as Amazons,
fighting side by side with the men, Ill fed,
scantily clothed. they sleep in the swanIps,
in rains and steaming fever-laden air, ready
TO protect the camps with machetes if the
enemy should break through the outer lines.
Most OF these women are negresses, but
FLINT met one woman who was the real
amazon of romance.
She is a beautiful and educated woman of
good descent, and she has the title of lieu
tenant. She acts flag captain. and has
been $hrough many charges Her name is
Nine. Paulina Ruiz Gonzales. and her hus-
band. Captain Rafael Gonzales is an officer
OF Pancho Perez. brigadier general of the
Santa Clara division of the Cuban army.
She Joined a band of insurgents one night
and rode To PerezS camp. She would not
permit the soldiers 10 leave her in the rear.
and she begged TO be allowed to carry the
flag.
Two days after she joined there was A
hot fight, and the insurgents were delighted
10 find that she did not finch even when
the bullets rained all around her. She
pressed on to the van and her bravery was
80 marked that she won neuteRancy. At
Mango Largo she led IN two maChete
charges against tho Spanish guerrilla forces
of Corral Faiso With the standard slung
10 her left arm. she led two charges by the
side OF General Perez and cut down two
Spsniards. She struck one three times
shouting Viva Cuba Libre.'' and cut him
from his saddle. She had two horses shot
under her. once in an open charge and once
fn anbuscade.
tShc wears a linen coat and a short skirt
that shows pair Of striped trousers. She
IS only twenty-One years old and is de-
ecribed being notably pretty and refined
feat soft .~l.-