The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-10

army was eucamped.
Our approach was heralded by
scouts, who ran ahead and warned tho
sentries not to fire upon u.s. According
ly, when we entered the camp, we
found fires lighted at the corners of tho
camp ground TO guide us TO the spot
and all the patriots who were of duty
gathered about in groups In anticipa-
tion of our arrival The grand general
was in his tent, however. and did not
make his appearance until informed of
our arrival through the proper channels.
II shall never forget the dignity with
which he stepped from his rude shelter
and approached our men, who were
drawn up in what you would call CON-
pany front in this country. General
Blanco, Weyler or any of the other cap
tains general, despite their gilded ret
inues, could not have assumed more
commanding mien than this slight old
man, who by tho mere forco of charac-
ter, which shonc from his eyes, impress
cd his beholders at once with the fact
that they were locking upon man Of
tremendous energy ana strong purpose.
Gomez walked directly up to our lead.
er, young Cuban Of the name Of Real,
and, holding out his hand, said simply,
You are welcome A break in his
voice, however, betrayed the depth of
his emotions. We were assigned to quar-
ters in which to spend the hours until
daylight When we rose. we were dis
tributed about among the different COM
mands and became members of the
army.
'My first expedition against the cne-.
my occurred the second day after my
arrival in camp. Two hundred Of MS
were ordered to proceed to the planta-
tion of Spanish sympathizer Of the
name Of Benota, who was known to
have furnished information as to the
whereabouts of the patriot army. The
plantation ia question WAS situated ten
miles from our camp, and we covered
the distance in about two hours. The
progress Of the insurgents when ON an
expedition is necessarily slow, as a
strict lookout has to be maintained for
the enemy.
when we arrived within sight Of
the plantation, we found that the pro-
prietor had received word of our ap-
proach. A large force of Spanish caval.
ry was stationed about the house in an
ticipation of our coming. while armed
men could be plainly seen in and about
the quarters of the negro farm hands.
We made no attempt to carry out our
first intention of destroying the proper.
ty Of the informer. but postponed our
proposed attack until more favorable
opportunity.
1--WE had no intention of retiring
without having inflicted some injury
! upon the enemy, however. We there
[ fore made detour, and, by keeping as
much as possible to the woods and cross
ing the open spaces one at time, sue
ceeded in getting between the plantation
and the town, thus cutting of the re-
treat Of the Spanish soldiers. The caval-
| rymen remaiped ON guard over the
| property of their countryman, who pos.
sessed considerable influence in Havana
and Madrid, for two days, and for that
length of time we lay concealed along
the main highway awaiting their re-
turn Although in the course of the two
days Jveral of their scouts passed Oh
each side Of the district in which we
were concealed, our presence was not
| discovered
| There was considerable suffering
among our men during the weary wait
ing, owing to the scarcity Of provisions
For two days lived on dried fruit,
bread and tepid water. Finally, toward
the close of the second day, our patience
was rewarded by the report brought in
by one Of our watchers that the enemy
was approaching. Each one Of us ac-
cordingly sought place Of ooncealment
which commanded the road. The sys-
tenn under which the insurgents fight
requires each man before he goes into
| action to select three places OF retreat,
situated in straight line directly back
of one another and separated by about
| 100 feet, SO TINT when the men retreat
a relative formation will be maintained
and there will be no confusion. AS soon
as the head Of the Spanish force got to
point directly opposite we let them
have volley. Six men fell, and the re-
naming troopers were thrown into great
confusion. We fired second round,
which wounded and killed few more.
"The officers tried to rally their men,
but despite their efforts the troopers dug
their spurs into the fanks of the mad
dened horses and rode off in the gather
ing darkness, leaving their wounded to
their fate. We gathered up the wound
ed and made them as comfortable as
possible, and then, taking all the vala.
able equipment and armament in their
possession, made rapid retreat to the
main body. There we were received
with enthusiasm by our companions,
and our victory, combined with that
scored by another column which had re-
turned with n lot OF horses and cattle
captured from a ncighboring Spanish
farmer, was made the occasion Of q
great celebration. The men fcastod on
such delicacies as were cttainable and
spent the greater part of the night sing.
ing and dancing New York Sun.