The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-06
CUBANS FIGHTING A R
MAKIRG TIE MOST OF THE DAYS
BEFORE THE RAINY SEASON.

Brilliant Successes OF the Patriots in Pnerts
Principe Prevince-The spaniards Are Lee
tag Ground In santtnEo-seidiers suherinE.
HAVANA, March 2.-The correspondent Of THE
Sun at Puerto Principe city writes that tho dry
season campaign In that province 10 closing
with great activity on the part Of the Cubans.
Gen. Cslixto Garcia has appointed Brighten.
Mario Menocal Commander-in.Chief OF tho
Cuban forces in Puerto Principe, and since
Menocal's arrival the spaniards have been in q
worse position than last month, when they were
SO badly defeated by the dashinR cavalry leader,
Gen. Lope Recio Loinaz.
The Spanish Gen. Jimeneg Castellanos hasl lost
since tho first of February 500 men killed in bat
tie on the fields of Camaguey. He is hemmed
in by tho Cubans in Puerto Principe city. and
his army 10 nearly starving because the insur-
gents have seized all the cattle In tho province,
and tho trains carrying supplies from Nuevitas
and Santa Cruz del Sur are, with few exceptions.
stopped on route and plundered by the patriots.
Brig. Gen. Mario Menocal is one OF the most
brilliant military figures in the Cuban rovolu-
ton. A young man not much over 80 years OF
age, he won his reputation as n warrior with
Gen. Garcia during the brilliant campaigns Of
the latter in Santiago de Cuba province in 1896
and 1897. He was badly wounded at the cap
ture of Victoria de las Tunas. Besides being q
man Of dauntless courage. with hne personal
appearance II u CoinhluiuluR iuluohSo ONoE
his troops, he is a skilful engineer, in which pro-
fession he made his mark in the United States.
No man In the Cuban Army is better ac-
quainted than he with tho use of dynamite and
| all kinds Of explosives. For this reason princi-
pally Gen. Garcia sent him to Puerto Principe.
desiring to strike some terrible blows at the
Spaniards before Gen. Jimenez Castellanos
abandons all military operations on account Of
the rainy season.
The news from Santiago de Cuba is also very
favorable to the Cubans. Gen. Pando has lost
5000 soldiers in his ~fruitless endeavors to for
tify the entrance of the Cauto River. The situa.
| ton OF the Spanish troops In the east is terrible.
Tho heat is intense there. and, besides the losses
Of tho Spanish troops in their engagements
with the Cubans. yellow fever and dysentery
are making havoc in their ranks. There are
few Spanish soldiers in good health. Moreover.
Pando has utterly failed in his attempt to raise
troops among the natives. The hatred against
| Spain is 30 deep that no man is willing to wear
the Spanish uniform. no matter how largo the
pay that Gen. Pando offers him.
Gen. Jesus Rabi, indignant over tho reports
circulated by the spaniards that he was about
to accept a bribe or surrender and embrace
| autonomy, gathered his forces near Barrancos
on Feb. 20 and fercely attacked q Spanish col
umn going to Bayamo. The Spaniards. though
the route is the most dangerous in tho whole
province, and they generally encounter the
Cubans there. were utterly surprised by the
sudden attack. They had scarcely time to pre-
pare to repel with their b~ayonets the machete
charge of Gen. Rabi.
Tho fight was sharp and decisive. Over 800
Spaniards were killed. and the rest Of the col
umn was dispersed. Gen. Rabi secured a booty
of 400 mules loaded with provisions and ammu-
milton. He wrote a letter after the battle to
Gen. Pando. thanking him for the important
convoy he had sent to Bayamo and the opportu-
nifty he had given him to capture 1t.
With regard to autonomy, even on the most
liberal scale. the news from every section of tho
Cuban Army is that 1t Is not a solution that will
be accepted by the patriots. Gen. Garcia has
ordered the names Of the autonomists in San
tiago de Cuba city to be published for three days
all over the country under this headline: List
| of the traitors who sell to Spain their honor and
the cause of Cuba"
President Bartolome Mas6. in a letter to a
friend in Puerto Principe. says: The talk
about autonomy is ridiculous. Those who a-
| cept 1t mover had a place in our ranks. How
can their support of autonomy help Spain when
we, the fighters in the field. reject It'll Peace
must be made with the combatants. The nom
combatants are peaceable now, as they were
before the war;"