The Redwood gazette., 1898-03-31
WAR FOR FREEDOM.
Results of Three Years
Fighting.
From the NeD York Sun.

Guantanamo, Santiago de Gu
ba, on April 16, 1895. His first
impression was pessimistic and
the long chain of defeats in
flicted upon his command un-
til December of the same year
proved how right he was in be-
lieving from the first day
of his arrival that this war was
to be more important than the
previous one of 1868. He wasted
a great deal of time in useless
trips by sea to Havana and
again to the east. NaCeo was
preparing in the meantime his
men and Gomez was formula-
ting the plan of the great in
vasion of the west in order to
carry the revolution to all the
provinces and establish in each
one a regular body of the Gu
ban army.
July 13, 1898, is the nemor-
able date of the battle of Pera-
lejo. The war had been until
then confined almost to the
province of Santiago de Cuba,
with some small bands of
patriots roaming through
Puerta Principe and keeping up
only an unimportant guerrilla
warfare. But Maceo had al
ready obtained some notable
triumphs, and Martinez Campo
decided to carry reinforcements
to the Spanish towns in the in
terror which were in great dan
ger of attack by the insurgents.
While Martinez Campos was
on the way to Bayamo. Maceo
offered him battle near Peraleio
Maceo-and to this happy
chance Gen. Martinez Campos
owed his life-did not know
that the Spaniards were COM
manded by Martinez Campos
himself. He thought that the
Spanish column of 5000 men
was led by Gen. Eiedel Santo-
cildes, because such was the
information given to him by
Spanish prisoner.
Had l known at the begin
ming" he wrote afterward,
that Martinez Campos was
there 1 would have sacrificed
1000 of my soldiers to catch
him, alive or dead"
The engagement was a
pitched battle, and the Cubans
not numbering 5000, carried
the day. Gen Santocildes fell
dead near Gen. Martinez Cam
pos. The Spaniards lost all
their ammunition and their
horses. Completely routed. a
body of them, availing them
selves of the darkness of the
evening, fled to Baymo, carry
ing Martinez Campos on a
stretcher brone by four soldiers.
He was exhausted by fatigue
and filled with despair. More
than 800 Spanish soldiers were
left dead on the field. With the
splendid booty secured by him
Maceo completed the arming of
his patriots.
From April to October Gomez
successfully carried the war
through Puerto Principe prov
ince and laid his plans for the
invasion of the west. On Oct.
% Maceo, having received or
ders from Gomez, who was
appointed COMMANDMENTS
Chief of the army, in Septem-
Der, by the Assembly of Repre-
sentatives, started for the east
with 1000 of his men. On Oct.
80 Gomez invaded Las Villas.
Maceo joined him on Nov. %
near place called Los Guayos.
From there they began their
triumphant march. On Dec. 3
the Spanish Colonel Segura
was defeated by the insurgents
at Iguara and had to leave his
dead on the field, together with
a great supply of arms and am
munition. On Dec. 10 the
Spanish battalions of Canarias
and Trevini were routed by
Maceo at Nal Tempo, after the
most gallant charge with ma
chetes of the Cuban Cavalry,
led by Maceo himself, that has
ever been seen in the Cuban
wars. On Dec. 21 the victory
of El Desquite cleared the way
for the invaders to the province
of Matanzas. Martinez Campos
then made a desperate effort
to check the twoCuban leaders.
Until that moment he had been
recoiling before the invaders
with his columns, hoping that
they would stop. But he saw
that each step of the patriots