Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-11
PLANS OF Com e..
The Old General Wants the Credit for
Driving Blanco Out of Cuba.

New York, May 10.-The Herald
publishes the following dispatch from
its correspondent, Frank c. Somerford,
who has just returned from the camps
of Gen. Gomez and other insurgent
forces in Cuba: The insurgents have
now about $500 men in the vicinity of
GomeZ's camp-that is, within a radius
of thirty miles. The best troops east
of the JariceMoron trocha are the d.
vision commanded by Gen. Gonzales.
He has 800 infantry who are we'll dis
ciplined. One company is armed with
the Mauser rifles which were captured
from the Spanish For these rifles
there is but small supply of ammunl
ton. The other companies are armed
with the long range rifle which throws
a bullet of .43 calibre. This is the
weapon in common use among the in
surgents. They prefer it to the Maus
er, in spite of the latter's repeating
property. Gomez's immediate COM
mand consists of body guard of $50
cavalry and five companies of infan-
try, under command Of Major James
Desrampas. Desrampas is an Ameri-
can from New Orleans, and a good ar
tillerist. His force of $500 is all that
are in fighting shape at present, but
if there were arms and equipments it
would be swelled to probably 10000.
Gomez told me he wanted 10000 guns
to equip an army large enough to drive
the Spanish from the island. He wants
long Remingtons or Springfelds for
the infantry and carbines of the same
character for the cavalry.
Gomez says he can raise 10000 men
in Santa Clara province alone. The
recruits will be mostly rancheros,
whose occupation has been practically
destroyed by the Spanish and who are
eager for revenge. Gomez is a great
believer in the effectiveness of cavalry
He wants to organize his new army on
a basis of 1000 cavalry in Santa Clara
province, 500 in Havana and 600 in
Pinar del Rio. In Puerto Principe the
insurgents are all now cavalry.
The question of food and supplies is
an important one to be considered in
any plan to utilize the Cuban forces
against Blanco. A Cuban army of any
strength cannot be modified until af-
ter food for it has been furnished by
the United States. The Cuban soldiers
will be content with very modern
ration. Gomez figures the supply pro-
position on the following basis: Two
rations day Of beans, bacon and
bareback They do not count upon
bread or coffee For bread they can
substitute such potatoes as may be Sc
cured by forage, although they are very
scarce on the island now. The Cuban
soldier expects only two meals a day,
so on this basis it will cost our govern
ment very little to maintain an army
of Cubans
Gomez is a willy old man. not with
out future political aspirations in the
government which will be formed at
the close of the war He does not want
the United States to land an army in
Cuba, except it be a regiment of artill-
cry to operate in conjunction with him.
Gomez knows that an American army
will defeat Blanco, take Havana, and
practically end the war within a month
after it lands on Cuban soil. He also
knows that the assistance he could If
ford in such a campaign would be I'M
important and insignifcant.N He real
ICES that the insurgents would cut
sorry figure until they are drilled
Knowing all this, Gomez does not want
to be robbed of the credit of defeating
Spain ard ending the war He does
not wish history to record the fact that
he had to have assistance to crush
Blanco and free Cuba
On the other hand. if he can persu-
ade the administration at Washington
that it is dangerous TO land United
States troops in Cuba during the sum-
mer, and that he can defeat Blanco if
provided with arms and ammunition
and provisions. the future is bright for
him. As a victorious general Gomez
may ask and obtain any honor that
free Cuba has to bestow.