The age-herald., 1898-06-05

| miles away. This had been constructed in | the ten years war and had been strength 1 ened by Campos. The ditch ran from Mo- l ron, on the northern coast, to Jucaro, on 1 the Caribbean shore By this time Campos | was fully awake. He had 16,000 troops along this troeha, with a chain of block | houses. a railroad a telegraph hne ana | ironclad cars. Echague and his troops had | been brought from Santa Cruz del Sur by 1 steamer, and were among the l600O now l confronting the willy mulatto. At o'clock on the morning of November 29 Maceo | broke from the woods at Ciego d'Avila | twelve miles north of Jucaro, swelved to 1 the right, and crossed the trocha between | two small forts. Before the Ciego garri- l son was awake he had pried up the rails, | cut the wires, and was sweeping westward like a prairie fire.
 | Thus the second plan of Campos to head | off the instruction failed. The march had | been through a land of forests and fields, , and the roads were very little better than l mountain paths. On the day that Maceo | passed the trocha Gomez joined him with | General Sanchez and General Roloff. For | two days the troops remained in camp. l It was the first rest they had taken since | the start. Havana was still nearly S0o | miles away. Terrible work was before | them. They were about to enter a, pro- | vince gridironed with railways, and defend | ed by S0,00O Spanish troops The column
 
 On December 2 they broke camp at dawn.
 Before o'clock the road was disputed. Two squadrons of cavalry swept upon the Spanish army under Suarez Valdez, while Maceo passed his flank, and made for the boundary line between Puerto Principe and Santa Clara. After this fight the in- fantry and cavalry under Maceo separated. Quintin Bandera with 1000 infantry, was sent into the Valley of the Trinidad for recruits. He knew the country thoroughly.
 Within ten weeks he rejoined Maceo's
 columns near Havana with 4,O0O well
 drilled and fairly armed patriots
 Maceo to the Rescue of Gomez
 On December Maceo's column crossed the Jatibonico, and entered Santa Clara. Gomez led the advance. He was ambushed by Spanish column of 500 men, under Colonel Segura. Maceo, hearing the firing, charged the Spaniards in the rear, fight ing hand to hand over brush and fallen logs. Segura was routed and the Cubans captured many arms and much ammuni- tion.
 By this time Havana began to exhibit some anxiety. Campos treasured its citi- zens by saying that he had planted a rat trap for Maceo. He wanted the Cuban column to enter triangle marked by the cities of Sagua Colon and Cienfuegos, when he would surely annihilaate 1t. These cities were crowded with troops, and the
 intervening country cobwebbed with rail- roads. Mace0 and Gomez QaSneu lHtO tHe rat rtap with their usual fury, swerving north and south, and making mysterious
 curves and ZigZags At Nal Tiempo on December 15 the 4,000 Cubans struck
 large body of Spanards in an immense gl1aya plantation. The Spaniards were
 commanded by Colonel Molina, now mili- tary governor of Matanzas. Maceo and Gomez promptly charged them, swinging down into a railroad cut and hacking down wire fence Molina three times formed hollow square, but each time the square was broken by the Cuban cavalry and the Spaniards finally scattered among the guava bushes and sugar cane, losing their regimental colors, TAO rifles and 1O,- 900 cartridges. Two hours later Maceo charged a strong Spanish column coming to the relief of Molina. This was prompt- ly smashed, and had no sooner gone to pieces than third column was encoun- tered This was dispersed with ease, the Spaniards flying in all directions. over LOGO Spanish troops were III these thfee columns.
 Campaign Before Havana
 Havana was only 1s0 miles away. But between it and the Cubans were Sl,OO0 Spaniards under command of Campos. Ire
 most of these were infantry. The spanish
 cavalry was worthless, and Campos hao
 more field artillery. than he could use. The
 Cuban general, Iacret, made dash into
 the heart of Mantazas, cutting railways and burning stations. Gomez and Maceo
 moved into the sugar plantations and
 crossed the river Aanbana into Matanzas.
 On December 2l they came upon Suarez Valdez like thunderclap. He fled precipi-
 tately. At midnight Maceo camped at
 Santa Elena. In the gray of the morn he discovered a Spanish column in grove of palms near by and quickly routed it.
 Then came the most brilliant days In
 the history of Cuba. Gomez ard Maceo were well within the triangle. Campos
 tran. He had gath cred his troops at Colon to strike dec slve blow but Maceo moved like meteor. At midnight of December P Maceo camped within two miles of Colon, and Campos was sure of trapping him In the morning hut the Cuban column faded with the stars Campos was fooled as Washington fooled Cornwalis at Trenton Iigzag strategy was again brought into play. Carefully and stead ly Maceo threaded ms way through the sugar fields in the dusk or inc morn until the main road was reached, when the column once more spurreo to tne west Campos was dumfounded, but acted with surprising energy. The rat-trap was still open. Teegrams to Havana ana Ma- tanzas set his whole army in motion py rail His 1000 troops at Colon were sent to Coliseo on the trains, where he again Iay en perdu. awaiting Cuba's matchle ss cnle1- tain Then a new and portentlous feature of the war sent cold oh Il throusn HIS spiuaI marrow. A pillar of smoke arose m the south; and then another III .ie Sase' and a third in the west, and fourth in the north. until the sun was plotted from inc heavens. The sugar plantations were aame. Meantime Gomez swept down uron Ronue while Maceo dashed for Coliseo. Al Rooue Gomez tapped the telegraph which aisclosed the concentration of the Spanish troops and laid bare the plans of Campos. rbo wires were cut and the rails were dis nlaced and the concentration or 4oooo troops was paralyzed. The trap remained unsprung.
 Campos Fails and Is Recalled
 comnos sveated with agony, but still re- tained his presence of mind. Maceo was advancing in five parallel columns. The middle column was ambuscaded by Campos in a sugar plantation. The generals were not 300 feet apart. The muiatto pa'rio' den1oved to the right and left and an- swered the Spanish fire. Two great wings of 4,OO0 men were enyeloping him. His matchless genius arose to the situation.