The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-11

tories for Maxine Gomez and his army dur
ing the very time that / had been either
running away or hiding in the bushes with
brought him and his army into the province
OF Matanzas, after having made him defeat
the Spanish army. And, most astonishing
of all, some of these very correspondents,
who had never seen a real live rebel in the
field of Cuba went before the committee
foreign relations at Washington and gave
their testimony regarding the actual con-
dition of affairs in Cuba.
Being friendly myself to. the insurgent
cause and the old bushwhacking chief,
Maxine Gomez. / accepted the trust of
bringing package of correspondence for
him through the Spanish lines. although
had lost confidence in both his ability and
his army. Upon delivering the correspond
ence to the Cuban Junto, I attempted to
make them acquainted with the. actual
state of their army in Cuba, as far l
had been able to carry on my investiga-
tons; but, like Weyler and his Spaniards,
they did not want to hear anything which
might reflect upon the valor of their
Early in 1896 Mr.. Grover Flint Joined the
insurgents and remained with them for
some five months. Recently Mr.. Flint has
given his experiences in his book, March
ing with Gomez" Although Mr.. Flint tells
us that he was made a major in the rebel
army, he makes no attempt TO give any ac-
counts of those glorious machete charges
read of in our daily papers. Neither does he
give us any figures OF Overwhelming num-
bers Of insurgents. Although he succeeds
Cuba, he fails to find the renowned capital
Cubetas but informs us that he found the
goYse rent in Tab
parture and subsequently pitched camp in
the woods.
SPANISH ESTIMATES.
AS for the number of insurgents under
arms, we have never had any figures except
those given by the insurgents themselves,
and the various estimates placed upon them
by the Spaniards. AS to the value of the
Spanish estimates L may cite an instance
where I have known the entire garrison of
city to be placed OH the defensive, a report
having come in that large force of rebels
was camped within a short distance. Upon
evading the Sentries and joining the insur-
gents, found that the large force consisted
OF major and four men, three of them
armed. On another occasion l have been
with ten insurgents at the top OF a noun
tain, keeping back Spanish column, which
numbers of the enemy failed to come up
and drive the ten men away In one So
Gomez and a Spanish column, in which I
participated to certain extent the Spanish
general in his official report of the engage
ment gave out that he had counted twenty
five of our dead abandoned upon the field
of battle. The truth was that in this par
ticular engagement our side did considerable
running, led by the old chief in person. while
sixty of his men tried to check the on
coming Spaniards. OF the sixty who were
wounded. The Spaniards pursued us till
night. the next day returning to their head
| have before me the report of the insur-
gent chief of STAFF, Miro. at the beginning of
the invasion in November. 1895, in which
ne states that the insurgent army then
numbered, including armed and unarmed.
900 men. In the month of January follow
ing he states that the centre forces of the
hferating army reunited near Hoyo Colo
RADIO, numbered LOO. After this Maceo,
with 4,0OO men, went into Pinar del Rio,
and the rest of the army was divided into
bands and distributed throughout the prov
inces of Matanzas, Havana and Santa
Clara.
To-day it IS admitted by the friends of
Cuba that the island has been devastated
and depopulated, and that all the friends
of the Insurgents who formerly planted
their crops and fed them have been driven
into the cities to starve, yet they insist
on making US believe that there are to-day
IN TINS devastated, depopulated island from
5000 to 10000 insurgents ready to cooper
ate with our own troops Immediately on
their landing on the island
A DWINDLING ARMY.
While the commission of United States
senators and representatives were visiting
Matanzas, a Cuban laborante was presented
to the party as the representative of the in
surgents. He informed certain members of
the party that the insurgent general, Betan-
court, was in the vicinity with an army of
nVe thousand men. Later, when Mr. Amos
j: Cummings and myself had been outside
a sample of the devastated country about
this same laborante had reduced his figures
OF Betancourt's command to two thousand.
Mr. Cummings then wanted the laborante
to tell how this army got it's food. oh"
said the Cuban, nothing daunted, they
have got sweet potatoes and one thing and
another out there" Mr.. Cummings looked
doubtingly. The next time the laborante
was called upon for figures of General Be
tacourts command he reduced it to one
thousand. That same evening l called upon
a Scotchman, whom had known long
time in Matanzas, and speaking of this
same Betancourt and his command, the
Scotchman informed me that one of Betan-
courts officers had surrendered few nights
before, and had left a watch with him for
repairs. According to this officer Betan-
courts force did not number one hundred
men.
While I was recently in Pinar del Rio
province, 1 obtained an interview with an
inSurgent captain, mulatto who informed
me that nearly all the whites belonging to
either died or surrendered. He admitted
that Weyler's recommendation had been the
cause of their failure to succeed, they hav-
ing been reduced to such straits that before
the arrival of Gen. Blanco they had been
obliged to kill their own horses for food.
Upon my inquiring from another party for
friends whom had known two years ago
in the insurgent ranks, in the vicinity of
San Christobal, he answered, as l called
over their names, that they had all died
with the exception of one who had surren-
dered. Further investigation brought out
the, fact that the rainy season, combined.
perhaps, with improper food had been as
deadly to the white Cuban as to the Spanish
soldier. In this particular province, found
the Cubars at work again in the fields, the
government having supplied them with
arms and ammunition with which to defend
themselves against the remaining negro
banditti.
One evening while seated in front of my
hotel in Havana / was accosted by a young
man who was broke" and was DESTROYS of
obtaining money to pay for nights lodg-
ing. In answer to my questions, he said
that he was an American from the State of
Texas. and could find nothing to do.
why don't you go and join the rebel
army?" asked.
That's just what I have been trying to
do" said he with an earnestness that be-
spoke the truth. Il have travelled from
here to MatanZas, and from Matanzas to
Cienfuegos. and I have travelled miles in
the country, only to find Spanish soldiers
and be turned back I'll be hanged if I
find that army: and ! don't believe the SOL