The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-12
RECENT AFFAIRS In CUBA
A VISIT TO THE INSURGENTS BY AN
ENGLISH CORRESPONDENT.
Tactics, Life and Scenes with General
Recio-'FodO pOr Cuba" CAN for
CubD Is the watchword.


all correspondents to go beyond the cities
and attend the active operations of her army
it becomes necessary, to obtain the truth to
cross the fortified limits, and risk identifi-
cation as a rebel and it's penalty of death
or Imprisonment by joining the Cuban
forces. The insurgents always welcome a
newspaper correspondent; they feel the JUS
tice of their cause, and are glad of the rare
opportunities afforded them to give it pub
iicity. With a view to determining the
exact status of the so-called republic of
Cuba, and gauging the chances of the ac-
ceptance of Spain's autonomy by the Gu
ban President and his supporters, passed
the Spanish lines, lodging patrols at night,
and crawling past two forts and through
various barbados until / reached open
country and the Cuban scouts. Puerto
Principe province, or Camaguey is to all
intents and purposes Free Cuba" 1t is
the largest province, and with its almost as
free neighbor Santiago de Cuba forms the
eastern half of the island.
In Santiago the Spaniards hold four in
terror towns, in Camaguey they have only
the coast and Puerto Principe city, joined
to Nuevitas by a strongly fortified railway
In these immense districts, where the rail-
way is unknown, Gen. Weyler instituted his
famous Recommendation" but the Cubans
in arms offered protection to all who cared
TO stay; a few only went in to Starve, while
the remainder staid in their homes, and re-
main yet, living on the fat of this produc-
tive land and suffering only the complete
isolation from the outside world The IA
nous trocha cuts off communication with
the western half of the island and the sea-
coast on the north, south, and east being
carefully blockaded. an immense siege is in
progress, for which the inhabitants care
nothing. Money Is unknown. All stock is
pay neither rent nor taxes, and all work for
the common good. Bellamy would here, in
deed, find crude but nineteenth century
realization of his ideas-the farmer works
his farm to give food for the community,
and in government factories many free in
dustries are carried on, including bootmak-
ing, Saddlery, hardware, carpentry, and the
manufacture of gunpowder and macheteS.
There are also two newspapers supported
here and two in Santiago. Every one works
in harmony, impelled by a patriotism which
surprises one in it's intensity. for 'rodo
por Cuba CAL for Cuba) is the universal
WatchWord Every man capable of bearing
arms is soldier, but many of these form
reserve. and only saddle their horses and
gallop to the rendezvous in case of neces-
sity.
THE INSURGENT GOVERNMENT.
The government established here is elect
ed for the whole island. There are twenty
four representatives, four from each of the
six provinces. They meet yearly to deter
mine the constitution, and then dispense to
their various districts to institute the
changes among their chiefly military con-
stituents. Each province has its civil gov
ernor, assisted by complete system of pre-
fects and subprefects, who operate in the
various districts. In this province the
'prefecturas' are perfectly organized, each
project has a certain number of civilian
families in his charge, He IS responsible Tor
totum, register of births and marriages and
deaths included. The present civil gov
ernor of Camagqey is Dr. Luaces, M. D.,
q graduate of Bellevue Medical College,
who married an English lady in LONDON
at the close of the last Cuban war. He
was one of the signers of the Zaujon treaty,
and as witness of SPANS perfidy on that
occasion is stern advocate OF the no
surrender policy. visited him on Wednes
day last. Though now an aged man, he
has relinquished his vast estates rather
than outwardly profess allegiance to Spain.
: Once bitten, twice shy you English
bans in 1878 to surrender by trick, and
now it must be Independence or death
for us. Autonomy we. will never accept
alter Weyler's policy, which over and over
again was manifested as being SPANS pol
icy also. This sudden change in the trend
of the opinion of the intransigeants' is in
itself suspicious, and though l honor Senior
Sagasta for his reforms, they are 100 late,
besides which a change of Ministry can
at any time make autonomy dead letter.
The army also shows an absolute indiffer-
ence to autonomy. I'VE have not fought
and suffered Imprisonment for that
Nothing can bring to life our murdered
wives and children, our mothers and sis
tiers, killed by SPAIN I'VE will no longer
have connections with such a nation; the
division between us is a sea OF blood Such
are the comments of the Cubans in arms
throughout the island
General Recio, who commands this divi-
sion, has 1000 men in his command. The
Camaguey cavalry, 1,20O strong, is a corps
recruited from planters sons and young
men of the better class. They are well
n
band make a very serviceable appearance
on parade. His infantry are chiefly labor
ers from destroyed sugar estateS-about %
per cent. negroes or creoles. Their clothes
are in tatters, for there are no means of
supplying uniforms, except by. occasional
expeditions from the United States. They
are we'll drilled, however, and are very
serviceable in supporting the cavalry by
lines of fire.
HOW A HANDFUL FIGHTS AN ARMY.
Though for many months no Spanish
force has penetrated into the interior here,
General Pando planned a surprise last week
by gathering forces along the railway He
obtained a splendid guide a. half-breed
named Perez, who had lived by petty rob-
berry of the farms, and learned every secret
path of the Cubans, and escaping to the
city on hearing warrant had been issued
by the project for his arrest. Six battalions
of infantry, three squadrons of cavalry and
u llelu battery Oh artillery were
to attack the Cuban capital, Agremonte
City, or Cubitas, as it was formerly called.
They marched out at night and first headed
direct for Recio's camp, but SO perfect are
the scouting arrangements that patrol
dashed into camp early next morning, haV-
ing ridden twenty miles, to apprise the
troops of the enemys approach. Recio
taking two hundred cavalry rode off at
once to reconnoiter, and discovered that
night that the enemy were marching
straight to the capital. General Castella-
nos who commanded the Spanish force, was
Cuban position. and adroitly moved the col
umn to avoid encounters. Recio sent back
for the main body to hurry forward, and,
rallying his tiny force, rode straight across
own to some trepidation when / saw the
handful ride to attack such a force, but
was soon to have a practical lesson in Gu
ban tactics. Cresting a hill, the carbines
rang out two rapid volleys at the Spaniards,
huddled in one mass in the savannah be-
guns were hurried forward and a merciless
hail OF bullet and shell played havoc with
the trees where five minutes before the Gu
bans We're.
other double volley was fired, calling forth
again the fruitless waste of Spanish ammu-
milton. All day the SpaniardS crawled for
ward and at nightfall they neared the cap
ital. Here in the open the few CubanS could
not operate, their infantry ana ca
were making forced marches, but the
my had twenty miles start. Quietly
spread themselves fanlike, thirty yards
tween files, and with that skeleton ,
firing from every point of vantage the enc
my were held for three hours, until they
found good range and commenced TO shell
the town The government then retired,
and Recio, calling his men in cautiously. set
fire to the government buildings and took
cod iNaey 10 fha