The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-18
The Military Situation.


1t is said that there are about $1,000
Spanish soldiers now in Cuba nit for duty
out of the over 100000 that have been
sent there The rest have died. been
sent home sick, are in the hospitals and
some have been killed. Notwithstanding
the official reports. They are conscripts
many of them very young. and generally
small men. One hundred and thirty
pounds is a fair estimate of their aver
age weight. They are quiet and obedient
and. if well drilled and led, | believe
would fight fairly well. but not at all
eqpal to our men Much more would
depend on the leadership than with us
The officer must lead we'll. and be one
in whom they have confidence and this
applies to both sides alike. AS 1 saw
no drills or regular formation. I in
quired about them of many persons, and
was informed that they had never seen
a drill. I saw, perhaps, 10000 Spanish
troops, but not a piece or artillery nor
a tent They live in barracks in the
towns. and are seldom out for more than
a day, returning to town at night.
They have little or no equipment for
supply trains. or for field campaign, such
as we have. Their cavalry horses are
scrubby little native ponies. weighing not
over 800 pounds, tough and hardy, but.
for the most part in wretched cOndi-
ton, reminding one of the mounts of
Don QuiXote and his squire Some of
the officers. however. have good horses
mostly American | think On both sides
cavalry is considered the favorite and
the dangerous fighting arm. The tactics
of the Spanish as described TO me by
an eyewitness and participants in some
of their battles. is for the infantry. when
threatened by cavalry, TO form a hollow
square and fire away ad libltum and
without ceasing until time to march back
to town. 1t does not seem to have en-
tered the minds of either side that q
good infantry force can take care of it
self and repulse everywhere an equal or
greater number of cavalry. and there
are everywhere positions where cavalry
would be at a disadvantage.
Having called on Gov and Capt. Gen.
BlancO and received his courteous call in
return, l could not with propriety seek
communication with insurgents. | had
plenty of offers of safe conduct to Co
meZ's camp. and was told that if | would
write him an answer would be returned
safely within ten days at most. | saw
several who had visited the insurgent
camps, and was sought out by an insur-
gent field officer who gave me the best
information received as TO the insurgent
force. His statements were moderate. and
l was credibly informed that he was en-
tirely reliable. He claimed that the Gu
bans had about 10000 now in the field
some in every province. but mostly in the
eastern provinces and eastern Santa Cla-
IA, and this statement was cOrroborated
from other good sources.
They have force all the time in Ha-
Vana province itself organized as four
small brigades, and operating in small
bands Ruiz was taken. tried and shot
within about a mile and a half of the
railroad and about fifteen miles out OF
Havana on the road To Matanzas, road
more travelled than any other. and which
| went over four times.
Aranguren was killed about three miles
the other side of the road, and about the