Rock Island Argus., 1898-05-25
ECUBAN SHERIDAN
GENERAL BRAULIO PENA IS A BOLD
CAVALRY OFFICER.


pline and Makes Them Love Their
Horses-A Fayorite Trick of His-One Of
His Many Brave Deeds.
Cuba has Phil Sheridan. He is
General Braulio Pena, chief Of cavalry
with Maxine Gomez, a striking and
romantic figure in the Cuban war and
bound to play still more important
part when the United States taxes a
hand in the fracas.
Pena has been in the present war
since the start and is a veteran of the
ten years war. At the close of the ten
years. war. with others, he escaped to
st. Thomas and made his way to Flori-
da. Unable to do anything in mercan.-
tile way, without funds, he lived catch
as catch can. existence and learned the
trade of a cigar maker. When the pres
ent war started, he was in the United
States. What money he had he turned
into the general fund and went with
one of the first expeditions sent to the
island.
The things Pena saved from the ten
years war were his stars as a lieuten-
ant colonel. They were tortoise she'll
When he started for Cuba, he gave
these to Horatio S. Rubens, counsel to
the junta. keep them," said he. II
propose to be Il general when independ
ence is acknowledged. That was the
last seen Of Pena in this country. Since
then he has been heard from often.
When he landed, Gomez embraced him.
In answer to question as to where
were his lieutenant colonel stars Pena
replied:
1t was not what did then, general.
1t is for you to say what shall be my
rank. offer my services to my country"
Gomez made him colonel of caval-
ry. In week he had 800 men. That
Pena was back was enough. In Santa
Clara he was known, and the young
Cuhans 1lOcked to his standard. For ev-
cry dead Spaniard he made he tried to
add a recruit to his ranks. Pena's orders
to his men are always: "Use the ma
chete. Save cartridges and get Mausers
or machetes. AS q cavalry leader he
has 10 superior i'll the Cuban ranks He
combines the dash of Maceo with the
| judgment of Gomez. He viii ride his
men 40 miles to attack u Spanish COL
umn and after five hours' rest will raid
a town. The first year of the war Co
mez made him brigadier general and
| appointed him chief of cavalry. Like
| Sheridan, he believes in leading. No
l Ia in,O t,
dangerous for Penl. He never calls for
| volunteers to undertake a particularly
| tough bit of work that he doesn't him
self agree to lead.
| A favorite trick OF which Pena is
master is to see a large body of cavalry
and decoy it into pursuit of his troops.
| At bend of q road his men will face
about and charge as the Spaniards come
around the bend. The formation pre-
vents more than half or a small portion
Of the Spanish cavalry coming into ac-
tion. Thuse who cannot see what is
happening believe it is another ambus-
cade Fifty or 60 Spanish troopers are
cut TO pieces, and Pena's force is ont of
the way. An hour later, by hard rid
ing, he may have doubled on the enemy
and is hacking at the rear. While the
Spanish are figuring out their loss and
forming for another attack Pena is away
to raid the town they have left uncov.
cred by their going out to meet him.
When they return, everything worth
taking in town has been gathered in.
Pena's men are taught two things
discipline and love of horses To q
trooper he once found mistreating hi.
horse he said:
'To that horse You owe your life
more than once. Mistreat him again
and you will join the infantry" Pena'.
daring is shown by an incident in the
Ten Years war. With Amelio Nunez ht
learned that the commandment of the
civil guards in an interior town hat
guns and ammunition stored in hi
house. The pair decided to raid it. IL
broad daylight they rode into town, tiet
their horses at his veranda and entered
his house. Six soldiers were in tn,
room. Nunez and Pena covered then
with their revolvers and, singing ou
the commandant, Pena demanded t,
know where the ammunition was. Th,
/ commandant told him it was up stairs
and while Nunez held the rest witt
hands up, Pena started with his prison
er for up stairs. The commandant raj
up stairs ahead, and, afraid of firing a
Pena, made slash with his machete
1t missed and struck III a stair. PEN
grabbed and missed his man, but caugh
his watch chain and broke it, Pen
hanging on to the end attached to th
watch. A shot was fired down stair
and a retreat was necessary. Pena'
horse was shot and Nunez was force
to leave him, while he himself ran
gantlet of fire. Pena hid in stable
selecting that because lie thought b
might get horse. Luck favored him
and when he was discovered he wa
mounted and armed for trouble. He es
capped and Joined Nunez.
ct was bad raid,r said Nune7
"Your horse, machete md dozen bul
lets lost and nothing TO show for it.
"Yes, there is, responded Pena. g
, got this watch, During all his troubl
; he bad clung to the commandant's gol
timepiece. Pena has been wounded
) number of times by Mauser bullets, bu