Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-01-07
CUBAN PATRIOT ARMY.
It Numbers Over Forty Thousand Active Men
Under Arms.
CANNOT BE BEATEN OR STARVED OUT.
Controls n Great Fart OF the Island--Intcr-
esting Visit OF Newspaper Man
to the Various Patriot Camps.

New York, Jan. IA Herald cores
pendent in Cuba, who has just crossed
the island on horseback, through the
Cuban and Spanish linos from Plnar
del Rio to the Jucaro- Moron trocha,
for the purpose of observing the actual
strength and condition OF the insur-
gent forces today and their ability to
continue the war, writes.
When your orders reached me /
was with the forces of Pedro Diaz,
COMMUNICATIVE chief of the 9Th army
corps. in Pinar del Rio province. We
were encamped near Cuzco.
Under Disappearing In that prov
ince, were General Lorente, command
ing the second division. or the terri
tory west of Paso Real. aud Vidal
pucasse, commanding the first di-
vision, or the district east of Paso
Real. General Lorente has 1880 in
fantry and 400 cavalry, well armed
and we'll fed, but lacking clothes.
Ducasse has 1000 infantry and 5000
cavalry in the same condition.
Operating against this force
month ago We're only three columns
of Spaniards. These never succeeded
in reaching the rebels stronghold in
the hills until General Parade took
the field. The only fighting was when
the rebels invited it.
From Cuzco 1 proceeded through
the Cuban lines to Havana. / ex-
perienced no difficulty in entering the
provinces are under the command of
Generl Alexandra Rodriguez, chief of
the fifth army corps. Under General
Rodriguez are Juan Ducasse, Rafael
Cardenas, Jaconto Hernandez, Juan
Delgado Alberto Nordassc and Nestor
Aranguren.
THE total force under these leaders
is 1000 infantry and 1900 cavalry. all
well equipped. In Matanzas, which
belongs also to the fifth army corps,
ARE Brigadier General Betancourt,
Colonels Sanguilly and Valenci, with
1000 infantry and 800 cavalry. Only
about half this force is armed. This
is difficult province to operate in.
The men remain in the hills, cultivat-
ing the soil or watching the coast.
These western provinces have been
familiar to me for the last year, dur
ing which time ] have been continue
ally with the rebel forces, except what
time was necessary to csr.y dispatches
TO Havana. 1 can vouch for these
figures. On the trip to the orient 1
broke new ground, but the figures
given are from actual observation.
Il took the field in Santa Clara from
Santo Domingo, riding out in broad
daylight with guides and within an
hour was, with the insurgent forces
pal a,,J.
| returned with. General Arando to a
suburban town for supper. Arando
mad 100 infantry and 20 cavalry de-
tailed to burn sugar cane.
THE next morning / rode thirty miles
ana joined Col. Alvarez. who had 1900
infantry and 100 cavalry. There met
DIR. Joaquin Caneda, the private phvs-
tcian of Cen Gomez, on his way to Join
the general ] travelled with him the
rest of the way. Seven wounded SOL
dicrs at Alvare2's camp the day pre-
yious had sacked the town of San Juan
de Yerro.
'The next day rode twenty miles
TO the camp of Eugene Esquerra in the
Plantano hills. two leagues north of the
town of Mnnicaragua. Esquerra is the
chief of the Cienfuegos brigade and
had in camp 400 infantry and 1850 cav
airy. From there I rode three days
through the long grass and over the
mountains. fifty miles TO the camp OF
Brig. Gen. Nuncz in the Trinidad hills.
Nunez had 100 infantry and 25 cavalry
engaged In raising vegetables.
Il next proce eded 10 the camp of
Roberto Bermudez in the Montague
hills. He had 100 infantry and 90 cav
airy.
"Then went to the camp of Brig.
Gen. Monteagudo. He had 600 men in
camp and assured me that his whole
division numbered 1000 Infantry and 500
cavalry. | believe that he told the
truth because riding in straight line
through the five camps Just mentioned
/ actually saw 1870 men.
after leaving MonteaCrdo I entered
what is called the first division OF Santa
Clara, under command Of Jose Miguel
Gomez. The whole strength OF the
first division Is 2.400 infantry and 700
cavalry. 7 did not meet Jose Gomez.
hut near III Mango ] struck the camp
of Toyo Sanchez, who had 200 infantry
and 100 cavalry.
NEAR Remedois entered the camp
of Gen Carimo. chief " the fourth
army corps or the whole Santa Clara
province. Garlic had I'm amp GOO men
The whole strength 81 his command
MS shown by previous igu.es is 500
men.
1.-TWO days from Garlic rode into
the camp OF Col. Velsa, who IL in charge
of the outposts of Gen. .Gome2's camp
and day later I had the pleasure of
saluting the in-chief. Gen.
Gomez hns In his camp 90 infantry and
100 cavalry. He seldom has more.
From official returns shown me in
Gen. Gome2's camp. ] estimate that
in Puerto Princine. whore the Cuban
government hendquarters are stab
lished. the rebel force numbers 200 cav
airy with only m insignificant unmbar
of infantry, In santlagp there are 1000
cavalry md fully 10000 infantry. These
figures are conservative
at IS IN the two eastern provinces
that the main strength Of the Cuban
lies, not only n the number
of men but in the condition of the
and a plentiful supply of food
Is easily secured. There are living in the
mountains Of Puerto Principe and San
tiago fully 10000 peoule not actively en-
gagged in warfare but oultlvating the
soil MS II there were no war. and con-
trlbuting supplies to the rebels.
"All the cavalry saw on the trip
We're mounted well and MI fully armed.
In two instances the regiments were
badly on for cfothing.
with regard 90 the food supplies
n good many OF the trolps sometimes
go hungry for ono day, but seldom for
a longer time. There Is absolutely no
chance Of starving the rebels out In
western Santa Clara they suhsist chief
ly on vegetables and fruit and species
NJ animal something like the opossum.
the iutla. Tho animals are found by
the thousands in the east, There are
plenty OF cattle.
"In several instances 7 saw regular
zones Of cultivation in the hills never
and supplying a considerable |
n ItN v,a nj #ot1 .,..