The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-12
THE INsURGENT ARMY.
Cuban Patriots Able to Put About
10000 Men i'm the Field.

4O,OOO Men In the t1eIc.
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE courier
who is on his way here with letters from
General Gomez to President Palma, of the
Cuban delegation, has stopped at Tampa
and will not reach here for day or two.
General Nunez, of the Cuban army, after
comforting with the Cuban authorities here
and with General Miles, left for Tampa last
night. Although the courier will bring de-
tailed adyices from Gomez, the Cuban Off
Gals here are we'll informed on the general
status of the Cuban forces in the field, and
this subject has been gone over fully with
the War Department officials. In general
way It is stated that entire harmony exists
between the Cuban authorities and the War
Department officials as to the resources and
effective fighting force of General Gomez
and General Garcia. The Cuban authorities
are ready and willing to have the fullest CO.
operation by the United States troops on
Cuban SOIL and it is said there is no ground
for reports that General Gomez desires to
act single-handed in securing Cuban indie
pendence. Naturally, it is said in high Gu
ban quarters, General Gomez feels some
pride in having sustained a war for the
last three years single-handed against the
organized forces of Spain, and doubtless be-
plete victory. But it is said he is fully alive
to the fact that this would take time and
a large increase in the arms, ammunition,
rations and medicine at his disposal. In the
meantime he has exercised only a pruden-
tial course in pointing out the climatic dan
gers of sending a large United States force
INTO Cuba.
Concerning the strength of the Cuban
forces in the field, the Cuban representa-
tives here say that at present, advices fully
bear out all that the Cuban authorities have
claimed, namely, that t. ere are in all about
forty thousand men either under arms or
ready to take arms as soon as guns and
ammunition are at hand. OF this number
1t is said that about fifteen thousand lack
arms and equipment, leaving about twenty
five thousand in the field and reasonably
equipped although additional ammunition
and supplies would be most advantageous
to these latter. This twenty-five thousand
does not exist in any one camp or series of
camps in the usual sense of organized mill
tary operations. On the contrary, Cuban off,
Gals say their forces have adopted the tao
tics essential to a fight against heavier odds
and have scattered their forces into small
groups over an area Of three thousand
square miles. These small groups are best
able to carry on a guerilla warfare, which
diverts Spanish attention to every part of
the island. The immediate command of
Gomez is said to number three thousand
men, and is located in the rich Santa Clara
district. Some distance away, in the prov
tnce of Santiago de Cuba, are the forces of
General Garcia, the several bands of which
are said to aggregate fifteen thousand men,
The distance of Garcia from Gomez is said
to make juncture between them impracti-
cable, as there are no means of speedy COM
munication.
1t is expected that Lieutenant Rowan, the
United States officer who made a daring
and successful landing in Cuba and passed
inland to General Garcia's camp. will ar
rive at Key West tomorrow. This doubt
less will afford the authorities here much
more data on the situation Of the insur-
gents. 1t is understood that Lieutenant
Rowan has already stated, whether by re-
port or otherwise iG not known, that the
Cubans in General Garcia's district occupy
a number of towns vacated by the Spanish,
and that the Cuban administration of these
towns is in the hands of "fine men," This
last expression gives special satisfaction to
Cubans here. They are hopeful that Pres
ident Masse will remain in the western
provinces and will be ready to come with
his Cabinet to the first large seaport city
that is occupied and there set up the civil
administration of the Republic of Cuba. 1t
had been understood that he intended to
move his headquarters to the eastern end
OF the island, where military operations are
not likely to occur. but this plan is likely
to be changed, so as to keep him near the
points of probable occupation in the west