The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-11
WITH THE INSURGENTS
AN ESTIMATE OF THE PRESENT
STRENGTH OF THE CUBAN ARMY.
Organization That Has DwindIed I'm
til 1t Can Give Little or No Aid to
Our TrOOps-SOme Incidents.
ssdTTE
Thomas R. Dawley. in New York Post

Thomas r. Dawley in New York Post
The prevailing idea is that there is
marked difference between the Spaniard and
the Cuban, and that all our army has to do
is to land upon the island and there, find
ing the Spaniards on one side of a wel-de-
fined line and the CubanS on the other, they
have only to step between and tell the
Spaniards to go away and leave the others
to govern themselves. But when our troops
do invade Cuba they may find it a much
more difficult task to separate these peo-
pie than our government officials have
counted on. AS an illustration may be
cited an incident of Senator Thurston's ex-
periences in Cuba and his subsequent state
ment on the floor of the Senate. in which
he gave, as an example of the discipline of
the Spanish army, his purchase of a ma
chete from Spanish soldier. AS matter
Of fact man sold his machete to the
senator on the wharf at Matanzas but he
was neither Spaniard nor Spanish SOL
der. The man wore blue uniform, was
Cuban and was appointed by the Cuban
Governor to escort the party of American
visitors around the city. and his duties cor
responded to those of our own municipal
police.
In the year 1897 there were Just five Amer
lean correspondents who visited the head
quarters of the commander-in-chief Max
imo Gomez. The first of these. Mr. Crosby,
was Killed; the second. Mr.. Rea, returned
and wrote book, which was so marked
with prejudice that it became valueless;
Mr.. Scovil, the next in order, wrote to salts
~ the editorial policy of his paper, while
the evidence of Mr.. Carl Decker was never
published at all, and upon his return to New
York Maxine Gomez was deposed and Gen.
CaliXto Garcia was set up in his place as
commander-in-chiefo OF the Cuban army by
the paper which Mr.. Decker was repre-
Benting.
Upon my setting out to find Gomez, his
headquarters was designated to me upon
the map of Cuba, where he was represented
20 be making a bold stand against the COM
plned FORCES OF General Weyler. After trav-
cling several weeks through a desolated and
depopulated part of the island which was
being oyerrun by Spanish soldiers / found
the lnsurgent chief in palm grove, sur
rounded by his army of $50 armed men and
termed the impedimenti. While with Gomez
We were Joined by the renowned General
Qulntin Bandera, who, General Gomez had
previously stated, was on his way from the
east with force of 1920 volunteers But
upon reviewing General Bandera's new con-
ungent found that he had but $50 men,
mostly naked negroes. In the two weeks
that | passed with Gomez the army occu-
pied Itself IN selecting appropriate camp
ing places where there was grass and
water for the horses and wild cattle for the
men. During the day the horses were kept
constantly saddled ready to mount and run
upon the approach OF the Spanish troops,
who we've almost constantly wandering
about the country looking for u.s.
BATTLES ON PAPER.
Upon my return to New York after this
visit TO Gomez found that our Havana
newspaper correspondents had been enact
Ing All sorts Of maneuyers. battles and VIC