The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-18
FIGHTING FOR CUBA.
Lieut.. Col. Giberga, of the Cuban In
fantry Describes the Situation.
New York Independent.

New York Independent.
The Cuban soldiers. poorly armed and
poorly fed and weak in numbers. have be-
comes heroes in the eyes OF the kind North.
True, we have heroes among US, and we all
try to fight bravely for our country. We
willingly give up lands, professions and
quiet TO join the torn ranks of the little
army; and we win many wonderful victo-
ries. These victories are due. to a great
extent, to the fine qualities of our own men
to their dash and skill; but partly to the
inexperience of the troops sent against rs
by the Spanish government. Boys of sew
enteen and under are forced to take up
arms against men for whom they have no
real feeling OF enmity. They are rushed
about through country they do not know;
they are treated like dogs by most of their
officers and harassed by us from daylight to
dark. Few of their old troops are left to
knowledge of warfare, and often proved too
much for us, man for man. But the new
recruits are fighting unwillingly in a cause
they do not love, and if We have any pity
to spare from our own people 1t is for them.
The Cuban in his early boyhood Is trained
in the use of the machete. In time of peace
he uses 1t to cut cane and frewood and a s
a tool of carpentry work; but when he rides
to war 1t becomes more deadly than the
american army saoer or the old-time
rapier. Every countryman, white or black
owns machete, SO in this respect our men
are easily armed. Many of our cavalrymen
are without carbines, but as the wild
charge is the most effective method of
breaking the enemy in our guerrilla fight
ing, the man with nothing but his machete
spanish
commanders hear that we are somewhere
in the vicinity and march into the hills to
subdue US, our horsemen divide into small
squads of ten or twelve and our infantry
lie in ambush When the Spaniards are
near enough to make sure targets we open
fire on them from the brush. Sometimes
they answer this volley and charge at The
smoke, and sometimes they turn back and
make dash for safety. In either case our
little bands of horsemen break in upon
them from every side, fire and cut and re-
treat. The Spanish officers may try to
form their men into squares, but very often
their attempts are unsuccessful. so We cut
them down as they run. This is our way of
coping with the superior numbers of Span
ish regulars sent out to beat us back into
servitude. Sometimes the victory is ours,
often 1t is theirs; for once in the open their
numbers tell. We would not be able TO
carry our system of ambush and deadly at
tack into operation, but for our relays OF
scouts who keep the main body of our
enemy.
Most of the colored soldiers fighting for
the cuban cause are in the infantry, being
too poor to own mounts of their own-and
IN our army every man supplies his own
morse or else goes on foot. We have been
under arms for over three years, and during
all tnat time have known no such thing as
pay day.
Americans have too great fear of catch
ing yellow fever In Cuba. The truth OF the
matter is that our pastoral districts ana our
mis- are as healthy any country IN the
world. and that the disease RACES only IN
the vicinity Of Havana. and there II IS part