The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-28
WITH THE CUBAN INSURGENTS.
An Estimate OF Their Present strength
Incidents from Camp aid Field.


Incidents from Camp and Field.
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. finding the Spanlards on one side
of well-dehned line and the cubans on
the other. they have only 90 step between
and tell the Spauisrds 10 go away and
leave the others to govern themselves.
But when our troops do Invade cuba,
they may find g. p much more difficult
task ~ separate these people than any
OF our government officials have counted
upon. As an illustration may be cited
an incident u Senator Thurston's eXper-
fences In cuba. and his subsequent state
meut Oh the fioOr OF the Senate, In which
lie gave. as an example of the discipline
OF the Spanish army his purchase Of
machete from Spanish soldier. As
matter o. fact man sold his machete 60
the Senator on the wharf NJ MatanZds,
but he was neither ii Spaniard nor
Spanish soldier. The man wore blue
uniform. was d Cuban, and WA appoint
By the cuban Governor 10 escort the
party OF American visitors around the
city. and his duties cOrreSpOnded 10 those
VI our own municipal police.
In the year 1857 there were Just five
American correspondents who visited the
headquarters Of the COMMANDMENTS
Chief. Maxine Gomez. Tne first Of these,
Mr. Crosby was killed: the second. Mr.
Rea. returned and wrote book which
was 50 marked with prejudice that IL
became Valueless: Mr.. ScOyll. the next in
order. wrote 20 satisfy the editorial pol
fey Of his paper. while the evidence OF
r.rrf ia 4
all, and upon his return 20 New York
Maxine Gomez was d-pOsed and General
CaliXtO Garcia was set up I'm his place
as Commander-iu-Chef OF the Cuban
Army. by the paper which Mr.. Decker
was representing.
Upon my setting out 20 find Gomez. his
headquarters was designated 10 ME upon
the map OF Cuba. where he was repre-
scented 10 be making a bold stand against
the combined forces OF General Weyler
After travelling several weeks through
a desOlated and depopulated part of the
island which was being OVerrun by
Spanish soldiers. I found the insuTgent
chief in a palm grove surrounded by his
army of one hundred and thirty armed
men and some two hundred naked ser
wants. mostly black. termed the imp'di-
menti. While with Gomez We were join
cd by the renowned General Quintin BAN
stated. was on his way from the east
with a force OF 200 volunteers. But
upon reviewing General Bandera's new
contingent L found that he had but one
hundred and fifty men, mostly naked ne
groes. In the two weeks that / passed
with Gomez. the army occupiedl ltsel III
selecting appropriate camping places
where there was grass and water TOT
the horses and wild cattle for the men.
constantly saddled ready to mount ana
run upon the approach Of the spanish
troops who were almost constantly wall
derino about the country looking for US
Trpon my return TO New York after TINS
visit 70 Gomez, I found that our Il''a-
M newspaper correspondents hdu
anactine ali sorts Of manoeuvres, pat
tles and victories with Maxine Gomez
ond his army during the very time tnaI
: mad beeu either running away or hidlns
Ia .be bushes with him. Some or tne
correspondents had been even prousnS
him ana his army into the province o.
NIatauzae. after having made MN uCtSs'
the Spanish army. And most asloi -'
,n,, Of ALI some OF these very CORES
.'le 49, Who had never seen a real I'VE
reheI i'm the field OF Cuba went before
the Committee on Foreign Relations a.
U,asbinaton and gave their testimony re-
qsrding the actual condition Oh aA'''9 ~
cuba. 49,. i,,,,,rysy,,
Being friendly myself to the insurssn'
cause and the old bushwhackihs cil'el,
Maxine Gomez. / accepted the tIuS' y.
bringing a package OF Correspondence -
him through the Spanish lines, although
hod Ioat confidence IN both his ability
and his army. Upon delivering the cor
reenondence 10 the Cuban Junta, l al
,s,,nted 10 make them acquainted WIN
the actual state Of their army III Ouoa'
os far as I had been able TO carry on my
Investigations: but, like Weyler ana ME-
spaniards. they did not want 10 near
ANYTHING which might reflect upon th'
valor OF their arms.
Farlv in 1896. Mr.. Grover Flint joined
the insurgents and remained with then
for some FIVE months. Recently MI fHllI
has given his experiences In his Dook'
Marching with Gomez" Although MT.
Flint tells us that he was made a naJor
in the rebel army. he makes no attempt
TO give any accounts OF those glorious
macheta charges and insurgent victories
which we nave all read OF in our daily
papers. Neither does he give us any hg-
ures of overwhelming numbers OF insur-
gents. Although he succeeds In hnding
the provisional government OF Cuba, hs
fails to find the renowned capitaI Cu-
betas. but informs us that he found the
government quartered in an abandoned
house from which It speedily took its de-
parture and subsequently pitched camp
in the woods.
As for the number of insurgents under
arms we have never had any figures eX-
cent those given by the insurgents
Themselves and the various estimates
placed upon them by the Spaniards. As to
the value of the Spanish estimates
may cite an instance where have known
| the entire garrison Of city to be placed
on the defensive. a report having come
I'm that n large force of rebels was camp
ed within a short distance. Upon evading
the sentries and Joining the insurgents. |
found that the large force consisted OF
major and four men, three OF them arm
ed. on another occasion have been with
ten insurgents at the top of mountain.
keeping back n Spanish column. which
undoubtedly. fearing the overwhelming
| numbers OF the enemy failed TO come up
and drive the ten men away. In one so
| called battle between the forces of Maxi
| mo Gomez and a Spanish column, I'm
which l participated 10 certain extent,
| the Spanish general in his official report
| of the engagement gave out that he had
| counted twenty-five OF our dead abandon
cd upon the field Of battle. The truth was
| that in this particular engasement our