Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-01-08
The Army Of Liberation Well
Fed.
THE MEN ARE POORLY CLOTHED
Numerical Strength Of the Various
Commands


from Pinar del Rio to the JucarOa-
Moron trocha, for the purpose OF OBJ
serving the actual strength and con
dition of the iDsurgent forces today
and their ability TO continue the war
! writes:
"When your orders reached me
was with the force of Pedro DiaZ
mmander.in-chief of the SiXtt
army corps in Pinar del Rio province
We were encamped near CuZcO. Undel
DiaZ, operating in that province were
General Lorente, commanding The
second division, of the territory west
of Paste Real, and Vidal du Case
commanding the first division, or The
district east Of Paso Real. General
Lorente has 1900 infantry and 40b cav
airy, we'll armed and we'll fed, but
Lacking clothes. Du Case has 200C
infantry and 5000 cavalry in the same
condition. Operating against this
force month ago were 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 done was done. when the
rebels invited it.
| IN MATANZAS AND HAVANA.
"From Cuzco proceeded through
the Cuban lines to Havana. | expe-
rienced no difficulty in entering the
capital. Havana and Matanzas prov
inces are under the command of Gen
eral Alexandra Rodriguez, chief of the
Fifth army corps. Under General
Rodriguez are Juan Du Case, Rafeal
Cardenas, JacOnto Hernandez, Juan
Delgado, Alberto Nordasse and Nestor
Arangueren. The total force under
these leaders is 1000 Infantry and 1900
cavalry, all we'll equipped. In Man
tanzas, which belongs also to the
Fifth army corps, are Brigadier-Gen-
eral Betancourt, ColonelS Dangully
and Valencia, with 1900 infantry and
300 cavalry. Only about { of this force
is armed. This is d ifficulJ province to
operate in. The men remain in the
hills, cultivating the soil or watching
the coast.
These Western provinces haye been
familiar to me for the last year, dur
ing which time l haye been cOntiuu-
ally with the rebel forces, except
what time was necessary to carry dis
patches to Havana. ] can Youch for
these figures.
WITH ARANDO AND ALVAREZ.
"On the trip to the Orient 1 broke
new ground, but the figures given are
from actual observation. l took the
field in Santa Clara from Santo
Domingo, riding out in broad day
light with guides, and within an hour
was with the insurgent forces under
general Arando. That evening re-
turned with General Arando to a
suburban town for supper. Arando
had 100 infantry aud cayalry detailed
to burn Sugarcane.
The next morning rode 80 miles
and joined Colonel Alvarez, who had
1000 infantry and 100 cavalry. Here
private physician of General Gomez,
on his way to Join the general. l
travelled with him the rest of the
way. Seven wounded soldiers in AL
vareZ, the day previous, had sacked
the town of San Juan Arroyo.
THE CIENFUEGOS BRIGADE
"The next day l rode 20 miles to
Eugenia Esquerro, in the Plantano
hills, two leagues north of the town Of
Manicaragua. ESqueTra is chief of
the Cienfuegof brigade, and had in
camp 400 infantry and l20 cavalry.
From there / rode three days through
the long grass and over the noun
tains, so miles, to the camp OF Briga- !
NuneZ, in the Trinidad |
hills. NuneZ has 100 infantry and .5
cavalry engaged in raising vegetables. |
"After leaving MOnteaguedO l en-
tered what is called the first division |
of Santa Clara under command CT Jose |
Miguel Gomez. The whole strength |
of the first division is 2400 infantry |
and 700 cavalry. i did not meet Jose |
Gomez, but near FL Mango 1 struck |
the camp of Teyo Sanchez, who had |
200 infantry ahd 100 cavalry.
IN THE CAMP OF GOMEZ.
Near Remedies | entered the camp |
OF General GARLIC, chief of the Fourth |
army corps. or the whole Of Santa |
Clara province. GARLIC had 10 camp |
600 men. The strength CT his COM
mand as shown by previous figures, is |
300 men. Two days from GARLIC L
rode into the camp OF General Velsa, |
who is in charge CT the outpOsts of |
General Gomez camp, and day later |
l had the pleasure Of saluting the
commander-iD-chIef General Gomez
has In his camp 250 Infantry and 100
cavalry. He seldom has more.
"From official returns shown to me |
in Gomez camp, / estimate that in |
Puerto Principe, where the Cuban |
NONSi hN0Si4ddi IOl alO CoOd u
llshed, the rebel force numbers zoo
cavalry, with only an Insignificant |
number OF infantry. In Santiago
there are 1000 cavalry and 10000 in
fantry. These figures are conserva- !
tive.
at is in two eastern provinces that
the main strength OF the Cuban in
surgents lies, not only in the number
OF men but In the condition of the
country and a plentiful supply of
food is seasily secured. There are
living in the mountains of Puerto
Principe and Santiago fnlly 400 peo-
pie not actively engaged in warfare,
but cultivating the soil as if there
was no war, and contributing supplies i
to the rebels.
"All the cavalry saw on the trip
were mounted we'll and all fully I
armed. In two instances the regi- /
ments were badly off for clothing.