The evening times., 1898-10-17
CUBA'S TEN YEARS. War
Natives of the Island Cele.
brate Patriots Deeds.
HISTORY OF THE UPRISING
The Cuban Colony at Washington
Observes the Anniversary of the
Battles on the Field of Yara in
the Santiago Proyince-In Memory
of the Martyrs.

The Cuban colony in Washington is cell
ebrating the anniversary of the outbreak
| of the ten years war. The portraits of
Cuba's heroes are festooned with the Gu
ban tricolor, while here and there
mingled with the festive colors are
| touches of somber crepe
The Cuban colony is not a large one
In addition to the Cuban Junta, the fol-
lowing-named natives of Cuba claim
their residence in Washington: Y Agui-
lar, NJ Cordova, NJ. Flores, Jose Macias,
| Juan Macias, Albertino Dias and Alejo
| Montero.
group of islanders sat at Aguilar's
cigar factory today. They were reading
| chapters from the history of the ten
| years struggle for independence They
read extracts from the lives of Cespedes,
Aguilera, Agramonte, the Maceos, Car
lilo, Sanchez and Crombet. They smok-
| ed fragrant cigars, and in the blue in
cense which they waited toward the
ceiling, they probably traced visions of
| their island home.
The story of the ten years war is
| bloody one.
A proposition was urged in the American
Senate during the session of 1S5S-'59 TO
place $4,000 600 in the hands of the Presi-
dent with view to the acquisition of the
island, but after debate it was Withdrawn
by its author, Mr. Slidell of Louisiana In
the meantime, the agitation of the ques-
ton of independence still continued in
Cuba, and suspected persons were arrest
ed, imprisoned or banished without trial
and in the most arbitrary manner In
1852 a conspiracy had been discovered and
the leaders were condemned TO death or
to hard labor for life. In 1851. Gen. Jose
de la Concha, in anticipation of an up
rising of the Creole population, threat
ened to Afreanize the island. He formed
and drilled battalions of black troops,
armed the native-born Spaniards and dis
armed Cubans. His energy probably pre-
vented a revolution at that time. The
Cuban Junta at New York had made prep
arations for descent on the Cuban coast,
and had enrolled a large body of men. but
under the circumstances the attempt was
postponed. Pinto and Estrampas. Cubans
taken with arms in their hands. were
executed, and about 100 others were con-
demned to the galleys or deported Gen.
Concha was created marquis of Havana
for his services. For the next ten years
the revolutionary party was comparative
ly quiet.
On August 2, 1861. Francisco V. Agui-
lera, Manuel a. Aguilera and Francisco
Maceo Osorio met in the house of the last
named at Bayamo and formed a conspi-
to fl1a
dom. A few months later their associates
were so numerous that the leaders found
it difficult to prevent them from striking
prematurely. The movement spread rap
idly throughout the eastern provinces
In ManZanilio Carlos Manuel de Ces-
pedes placed himself at its head: in Hol-
guin, Celasario Alvarez; in Las Tunas
Vicente Garcia; in Jinguani, Donati Mar
mol; and in Santiago, Manuel Fernando
These men met on September s. 1860. to
set q day for the uprising Another con-
sultation was held on October 3 at which
Francisco Aguilera urged a delay of six
teen days. His arguments were accepted
ds conclusive at the time, but two days
afterwards il was agreed that the blow
should be struck at once In the mean
time, news of the projected outbreak had
reached Havana. On October a letter
carrier was detained at Cespedes sugar
estate, La Demajagua, and found to be
the bearer OF an order for the arrest of
the conspirators. Cespedes deemed Ii eX-
pedient to strike at once and with only
two hundred poorly armed men he de-
clared for independence on the field of
Yara on October TO- Yara was defended
by Spanish force too strong for the in
sursents, but on the 18th attacks were
made on Las Tunas Cuato Embarcadero
Jiguani, La Guisa, Ell Datil and Santa
Rita.
On the 18th Bayamo was captured. The
governor shut himself in the palace with
few men but capitulated on the 22d
Camaguey soon followed the example Of
Yara. During the war which began at
Yara and which the Cubans in Washing
ton are celebrating, it has been estimated
that Spain lost $4,000 men and that four
teen thousand Cubans We're killed in bat
tie