Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-13
Our ,nsurqent Ailies.

in the matter of our insurgent allies
| Their number and efficiency have beer
so varously estimated, that the
American mind is much confused ii
regard to them. We know that oui
government has established communi-
cation with Gomez. and is sending
arms and ammunition to his forces
Welcome light upon the Insurgen'
strength has just come from reliable
source. Fred O. Somerford. for many
wears, a resident of Cuba. and OF late
a member of the insurgent army ana a
correspondent of the New York Herald
has just arrived at Key West. fresh
from Gomez's headquarters.
He says that Gomez had With him 4
week ago IS infantry and $50 cavalry
He had within call {say within thlrE
miles of his camp about $500 fighting
men of all sorts. The best of the iol
are Gonzalez's infantry, 800 strong.
armed mostly with long Remingtons
(Which the insurgents prefer to re-
peating rifies) and under good dlscl-
pline. The insurgents have no artll-
lery. Garcia's men in the east of the
island-4Nhom Gomez wants to moor
porate in his own command though ne
is shy of saying so-are all foot SOL
diers. never having owned horses.
Gomez is "a great believer in the eff
fectiveness of cavalry" He talks OF
raising an army of 10000 and driving
the Spanish into the sea-alWays pro
the necessary food arms and ammuni-
ton Somerford thinks the Old man
might he able with that assistance)
to recruit his following up to 10000.
The rifles, he suggests, should be
Springfields, and 10000 machetes-
"weapons of wonderful effectiveness in
Cuban hands"-should he sent along.
Food from this country is a sine qua
non. we are told. The insurgents, scat
tered in little companies all over the
island, have been able thus far to keep
soul and body together by foraging,
but now the potatoes Oheir substitute
for breaO are very scarce. They
could get along Gomez asserts) on
two rations of beans, bacon and hard
tack day: but unless Uncle sam
puts up this modest provision any
thing like mobilization is out of the
question. In Somerford's opinion it
viii be next to impossible to land food
in large quantities anywhere on the
Cuban coast and get it safely to the
insurgents in the interior unless
American troops in adequate force go
along.
Now Gomez does not desire the land
ing Of any American troops in Cuba
except it be regiment of artillery to
operate in conjunction With him :"
After years acquaintance Gomez i'm
presses the "Herald's" reporter as a
willy old man, with political aspira-
tions. who sees a fine future ahead for
free Cuba 5 victorious general, who is
assuring our people at Washington
that he can whip Blanco and capture
Havana. and who has been trying to
brighten them out of their plans with
stories of the yellow fever.
Somerford's advice to them is to GO
ahead without paying any attention To
Gomez and his stories. Only American
troops can finish up the job quickly, he
says. They can do it in q months time
That will save the lives of thousands
of women and children, otherwise
doomed to perish. With proper precau-
tons the health of the troops SHOULD
| be as good in Cuba as at Chickamauga
| park. Gomez, unoppOsed, cOuldn'1
reach Havana from his present CAM
! with any troops in less than twenty
| five days; Garcia couldn't get Their,
under six weeks. Besides he says:
Even the veterans of G0mezs ant
Garcia's divisions are not good sol
dicrs, as Americans reckon soldiers
| They are good guerillas, but have NJ
knowledge of real military service
Neither have their officers ! do no
| believe the insurgents can in an,
numbers successfully attack a fortilic,
town, such as Matanzas or Havana
In the open field the Spanish will de
feat them. Because the insurgents il
small numbers have been able to con
tinuc an unequal conflict for years ha
led many people to believe they can
| easily defeat the SpaniardS if armed
Perhaps they might if drilled for si1
mcnths, for it must be remembered
that, with the exception of a few thou
sand now actually under arms, an,
formidable Cuban army must he com
posed of comparatively raw recruits. o
infinitely less military training an,
knowledge than the average America
volunteer By American volunteers
do not mean National Guardsmen