The Portland daily press., 1898-05-20
FIGHTING CONDITIONS IN CUBA.
Explained by Lieut.. Col. Gibergo of til.
Cuban Infantry.
(Tampa LETTER in New York Indepen.
dent J


The Cuban soldiers poorly armed and
poorly fed and weak In mum bers, have
become heroes in the eyes of the kind
North. True, we have heroes among us,
and we all try to fight brayely 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 victories These vic.
tories are due, to great extent. to the
fine qualities of our own men-to their
dash and skill, but partly to tho iuexperi.
ence Of the troops sent against us by the
Spanish government Boys of II and un.
der are forced to take up arms against
mentor whom they have no real feeling
of enmity. They are rushed about through
a country they do not know; they are
treated like dogs by most of their officers
and harassed by us from daylight till
dark. Few of their old troops are left to
fight us. They were men of niettle and
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, ii
is for them.
( The Cuban in his early manhood IL
trained in the use Of the machete. In
time of peace he uses it to cut cane and
firewood and as a tool in carpentry work
but when he rides to war it becomes more
deadly than the American army saber or
the oldtime rapier. Every countryman,
white or black, owns q Iuachete sc in this
respect our men are easily armed. Many
of our cavalrymen are without carbines,
but as tho wild charge Is the most effec-
tive method Of breaking the enemy in ou1
guerrilla lighting, the man with nothing
but his machete is not entirely useless.
When the Spanish commanders hear that
W are somewhere in Ethe vicinity and
march into the shills to subdue :. US, our
horsemen divide into small squads Of 10
OF IL and ssour 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 ut the smoke, and
sometimes they turn back and make a
dash for safety, In either case our little
bands of horsemen break in upon then
from every side, fire and cut and retreat.
The Spanish officers may try to form
their men into squares, but very often
their attempts are unsuccessful, SO we cut
Gnem down as Jney run, Ibis is our way
of coping with the superior numbers OF
Spanish regulars sent out to beat us back
into servitude. Sometimes the victory IL
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 attack into operation, but for
our relays and scouts who keep the main
body of our army, notified OF every move
ment of the enemy.
Most Of the colored soldiers f1ghti ng for
the Cuban cause are in the infantry, be.
ing too poor to own mounts Of their own
and In our army every man supplies his
own horse else he goes on foot. We have
been under arms for over three years. and
during all that time have known no such
thing as pay day.
aAmericans have too great fear OF
catching yellow fever in Cuba. The
truth OF the matter is that our pastoral
districts and our hills are as healthy as
any country in the world, and that the
disease RACES only in the Vicinity of
Havana, and there it is partly due to the
carelessness Of the Spaniards in their
sanitary arrangements. If the American
soldiers who come over to help us gain
our liberty. keep under canvas at night,
drink spring or distilled water and avoid
eating too much fruit, they will be spared
for the Spanish bullets. But these Span.
iards! Pshaw! Kindly lombard Havana
with few of your big ships and give us
all the rifles we have wanted so long, and
we will win the island.