The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-08-11

A glance into the secrets Of Gomez's
camp reveals the marvellous work Of
this later Toussaint The Cuban war
lord is described BY Grover Flint in his
recent book, Marching With Gomez, y
as gray little man whose clothes do
not fit we'll, but his keen eyes strike
like blow from the shoulder. The
will, the fearlessness and the experience
in those eyes make Of their owner a
giant.
Gomez was born in Santo Domingo,
and, like Lopez, the first great Cuban
war leader, he served in the Spanish
army against the insurgents Of his ma
tive land. But time opened his eyes,
and when the Ten Years war in Cuba
broke out, in 1868, he was on the side
OF the patriots. With Modesto Diaz, an
other ex-Spanish officer, he helped keep
the revolution going until Spain prom.
ised needed reforms. When the present
uprising took place in 1896, Gomez was
called upon to lead the army. He ac-
cepted the task solely on condition that
the commander in chief should be- free
from the interference Of the civil gov
eminent. At the outset the insurgents
had only the arms and ammunition
which the patriots had secreted in the
mountains back of Santiago at thezend
Of the Ten Years. war. Flint calls the
first Cuban army a thin skirmish line Of
soldiers; but, small as it was, Gomez
marched boldly into the Havana prov
inces, carrying the revolution to the door
OF every PEASANTS hut and negro cabin.
Recruits focked around the banner of
Gomez, and the small bands of outlying
rebels left their mountain hiding to
march against the Spanish garrisons. =.
There are three classes Of natives in
Cuba heart and soul supporters of the
revolution. These are the native aristo-
crafts who own the most valuable prop
erty the middle class Of small traders
who are on the move upward from the
peasant class, and, lastly, the peasants
who till the soil in small holdings. This
last class is the most numerous. Il:
Gomez organized his army on paper
into divisions, brigades, regiments and
companies The companies are simply
neighborhood bands, and three or -four
constitute a regiment. They operate
primarily in the country where they are
at home and wheret they get their living
by foraging when necessary and bystill-
ing the soil If an invading force of
Cubans marches through their territory,
they join IL and remain with the column
until the expedition is ended or they are
needed at home again. In every expedi-
ton there are irregulars composed of
flibusters and deserters from SPAIN
Not being able to arm all who wish
to fight for their country, Gomez mus
ters large number Of unarmed men,
who do the labor of the camp, cook and
attend upon the wants Of the officers and
soldiers and fight when they can apick
up arms from the field or capture them.
The most soldierly Of these are retained
in the ranks after they show mettle and
their places filled by raw patriots: = If
an armed soldier disgraces himself in
any way, he is reduced to the grade of
disarmed man, and his weapons are
given to another. Il
Gomez never hesitates to reduce Off
GERS to the ranks and make them fight
as private soldiers if they are guilty Of
cowardice or insubord ination. Mr. Flint
describes one of Gomez's trips through
the provinces to spur the insurgents up
to their work. He degraded high officers
upon proof Of their guilt shot some of
the worst Of the offenders and dragged