The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-02-05
WAR Can LAST FOR YEARS
NO HOLIDAY SPORT IN CUBA.
Made-Up story of "A Spanish Victory
insurgents Invade "A Rich Zone
of Sugar Cane, Burning Immense
FieIds-Grcnt Loss of Property.

New York, Jan. 2s.--A dispatch to the
Herald from Havana says:
The Spanish account of the victory OF
General Castellanos and the capture OF
the headquarters of the rebel government
in the town of Esperanza, is now proved
to be fabrication. There is no such
town as Esperanza, near Cubitas. The
name of the town founded and occupied
as the capital by the rebel government is
Agramonte. Spanish troops are unable TO
get near this place, being repulsed in the
mountains and forced to retire with a
heavy loss.
Latest advices from the Orient state
that the rebels are still besieging Holguin
and that the garrison can not possibly
hold out without supplies and reinforce
ments General Pando finds it impossible
to send them through, though he is max
ing desperate efforts to do 80. General
Pando's army is still along the banks OF
the Cauto river and strongly intrenched,
but is unable to assume the aggressive.
General Gomez shows no signs of taking
the field and conducting an active cam
paign. He states as his reason that he is
short of cavalry and can not operate sue
cessfully against the Spaniards, who have
plenty of horses At this nate the war in
the east can last for years.
Fighting in the West.
In the western provinces, however, the
troops keep pretty well on the move but
neither side has achieved decisive results.
General Molina had what is called here
an important battle with the rebel genera
al, Betancourt, at Camarioco, in Matan-
zas province, January %. General Mo
lima had 1900 infantry and 400 cavalry.
He attacked the rebel camp and there
was fighting for five hours, but finally he
was obliged to retire without success. The
loss on both sides was insignificant.
The rebels are still devoting their at
tention to preparing for the coming wet
season. Every day large quantities of sup
plies of all sorts are sent to them.
A Sharp Battle.
Havana, Jan. 2s, via Key West.-Gen-
eral Molina, on the morning of the Goth
of January, began a second attack upon
the insurgent position between Boca Ca
marioco and Punta Maya. The insurgents
were under leader Tabarts and they stood
continuous volleys until the Spanish
about IL o'clock, began an artillery fire.
The insurgents, being without cannon
burned their cannon and made a flank
movement toward the coast and the Span
ish rear, obliging General Molina to aban-
don his position in order to avoid rear
attack, and compelling him to retreat to.
ward the coast
The insurgents Immediately divided
their forces and invaded the rich zone OF
sugar cane, burning immense cane fields
with incalculable loss. The Spanish had
II killed, including a captain. They bur
led their dead and then retired. They had
% wounded
The insurgents have burned the greater
part of the cane fields on the plantation
Union, near San Luis, although the plan
tation is protected by forts and detach-
ments.
The military authorities here critieise
General Molina for attacking the insur-
gent camp at Camarioco, as they CON
slider it unimportant and the sacrifice too
serious for the experiment.