The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-19
Tfiidzoil$ Of Cuba
Driven by CHER Wrcngs
GO fight in the Field.

PHILADELPHIA, March B.-Fannie B.
Ward writes from MatanZas for the
Record, concerning the part Of Cuban
women in the Cuban war, as follows: The
author OF the recent well-known book,
Cuba Su Gente" who declared that
the women of Cuba are fJ only 10 fiirI,
lie in hammocks and fan themselves, has
evidently been very unfortunate in his
choice Of acquaintance. Impartial peo-
pie who know Cuban women OF the better
class will gladly testify that they are
among the most true-hearted, simple and
domestic creatures IN the world, devoted
to tAair homes and their religion, and
adoring their husbands and children;
withal strong in adversely and often en-
during martyrdom with more fortitude
than those Of the sterner sex. Thousands
have lost everything they possessed n
the long struggle for Cuba libre-hus-
bands, sons and daughters. parents,
brothers, friends and fortune, all swept
away They have looked upon ghastly
holocausts which consumed not only their
homes and plantations, but in some in
stances the bodies Of their loved ones
were cast as fuel to the flames. Mothers
have had their babies torn from their
arms to be bu,chered, ana seen their
young daughters worse than murdered;
yet such IS the patriotism that if the war
were to be repeated in order TO free their
beloved land, there would be no faltering
among the women. II IS the history Of
all countries that the females are the
bittersst partisans, the first 10 urge force
Of arms when prudence would dictate
longer forbearance, and the last 70 give
up the grudge long after the Ratchet is
buried. Throughout the war, in every
Cuban homo a sum was relgiously set
aside out of each days allowance for
household expenses, TO send to the field;
and after ali their money was gone, many
Cuban ladies sold their jewels and even
their dresses in order TO buy food and
medicines for the rebel army. Connected
with the long struggle are pathetic and
stirring incidents without number in
which women played the leading role.
For example, there was Rose Henran-
DEE, Of San Cristobal, the young and
beautiful wife of Doctor HERNIA ndez.
They had been married less than year
when the doctor was called upon TO or
ganize a band of men for the insurgent
army. Keeling that his life belonged TO
his girl wife, who was about 10 become
a mother, he told her that he would do
as she willed in the matter, WOmanlike,
she hesitated at first, thinking Of the
danger to her beloved. and then through
her tears bade him go. IN week he
had raised half a regiment 900 mem,
and as they marched out of San Girls
tobal they passed the house where Mrs.
Hernandez lay fainting and cheered
her as 1.-The Queen of Cuba" The nus
band had been gone but a short time
when a troop of Spaniards. under eGn-
eral Carnellos, took possession Of the
town. One of the lieutenants rode his
horse into the Hernandez parlor and
subjected the wife of the rebel to threats
and grossest insults. That night, accom-
PANIED by one trusty servant, she set
out on muleback to join her husband.
After riding weary miles through the
painless hills and jungles. in constant
danger of banditti and Spanish guerril-
las she finally found him. Two days
later a baby was born in camp, (the lit
tie mothe las only ID, and, being boy,
was chIla tened Guerra" the Spanish
word for war. 1 am happy to tell you that
no further harm befeH the brave lady,
though, of course, many hardships had
TO be endured. The family is again at
home in San Cristobal, and Guerra Jose
Marie Hernandez. the war baby is
now a lusty youngster. years old.
Agreat many women went 10 the field
with their husbands and fathers for the
much as the innumerable crimes commit
ted upon their sex at home and hun
dreds of babies were born in camp and on
battlefields. While misrule prevailed
throughout the island, soldiers and high
waymen infesting all the country roads.
looting Plantations and perpetrating all
manner of atrocities upon the defenseless
no woman was safe, whatever her dig
nifty and social standing. There were
some terrible cases Of delicate. high-brad
ladies transformed by their wrongs into
avenging furies who afterward fought
shoulder to shoulder Wit hthe men, led
daring raids and applied the torch in a
thousand places. Many Of them now sleep
in unmarked graves on desoiate skirmish
fields, and others died far sadder deaths,
Of Imprisonment disease or starvation.
The memory of one of these poor crea-
lures will haunt me forever. 1 saw her in
Fossos. Habana's reconcentrado pen Of
nameless horrors. She was young, prob
ably 20, and must have been exceedingly
beautiful a short time before; but her
emaciated face already wore the strange
majesty of death and only a slight flut-
tering of the breast showed that life yet
fingered. Lying all around were what
looked ike heaps of rags, hundreds of
them-each a human being young or old.
living or dead. Such sight! All were
victims Of starvation. Bones appeared to
be pricking through the skin; deep sores
covered them: fee- and limbs were swol-
len out Of all semblance OF human mem
bers. pulled like bags and cracked in
places with water oozing Out-scurvy and
dropsy from long continued hunger. the
blood having actually turned to water
Amid such surroundings lay this girl.
who had manifestly been delicately bred.
having been picked M unconscious n the
streets the day before and carried 20 Los
Fossos by the Spanish police. While 7
stood beside her. wondering where her
friends were. where the loving hands that
once caresseG that wealth ot shining HEAR
the breast ceased 10 move and kindly
Death released the suffering sould- Per
sistent inquiry revealed a glimpse Of her
history. She was the daughter of a we'll
TODD planter in the adjoining province,
betrothed 20 q captain in the insurgeut
army. When father. lover and brother
ware away in the field troop of Spanish
soldiers arrived one DAY. burned the
house. murdered the mother and Young
children. and kept This girl a prisoner a.