New-York tribune., 1901-08-06
BATTLE LASTED IL DAYS.
MUCH BLOOD SPILLED BY COLOMBIAN
INSURGENTS.
BoGoTA MERCHANTS HAVE CLOSED THEIR
STORES. AND BUSINESS is SAID TO
BE AT sTANDSTILL

Because Of the strict censorship over cable
messages and letters, little news OF the insur-
rection going in the United States of Co
lombia reaches this country through the reg
ular channels. A. Diaz Guerra, the agent or
the Colombian revoutionists, who has his head
quarters in this city, manages however. 10 get
information concerning the through trust
ed agents. who make trips across the border
into Venezuela. Until yesterday il was not
known here that a bloody battle had been
fought at Palo Negro in the latter part of May.
The conflict lasted for seventeen days and II
was a drawn battle after all the insurgents re-
tiring when their ammunition was exhausted
and the government troops being too badly cut
up 10 pursue the revolutiOnists
BY the Red d liner Philadelphia, which ar
rived here yesterday from Venezuela. NJ. Guerra
received a budget Of information from the scene
Of hOstlities. This says that General Benjamin
Herrera who is attacking from the Pacific side
is at present operating in the Department OF
Cauca. General Ardila who is advancing from
the Atlantic, is in the Department OF Santander
and in possession Of Ocana City. Generals A.
Castillo and Clodmiro Castillo have effected
junction Of their forces and are at FL Vale, in
the Department Of Magdalena. General Marin
has fought an important battle at Jirardot. in
the Department Of Cundinamarca, which is in
The interior Of the country. about one hundred
miles from BOgota, the capital Of Colombia.
Successful eng agements have been fought by
General Herrera at Tuinaco and Barbacos. and
other insurgent victories are reported from the
southern part of the Department Of Cauca. A
great revolutionary army is said TO be operating
on the Pacific side Of Colombia.
Information which came 10 Mr.. Guerra by
way Of Maracaibo says that senor Valencia,
Minister Of War. is on his way to Cucuta TO
he
frontier. and that at Bogota the merchants. not
wishing 10 handle any more paper money. have
closed their stores and business throughout
the country is al a standstill.
Mr.. Guerra said he had not for some time re-
ceived any information concerning General
Uribe-Uribe. who has been placed by General
Vargas Santos in supreme command Of the in
surgent army Mr.. Guerra added:
General Uribe-Uribe is a personal friend OF
General Castro the President Of Venezuela.
They have known each other for years. Castro
lived for a time in Colombia and his wife is
Colombian The long standing friendship and
the recent meeting between Castro and Tribe
Tribe at Caracas have no significance in reVolu-
tionary sense. The Colombian Government Off
cials however openly charge that President
Castro has been aiding the insurgents. but such
is not the case. ] do not think he sympathlZes
with the movement. because year ago he or
dered the seizure at La Guayra Of two OF our
warships which had board one thousand
Mannlicher rifles and three hundred thousand
cartridges and three guns Maxim, a Hotchkiss
and a dynamite piece. The boats and military
stores are still held, and If Castro was on our
side they would have been surrendered before
this. At the battle fought AT Jirardot by Gen
eral Marin all the government artillery was
captured and the regular troops routed. The
Colombian Government has now in the field
about twenty thousand men. and the insurgents
outnumber them and equally we'll armed
The invasion OF Venezuela by Or. Rangel Gar
viros was certainly supported by Colombian
troops. but they were defeated last week al San
Cristohal across the Venezuelan frontier. with
a loss Of thousand killed and wounded.
There will he no cause for the United States Of
North America 10 interfere because of the revo-
luton IN Colombia. The insurgents VIII not
disturb the opera ton Of the railroad the dig
ging of the canal at the isthmus They were
up in that section Of the country before, and
these operations were not disturbed. ! do not
think the report is true that General Castro Of
Venezuela has had a dispute with Of the
members of his Cabinet for calling the invaders
OF Venezuela COlOmbians.