The New York Herald Newspaper, February 15, 1873, Page 4

FIGHTING CUBA, An Uncompleted March with a Spanish Battalion. TO THE CONFINES OF CUBA LIBRE. How the Soldiers Look, Dress, Arm and March. The Herald Commissioner Wel- comed and Petted. ARMY COMMISARIAT AND BAPID FORTUNES. Effect of Long Tramps and Short Com- mons on the Men. WILD SIGHTS AND SCENES. Contempt of the Regulars for an Enemy of Ambuscades. The Question of Shooting Prisoners of War. TERRIBLE RAVAGES OF THE CLIMATE, One Hundred Thousand Men Dwindle to Twenty Thousand. Six Thousand Officers Killed in Five Years. A Handful of Rebels That Cannot Be Beaten or Seen. THE MYSTERIOUS OOUNTERMAROH. An Impartial Portrayal of Passions and Opinions on Both Sides. BSanTiaGo DE CuBA, Jan. 20, 1873. In view of the impossibility of obtaining anything like reliable information relative to the insurrec- tion at Santa Clara, owing to the disappearance from the district of the larger insurrectionary de- tachments, I proceeded by way of Cienfuegos to Santi Espiritu, where I hoped to find the operations of the campaign on a larger scale. The scenery along the coast to Trinidad was singularly im- pressive and appealed to the imagination in all the majesty of utter desolation. Before the ‘war the lower hills and the valleys near the coast were highly cultivated, but during the struggle all the estates have been abandoned ordestroyed. So far as the cye could reach nothing was visible but dark masses of forest-clad hills, whose awful still- ness was unbroken by any sign of habitation. Until a late period the almost inaccessible moun- tains and forests in this region gave shelter to im- pertant bands of insurgents; but the construction of the trocha southward had the effect of causing the majority of the bands to go southward from fear of being cut off from their friends in the south- eastern departments, where the chief strength of the insurrection has been from the outset. THE ADVANTAGE OF THESE TROCHAS has been clearly shown in the comparative tran- quilization of the district west of Moron. Although the Cuban sympathizers with whom I had come in contact admitted the actual state of affairs witha certain amount of frankness, I was un- willing to accept anything on mere hear- say, and therefore persisted in my intention to go to Santi Espiritu. A fog detained us some twelve hours beyond our time, but at last we arrived at Tunas, an embryo town situated ona tongue of land, which is the seaport of Sanct! Spiritus. As there 18 only one train a day each ‘way, I was obliged to put up at one of the tiendas for the night. In the morning I found that the hour of starting was entirely dependent on the amount of freight and the more or less industrious frame of mind of the colored man whose business it was to load the wagons. About two o’clock in the afternoon we steamed out of the station, which is about a quarter of a mile distant from the town, in the midst of a salt swamp. Here THE GUARD OF SOLDIERS CAME ON BOARD and disposed themselves about so as to have a good view of the country—that is to say, of the woods and bushes, that after a few miles of sand and swamp extend for leagues on all sides until ‘we have passed about three-fourths of our journey, ‘when the country becomes more open and signs of cultivation appear. On the way I managed to get into conversation with one of the guard, who ap- peared to me a likely subject to know something about the war, He was just the sort of fellow to drive a martinet to desperation—untidy and with &® suspicion of the picturesqueness of dirt about him, but A DEVIL-MAY-CARE LOOK IN THE EYE and acertain hard expression about the mouth, which was drawn at the corners. He had been in- specting me rather attentively, and 1 was expect- ing every minute a request to exhibit my papers—a formality which I confess I dislike heartily. A lucky stopping of the train in a deep cutting to take in wood for the engine furnished me witha prevext to inquire the cause of the delay, andonce | the ice was broken the soldier and I got on very well together. over three years in active operations, and that it ‘was pretty tiresome work. Like most of the Spanish soldiers whom I have met with, he entertaimed a upreme contempt for an enemy that never fired except from an ambuscade. He had been engaged with them any number of times, but had very sel- dom seen any of them. “THEY LIE IN WAIT,” he said, deprecatingly, ‘in the forest, ard fire just one volley, when they run, and as they know all the paths in the forest they generally get away. However, most of the white men have been killed or have surrendered themselves, and there are only the negroes in the woods now. It is very dim- cult to fina them, for they might be lying at twenty yards’ distance in the forest where we pass by Without our discovering them. In the interior of the woods the brushwood is so thick that we are obliged to cut our way through with our machetes, WE HAVE NOW GOT BLOODHOUNDS, however, he said, with animation, “and we can follow them into thetr hiding places.” In answer to an inquiry as to what they did with their prisoners the soldier simply said:—“Nearly all the white men have presented themselves and we donot take many Diack prisoners; they are generally killed 1f found with arms, but if they present themselves they are sent back to their masters. When the blacks catch ® white man they kill him.” According to this man’s computation the number of refugees in the ‘woods was not more than one hundred, and these, he said, were divided up into small bands, who never attacked any party of armed men, but cut of gtroggiers ana travellers without mercy, Even He informed me that ke had been | NEW YORK HERALD, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1873—1kIPLE SHEET. when cornered, as some times or sur, prised by parties of troops sent out in their pur- suit, these negroes did not offer any very desperate resistance, but seemed to endeavor to escape to their hiding places until the danger was past, The soldier made this statement frankly, ané without any clew to my character which might have induced him to color the picture. As we approached Sancti Espiritus we met a few large Cuban villages, 10 each of which were stationed @ party of troops, occupying @ kind of block house. Seen from the railway, there was nothing particularly noticeable in these places, but I was afterward informed that. a large part of the inhabitants were in & state of destitution bordering on starvation. If this be true I must say they have THEMSELVES IN GREAT PART TO BLAME, for land is very easy to be had and scarcely claims any labor from the peasant, In the town of Sancti KEspiritus there is also great suffering caused principally by the war. Strings of poverty-stricken women were to be met from time to time going from house to house to beg a little rice to keep soul and body together. In the faces ef many of these could be read tales of sorrow, and the brow of many a one amoug them was darkened by the impending shadow of the angel of death. In order to discover the exact tine of demarca- tion between the Spanish and Cuban territories 1 was anxious to pass from Sancti Espiritus to Puerto Principe by the land route, but the diMculty of procuring horses and a guide willing to accompany me forced me to abandon this idea. None of the Spanish party would venture alone with me into the neighborhood of the insurgents, who seemed to be EVERYWHERR AND NOWHERE, and no Cuban would expose bimself to the sus- picion of the authorities by accompanying me Nothing remained, therefore, but to take the steamer to this place, and try if fortune had any- thing better in store for me. The evening, or rather the night, of my arrival here I was presented to the Governor of the town, BRIGADIER GENERAL MORALES, on the public square by Mr. Ramsden, the British Consul, as a gentleman travelling through the island, The Generai was already aware that I was the representative of the HkRALD, and as it was dificult to talk freely among the crowd of prome- naders General Morales invited me to the Palace. He expressed himself DESIROUS TO BE OF SERVICE TO ME and enable me to see the exact state of the istand for myself, I thanked him for his kindness and as- sured him that I was very anxious to avail myself of whatever facilities he would be pleased to afford me. He then stated that a column would be leav- ing in the morning on an expedition that would in all probability last for ten days, during which time I would have ample opportunity to observe the operations of the campaign. I said that I would be most willing to accept the offer, but that, unfortu- nately having arrived only in the morning, I was not provided with a horse for myself, nor with the means of transport for the necessary provisions, The General at once informed me that the column would give me a horse, and that the officers would supply the commussariat depart- ment. He then introduced me to LIBUTENANT COLONEL SOSTRADA, the commander of the expedition. This gentleman expressed himself well pleased at having the repre- sentative of an impartial journal to accompany the Spanish troops and give a fair account of the war. He told me the troops were ordered to march at half-past six o’clock in the morning, and that it would be necessary to be at the railway station at that hour, He also advised me to provide myself with a hammock and blanket—no easy matter at half-past ten o’clock at night. As it was neces- sary to make some hurried preparations, I took my leave of General Morales and Colonel Sostrada, and went in pursuit of the hammock and blanket which, thanks to the good services of @ friend, I secured. It was still dark when I started in the morning under the guidance of one of the servants of the hotel; for, in his anx- iety to have me in time, the proprietor roused me up some hour and a halt before it was necessary. Arrived at the station I found it already occupied wy troops belonging to the mounted contra-gue- rillas. All was stirand bustle. The embarking of the horses was proceeding rapidly and without contusion. The men who were not engaged in this service were gathered round a vender of coffee and cognac, who had improvised a restaurant on a rough deal table. Iwatched the proceedings with considerable interest, and found commendable or- dér and organization to exist. These irregular troops are the scouts of the army, being in large part RECRUITED FROM THE NATIVE POPULATION and surrendered insurgents, It 1s said that they render invaluable service on account of their knowledge of the mode of warfare carried on by the Cubans, as well as their acqnaintance with the country. For the most part they are armed with Remington rifies, and all of them carry the formid- able machete, The uniform worn by the troops on campaign consists of a coarse linen treus- ers and blue cotton jacket, with a broad brimmed straw hat, sometimes covered with white calico, and ornamented with a red or green band. As the contra-guerillas moved out of the station the regular infantry arrived and took their seats in the train. They appeared to me to have seen much service, but in the dim light of the morning it was not possible to examine them very closely; besides, I was resolved to form my judgment of them more by their ac- tions than their looks. A few moments later I en- countered Celonel Sostrader, who recognized me and ordered one of the soldiers to take charge of my very slim baggage. As soon as everything was ready the Colonel invited me to take a seat by his side, The other oMcers of the battalion occupied seats in the same carriage, but no introduction was tendered to them, circumstance which at first surprised me, but the explanation was soon forthcoming. THE OFFICERS WERK IN FIGATING TRIM, offering rather a strange spectacle to one only accustomed to see the pomp and splendor of the parade ground. All the little adornments of the person in which gallant militaires delight had been laid aside ; even of the insignia of rank there was only retained the absolutely necessary. There was scarcely any pretence of a uniform, and even the showy sword had been exchanged for the more useful machéte. A few wore the regulation cap, but by far the greater number wore straw hats, | which were more useful than ornamental, From these signs 1had hopes that serious work was intended, and that if fortune favored me I was going tobe present at that somewhat intangible thing called a Cuban battle. After a toilsome ascent to Christo the train stopped to take on board the remaining companies of the battalion, As this would occasion some delay we got of the train, Here the Colonel called the officers of the battalion together, aud formally in- troduced me as the representative of the Henan, specially recommended to them by General Mo- | rales to be looked upon a8 __ UN NUEVO COMPANERO, The officers, who appeared to be a good set, bowed to their new comrade, and afterwards I was free of the corporation. This ceremony through, we em- barked again for St. Luis, the termination of the railway. The voyage over the railway from San- tiago de Cuba to St. Luis is one of the most interesting that can be made, The grade is so steep that for the greater part of =the way it is with = diMcutty the engine can drag its freight up che incline. The track lies along the side of steep mountains, cross- ing deep valleys, on wooden treilts work, where the slightest accident would hur! train and passen- gers to inevitable destruction. The scenery ts | very beautiful, the wild grandeur of the moun- tains being relieved and softened by the cuitivated Nanos, where the sugar cane and cornstalk gave evidence of human interest. For the most part the mountaing are clothed to their tops with the palm, the sacra and the mango, which rise file above file until they seem lost in the clouds, as they often are. The chief characteristic of this place is savage grandeur, and it appears to me ex- ceedingly strange that the insurgents do not take measures to destroy a line which it would take thousands of troops to defend from a bold and enterprising enemy. It is true that the Spaniards have the line strongly 80 many weak points that if it were vigorously attacked it must be crippled, 1expressed these views to the Spanish officers and they were of my opinion, and they adduced the fact as a proof of THE INABILITY OF THE CUBANS TO MEET THE SPANIARDS in anything like an open fight. All the points of vantage along the line were occupied by little wooden forts, which appeared at a distance like huge pigeon boxes. In some instances they were surrounded by a@ shallow ditch, and at others a weak and totally ineffective chevaux de jrise of bamboo had been constructed. Small Openings were left to enable the soldiers to fire through, and on the top of each was a square frame with shutters, capable of being raised or lowered at will by the sentinel, who from this elevated point kept watch and ward over the country. - The first impression made on the mind by one of these structures was tinged with a sense of the ridiculous, for they almost certainly suggested a liv- ing jack-in-the-box, As a matter of experience, however, they have been found to answer admira- bly the purpose for which they had been con- structed. I was assured by every Span- ish omMcer to whom I spoke on the mat- ter that in no instance had one of these towers been captured by the enemy when defended by the troops—a circumstance which appears to me very strange, a8 most of those which I saw could not fail to be destroyea by a determined and intelligent attack. Perhaps the explanation is to he found in'the fact that they are VERY UNPROFITABLE SUBJECTS, as they contain little else than a few days’ pro- visions for the garrison, and the insurgents may think that le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle, By the time we arrived at St. Luis the morning was far advanced, and the sun shone out with tropical intensity. Under these circumstances the Colonel ordered the noonday halt, in order that the men should be able to break‘ast and repose during the great heat ofthe day. I had now ample Opportunity to observe THE APPRARANCK AND CONDITION OF THE MEN. For the most part they were worn, but still strong and vigorous, The effects of the climate and tne constant fatigues to which they were exposed were, however, visible in a great number of faces, whose expression showed clearly that the constitu- tion was already undermined, For the most part these men had sulfered from the fevers of the climate, brought on by exposure to the weather, sleeping in the damp woods without any other pro- tection than a blanket afforded, for the troops are wholly unprovided with tents. I was sur- prised also to notice that although we were within two hours’ ride by rail of St. Luis the troops were obliged to eat biscult—a circumstance that reflects very little credit on the administration of the Spanish army. In connection with this subject I have since made many inquiries and have been intormed that, badas the Commissariat Department is at present, it is an immense improvement on what it was some time ago. In all countries the Commissariat Depart- ment is the favorite refuge of rogues; but I doubt if the soldiers of any other army would continue to support the great fatigues to which these Spaniards are exposed on such poor food. THE FAULT IS NOT WITH THE REGIMENTAL OFFICERS, for lbelieve they symathize with the men whose sufferings they were often obliged to share, but with the higher officials, who grow rich at the expense ofthe poor fellows who are dally exposing their lives in defence of the honor and integrity of Spain. It has always appeared to me a strange contradic- tion that while the private soldier who, prompted by hunger, steals, is severely punished, the well paid official who robs him not alone escapes hang- ing, but is received as an honored ani worthy member of society. I have been informed by many credible persons that more than one Commissary General has returned rich to Spain after revenue to which he was honestly entitled. It is true that in our own war this kind of dishonesty was very prevalent, but the soldiers were so much better paid that they did not suffer ansolute priva- tion from the thieving. Matters had reached that stage when a change becomes a necessity when the late commander, General Riquelme, arrived, and as he was convinced that unless the soldiers were fed they would die he introduced considera- ble reforms, which while they leave much to be de- sired, are yet an immense improvement on the old supply department. On leaving the train the men stacked arms and rested in the shadow of the houses until their sim- ple meal was cooked. There was no hurry, and the officers informed me that, except in case of neces- sity, they always allowed the men to REPOSE DURING THE NOONTIDE HOURS, &@ precaution which tends to alleviate the severity of the climate. Colonel Sostrada, having some matters to attend to in relation to his command, left me in charge of the doctor of the Battalion Patricio de la Corte y Baez, whom I found an agree- able and intelligent companion. With him I had an opportunity of seeing the sick. Some few men were suffering from fever, and had to be left in the hospital; others were suffer- ing from old wounds or accidents, In all cases the men seemed to receive careful at- tention and humane consideration. What struck me most was the absence from the visite of the carrotier class, or those feigning sickness, Nearly every man who appeared bore in his face the con- firmation of his story, and there were many men, even in the ranks, who, from appearance, I thought OUGHT NOT TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO THR FIELD. As soon as the Colonel had given the necessary orders he returned and requested me to accom- pany him ina visit to the Colonel commanding in ‘St. Luis, to whom I was formally introduced. At breakfast I was given the place of honor, and on that and all subsequent occasions I was treated with an attention and courtesy that will remain engraved on my mind forever. ‘Towards two o'clock in the afternoon the troops were ordered to fall in, and some minutes later were defiling before me. ‘The Colonel placed at my disposal his horses, and having sclected one I took my place with him at the head of the column, We were accompanied by the commandant, the adju- tant and the doctor, who made up our party or mess during my short stay with the Spanish forces. We were now really in campaign, and at night would reach the edge of the territory where Spanish that disagrecable accidents might happen at any moment. These negroes had been captured dur- ing the war and had attached themselves to the batallion, refusing to leave. One of them had been decorated for courage on the fleld in succoring the wounded under fire. The country through which we passed was cultivated at intervals, but some of the estates were abandoned. The cane fontinued, however, tu grow, though the careful husbandman was no longer present to cure or to reap it, and the harvest seemed to reproach proud and insensate man for his violence and senseless ambition, As we moved into the interior thi prhepleedl try became wilder, and we Prenamnyd districts of Wooded country. OUR FIRST HALT was made at the Ciudad, an estate of mediam ex- tent, in full operation, It was guarded by soldiers, as all the estates in this district are, to prevent the insurgents from destroying them, Here I was shown the process of sugar-making, all the details being carefully and minutely explained, Leaving this estate we directed our march to Santa Anna, the last estate in this district now in operation. It is situated to the northeast, at the apex of the | triangle formed by the range of mountains known as Dos Becas and the proiongation of the range to which the Gran Piedra belongs, Here we were to halt for the night, and in the morning plunge into that mysterious land of unknown dangers known as Los Montes, or, contemptuously, La Maniqua. These are covered by dense forests, where the insurgents, or patriots, as they are variously styled, according to the sympathies of the speaker, defy the power of Spain. From what I saw of the patehes of wooded country through which we passed I was able to comprehend the @iMoulties hat lay in the way of the pacifgauon of the island by force. Many of the points on the march, if properly taken advantage of and well defended, could only have been forced by superior numbers at a great sacrifice of life, However, nothing occurred during the day to spoil the pic- turesqaeness of the scene by introducing the horrible, THE COLUMN EN MARCHE, The long line of soldiers on either side of the road, that now dipped into valleys through which flowed shallow streams, now wound witli serpen- tine course over a hill, marched along silently and patiently, their biue jackets and white pants dot- tung the valley’s sides, producing a very animated and pleasing effect. More than once I turned in my saddle to enjoy the scene so full of life and color. No painter could transfer it to canvas, for its subtle pleasure lay in the constant change of color and grouping occurring every instant, pre- senting to the eye naw combinations. Quite a number of these transverse valleys cut the road, and had we been burdened with artillery or wagons would have offered considerable difficulties to our march, On the road {learned that the battalion with which I had the honor to march was known a8 THE ST. QUENTIN, @nd was one of the first to leave Havana for the war. It had contianed in campaign during the four years of the insurrection, During that period it had been engaged more or less seriously with the enemy in more than ninety engagements, Io some of these the battalion had suffered heavily, but had always managed to repay with interest the attentions of the enemy. If! had been search- ing fora representative corps I could not have chosen one more worthy of sustaining the honor of the Spanish arms. This was just what I wanted, as my desire is to see both sides at their best, and. knew vhat my presence would be an incentive to every soldier in the battalion to perform his duty to the best of his power. We reached Santa Anna about five o'clock in the afternoon, and in company with the Colonel and the director of the estate I visited the Quaninica River, which is remarkable as the haunt of an immense number of alligators, On the opposite bank of the river we could see the dark mass of buildings belonging to an estate that had been destroyed by the rebels. One of the ruined estates belongs to one of the leauers of the insurrection, The crop on this estate is BURNED DOWN REGULARLY EVERY YEAR to prevent the Spanish authorities deriving any benefit from it. Before the war there were on the estate of Santa Anna some four hundred slaves, but the insurgents carried off the greater part. Many of these were either recaptured, or, baving no stomach for fighting, returned voluntarily, so that the estate could now muster some eighty hands. While I was making the round of the buildings with the director the preparations for dinner were com- pleted, and on my return I found the mess waiting forme. During dinner I was again the object of the most delicate attention, nothing being neglected to make me feel COMPLETELY AT MY EASE. Our dinner was quite a recherché affair, and by far the best I had eaten since my arrival in the island, and it had the advantage of being seasoned with the spice of good-fellowship. Aiter the cloth was removed most of the officers of the battalion as- sembled round the table to while away the time, chatting and recounting stories of accidents by flood and field. We would have had songs also, but the only guitar of which the bat- talion boasted hag come to grief Before the evening was over 1 was on the best footing with all the officers, The subject of my mission and its fulfiment was discussed, not with the company, but at intervals with some of the officers with whom I had established more inti- mate relations. All were ANXIOUS THAT A FAIR AND IMPARTIAL STATEMENT of the status of the insurrection should be given to the world. They were especially desirous that the impression that had gone abroad about the @ sufficiently short term of office, yet no | Spanish army should be corrected. At the inquiry has been instituted as to how/| same time there was not the slightest he managed to acquire a fortune while living in | apparent desire to interfere with the inde- astyle that must have absorbed the whole of the | pendence of my judgment or the free expression of my opinions. The statement tnat the Spanish troops killed all their prisoners was strenuously denied. It was claimed that all prison- ers taken are given up to the higher authorities, who, of course, dispose of them as they think fit. This, I belleve, is now the rule, and so far as I can learn, the practice of shooting all prisoners taken was discontinued in this department as soon as General Riquelme took the command. He not alone endeavored to improve the condition of the soldier, but tried to put the war on a footing more in keeping with MODERN IDEAS OF CIVILIZED WARFARE. Before his time, however, there is no question that not alone were the prisoners taken in arms executed with very little ceremony, but that citi- zens simply suspected of connection with the in- surrection were taken from their homes and shot after a form of trial before a court mar- tial So many instances have been adduced of this both by respectable foreigners and Cubans that I have no hesitation in as- serting that this charge is proved against the Spanish. The opinions of the officers of the battalion St. Quentin reflect honor on them, but they are by no means shared by all the officers of the army. On the contrary, it is by no means an unusual thing to hear the opinion openly expressed, even at the hotel table, that until the shooting of the civilians 1s recommenced the department will never be pacified. Last evening one of the officers who dined with me went so far as to suggest that THE FAMILIES OF ALL THE MEN KNOWN TO BE IN THE FIELD should be exterminated. I remarked to him that such @ course would, no doubt, be effective, but that the civilized world would not permit it to be adopted, From this it will be seen that there exists considerable difference of opinion as to the measures that should be adopted to stamp out the insurrection, and as I wish to mirror iaithiully the exact state of the island I feel it my duty to give all views that I find enter- tained by considcrable numbers of people. While the Spanish supporters point to the men that have been pardoned, the Cubans recount the long list of the men slain in cold blood. The executions of the past have unquestionably COWED THE CUBAN POPULATION, but they have also deepened the hate and detesta- tien with which the Spanish government is re- garded, and if by any chance the Cubans ever get the upper hand I believe they will exterminate the Spanish population. That reminds me that the power claims to rule without dispute. From | oficers of the St. Quentin battalion were the moment we left St. Luis we marched | particularly desirous of impressing me with with all the precautions of war, and two | the opinion that the people of the negroes carrying stretchers reminded one | island were in favor of the Spaniards, With this view they named numbers of gentlemen serving in the army, whom I was assured belonged to the créme de la créme of Cuban society. My own experience, however, contradicts this, for nearly all the young men of intelligence with whom I have come in contact hate the Spaniards with inconceivable bitterness—so much se that, as Ihave before stated, I expressed to many among them my surprise that men with their sentiments | were not fighting with the insurgents. And again Irecord my opinion that this class of the is, to my mind, hilt populatiy “Foe sore MPTIBLE OF Al, t Spaniel etek aes fo this ques- tion a sentiment of patriotic pride that, however mistaken, is still respectable. Sometimes this feeling leads to the commission of acts that, when the hour of passion and excitement has passed, even the ultra Spaniards regret; but whatever wrong is done by the Spanish soldiers they, at least, expose themselves boldly to the conse- quences, ‘This, of course, is not a but it shows an earnestness in the justice of their cause that we may look upon as political fanaticism, but cannot despise. So far I have only seen the least impressive side of the Cuban cause; and, as 1 condemn what I find weak and unworthy in it, so I will speak as unre- servedly of whatever virtues I may find in that mysterious and unknown land which we call Cuba livre. In my conversation with the Spanish officers the points on which they principally laid weight were that the insurgents possessed NEITHER LAND NOR TOWNS, and were totally unable to offer effective restst- ance to the march of even one Spanish battalion. Like all regular troops they complained bitterly that the Jngureanta would never, dow themaclves but fired from ambusoades, and It never seemed to strike them that an enemy has a right to choose whatever tactics he pleases, and that there is no law, moral or international, to compel @ soldier to stand just in the position his enemy wishes in order to allow himself to be shot down with greater facility. Each Spanish soldier is provided with 120 rounds of ammunition, besides having a reserve supply on the mules, while I have no doubt there are mo- ments when there are not a thousand rounds of ammunition in a Cuban battalion. This fact may have something to do with THE TACTICS OF THE CUBAN TROOPS. A Spanish oficer related an incident to me the ‘other day which iilustrates this, A volunteer in the direction of Cerredero suddenly found himself confronted by four Cubans, who presented their rifles, ordering him to surrender, Not relishing the idea he declined, and prepared to defend him- self with his machete. The position became at once complicated, for the Cubans had not @ single cartridge between them, and were obliged to cut the volunteer down with their machetes. The appearance of a party of troops prevented them finishing the work and the plucky volunteer escaped with & severe wound on his tower Jaw. Little incidents.of this kind enable one to form a pretty accurate estimate of the condition of things im Cuba Libre. If the insurgents could be completely cut off from communication with the outer world their position would indeed be des perate, but the arrival from time to time of even mall supplies will enable them TO HOLD OUT INDEFINITELY. In order to note how these expeditions were re- garded by the Spanish army I informed a number ofomeers at dinner of the safe arrival of General Agtiero with @ considerable supply of munitions of war. THE EYFECT WAS ELECTRICAL. The officers had been chatting and joking in quite ® merry mood, but the news. acted like an ex- tinguisher on their good spirits, There was not much said, but pretty decided opinions were expressed as to the value and activity of the mavy. One officer stated his firm conviction that if he lived he would see the twentieth year of the independence of the Cuban Republic, as he had seen the fifth, Uniess things change considerably I am very much in- clined to agree with him. The Spaniards constantly assert that the insurrection is contemptible, so far as its means of resistance or power of aggression is concerned; but when asked why they do not suppress it they point to the difficulty of the country and the impossibility of crushing an enemy that only fights when he pleases. In this lies the greatest danger to the dominion of Spain, for it is impossible to conquer an enemy that can accept or refuse conibat at will. It is now pretty generally felt that in attempting te reconquer St. Domingo Spain has brought upon herself a severe punishment. It was that cam- paign that taught the Cubans how they could tree themselves from the sovereignty of the Penin- sula, From whatever poiat of view this struggle is regarded there seems to be no escape from a disastrous ending tor the Spanish arms. If the question were to be settled by an open war the Cuban Republic would soon be counted among the things of the past; but it must be decided by the power of endurance of the hostile parties. The position is this, The Cubans possess a small army in the field, but beind that army are hundreds of thousands of sympathizers, from whom the losses by disease and death are constantly repaired. As the natives do not suffer much from the diseases that are so fatal to Europeans the principal gaps in the ranks are made by the BULLETS OF THE SPANISH SOLDIERS; but as these, accurding to their own account, never see the enemy, even when engaged with bim, the losses from bullets cannot be very heavy, and are easily made good, On the other hand, the Spanish troops are constantly on the march, exposed to the inclemency of the climate and the special dis- eases of the country. How fatal these prove, aggravated by the fatigues undergone by the troops, may be judged from the statistics furnished me by officers of the Etat Major. Since the out- break of the rebellion it appears from the official record that 100,000 men have been sent to Cuba. Of these there remain to-day some TWENTY THOUSAND AT A VERY LIBERAL CALCULA- TION. Six thousand officers have fallen victims to disease and buliets in the same period, These are not the statistics of Cuban sympathizers, but have been furnished tome by officers in the army, the most determined in their resolution to suppress the in- surrection. From this it will be seen that if the power of the insurgents in the field has diminisned the means at the disposal of the govern- ment for their suppression have dimin- ished to a still greater extent. There is another reason, also, why the chances of put- ting down the insurrection are lessened by time. In the beginning the Cubans knew little about war, and, though numerous, were by no means formida- ble enemies; now, however, the men in the fleld have acquired considerable skill in the use of their arms and the habits of obedience and control so necessary in wariare. The troubles in Spain, it is felt, will 80 paralyze the government as to prevent the despatch of reinforcements to Cuba. In view of all these dificuities it is no wonder that even among the Spanish officers there is growing up a feeling that the war will be interminable—that ts, if Spain can find the men and money to continue the struggle. It is a strange commentary on human intelligence that under the specious plea of patri- otism a people can be induced to make so great and so appalling sacrifices in order that some few hundred men may continue to enjoy their ill-gotten wealth ; for there is no escaping from the fact that THESE CATACOMBS OF SPANISH DEAD and the wasted millions wrung from a people sunk in poverty and wretchedness have been spent in defence of a few hundred slave-owners. The Span- ish nation derives no profit from the connection with Cuba; at most a few governmeut employés become rich by stealing trom the government they are supposed to serve, These people are the very loudest in their professions of patriotism, and all the time they are crippling their coun- try by putting a no inconsiderable portion of the revenue into their own pockets, This is @ fact so notorious that I do not suppose the gentry in question will even be angry at my stating it. My authorities are almost every man who has any dealings with the government employés, On the question of their rapaciousness there is no second opinion. Men have told me of transactions in which they were themselves en- gaged which appeared to me incredible, but, com- ing from sources beyond suspicion, I have no alter- native but to believe them. Ofcourse I have no means of verilying the allegations made on this head, but the testimony on the point comes from men of aii parties and ull conditions. THE DISCUSSIWN OF MY MISSION and the state of the island was carried on by the officers of the St. Quentin battalion in the best humor and with marked delicacy. There was evi- dent a strong desire to present the Spanish side of the question in as favorable @ light as possible. ‘The points presented were, however, nearly al- ways the same, On the side of sacra ugg be found all the yalog and humanity, hile the ated as gs 9g constituted, were principally ignorant and ferocious blacks, who waged not a war for freedom, but a war of ex- termination against the whites. In so far as tnis touched my own safety I was pretty generally as- gured that if 1 had the misfortune to fall into the hands of any of the bands of negro marauders my character of neutral correspondent would avail me little. There must be some truth in this state- ment, for even the laborantes, or Cuban sympa- thizers, tell me the same thing. However, this is to my mind a land of croque-mitaines, where EVERY DANGER 18 MAGNIFIED A HUNDREDFOLD by the fears of the inhabitants, who live in a state of mental darkness, The slighest occurrence sumes aw/ul proportions, because there is no means of throwing light on the shady places, and, as I have before remarked, the government, even when it tells the truth, is never believed, not even by its Supporters, This is the natural result of the efforts constantly made to present a couleur de rose view of the situation. The presence, therefore, among the soldiers of a repre- sentative of the HeraLp, which was felt not along to ya free to express ite opinions on all that passed, but also to be tinged with sympathy for the Cuban cause, excited no little interest, The oMcers haye from the first expressed them- selves pleaged that I should accompany them om what they hoped would be a long and interesting expedition, and there was a universal wish that the enemy would show himself in order that the world Mignt’ receive an impartial account of a Cubsa battle. I went to bed full of hope that the morning would see wus on our way to those mysterious woods where the insurrection has its stro: . In this I was destined to disappointment, for when I issucd out Of the littic room which had been kindly placed at my disposal Colonel Sostrada informed me that during the night he had RECKIVED ORDERS TO RETURN; in the direction of St. Luis and await further orders. This news quite threw a damper on all our enthusiasm; but as it was looked om only as a change of direction the circumstance was not much whought about. The halt was made at the Caindout estate, where I was told the column would remain until further orders. Colonl Sostrada, accompa- nied by the adjutant, rode to St. Luis to commauant- cate with the General by telegrapn, and returned in a few hours with news that the battalion would remain stationary until furtner orders. Colonel Sostrada told me that I was AT LIBERTY TO REMAIN @R TO RETURN toSantiagode Cuba, Thia surprised me, as [had not spoken a word about leaving. I told him that Thad come out to make the expedition with the battalion, and was inclined to remain until it was ended if my was not inconvenient. He replied that the officera of the battalion would be delighted to have me remain, There was no dea nite reason given for the sudden abandonment of the expedition, and as I considered the sudject a delicate one I did not make any press- ing inquiries. It afterwards became known, how- ever, that ag soon as the Dattalion marched north: ®@ portion of the insurgents marched south and others appeared threatening the plantations. In view of these movements the battalion was or- dered back TO PROTECT THE HARVEST. Since it appeared the battalion would not move Idetermined to return to Santiago deCuba. A letter had been sent by Colonel Sostruda about me tothe General, but no reply was received to tt. The general opinion being that the column woul@ remain stationary for some time, I decided om returning. On taking leave of the officers Colonel Sostrada expressed the regret of him- self and the other officers that I should be obliged to leave so soon, He seemed to be very anxious lest I should go away with the impression that the colamn hadretrograded from fear of the enemy, or that there was any force in front capa- bie of barring the passage of the battalion. When Lassured him that I did not entertain this opinion, and that 1 comprehended that the return was due to SOME CHANGE OF PLAN on the part of the General, he replied:—“I know you are too polite to express auch an opinion, but I fear that such has been the impression made on your mind by the sudden return of the troops.” I again assured him that I believed the retiring of the column was due to the exigencies of the war, and that I was perfectly convinced thas tne batallion would go wherever it was ordered. He evidently felt only half satisfied, and was as much annoyed as I was at the unexpected termination of the expedition. I then took leave of the officers, whom I was really very sorry to quit. During my stay with them I had been the object of unceasing attention. Nothing that could add to my comfort waa neglected, and I was treated more like a spoiled child than the special correspondent of a paper whichis assumed to be hostile to Spanish rule in the Antilles, Commandant Lopez, one of the most distinguished officers of the battalion, acompanied me to Santiago de Cuba, We rode from the encampment at Ciudad to the station of Christi-a distance of five long leagues—without any guard. This surprised me not @ little, as the districtis very wild and mountainous, and at times we rode through the brush for miles without meeting any living thing. We passed many a point where one cool fellow, with AN OLD SHOTGUN AND A TASTE FOR HEDGE SHOOTING, could have disposed of both of us before we could have pul'ed rein, but fortunately we arrived at the station of Christi without encountering any enter- prising mambest, From this point we travellea by the railroad on a hand carworked by two negroes to Santiago de Cuba, The work was not difficult, for after the first few hundred yards we were om an inclined plane, and our only trouble was to keep the drag on so that the car would not rush down with dangerous velocity. The evening of my arrival I presented myself at the palace. General Morales was absent, but the chief of staf expressed regret at the termination of the expeal- tion, but promised that I should be notified as soon as the next column left for the insurgent dis- trict. No word has been sent since, and as I have completed my preparations for the campaign the next communications I hope wilt be written in the insurgent lines. LITERARY CHIT-CHAT. - “BRHIND THE SCENES IN WASHINGTON’ is the rather sensational title of a forthcoming book by E. W. Martin, which will attempt an account ol the national capital, its political intrigues, public: buildings, rings, Crédit Mobilier frauds, lobbies, &c., with sketches of leading Congressmen and habitués of the federal city. The Continental Pub- lishing Company, of New York, will publish it by subscription. Sorrpner & Co. have in press “The Reforma- tion,” by George P. Fisher, D. D., of Yale College. ITALY has nineteen illustrated papers, with am aggregate circulation of 75,000 copies, None of the political dailies of Italy have a circulation of over 10,000, and the compensation paid to editors and reporters is very small, SPIELHAGEN, the German novelist, in spite of the extraordinary success of his novels, is very poor. Tue MeRcaNTILE LIBRARY of San Francisco has 30,000 volumes, and is taking extreme pains to col- leet everything relating to California and the Pacific coast. ‘THe Last Numper of an illustrated Spanish jour- nal, £l Americano, published at Paris, has beem seized on account, it is alleged, of an engraving representing the American Republic wearing a Phrygian cap. Miss Jouns, whose pseudonyme {4 Marlitt, the author of “Old Ma’amselle’s Secret,” has a new novel in press, The scene, in part, islaidia the United States. Tar SALE of Erckmann-Chatrian’s books has again been allowed in Germany, the authorities having discovered (as might have been foreseen) that the clandestine sale only added to the circula- tion of the objectionable works, ALEXANDRE DuMas is not, as his illustrious father was, a hard worker, He himself acknowledges that he does not like to write much. He composes rather slowly, and his manuscripts are frequently rendered almost illegible by numerous erasures and alterations, while those of his father hardly contained any and were almost perfect models of chirography. Few authors that, at his age, have obtained wealth and fame by their pens have pub- lished so small a number of works as the younger Dumas. He is proudest of his journalistic perform- ances, and but for his aversion to steaqy literary work he would like to be at the head of a great jourual, But of this there is little probability, as he is about to set out on a voyage of several yeara round the world. ‘Tae Spectator says of the annual rationale of books issued in 1872 that “theology quite bears the palm among the various subjects as regards the number of books issued.”’ ARCHBISHOP MANNING seems to have exalted the character of Pio Nono into one of his religious ideals. A new volume of sermons by him wilh shortly appear, having for their theme the straggles: of the Chief Pontit, ROWELL “Gazetteer of the American Press” has just been issued in a handsome volume, Suerpon & Co. will publish in a few days — Anew edition of “The Napoleon Dynasty.” This | book was first published in 1352, just ic aétat of Dycember, alter the coup ars.