At the beginning of 1872 the storm center of the insurrection moved
eastward to Puerto Principe, Santiago and Guantanamo. Engagements in the
vicinity of these places had been frequent, and now they were almost
daily consisting chiefly of little skirmishes between small forces of
men.
It was estimated that by this time Spain had sent to the island in the
neighborhood of sixty thousand trained soldiers, but they had come few
at a time, and on no occasion in larger numbers than two or three
thousand. Evidently the Spanish Government had at no time properly
estimated the strength, if not in numbers, at least in valor and
determination of the insurgents, and had never realized that only by
investing the island with overwhelming superiority could they hope to
put down the rebellion. However, during all this time Spain had been
struggling against disturbances at home of no mean dimensions, and early
in the year 1872 she was to endure another revolution, and the
abdication of Amadeus, followed once more by a republican form of
government. Records compiled by both sides prove that the war continued
during the year 1872 with the same persistence, unchanged in character,
and apparently no nearer a decision. The Spanish government, both at
home and abroad, seems to have suffered at this time from great
apprehension that the United States government would officially
recognize the Cubans as belligerents, in which event their position
would be materially strengthened. In February Spain sent more troops to
Cuba, at the request of Captain-General Valmaseda, who accompanied his
appeal by a statement--for publication, and to impress the United
States--that the war would be over by April or May.
March found the struggle continuing, and on March 5, General Cespedes
himself, with a large body of Cuban troops, succeeded in taking Sagua de
Tanamo by storm. In this same month aid came from the United States, for
the steamer _Edgar Stewart_ arrived with arms, ammunition and supplies
for the Cuban army.
Small engagements took place all during April, and in May the Cuban
leaders issued a statement to the effect that if Valmaseda was expecting
that the war would soon be ended, he was not taking into consideration
the strong resistance which the Cubans were still able to offer, and
which they intended to continue until Spain granted them independence.
Truly the war might end at once, but Spain would end it not by force of
arms but by acceding to the frequently expressed desire of Cuba for
complete separation from her rule, by withdrawing the offensive
government, and by transporting her troops back to their native land.
Early in June the Cubans defeated the Spaniards near Las Tunas, and on
the 9th of that month, after heavy fighting, took Sama. The Cuban losses
in these engagements were heavy in comparison with the number of men
involved, but they were able to comfort themselves with the knowledge
that the Spanish killed and wounded totaled a much greater number, for
while the Cubans had only fifty killed and less than a hundred wounded,
the Spanish left dying on the battle field more than four times as many
as the Cubans, and their wounded amounted to three hundred and fifty.
But the Spanish navy was able to capture an expedition bearing relief to
the Cubans, and to defeat a band of patriots at Holguin, so that it
would seem that the honors for the month were about equal.
In July, General Garcia attacked Spanish troops under the Governor of
the Province, Colonel Huertas, and a very hot fight resulted, in which
the victory fell to the Cubans; and when Spanish reinforcements arrived,
they too were routed and put to flight. But this was offset by the fact
that General Inclan, one of the bravest and most loyal of the Cuban
commanders, as well as an expert tactician, fell into the hands of the
enemy, and was summarily executed at Puerto Principe.
Count Valmaseda, Captain-General, now ran foul of the displeasure of the
Volunteers, and suffered a downfall in consequence. On July 15 he was
recalled, and General Ceballos served in his place until the arrival of
his successor, Don Joachim Jovellar.
It now seemed time again for the Spaniards to assert themselves against
defenseless sympathizers with the revolution. Spies were busily at work
in Guira, Jiguani and Holguin, and presently they purported to discover
grave disloyalty among the members of some of the well known Cuban
families. This was the signal and the excuse for a wholesale slaughter
of innocent unoffending people, who, whatever their feelings, had taken
no active part in the uprising. As a means of reprisals the Cubans made
an attack on Guira, but it was not entirely successful.
The people of the United States were now following the insurrection with
much interest, particularly in those portions of that country in which
there were large numbers of sympathizers, and they were no longer
willing to ignore well authenticated reports of Spanish cruelty. A State
Convention of the Republican party was held at Jacksonville, Florida,
where there were many who were friendly to the Cuban patriots, and
adopted a resolution, denouncing the action of the Spanish authorities
in Cuba as cruel and inhuman, and calling upon Congress to pass the
necessary legislation to make it possible for the United States
government to extend such aid to the Cubans as "becomes a great and free
republic, whose people so ardently sympathize with the struggles and
hopes of the oppressed of all nations." However, the Government at
Washington did not look with favor upon this suggestion, and ignored it,
and it had little effect in stemming the tide of Spanish oppression in
Cuba.
The close of the year 1872 registered a splendid victory for the
patriots, when on December 20 they stormed and took Holguin, and
captured large quantities of supplies of all kinds.
Public documents compiled by the Spanish in August, 1872, estimated the
losses of the patriots up to that time as "thirteen thousand six hundred
insurgents--and a large number taken prisoner" while "sixty-nine
thousand six hundred and forty were in submission to the government; our
thousand eight hundred and forty-nine firearms, three thousand two
hundred and forty-nine swords and bayonets, and nine thousand nine
hundred and twenty-one horses were captured."
When, in 1873, Spain once more became a republic, the Cuban patriots had
high hopes that their independence would be recognized, but these were
soon dashed to the ground, when the Spanish government sent an appeal to
the Cubans to lay down their arms, and to entrust their fortunes to the
doubtful mercies of the new rulers of Spain, with the idea that Spain
needed the co-operation of her colonies to bring about the permanence of
the new government, which it was represented would result in a fair and
equitable Spanish rule in Cuba. These overtures were promptly rejected,
and the patriots made preparations to continue their struggle, adhering
with tenacity to their one goal, complete independence. The Spanish
government then appealed to the Volunteers, but that was such an
aristocratic organization that it had no sympathy with democracy, and no
desire to ally itself too closely with a republican form of government;
wherefore for once it refused to aid in coercing the patriots.
New Year's day, 1873, was doubly a gala occasion, because on that date
another relief expedition arrived from the United States, which brought
much needed supplies. The Cubans continued to harass the Spaniards, and
on the occasion of one successful engagement captured a number of horses
which were turned over to General Agramonte for his cavalry regiment.
This was one of the best organized regiments in the army, and had done
good work against the enemy, but it was soon to lose its leader, for in
May, 1873, General Agramonte was killed while charging the enemy at
Jimaguaya, and his command was taken over by Major-General Maximo Gomez.
Meantime another change was made in the head of the Spanish insular
government, and Don Candido Pieltain succeeded to the office of
Captain-General.
But there was serious trouble among the leaders of the Republic of Cuba.
No man in as high a position as that which General Cespedes occupied
could escape exciting jealousy. The Cubans were actuated by high ideals
and motives, but they were only human. Rumors derogatory to the
administration of General Cespedes began to be circulated, and on
October 27, 1873, the House of Representatives, assembled at Vijagual,
preferred charges against him of having in the administration of his
duties exceeded the powers which the Republic had conferred upon him. He
was tried and found guilty, and removed from office. By this action, a
great injustice was done to a man whose sole thought was the good of
his country, and who had given his best endeavors in its service. His
removal was a hard blow to the cause of the Republic, because it gave
the enemy notice of dissension among the patriots, placed the republican
government in a bad light in the eyes of the rest of the world, and lost
to the Cuban cause a loyal and efficient leader. General Cespedes
accepted without complaint the will of the Assembly, and took leave of
his office, after delivering a very eloquent and convincing address,
protesting his innocence of any thought of wrong. He was now in a
delicate position, for he was not in good standing with those with whom
he had cast his lot, and a price had been set on his head by the
Spaniards. He took refuge with a friend, and remained virtually in
hiding, until on February 27, 1874, he was betrayed by a negro who had
been captured by the Spaniards and who sought their clemency by
delivering Cespedes to them. He was taken prisoner and speedily executed
by the garrote.
[Illustration: SALVADOR CISNEROS BETANCOURT]
SALVADOR CISNEROS BETANCOURT
The Marquis of Santa Lucia, patriot and statesman, was born in
Camaguey on February 10, 1828, and from boyhood was an ardent
advocate of Cuban independence. In early life he joined the
Liberator Society of Camaguey, and because of his activities was
arrested and confined for a time in Morro Castle. He was one of the
leaders of the Ten Years' War from its beginning, participated in
the making of the Constitution, and succeeded Cespedes as President
of the Revolutionary government. Old as he was, he eagerly joined
in the War of Independence and took part in several battles. He was
a member of the Constitutional Assembly of 1895, and was elected
President of the Republic in Arms, which office he held until
October 10, 1898. Then he retired to private life, and died on
February 28, 1914.
The office of President was filled temporarily by Don Salvador Cisneros,
Marquis de Santa Lucia, the Chairman of the House, in the absence of the
Vice-President of the Republic, who was temporarily out of the country.
Cespedes had been the only one of the Cuban leaders who had really made
a study of civil government, and who was thus qualified for the position
of President. While Cisneros was a man of fine education, and great
intelligence, he was neither a leader of men nor a wise administrator,
and the downfall of Cespedes marked the beginning of the end of the long
struggle, and foreshadowed the final defeat of the Cubans.
But now came an incident which for a time bade fair to bring the United
States into the quarrel. There was a small side-wheel steamer called the
_Virginius_ which had for a long time been active in running the Spanish
blockade of the Cuban coast and in conveying reinforcements and
contraband supplies to the insurgents. She was under the command of
Captain Fry, an American citizen, and a veteran of the Civil War, in
which he had served on the side of the Confederates. The vessel was
manned by American and British seamen, and flew the American flag. In
October, 1873, at Port au Prince, Captain Fry took on board his vessel
five hundred Remington rifles, six hundred sabres, four hundred
revolvers, and other arms and ammunition intended for the Cuban army.
The steamer was well known to the Spanish navy, which had long been
seeking to capture her.
The end came on October 31. The _Virginius_ was hastening toward Cuba
with her questionable cargo when off the south coast she was sighted by
a Spanish cruiser, the _Tornado_, which had by curious coincidence, been
built by the same builders as had the _Virginius_. Her captain
recognized the _Virginius_ and gave chase. Captain Fry, who had been
vainly trying to effect a landing with his supplies and his men, some
of whom were going to Cuba to fight with the patriots, gave up the
endeavor and endeavored to escape to British waters at Jamaica; but the
_Tornado_ soon overhauled the _Virginius_ and took her with her
passengers and crew, numbering one hundred and seventy. When capture
seemed inevitable, an attempt was made to dump the cargo overboard, but
the _Tornado_ captured the _Virginius_ before this could be
accomplished. The vessel was taken to Santiago de Cuba, where four of
the passengers were at once recognized by the authorities as officers in
the revolutionary army, and were speedily sentenced to death. The
official Spanish report of the execution was as follows:
"Santiago de Cuba, Nov. 4, 1873.
"To His Excellency, the Captain-General:
"At six o'clock this morning, we shot in this city, for being
traitors to their country, and for being insurgent chiefs, the
following persons, styling themselves 'patriot generals': Bernabe
Varona, alias Barnbeta, General of Division; Pedro Cespedes,
Commanding General of Cienfuegos; General Jesus Del Sol; and
Brigadier-General Washington Ryan. The executions took place in the
presence of the entire corps of Volunteers, the force of regular
infantry, and the sailors from the fleet. An immense concourse of
people also witnessed the act. The best of order prevailed. The
prisoners met their death with composure."
There followed a summary court martial of the remainder of the company;
conducted according to the ruthless Spanish fashion, and under the
domination of the implacable Volunteers. The result was that Captain Fry
and forty-eight of the crew and passengers, including a number of
Americans and Englishmen, were sentenced to death. The sentence was
promptly executed, despite the earnest and urgent official protests of
the American and British consuls of Havana and their demands for at
least a decent delay of proceedings to enable them to consult their
governments and to have interviews with the condemned men. In fact, the
American consul was prevented from doing anything more than to protest
by being made a virtual prisoner in his own house, under a strong guard
of Spanish soldiers; under the pretence that in the excited state of
public feeling it would be unsafe for him to go upon the street.
The tragedy began on the afternoon of November 7, at 4 o'clock. The
scene was the chief public square of Santiago. It was ordered that the
victims should be shot in groups of four; all the others being compelled
to witness the fate of their fellows. As on the former occasion, a great
company of the Volunteers attended the butchery, together with a
multitude of the populace. In the first group of four was Captain Fry
himself. He refused to have his eyes bandaged, or to turn his back to
his slayers, and with his latest breath spoke words of comfort and cheer
to his comrades. The other victims of that day's slaughter were James
Flood, mate; J. C. Harris, John N. Boza, B. P. Chamberlain, William
Rose, Ignacio Duenas, Antonio Deloyo, Jose Manuel Ferran, Ramon La
Wamendi, Eusebio Gariza, Edward Day, Francisco S. Trujillo, Jack
Williamson, Porfirio Corbison, Pedro Alfaro, Thomas Gregg, Frank Good,
Paul Plumer, Barney Hewals, Samuel Card, John Brown, Alfred Hosell, W.
F. Price, George Thomas, Ezekiel Durham, Thomas W. Williams, Simeon
Brown, Leopold Larose, A. Arcey, John Stewart, Henry Bond, George
Thomson, James Samuel, Henry Frank, and James Read--35 men beside the
Captain. More than two-thirds of them were obviously, judging from their
names, Americans or Englishmen. It is probable, however, that many of
these names, as also those of the passengers, were assumed, in order to
conceal the identity of their bearers in just such an emergency as this.
The next day, November 8, the massacre was continued, the victims of
that day being Arturo Mola, Francisco Mola, Louis Sanchez (who was in
fact Herminio Quesada, an active revolutionist), Jose Bortel, Augustin
Varona, Salvador Pinedo, Enrique Castellanos, Joseph Otero, Francisco
Rivera (otherwise Augustin Santa Rosa, an active patriot), Oscar Varona,
Justus Consuegra, and William S. Valls--12 in all; making with the 35
and the Captain of the day before, and the four of November 4, the total
of 52. But even this wholesale slaughter did not appease the blood-lust
of the Volunteers, or of General Burriel, the Spanish commander at
Santiago. Ninety-three more of the passengers of the _Virginius_ were
held in prison under sentence of death, which there was every reason to
fear would be executed.
But a militant Providence intervened. The British government learned of
what had been done, and of what was threatened. In consequence, as
quickly as engines under forced draught could drive her thither, the
British cruiser _Niobe_ sped to Santiago harbor. She entered the inner
harbor, rounded broadside to the city, and double-shotted her guns. Then
her captain, the intrepid Sir Lambton Lorraine, went ashore and demanded
of General Burriel that there should be no more murders. That worthy
protested that it was no affair of Sir Lambton's, since there were no
British subjects among the men. This latter statement was false, though
Sir Lambton did not know it, and may have thought it true. But Sir
Lambton knew his business. He curtly replied that the nationality of the
prisoners did not enter into his consideration of the affair; he
was there to stop the butchery, and the butchery must stop. The Spanish
general retorted hotly that he was not yet under British rule, and that
until he was he would take his orders from the Captain-General of Cuba.
To that Sir Lambton replied that as for him, he took his orders from the
Queen of England, at whose command the _Niobe_ lay in the harbor with
her guns double-shotted and trained on the city, the biggest of them,
indeed, aimed at the governor's palace; and he gave warning that the
slaying of another prisoner would be the irrevocable signal for every
gun to be put into action. It was enough. There were no more shootings;
and presently all the prisoners were released.
[Illustration: A SANTIAGO SUNSET
Cuba is world-famed for its land-locked harbors, described as
bottle-shaped, or purse-shaped, with a narrow but deep entrance leading
to a spacious inland lagoon, secure from storms and affording room for
vast fleets to ride at anchor. One of the largest and finest of these is
at the old capital, Santiago; so large that a scene upon its waters
appears like one on the open Caribbean. It was from this harbor that
Admiral Cervera's fleet emerged to be destroyed in the great sea fight
which broke the power of Spain in Cuba.]
Following is a list of the captured passengers on the _Virginius_, who
were bound to Cuba for the purpose of serving in the revolution. It does
not include those who were bound for the island on legitimate personal
business, but does include those already mentioned as having been put to
death:
Bernabe Varona (alias Benebata)
Pedro Cespedes
Arturo Mola
Jose Diaz
Francisco de Porras
Juan Merrero
Jose Medeo
Raimundo Pardo
Francisco Gonzales
Jose Palaez
Leonardo Alvarez
Julio Arango
Jose Hernandez
Nicholas Ramirez
Pedro Pajain
Manuel Padron
Alexandro Cruz Estrada
Felix Fernandez
Juan Soto
Manuel Perez
Jose Otero
Jose Antonio Ramon
Radom Barrios
Ignacio Valdes
Jose Santesteban
Felix Morejon
Francisco Pacheco
Evaristo Sungunegri
Ignacio Quentin Baltran
Perfecto Bello
Benito Glodes
Louis Sanchez
Nicholas Reriz
Juan Alvarado
Jose Boitel
Ricardo Calvo
Augustin Varona
Silverio Salas
Domingo Salazar
Justus Consuegra
Jose Ignacio Lamar
Andres Acosta
Benjamin Olazara
Enrique Castellanos
Alejandro Calvo
Jesus de Sol
Leon Bernal
Rafael Cabrera
Ignacio W. Tapia
Santiago Rivera
Andres Echeverria
Jose Maren
Pedro Saez
Severo Mendive
Enrique Ayala
Domingo Rodrigue
Arturo Rivero
William S. Valls
Manuel Menenses
General Ryan
William Curtis
S. Gray
Ramon Gonzalez
Antonio Chacon
Francisco Rivero
Sireno Otero
Carlos Pachero
Antonio Padilla
Enrico Canals
Indalecio Trujillo
Domingo Diaz
Carlos Gonzalez
Oscar Varona
Alfredo Lopez
Andres Villa
Francisco Castillo
Salvador Penedo
Rafael Pacheco
Camito Guerra
Camilo Sanz
Emilio Garcia
Amador Rosello
Manuel A. Silverio
Antonio Gomez
Luiz Martinez
Pedro Sariol
Miguel Saya
Patricio Martinez
Manuel Saumel
Luis Rebollo
Carlos Manin
Ramon R. D. Armas
Joseph A. Smith
Philip Abecaler
Samuel Hall
Sidney Robertson
George Winter
Evan Pento
Ricardo Trujillo
Leopoldo Rizo
William Marshall
George Burke
Gil Montero
These occurrences, when known, aroused tremendous excitement and wrath
in the United States, and there was much talk of war. But the
government, under the wise counsel of Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State,
kept its head and resorted to diplomacy before force. The Spanish
government, too, kept its head. It realized that its officers in Cuba
had acted outrageously, and that their deeds must be disavowed. So it
agreed, on December 8, to surrender the _Virginius_ on December 16, to
release all surviving passengers and sailors and deliver them safely to
an American warship at Santiago, and to punish all Spanish officials who
had acted illegally. There remained the supposed outrage to the American
flag, which the _Virginius_ was flying when she was fired upon and
seized. The Spanish government agreed to make amends by saluting the
American flag at Santiago on Christmas Day, provided it could be proved
that the _Virginius_ had a right to carry it. But as a matter of fact
the vessel had no such right. The Attorney-General of the United States
gave, before the day set for the salute, the opinion that the vessel was
the property of General Quesada and other Cubans, and therefore had no
right to sail under the American flag. The final settlement of the
affair occurred in February, 1875, when the Spanish government paid an
indemnity of $80,000 to the United States, and a smaller sum to Great
Britain, for their citizens who had been slaughtered. The _Virginius_
was lost at sea while being returned to the United States.
Meanwhile the patriots had not ceased fighting, and on November 9 they
met the Spaniards in a battle in which a large force was engaged on
both sides. They were equally matched, each belligerent having about
three thousand men in the field. The Cubans were victorious, and they
lost only a hundred men killed and double that number wounded, while the
Spanish losses were four times as many killed, and six hundred wounded.
Stories of Spanish cruelty to prisoners and to peaceful citizens
continued to be heard, and the Cubans were not content to allow these to
remain unsubstantiated. In 1873, Cuban sympathizers compiled a statement
which they called "The Book of Blood." In some manner they gained access
to Spanish records, and used not their own personal knowledge but the
official reports of the Spaniards themselves as a basis for their
accusations. The acts complained of were not confined to one year, but
covered the administrations as Captain-General of Lersundi, Dulce,
Rodas, Ceballos, Pieltain and Jovellar. There was almost no comment;
simply a plain statement of facts. The book commences with the names of
three thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven persons, exclusive of men
killed in battle, who had been brutally murdered by the Spaniards. The
dates and places of execution are given, so that there can be no mistake
as to the accuracy of the data. Following this is a list of four
thousand six hundred and seventy-two prisoners, captured by the
Spaniards, who had simply dropped out of sight, and whose fate had never
been determined. Next there is a record of one hundred and ninety-one
men who had been garrotted. There are the names of eighty-four men who
had been court-martialled in accordance with the decree of February 12,
1869, and under orders from the Captain-General; then the names of five
men condemned for life to hard labor in the chain gang of the penal
colony of Ceuta; the names of five others who had been given the same
sentence for a period of ten years, twenty sentenced for eight years,
and one for six years. After this is a list of men condemned to the
chain gang, place unknown, five for ten years, two for eight years,
seventeen for six years, three for four years, and one hundred and
fifty-eight from two to eight years. Then comes a list of two hundred
and fifty men from all walks of life, including superintendents of
plantations, attorneys at law, brokers, bankers, one architect,
clergymen, carpenters, druggists, engineers, farmers, masons, military
officers, notaries, Post Office clerks, railroad clerks, one British
Consul, three dentists, several police officers, surveyors, pilots,
students, shoemakers, silversmiths, physicians, an artist, seventeen
property holders, seven teachers, five tobacco manufacturers, a tailor,
fifteen sailors, musicians, boatmen, sugar makers, journeymen, and even
one schoolboy, who had been transported on May 21, 1869, to the island
of Fernando Po, off the coast of Africa. They were reported to have been
badly treated; so badly in fact that forty-seven died on the voyage or
immediately on landing. Besides this there is a report of forty-four men
transported to the penal colonies of Africa.
A defense is made against the charge that the Cubans had during the war
been no more merciful than the Spaniards. It was claimed that during the
first years of the war, when a number of officers had been captured by
the patriots, they were not executed, but were placed under parole not
to attempt to escape. They broke their parole, and in return for the
merciful conduct of their former captors they became the most violent
and brutal of all the Spanish officials in their persecution of the
Cubans. On the other hand, when men of Spanish birth approached the
patriots expressing sympathy for their cause, and a desire to fight for
independence, their services were accepted and in every instance they
proved to be spies, who furnished the Spanish leaders with valuable
information and delivered their Cuban comrades into the hands of the
enemy. It was alleged that up to August, 1869, the Cuban leaders adhered
to their policy of fair and decent treatment of their captives, and when
they learned of the brutal conduct of the Spaniards, General Quesada
addressed a message to General Lesca, and endeavored to effect a mutual
agreement on the subject. The reply received declared that the Spaniards
saw no reason to depart from their custom in the matter of this and left
the Cubans no alternative but to resort to similar measures. General
Quesada therefore ordered the execution of sixty-seven persons who had
voluntarily taken up arms under the Cuban banner, and who had later been
apprehended in a conspiracy to betray the patriots. It is stated that
the report of the affairs erroneously added an extra numeral to the
figures, which caused the number to be stated as six hundred and
seventy.
In proof of the truth of the statements contained in the "Book of
Blood," an account from the Spanish journal "Diario de la Marina," under
date of March 24, 1870, is cited:
"All the officers, sergeants and corporals who were in the hands of the
enemy have been shot. In connection with many Cubans they had planned a
counter-revolution, and had concerted the delivery of all rebel
chieftains to General Puello. Two days before the one appointed by this
gallant general to commence his march, he sent a messenger to Captain
Troyano with the news of his advance. The bearer of the news was
arrested, however, and searched, the letter was found, and on the
following day, the messenger, our officers, and the Cubans compromised
in the counter-revolution, were shot, thus sealing with their lives
their devotion to their beloved mother country."
This seems to be an ample corroboration of the fact that the men in
question were shot as traitors and not as prisoners of war. Another
Spanish officer, Don Domingo Graino, a Captain of the Volunteers, under
date of September 23, 1869, writes:
"More than three hundred spies and conspirators are shot monthly in this
jurisdiction. Myself alone with my band have already disposed of nine."
We have also this testimony from Jesus Rivacoba, an officer of the
Volunteers:
"We captured seventeen, thirteen of whom were shot outright; on dying
they shouted, 'Hurrah for Free Cuba!' A mulatto said, 'Hurrah for
Cespedes!' On the following day we killed a Cuban officer, and another
man. Among the thirteen that we shot the first day were found three sons
and their father; the father witnessed the execution of his sons without
even changing color, and when his turn came he said he died for the
independence of his country. On coming back we brought along with us
three carts filled with women and children, the families of those we had
shot; and they asked us to shoot them, because they would rather die
than live among Spaniards."
Still another officer of the Volunteers, Pedro Fardon, writes:
"Not a single Cuban will remain in this island, because we shoot all
those we find in the fields, on the farms, and in every hovel.
"We do not leave a creature alive when we pass, be it man or animal. If
we find cows we kill them; if horses, ditto; if hogs, ditto; men, women
and children, ditto; as to the houses, we burn them; so everyone
receives his due--the men in balls, the animals in bayonet-thrusts. The
island will remain a desert."
At the end of the year, the forces under General Maximo Gomez were
victorious over those under the Spanish General Bascones, in the
district of Camaguey, while the fortified town of Manzanillo was on
November 11 taken by storm and occupied by troops under General Garcia.
The Cubans lost forty-nine killed and eighty wounded, while the
Spaniards lost two hundred killed and one hundred and thirty wounded. On
December 2, the battle of Palo Seco occurred. Seven hundred patriots
under General Gomez were arrayed against a thousand Spaniards. A lively
fight took place, and the Spaniards were put to flight in such disorder
that they abandoned their wounded, their arms and their impediments.
They lost several officers and two hundred common soldiers, while the
Cubans captured seventeen officers, one of them being a
Lieutenant-Colonel. The Cuban casualties were small in comparison, being
ninety killed and one hundred and six wounded. Among the stores left
behind by the fleeing Spaniards were twelve revolvers, sixteen thousand
five hundred cartridges, two hundred and fifty Remington rifles, eighty
horses, and thirty mules, their packs containing ammunition, clothing
and a small amount of money.