The History of Cuba, vol. 3Johnson, Willis Fletcher
History
The History of Cuba, vol. 3
Johnson, Willis Fletcher
Cuba -- Economic conditions; Cuba -- History
The estate of La Indiana had been fortified by the Spaniards, and on
August 4, General Gomez led an attack against it. The Spanish put up a
strong resistance, but the Cubans were able to take the buildings, and
capture thirty-five Spaniards. The entire district of Guantanamo was at
this time practically controlled by the insurgents. They destroyed
fourteen coffee plantations, and did other damage to the property of
Spanish sympathizers. On August 8, the Spaniards made an attack at El
Macio, but it was unsuccessful. For the next week there was one
engagement after another, with victory first with the Spaniards and then
with the Cubans, but the results were not of moment to either of the
belligerents. The Cubans were not able to marshal a sufficiently large
or well equipped force to venture a decisive battle, and so kept up an
annoying guerrilla warfare. Late in the month they advanced to the
outskirts of Santiago, destroying all plantations which lay along the
line of march, and defeated the Volunteers in an unimportant engagement.
Perhaps the most serious defeat that they inflicted on the Spanish at
this time was the destruction of the fortified camp at Miguel, in the
district of Sagua de Tanamo. Earlier in the month they had attacked and
taken a fortified camp in the neighborhood of Santa Isabel. All the
buildings were burned to the ground, twenty-six Volunteers were killed,
and a large quantity of stores was taken. There followed other
engagements in which the odds and the victory were with the Spaniards,
and the Cuban patriots were put to rout with heavy losses. But for the
most part in guerrilla warfare the Cubans had the advantage and made the
most of it.
Late in August, a force under Major Villanueva and Captain Rios
surprised some Spanish soldiers at breakfast near Malangas. The
Spaniards largely outnumbered the Cubans, but the attack was so sudden
that they fled, leaving their rice and salted beef behind them. In this
engagement eight Spaniards were killed.
On the first day of September, news reached Major Noguera that the enemy
were convoying a stock of supplies in the neighborhood where he was
stationed. He divided his men and concealed them at different points
along the road over which the Spaniards must pass. Six Volunteers and
one regular soldier were killed, and the enemy abandoned to the Cubans a
number of carts, filled with food stuffs, carbines, machetes, and other
supplies.
[Illustration: CALIXTO GARCIA
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