AFFAIRS IN CUBA.
[TO THE EDITOR OF TEE " SPECTATOR:9
Ent,—In the Spectator of September 21st I find a well-con- sidered article on Cuban affairs, and send a few brief notes hastily. You mention the arming of the negroes as a new and desperate expedient. But from February 24th, when the revolt began, until June, most of the insurgents were negroes. Guillermon, who won the first victory for them, was a negro ; Garzon, who captured the fort at Raman and nearly destroyed the first expedition sent to its relief, was a mulatto ; Antonio Maceo, who compelled Campos to destroy his baggage and ammunition barely escaping into Bayamo, is a mulatto. This morning news is published of his defeating three thousand five hundred Spanish troops at Mount Megone, one of the five strong fortified camps in that province or State as the Cabana now call it. Jose Maceo, who commands near Guantamo, is his brother. As to rank-and-file in that end of the island, a large majority still are negro mountaineers. They seem to be of different fighting quality from our negroes, plentiful here, who do not count for much with- oat white leadership. I saw a Spanish letter of Antonio Maceo in El Porvenir of New York the other day, dated about the middle of September, giving an account of his pro- gress and welcome in all parts of Santiago State daring a recent "visitation," and stating that he had twenty-one thousand men under his command. A recent writer in the Cosmopolitan, a newspaper correspondent puts the Cuban force steadily in arms in that province at twelve thousand, but says there are many more who join them irregularly.
In Camagaey there is a force, white, estimated from four thousand to eight thousand, under Maximo Gomez, the last President" and Commander-in-Chief of the "Republic " of 1868 and 1878, assisted by the aged Marquis of Santa Lucia, who was a good and successful General in those days. They hold the village of the Najasa, the island "capital," which is situated very strongly, and which the Spaniards have not thus far attempted at all, though it is near to Puerto Principe. This is the great cattle-raising province, and the Cubans are strong there in cavalry, largely vaqueros. A member of the crack cavalry company in Ohio, son of a well-known clergyman, and excellent all-round athlete, has been engaged on salary to drill them, and is said to be now on his way. The next province, Villa Clara, is a sugar-raising one, mostly not difficult country. A little while ago, there were only a few guerillas in it. Then the Roloff Sanchez Expedition landed from Key West, and now there is more fighting there than anywhere else, and more Cubans are in arms there than in Camaguey.
Matanzas is the next province. The Callego Expedition which left New York less than a fortnight ago, is understood to be aimed for that. It seems not to have landed yet. The condition of affairs repeats that in Villa Clara, before Roloff came, Spanish "victories," where by rights they should have no one to fight ; general ferment ; bonds cut. The next and last province is Havana, and now a band of three hundred has taken the field thirty miles from that city. Doubtless the next expedition will land there. You say General Campos has 80,000 men; but in a recent published interview he claims but 50,000, and admits the prevalence of yellow-fever among those in the provinces of Santiago and Camaguey, and also that there is some fever among the remainder. But if he gets any number there with no better commissariat nor adjust- ment to conditions, the strength will not increase propor- tionally.
You ask, Who drills the Cabana ? In the case of independent 'companies like that of Captain Watson, formerly a private in, the regular United States Army, and chosen for his qualities (regularly salaried since March), the question answers itself; Some five hundred "Americans" were said to be among the insurgents a month or two ago. Callego's expedition takes out an ex-officer of the English 'Army, and an ex-officer of the French Army. A good sprinkling of ex-United States privates (regulars), and of men trained 'in the best militia organisa- tions would be found among ththi: Beside, there must be a considerable' residuum from' lie-last Onbai war,. including many drilled by Jordon and his companions. He was
said to have been quietly recommended for the position by Admiral Porter, held it (as Adjutant-General and Com- mander-in-Chief in Camaguey) for a year or more, and of course left his impress. Probably most of the Cubans are not regularly disciplined; but that there are disciplined and disciplining men among them is evident. Man for man, they probably overmatch the Spaniards, who by most accounts are very youthful conscripts, ill-cared-for and suffering. The chief reason for Spanish delay seems to be the waiting for recovery of health and for reinforcements. Thunderbolts are promised; and you think they will succeed. I do not, in any permanent sense. One can see the Cuban plan. Begin- ning in the far east as guerillas, they have, each expedition, landed in a province farther west than the last, and each rises to meet it. As they get strong enough, they select strongholds and fortify themselves there, while maintaining the raids, the desultory attacks, the embargo of the towns.
Now, by a concentration of forces, Campos may storm their fortified camps one by one this winter, with a very great loss of life; bat that will only turn the war back to the guerilla stage, and as soon as his spasm is over they will be fortified again on new hills or on the old ones. They can live for very little in that tropical country; the forests will not give them up; they are unmistakably determined to fight it out, whatever the issue; they will have continual help from this country ; they can make it cost Spain for twenty years week by week what it is costing now. I admit my bias in favour of them, having been there; but I do not as yet belong to any pro-Cuban organisation, and I do not give you their view which, as published, seems to be that in a very few months they will take the aggressive and drive the Spaniards from the island. I look for a long, dragging war, unless the United States mercifully takes a hand in some form, just as your Government ought to do in Armenia. Depend upon it, there will be strong pressure that way. There is but one sentiment among our people. And whatever befalls, you may be sure Spain has lost Cuba.—I am, Sir, &c.,
Washington, D. C., October 16th. W. H. BABCOCK.
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