Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1896 — CUBANS IN CONTROL. [ARTICLE]

CUBANS IN CONTROL.

Whole Island, Excepting the City ot Havana, Is in Their Hands. In effect, the whole island of Cuba, outside of the city of Havana, is now in the hands of the insurgents. They have not annihilated the Spanish forces, nor have they routed the whole army in any single pitched battle. Yet the situation is completely in their hands, and so completely have they outgeneraled the Spanish that, to all appearances, Martinez de Campos’ army might as well be in Spain for any cheek it puts upon the movements to and fro of Maximo Gomez’s army. The latter's progress has been accompanied with continual accessions to his forces by volunteers, and he has captured enough horses, rifles And artillery to add immensely to the effective strength of his num. He has practically carried his base of operation with him, and has usually countermarched over a wholly different route from that of his advance, apparently counting with confidence upon living upon the country as he went. There is little doubt really felt in Havana that he will get as much or more sympathy in Pinar del Rio than he did in Santa Clara and Matanzas, and the general fear is now that, after sweeping over Pinar del Rio, he will come upon Havana from the west, co-operating in an attack with the forces of the insurgents which have been east of Havana for several days past. The advance of Gomez beyond Batabano has cut the line of telegraph and cable communication with the eastern part of the island upon which Campos principally relied for directing his forces in Santiago de Cuba, Puerto I’rincipe and Santa Clara.. Many hundreds of non-combatant inhabitants of the island have gone to Havana to await the passing of the storm. Still more have sent their wives and families there as a safe refuge. This class of the population is in a state of utter consternation and dismay, and spreads an infectious spirit of panic through all other circles. The authorities no longer make the slightest concealment of the serious view they take of the situation, and there are some who do not hesitate to rail at the Spanish generals and the troops and make bitter criticisms of them. There has been great fear that the light and water supply of the city would be cut off by a sudden raid of the insurgent forces. The idea of the city being left in total darkness for the unseen working of plots and seditions is itself enough to work a panic in the nervous condition of the public mind. All possible recruits have been enlisted for the defense of the city, and the available ground about tne city has been filled with batteries of artillery, whicn are manned night and day. As the relatives were viewing the remains of Mrs. Andrew Merry, who was buried at Greenville, Ill.; lier mother, Mrs. Daniel Nevinger, just after gazing upon he,r for the last time, stepped back and sank down in a chair dead. There Is very little love that is worth the price paid for it.