Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 January 1896 — CUBANS IN CONTROL. [ARTICLE]

CUBANS IN CONTROL.

Whole Island, Excepting the City of Havana, Is in’ Their Hands. In effect, tho 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, nnd so completely have’ they outgeneraled the Spanish that, to all appearances, Martinez de Campos’ army might ns well be in Spain for any check it puts upon tiie 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 men. , He has practically carried his base , of operation with him, and lias usually conntermarc-hcd over a wholly different route from Jhiit of his advance, apparently counting with con lid cnee,.upon living upon the country as he wenL 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 Matauzas, and the general fear is now that, after sweeping ovqr 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 boyoud BaUrbano lias cut tlic 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 Prim cipe and Santa Clara. 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 nnd tiie troops and make bitter crittrigmz of them. There hag been, great fear that the light and water snp--piyncrf-tinr city- mrutth bu ouircrfr br a ‘Bfl dden raid of the insurgent forces. Tho idea of the city being left in total darkness for the miseeu working of plots and seditions is Itself enough tt> work a panic In tiie 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, which aj*o manned night and day.