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An Irrepressible Conflict of Testimony: Hernandez

Col. Hernandez reports having a fight with the rebel bands of Masso and Acea near San Felipe. The enemy occupied strong positions, but were attacked with great vigor by the troops, and finally fled, leaving seven dead on the field. The troops had five men wounded.

Col. Moncada reports having had several engagements with rebel bands near Cienfuegos, in which the enemy had four men killed and seventy wounded, and the Spanish troops had five wounded.

Just five men wounded every time! We all know the strange coincidences and persistent uniformities developed in statistical tables. And again the Spaniards were slaughtered in the same part of the country: The troops of Gen. Linares had begun to arrive to assist Hernandez and Inclan. They brought cavalry and artillery. The Spanish forces were moving along the road which lies between Candelaria and Guanajay. It was raining in torrents. Suddenly the whole division found itself in an ambush; 4,000 rebels were behind stone fences on both sides of the road, and as soon as the fighting began they closed in front and rear. There was fighting for two hours. The rebels used the ammunition they had captured the day before. They captured two cannons and more ammunition and inflicted such losses upon the Spanish that a special train was sent out from Havana to bring in the dead and wounded. It was even given out at the palace that the troops had suffered two captains killed, four lieutenants wounded, and fifty-seven soldiers wounded. There were about fifty soldiers killed.

Something wrong here. No such news as that was ever given out at the palace, at least not since the time of Campos.