repetition of the
Virginius affair.

On the 8th of March, 1895, the ship Allianca was bound from Colon to New
York. She was following the usual track of vessels near the Cuban shore.
But, outside the three mile limit, she was fired upon by a Spanish
gunboat. President Cleveland declared this to be an unwarrantable
interference by Spain with passing American ships. Protest was promptly
made by the United States against this act as not being justified by a
state of war; nor permissible in respect of a vessel on the usual paths
of commerce, nor tolerable in view of the wanton peril occasioned to
innocent life and property. This act was disavowed by Spain, with full
expression of regret, and with an assurance that there should not be
again such just cause for complaint. The offending officer was deposed
from his command. All this was eminently satisfactory, and the United
States took no further action in the matter.

The chief battle of the campaign, while Campos still remained
governor-general, was that fought at Bayamo, in July, 1895. Campos
himself commanded in person, and for the first time the Spaniards, ever
vain-glorious and self-confident, became aware of the mettle of the men
arrayed against them.

The Spanish forces numbered some five thousand men, while the Cubans had
not much more than half that number. It was the Spanish strategy,
however, to divide their men into detachments, and the Cubans were quick
to take advantage of this. The fight was a long and bloody affair, but
finally the victory, although not pronounced, remained with the Cubans.

The Spanish forces were more or less demoralized, and their loses were
heavy. Thirteen Spanish officers were killed, while the Cubans lost two
colonels. The Cubans admitted that fifty of their number were killed or
disabled, but they claimed that the loss of the Spaniards was over three
hundred.

It is impossible to tell much from the Spanish accounts, as they were
far from being complete and were highly colored. It has been the same
way in the present war, as witness the laughable "one mule" report, with
which all are familiar.

In this engagement, General Santocildes was killed. It is said that
Santocildes sacrificed his own life to save that of his friend and
superior, Campos.

There are two very different stories told of the attitude of Antonio
Maceo toward Campos in this battle. One is to the effect that he did not
know that Campos was commanding in person,