ess the revolution; though he had little heart in the matter and
seemed to realize the hopelessness of the task. Practically all the
fighting was in Oriente. Colonel Santocildes made an unsuccessful attack
upon the patriots near Guantanamo on March 10, and a week later Colonel
Bosch had an equally unsatisfactory meeting with them under Brooks and
Perez near Ulloa. So strong were the insurgents becoming in that
province that they began to exercise the functions of civil government,
in the carrying of mails and the collection of taxes. Beside Henry
Brooks and Perico Perez, under whom were the largest forces, Bartolome
Maso, who had returned from Havana, held Manzanillo with a thousand
troops, Jesus Rabi occupied Baire and Jiguani with 1,500, and Quintin
Banderas, Amador Guerra and Esteban Tomayo had among them 2,000 more.
After his repulse at Guantanamo the Spanish Colonel Santocildes went to
Bayamo, where he was attacked and routed with heavy loss. A few days
later, on March 24, a battle was fought at Jaraguana between Amador
Guerra, with 900 Cubans, and Colonel Araoz, with 1,000 Spanish regulars,
in which the latter suffered the heavier losses, though they finally
compelled the Cubans to retire from the field.

At this time an effort was made by both the Captain-General and some
leaders of the Cuban Autonomists to make terms with the revolutionists.
With the assent and cooperation of Callejas a commission of Autonomists,
headed by Juan Bautista Spotorno,--who had once been for a time
President of the Cuban Republic, shortly after the Ten Years'
War,--proceeded to Oriente and sought a conference with Bartolome Maso
at Manzanillo. That sturdy patriot received them grimly. He listened to
their proposals in ominous silence. Then, in a voice all the more
menacing for its repression of passion, he addressed Spotorno:

"You were once President of the Cuban Republic in the Field?"

"Yes, Bartolome; you know that."

"You then as President issued a decree of death against anyone who
should seek to persuade the Cuban government to accept any terms short
of independence?"

"Yes, but...."

"Then, Bautista Spotorno, for this once, go in peace; but go very
quickly, lest I change my mind as you have changed yours. And be assured
that if you or any of your kind ever come hither with such proposals
again, I shall execute upon you or upon them your own decree!"

The next day Jose Marti and Maximo Gomez issued in Hayti the manifesto