It is quite a
stirring story to read and it has but one fault, a fault, by the
way, not uncommon in histories--it is mainly untrue.
In the first place, the engagement was in no sense a battle, but
merely a raid. The number of troops engaged was, perhaps, one-
fifth of the generous total ascribed by the historians, and as a
military manoeuver it served no purpose whatsoever. That the
Cubans delivered a spirited attack there is no denying. As a
matter of fact, the engagement was characterized by an abandon, by
a lack of caution, truly sensational, the reason being that the
Insurrectos were half starved and stormed the town much as hungry
hoboes attack a lunch-counter. Nevertheless, since the affair had
a direct bearing upon the fortunes of several people connected
with this story, it is, perhaps, worth relating.
The Baths of St. Anthony consisted of a sulphur spring which for
many years had been held in high regard by gouty and rheumatic
Camagueyans; around this spring a village had arisen which boasted
rather better shops than the ordinary country town. It was this
fact which had induced the gallant and obliging Colonel Lopez to
attack it, for, as he explained to his American friends, if any
place outside of Habana was likely to contain pickles, jam,
sardines, candy, tooth-powder, and such other delicacies as
appeared necessary to the contentment of a visiting American lady,
San Antonio de los Banos was the one.
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