The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-08-23
GEN. GARCIA'S STATEMENT
MESSENGER BRINGS TT FROM CUBA
 TO THE NEW YORK JUNTA.

The Document Relates the Dotngs of
 the Cuban Forces After Receiving
 General Miles Notice of the Intended
 Attack on Santiago-The Commander
 Always Sought to Aid the American
 Forces.
 New York, Aug. 22.--General Calixto Garcia has sent his first official state ment concerning the Cuban operations at Santiago to the Cuban junta in this city. The messenger bearing General Garcia's statement arrived to-day and MT. Horatio S. Rubens, counsel for the junta, gave out a translation of the statement, as follows:
 On the sixth of June the steamer Gloucester brought a communication from General Miles, commander-in- chief of the American army, in which he informed me of the project to at- tiagc de Cuba, and that it was neces- sary that the greater part of the Cuban forces should advance on that city to cooperate with him. Imnedi- ately gave orders that the forces that had been armed should move forward towards the territory of Santiago de Cuba, a very difficult operation, (the Infantry being almost worn ouD and on account of the scarcity of food for so many people. Surmounting these diffi- culties, the forces arrived at Palma Soriano, and on the 18th l marched to Aserraderos, where I arrived on the 18th at 7:30 a. m, having been sum- moned there to confer with the admiral of the American navy, Sampson, to de- eide on the best plan of attacking San tiago de Cuba. This conference took place on board the flagship New York. l must now declare that my object in moving my forces oh Santiago de Cuba and meeting the admiral of the United States navy has been to obey the orders l received from the council of govern ment to obey and respect the orders and instructions of the commanders of the American army on their commencing operations in the territory under my command On the goth, at lf-past two o'clock, the general of brigade, commander of the brigade of Ramon de las Taguas, Deinetrio Castillo, landed in Asserrade1os from Sigua, east of Cuba), brought over by an American man. of-war to receive my orders. A short time after I was advised that
 Major General William R. Shafter, com
 mander of the Fifth army corps of the United States army had landed to con- fer with me on the attack by land of Santiago de Cuba. After long con- ference and after the American general accepted the plan I laid before him for the landing of his troops and to carry out with success the advance on Cuba,
 he returned to the ship. The following day, the general Of division, Augustin Cebreco marched towards the west of Cuba with forces of his division with the object of preventing the enemy from reinforcing It's garrisons of the coast in that part, and at D. m. a force of 5S0 men belonging to the divi- sion of Bayamo and commanded by Brigadier General Castillo, was shipped l'on board an American transport to go | to the reinforcement of the brigade of | Ramon to protect the landing of the American army and advance on Cuba l by the east. These forces landed in | Sigua and they advanced at once, on Daiquri, with their commander, Col l onel Carlos Gonzales, and with 800 men of the brigade of Ramon under Briga- | dier General Castillo. The Spaniards in | great hurry abandoned Daiquiri, l which Castillo occupied as the Ameri-
 can navy began to Lombard 1t, but f1r- l was hoisted. The Americans landed | their first regiment at Daiquiri and ad- | vanced on Firmeza and Siboney with the Cuban forces always in the van-
 guard, they being first to occupy said l village. In Siboney the landing of | American troops was continued while | the Cuban forces under Colonel Carlos | Gonzales advancing on Santiago de ltCuba, sustained a severe encounter with the enemy at Las Quinsas, suf- fering some losses but inf1icting greater on the Spaniards. In my conference
 with Admiral Sampson and Major Gen. | eral Shafter we decided that I should
 embark with 5000 men at Aserraderos
 and land east of Santiago de Cuba 1 With this object I sent for the forces | at Aguacate, near Palma, and on the | 2oth at a. n, we began to embark
 which operation was finished in the
 evening. These forces forming three l distinct columns were respectively un- der the command of Major General | Capote. Generals of Division Cebrecc
 and Brigadier General Sanchez Heche- verria, the entire force being under the | immediate command of Major General Jesus Rabi.
 It was on board of the Alamo with
 my staff and some officers invited by | General Ludlow, who had superintended | the embarka tion. Brigadier Genera | Sanchez, with force of 800 men, who embarked first in the steamer Leone landed at 5 D. m, in Siboney There were already camped the other Cubar | forces which had arrived before us with as many thousand of the Ameri. | can army.
 General of Division Estrada marched
 on the 25th to Agacua to gather tht
 forces that were there, to form a col
 umn of 800 to 1000 men to march with 1 them toward Santiago in readiness ts
 fight any forces that might be sent tc
 the help of said city. At dawn on tht
 26th the steamer Orisada and Seneca
 were opposite Siboney carrying the bal
 ance of my forces. I was on board tht | Alamo with my staff and some officer. invited by General Ludlow. At a. m