Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-08-04
SOMEBODY HAS BLUNDERED
CubanS Attack Spanish Soldiers on
Their Way TO Surrender.
General Shafter Is Blamed for DiSat1eCting The
CubanS-Why CubanS Did Not At
tend The Flag Raising,

Santiago de Cuba, July 81 (via
Port Antonio, July 22). - There
was tremendous excitement in San
tiago today owing to the state
ments of Cubans that 1000 insurg-
ents, composing General Garcia's
army for the eastern department
of Cuba, were routed in a fierce
engagement with detachment of
Spanish troops bound for Santi.
ago to surrender. The story has
not been verified
According to the reports the
battle took place at point several
miles north of this city and forty
one Cubans were killed. The
Cubsns say that many more we're
wounded. The Spanish loss was
much smaller. There were at least
5000 Spaniards in body, accord
ing to report, and they drove Gar
cia's men into full retreat q few
hours after the fighting commenc-
ed.
The Spanisrds, it is said, had
been gathered from the fortified
towns in the vicinity and were
proceeding to Santiago under the
terms of surrender agreed to by
General Toral. They were not
looking for a fight and were caught
off their guard. Garcia ordered
his men to form 80 they would be
concealed in the chapparal, hoping
to annihilate the first section Of
the Spanish troops. His plans
were promptly put into execution,
but the Spaniards, quickly recov-
erlng from the decentralization
caused by the opening shots,
fought fercely, and Garcia's am
buscade was failure.
The Cubans are demanding
vengeance and cannot understand
why the Americans do not annihi-
late their Spanish prisoners of
war.
Washington, July 22.-General
Skaters course in disaffecting
Garcia, the Cuban general, is re-
garded by the President and Cab
met as unwise and undiplomstic,
and it was declared the purpose of
the President thus to inform Gen
eral Shafter, though no public re-
buke will be given.
The President is asserted to
have expressed himself very
strongly in the Cabinet meeting.
There has been no change of SEN
timent in the Administration to-
ward the Cubans. no alteration of
plans and intentions of the United
States relative to liberating the
island from Spanish control and
establishing a free government.
Paragraphs in General Garcia's
letter relating to General Skaters
failure to inform him of the San.
tiago surrender and the following
sentence attracted special atten-
ton:
81 was neither honored, sir,
with kind word from you invit-
ing myself nor any other officer
of my staff to represent the Cuban
army on that memorable occa-
sion.
FINALLY, know you have left
in power at Santiago the same
Spanish authorities that for three
years L have fought as enemies of
the independence of Cuba"
The facts set forth let in food
of light. The failure of Garcia to
be present at the Santiago flag.
raising and the comments on his
absence had been noticed by the
President, who had been led to
believe that Garcia remained
away from the scene on the day of
the surrender out of perverse
spirit.
The general sentiment of the
Cabinet was that nothing should
be done to estrange or embitter
the Cubans. One of the members
said after the meeting:
I'VE wish to make Cubans un-
derstand that we are fighting their
battles. Their treatment by the
Spanish for generations has made
them sensitive and suspicious.
They do not understand our brief,
business-like methods, and much
tact should be employed in deal,
ing with them"