The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-22
SKETCH OF GENERAL GARCIA
Z 70 'e "e 'our After Years of Defeat Story Of HIsl Life and
adventures Of Intense Interest,

the front as a man of Importance in
the affairs of the United States, When
General Smarter, commanding the ar
my of invasion, with Admiral Samn,
son, landed in a small boat near San
tiago and met General Garcia for the
first time, Cuban history began a new
chapter. He is the nan nOW talked Of
for president of Cuba.
Richard Harding Davis, in his mas
terly description of the scene, as ca
bled to the Herald, said it was a histor-
zeal moment for the great generals.
They are grouped together under a
sun so hot that it burns the ewes, on
a high cliff overlooking a magnificent
valley OF royal palms, which meets
the lines of white breakers on the
shore, and which further out is bro,
ken again by the slow moving hulls of
thirty transports and thirty ships of
war.
The three commanders are seated
on boxes under the palm leaf roof of
an open hut. One of them has a blue
print map on his knees, n before
they roll it up again the attack on San
tiago will be decided upon and her fate
sealed.
"Outside this hut are five negro sem
tries, naked to the waist, and on the
open space about the hut are hun
dreds OF the Cuban army officers, we'll
armed and we'll uniformed, privates of
every shade of skin, with every wea-
pom made, and small laughing BOYS,
armed with machetes or not armed at
all.
THE palm leaf hut where the con-
ference is taking place is open to the
hot air at both ends, and on each side
and standing about it or kneeling on
the ground in order to Obtain a better
view are the strangest gathering Of
persons that this wal has thrown to-
gether.
Colonel John Jacob Astor is crowd
ed by a black giant, with only a guard
belt to cover his naked shoulders. There
are also General Ludlow of the engi-
neers, Genera Costello and Lieutenant
Miley and Admiral Sampson.
Colonel Goetzen, the German at
tache, in spotless white, and a Cuban
officer, in a linen blouse and with bare
feet, are talking in signs, and with
them is Captain Lee, the British at
tache, booted and spurred, with field
glasses, helm and immaculate khark!
Captain Stewart Brice, in the uni
form of the volunteer army blue
jacket with breaches rolled above the
knee-and a group Of ensigns from the
warships, act as a background for the
principal actors, and still further back
of them are the Cuban soldiers squat
ting On the ground, curious and inter-
ested, and showing their teeth in broad
smiles of welcome and touching their
straw hats when any of the American
officers look their way.
Amy land would seem fair after a
week on the troop ships, but there are
few lands more fair than this one, and
few places on it more beautiful than
his camp of Carcass, lying between
the great mountains and the great sea,
shaded by the royal palms and colored
by the brilliant m scarlet flowers
At that moment Cervera at Santiago
and General Blanco at Havana were
the most deeply concerned ~Spaniards
in all Cuba. The fate Of Spain was
being decided. The chief actor in the
council of war, so far as the Cuban
cause was concerned, was General
Garcia. A great change had come to
him since he was a hunted fugitive
in the dark days of the revolution.
Those who know him best acknowledge
his lofty courage n commanding
ability.
Richard Harding Davis described him
as bidding goodby to the American
generals, Hooking, with his beard and
mustache of the third empire, like a
marshal of France
What is the life history of this de-
voted patriot-this intrepid hero OF Gu
ba's war for liberty?
General Calixto Garcia, by birth a
Cuban, formerly a resident OF New
York, is about SO years old, decidedly
military in pose and manner; his con-
v%ersation always to the point and al
ways brilliant. By profession a law
yer, he impreSSeS as one born to COM
mand-a man of big affairs who would
carry out any enterprise with honor
and success. Among his followers his
word is law and his counse is always
sought n followed in grave emer-
gencies.
He was one of the organizers Of that
first Cuban revolution of 1868. He met
with his friends nightly at a farm
owned by Donate Marmol, near the
town of Holguin. The Cubans were
already in revolt under Cespedes, and
within two days MarmOl and Garcia
tool up arms with $50 resolute fol-
lowers. Extraordinary success attend
ed them. Town after town surrender
ed, first Santa Rita, then %Juguani, after
hard fighting, with it's 10000 popula-
ton. For his bravery Garcia was pro-
noted brigadier general under Gomez.
Later, when the provisional govern
ment, for some reason not clearly eA"
planned, removed Gomez, Garcia sue
ceeded him. Finding that Juguan
had, meanwhile, been etaken by the
Spaniards, he proceeded to capture IT
again. He next took Holguin, the
town where the revolution was orig
anally organized. Other victories rap
idly followed. =,
At the obstinate all day battle of
Santa Maria. in 1859, he followed Won
Moltke's tactics at Sedan-surrounded
the enemy's army and forced the sur
render of General Vingues and his
men. They were well treated n given
freedom.
So grateful were they for the unex-
nected clemencY. that one OF the O1n-