The Red Cloud chief., 1898-07-29
GARCIA IT, TO ROUTI
SPANIARDS DEFEAT THE
CUBAN ARMY.
ths fnsurgent General Attacked spanish
Troops on Their Way to Surrender to
tho American Commander-Forty-oDe
Cubans Killed.

New YonK. July 25.-A dispatch to
tho New York Herald from San
tiago ays Great excitement was
caused at Santiago Thursday BY n
story brought in by Cubans that 1000
Cuban insurgents, composing General
Garcia's army for the eastern depart
ment of Cuba, had been routed In a
fierce engagement with n detachment
of Spanish troops bound for Santiago
10 surrender. In this. battle. which
took place at % point several miles to
the north OF this city, forty.one Cubans
were killed, tho Cubans say, and
many more wero wounded. The Span
ish loss was much smaller, IL IL said.
Nothing happening in this vicinity
recently has taken the American Of
fcers and troops so completely by sur
prise rs this story Of this battle be-
tween the Cubans and tho Spaniards.
Our troops had come to look upon the
insurgents ~ eaters rather than fight
, ers, and they scarcely believed the
reports that Garcia's men had lain in
ambuscade and had opened the fight
by attacking the Spanish troops.
IL Is not known whether General
Garcia was aware OF the number of
the enemy he was attacking. IL he
thought he had encountered a small
force OF Spaniards and could over
power them easily IL was a grave mis-
take, apparently. There were at
least 5000 Spaniards in the body, ac-
according to the report, and they
drove Garcia's men into full retreat u
few hours after the battle began.
When the Cuban general withdrew
his troops to the mountains he re-
solved I o move on to Holguin, about
sixty miles to tho north of this city.
It was with this object in view that
General Garcia withdrew his troops
from the American lines and refused
to longer act ms an ally OF General
Shafter. He decided to capture Hol-
gum il possible and there set up an
.nsurgcnt government. making that
place the Cuban headquarters for the
Eastern department.
The Cubans and Spaniards met on
the road between Santiago and Hol.
gum. The Spnniards, it Is said, had
been gathc. I'd from the fortified towns
in the vicinity and were proceeding to
Santiago under the terms OF surrender
agreed to by General Toral. They
were seeking to carry out in good faith
the agreement made with General
Shafter. They were not looking for a
fight aud were caught off their guard.
General Garcia, II is said, ordered
his men to form so that they would bs
concealed in the chaparral, hoping &c
annihilate the first section of tho
Spanish troops. His plans were
promptly put into execution, but the
Spaniards. quickly recovering from
the decentralization caused by the open
Ing shots, fought fiercely, and Genera
Garcia's ambuscade was a failure.
Although unsuccessful in his plan Il
trap the Spaniards, General Garcia. nc
cording to the Cubans, who brought
the story, sent word To them demand
ing that they surrender forthwith. T,
this demand the Spanish commando
returned an emphatic refusal, Genera
Toral, he notified General Garcia, hac
W pchcrdi chuitcE, uot I
Cubans.
Despite information that the Span
iards were u part of those included Il
General Toral's surrender, Genera
Garcia is said to rave ordered his troop
to prepare to fight.
The Cubans quickly took the pos
tions to which they had been assignc
and the order to fire was passed alon
the line. General Garcia had decided
1t is said, to attempt to carry tn
Spanish position by assault, and hi
troops pressed forward when the wor
was given. Their progress was tirml
resisted at every point by the Spar
lards, who after several hours figh
Ing put the Cubans to rout, with a 10.
of f%orty-one killed and many wounded
The Spanigh suffered a small loss.
The story of the battle and it's di
astrous results has greatly excited IL
Cubans. They are demanding We,
geance and cannot understand VIII
the Americans do not annihilate the
Spanish prisoners of war.