The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-27
GENERAL GARCIh.
The Ablest of Cuba's Numerous
Commanders.


I For the first time since active HOSTILE
ties have begun. the insurgents in Cuba
are counted upon as an actual factor in
the war by the Americans. General Cal
iXto Garcia. with the largest force ever
under any Cuban leader. is holding the
Sierra Cobre and Sierra Maestro hills
that surround and cover Santiago. His
army CONSISTS OF 80 tIe' o
four regiments of $50 each, and bat
terry of artillery of six Founders, and two
Krupp field pieces, caliber not known,
perhaps 12nounderS.
Calixto Garcia is undoubtedly the ablest
most popular. for he was born on the
Island not far from Santiago and knows
that country perfectly. His father was a
planter and '.abagado '-advocate. lawyer
pers. acknowledged instruments convey
ing property for town and country side
for miles. and occupied the confidential
position that notaries hold in Latin coun-
tries. where they are the custodiaps of
all family secrets of people Of consequence
for leagues around.
Calixto was educated in the United
States at the engineering school at Troy
N. Y. and finished at the military college
of San Sebastian, Spain. where the engi-
peNrs and many of the artillery officers
of the Spanish army are educated. He had
taken up the Daternal notaral seal and
business at Santiago when General Bur
rlel shot General Ryan and SO others in
1873. CaliXto as all Cubans call him. had
expressed himself with unusual freedom
al the Casino or flnf- OF - 4 ~ '''' 2. -
ing this matter Two nights thereafter.
ver-' late. friend tapped at his window
shutter.
daybreak on the charge of high treason"
SAID the messenger. ''Burriel will make
an example of you. as one in high social
positions who condemns his authority
Garcia quietly arose. got together a few
needed articles with 200 Spanish doub-
looms (sS.2O0 gold) and sii2ped out at the
back garden cate. fisherman, for
whom he had purchased a lugger. was
making ready TO go out 70 the channel.
for his daily catch.
"Hide me somewhere" He took the
only room on the boat. None of the crew
two other men to help with the seine and
the cook. had seen him. Twenty miles
out the French mail steamer from Mar
Unique to st. Nazaire. France. came in
sight. The fisherman signaled her. As
she hove to. Garcia gave his friend. the
two onzas gold ounces) and
each of the men one. You have not seen
me, remember he said, when they land
ed. for Bu.riel would have shot Fle party
had he known.
1t was the mystery of the time how
CaliXto had escaped. and who warned
him. His roses were all in their stalls.
His father swore he had not seen his son
at all and he could not have sailed for
no vessel had touched there for several
dayc. The friend who warned him was
o. Spanish officer who was a lover of
CaIixtc's cousin. He was on Burriel's
staff. and. entering his chiefs private
office while the latter was for a moment
absent, he saw the fatal warrant. with
Garcias name endorsed upon it. He
slipped out at once. for such knowledge
might be fatal. and waited in the officers
room till the sergeant of the guard could
be called and his name sent in to the
general Burriel could mover imagine
how the warning was given out, for not
even his military secretary knew of Gar
cia s impending doom.
At present Calixto Garcia is the second
general in Cuba. Gomez being the first.
He has four regiments of hillmen of 500
men each. commanded by young, clever
officers. 1t Is the only force on the island
hat is nearly all uniformed and armed
With Remington and Springfield rifles
His artillery is commanded by Americans
Who know how to use it. Day by day
5arcia's campfires are getting closer and
loser to Santiago. the City of St. James,
he Decentralization