The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-23
Garcia's Army
Comprises
Fighting Men

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
Calixto Garcia, with tho 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 8, 500 men. divided
into four regiments of 500 each, and q
battery Of artillery Of six Hotchkiss Q
Founders. two Maxim guns, 12 pound
ers, and two Krupp field pieces, caliber
not known, perhaps IL Founders.
Calixto Garcia is undoubtedly the
ablest Of Cuba numerous generals. He
is the most popular, for he was born on
the island not far from Santiago and
knows that country perfectly. His "a
Their was q planter aud "abagado"-ad-
vocate, lawyer and notary-who drew
all the legal papers, acknowledged in
struments conveying property for town
and country side for miles and occupied
the confidential position that notaries
hold IN Latin countries, where they are
the custodians 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 ut the military col.
lege Of San Sebastian, Spain, where tho
engineers and many Of the artillery
officers Of the Spanish army are edu.
Gated. He had taken up the paternal
notarial seal and business at Santiago
when General Burriel shot General
Ryan and 81 others in 1878. Calixto. as
all Cubans call him, had expressed him.
self with unusual freedom at the casino,
or club, of Santiago touching this mat
ter. Two nights thereafter, very late, Q
friend tapped at his window shutter.
You are to be arrested this morning
at daybreak ON the charge of high tres-
soD," said the messenger. "Burriel
will make an example Of you, as n In
high social position who condemns his
authority. vaya" (Go).
Garcia quietly arose, got together .
few needed articles, with 200 Spanish
doubloons (e3. 400 gold) and slipped out
at the back garden gate. A fisherman.
for whom he had purchased a lugger,
was making ready to go out to the cham
mel for his daily catch.
II want to go out with yen, Paulo."
said Garcia. 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 Martinique to st.
Nazaire, France, came in sight. Tho
fisherman signaled her. As she hove to,
Garcia gave his friend the fisherman
two onzas (gold ounces), and each OF
the men n "You have not seen me,
remember, |" he said, and not q word
was even whispered when they landed,
for Burriel would have shot the party
had he known.
1t was the mystery Of the time how
Calixto had escaped, and who warned
him. His horses 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 sew.
eral days. The friend who warned him
was ~ opUuAon OillCtA WAN was - AoN0A
of Calixto's cousin. He wa on Burriel's
staff, and, entering his chiefs private
Office while the latter was for a moment
absent, he saw the fatal warrant, with
Garcia's name Endorsed upon 1t. He
slipped out at once, for such knowledge
might be fatal, and waited in the off,
GERS room till the sergeant Of the guard
could be called and his AR sent in to
the general. Burriel could never mag.
inc how the warning was given out, for
not even his military secretary knew OF
Garcia's impending doom.
At present Calixto Garcia Is the SEQ
ond general in Cuba, Gomez being the
first. He has four regiments of hill men,
of 500 men each, commanded by young,
clever officers. 1t is the only force on
the island that is nearly all uniformed
and armed with Remington and Spring
field rifles. His artillery is commanded
by Americans who know how to use 1t.
Day by day Garcia's campfires are get
ting closer and closer to Santiago, the
City Of st. James, the apostle. Special
Cablegram st. Louis Globe Democrat.