The evening times., 1898-06-22
THE MEETING WITH GARCIA
How Sampson and Shafter Found
the Cuban General.
COUNCIL IN A PALM LEAF HUT
The American Admiral and Com
mander Go Ashore in q Small Boat
without Escort to Confer With
the Insurgent Leader-An Historic
Scene.

New York. June 2s-The Herald prints
the following description of the meeting
between Admiral Sampson. Gen. ShafteI
and Gen. Garcia, on the Cuban shore last
Monday. written by its special CORE
spondent. Richard Harding Davis:
The first landing of the Regular Army
has just taken place at this little point
of land. twelve miles west of Santiago.
1t was landing for conference only
and the most interesting feature of 1t il
that without military escort of any sort
Gen. Shafter. the commander of the ar
my of invasion and his staff: Admiral
Sampson and Lieut.. Stanton his chief OF
staff. have landed in a small boat on the
shore of the enemy's country within
twelve miles of II, 900 Spanish soldiers and
the Castle of MORO. without a musket
or revolver to protect them. The Mar
blehead lay off shore.
A ragged escort of Cuban soldiers met
them on landing, but of United States
soldiers, except in the sense that the Of
hcers of the highest rank in the Army
are soldiers. there was not one
1t is a historical moment in the history
of Cuba, If not of America. for Gen. Gar
cia, Gen. Shafter and Admiral Sampson
have met for the first time. They are
grouped together. under sun so hot
that 1t burns the eyes, on a high cliff
overlooking magnificent valley of royal
palms, which meets motionless a blue
sea broken only by lines of white break
ers on the shore. and which further out is
broken again by the slow moving hulIs of
thirty transports and thirty ships of
war
The three commanders were seated on
boxes under the palm leaf roof of an
open hut. One of them has a blue print
map on his knees. and before they roll
1t up again the attack on Santiago will
be decided upon and her fate sealed.
Outside of this hut are five negro SEN
tries, naked to the waist and on the open
space about the hut are hundreds of the
Cuban army officers. well armed and
well uniformed: privates of every shade
of skin. with every make of weapon and
small laughing boys. armed with ma
chetes or not armed at all.
The palm leaf hut where the conference
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 or
der to obtain better view. are the
strangest gathering of persons that this
war has thrown together
Col. John Jacob Astor is crowded by a
black giant. with only guard belt to
cover his naked shoulders. There are also
Gen. Ludlow. of the engineers: Gen. Co.'S
telio and Lieut. Miley and Admiral Samp-
son.
Col. Goetzen. the German attache. m
spotless white. and a Cuban officer. IN
linen blouse and with bare feet. ar.
talking In signs. and with them IL Can't.
Lee the British attache booted and spur
red, with field glasses. helmet and i'm
maculate kharki.
Capt. Stewart Brice, In the uniform OF
the volunteer army-a blue jacket with
breeches rolled above the knee-and a
group of ensigns from the warship act
as background to the principal actors,
and still further back of them are the Gu
ban soldiers. squatting on the ground
curious and interested. and showing their
teeth in broad smiles of welcome end
touching their straw hats when any one
OF the American officers looks their way
Any land would seem fair after week
on the troopships. but there are few lands
more fair than this one. and few places
on 1t more beautiful than this camp of
Garcia's, lying between the great noun
tains and the great sea. shaded by the
royal palms and colored by the brilliant
and scarlet flowers.
The conference Is ended. and Cen
Shafter and the admiral are bidding
good-by to Gen. Garcia, who looks. with
his beard and mustache of the third en-
pire. like marshal of France.
What the conference has decided we
shall know tomorrow. For the present
the news is that the army of invasion
has arrived. Its first landing has taken
place.