Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-12-15

assembly to visit this country, died
of pneumonia Sunday morning at
Hotel Raleigh, where the commits
sion has its headquarters. He leaves.
a large family, only one of whom,
Justo, a captain on his staff, was with
him when he died His widow and
Mercedes, daughter II years of age,
are at Thomasville, Ga, where the girl
is quite i'll; Maria, son, 10 years Of
age, is with the mother at Thomas
vile, and Colonel Carlos Garcia, an
other son, is in CUBA A daughter.
Leonora, who married an America is
now living in Paris. General Gar
cia's mother is still alive and resides
in Havana. The burial when it finally
occurs will be in Cuba, He was I'M
conscious for II hours. General Gar
ella was one Of the three central fig
hres in Cuba's grand struggle for lib
erty. The other two are Maxine
Gomez, the comamnder-in-chief of the
revolutionary forces, and Antonio
Maced, tie dead general, who was
shared and killed by the treaehery of
the Spanish. Like Gomez and Maceo.
he was baptized with the blood and
fire of the Cuban revolution of 1868.
Like them, he unhesitatingly returned
to give up his blood and if need be his
life when his country called him the
second time Had the Cuban wars
been wars of big nation, instead of
a small island, Garcia would have been
a military hero. Gomez will later
share the same honor and glory, and
Maceo had done so, too, had he lived
General Garcia was so years old. In
1868, when Cuba rose against Spain, he
was one of the earliest of the con-
spirators. 1t was on the 10th day
of October Of that year that he started
on the warp9th. He led band of
$50 patriots, and started upon a
march of destruction from Holguin.
His little army was victorious from the
first. 1t took every town it assailed,
and its numbers sWelled as the march
proceeded. Santa Rita and Barre fell
before the dashing rebels Jiguani,
with it's population of 10000 capitu-
lated, and Garcia was made a briga-
der general under Gomez, who was
then, as now, the commandments
When the new provisional govern
ment of Cuba went into effect during
the first revolution Gomez was re-
moved and Garcia took his place. The
Spaniards had meanwhile retaken
Iiguani and Garcia addressed himself
TO the task of remaking his conquest
of the city. Once his victorious SOL
diers marched on the city and again
it fell before him. His ambition was
now to take Holguin, consecrated to
him by his early conspiracies there
and the fact that it was from that city
that he set out on his march of vic
tories. The unconquerable young
man set his head toward Holguin and
took it by storm. His name was wax
ing great.
The record of his victories from
that time on is a glorious one. Bu-
agan, Cupiial, Zarsal and Santa Maria
were overridden and beaten into sur
render During this short but very
brilliant compaign several prominent
Spanish officers were killed and others
taken prisoners. His work after that
was often crowned with victory, al
though he sometimes met defeat. In
1873 the force of overwhelming num-
bers drove him back and his capture
by the Spanish was inevitable He
had little faith in SPANS clemency.
and while his pursuers were in sight
of him he placed the muzzle of his
pistol in his mouth and fired. The
BULLET tore it's way to his palate and
came out through the skin of his head.
His enemies were certain that he was
dead and carried off the body. Garcia
revived and gained complete recovery,
His attempt at self-destruction prob
ably saved his life. He was sent to
Spain and was kept in prison until, at
the request of Campos, he was re-
leased. He spent a short time in Paris
and thence went to New York But
the rebellion was not yet completely
crushed, and Garcia made one more
mad dash against tyranny, all to no
purpose. He was again captured, but
was again released, this time by
Blanco. The general was deported
TO Madrid, where he lived until 1876
under the eyes of the police.
When the last revolution broke out
General Gomez was rendered the chief
tainship of the Cuban forces. 1t may
well be imagined how intense was
Garcia's desire to return to the scenes
of his early triumphs. He set TO
work to outwit the police, which he
did by laughing at the idea of the Gu
ban revolution, and while denouncing
the rebels made outward preparation
to stay in Madrid Indefinitely. Then
one night he suddenly slipped out OF
Madrid and was soon safe in Paris.
He returned to America and was taken
up by the junta and sent to the field
as brigadier general.
Garcia's most important achieve
ment, so far as direct results are con-
cerned, was the capture of GuaimarC
in December, 1896. After a siege OF
twelve days he captured sixteen forts
one after another, finally forcing the
surrender of the garrison. who took
refuge in large stone church in the
center of the town. He opened on them
with a couple of field pieces and
speedily captured the forces, amount
ing to nearly 800 men and officers
There was much booty, consisting oil
Spanish gold, Mauser rifles, 100000
rounds of ammunition, with machetes
and a large supply of clothing. The
prisoners were well treated and soon
allowed to go on parole, Again Gar