The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-07-29

New York, July :.24.-The Herald has
the following dispatch dated Santiago
de Cuba, July 23.-Oyer 1000 Cuban
insurgents, comprising Gen. Garcia's
army for the Eastern department OF
Cuba. have been routed in a fierce en-
gagement With detachment of
Spanish troops bound for Santiago to
surrender. In this battle, which took
place ut a point several miles to the
north of this city, forty-one Cubans
We're killed and many more We're
wounded The Spanish loss, am ill.,
formed, was much smaller. This dis
astrous defeat of the insurgents is the
first result of Gen. Garcia's petulant
disagreement With Shafter and of his
decision no longer to cooperate with
the American forces.
When the Cuban General
withdrew his troops to the
mountains he resolved to move on to
Holguin. about sixty miles to the
northwest of this city. If the Ameri-
cans would not allow them to wreak
vengeance on the Spaniards in Santi-
ago the Cubans proposed to storm
possession of it on thier own account.
1t was With this object in view that
Gen. Garcia withdrew his troops from
the American lines. and refused long
or to act as an ally Of Gen. Shafter.
He decided to capture Holguin if pos
sible and to there set up an insurgent
government. making that place the
Cuban headquarters for the Eastern
H.. l. ,ot ,<,% hnH
far to the northward of Santiago Gen.
Garcia's army had proceeded upon
this mission when the Spanish troops
We're encountered. They had been
| marching for many hours. however,
| and must have been we'll started on
their journey. l am told it is ques-
ton as to which We're
The More Surprised,
| the Cubans or the Spaniards. when
the two bodies of troops met on the
road between Santiago and Holguin.
The Spaniards had been gathered
| from the fortified towns in the vicinity
and We're marching to Santiago. under
| the terms of the surrender agreed to
by Gen. Toral. They We're seeking to
carry out in good faith the agreement
made With Gen. Shafter. They We're
not looking for Il fight and We're
| caught off their guard. Gen. Garcia
ordered his men to form so that they
| would he concealed in the chaDperal,
hoping to annihilate the first sections
of the Spanish troops. His plans
We're promptly put into execution. but
the Spaniards. quickly recovering
from the decentralization caused by the
opening shots, fought fiercely. Gen.
Garcia's ambuscade was a failure.
Although unsuccessful in his plan to
| trap the Spaniards. Gen. Garcia sent
word to them demanding that they
| surrender forthwith. To this demand
the Spanish comma nder made an en-
phatic refusal. Gen. Toral,'' he noti-
fed Gen. Garcia, has surrendered to
| the America army. not to the Cubans."
Despite the information that these
| Spanish troops were Il part of those
included in
Gen. Toral.s Surrender,
Gen. Garcia thereupon ordered his
troops to prepare to fight. The Gu
! bans quickly took their positions to
| which they had been assigned and
the order to fire was passed along the
line. Gen. Garcia had decided to at
tempt to carry the Spanish position by
assault. and the first troops pressed
forward when the word was given.
Their progress was firmly resisted at
every point by the Spanards, who,
after several hours fighting. put the
Cubans to rout with Il loss of forty-one
killed and many wounded. The
Spaniards suffered Il smaller loss.
This battle, with it's disastrous re-
suits. has greatly excited the Cubans.
They are demanding vengeance, and
cannot understand why the Ameri-
cans do not annihilate their Spanish
prisoners of war. Gen. Garcia. prior
to this latest exploit. has been Il
source Of great trouble to Gen. Shat
ter. the American commander having
been met at every point by the Cubans
with claims for precedence. All of
the Cubans violently opposed the
terms upon which Gen. Toral surren-
dered to Gen. Slfafter. Those terms
We're dictated by Gen. Shafter, but the
Cubans. ever since the city formally
surrendered, have done everything in
their power to render the carrying out
Of the terms difficult and impossible.