The age-herald., 1898-07-24

NGW IOIh, Ouly lo.-A uispdtCH to tHo
 Herald from Santiago via Port Antonio,
 Jamaica, says: Great excitement was
 caused in Santiago today (Thursday) by story brought in by Cubans that 4,O0o Cu- ban insurgents, composing General Garcas my for the eastern department of Cuba,
 zsrs,ted in fierce engagement with q
 ,o.ao.. Spanish troops bound for
 Santiago to surreSsssss.; snis .aa. ss',s.
 which took place at a poins e,,,han.
 to the north of this city, forty-ohe es.-,sA were killed. the Cubans say, and many
 more wounded. The Spanish loss was much
 smaller, it is said.
 Nothing happening in this vicinity recent-
 ly has taken the American officers and
 troops so completely by surprise as this story of battle between Cubans and the
 Spaniards. Our troops had come to look upon the insurgents as eaters rather than as fighters, and they scarcely believed the reports that Garcia's men had lain in am- bush and had opened the fight by attacking the Spanish troops
 Didn't Know the Number
 It is not known whether General Garcia was aware of the number of the enemy he was attacking. Ii he thought he had encountered a small force of Spaniards and could overpower them easily 1t was a grave mistake apparently. There were at least 5000 Spaniards in the body ac-- cordng to the report, and they drove Gar cia's men into full retreat a few hours af- ter the battle began.
 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 ven- geance on the Spaniards in Santiago, the Cubans proposed to storm some other im- portant place and take possession of 1t on their own account.
 It was with this object in view that Gen. eral Garcia withdrew his troops from the American lines and refused longer to act as ally of General Shafter He decided to capture Holguin, if possible and there set up an insurgent government, making that place the Cuban headquarters for the eastern department.
 It Is not stated how far to the north- west of Santiago General Garcia's army had proceeded upon this mission when the Spanish troops were encountered They had been marching for many hours, how ever. and must have been we'll on their journey.
 The Cubans and Spaniards met on the road from Santiago to- Holguin. The Span iards, it is said, had been gathered from the fortified towns in the vicinity and were to Santiago under the terms of surrender agreed to by General Toral They were seeking to carry out in good faith the agreement made with General 5hafter. They were not looking for fight and were caught off their guard.
 spaniards Fought Fiercely
 General Garcia, 1t is said, ordered his men to form so that they would be concealed In the chapperal. hoping to annihilate the first section of the Spanish troops. His plans were promptly put into execution, put the Spaniards quickly reforming after the demoralization caused by the opening shots fought fiercely and General Garcia's imbuscade was a failure.
 Although unsuccessful in his plan to trap he Spanards. General Garcia. according to he Cubans who brought the story, sent word to the Spanish that they surrender orthwith. To this demand the Spanish returned an emphatic refusal. General Toral," he notified General Gar ia, "has surrendered to the American rmy, not to the Cubans."
 Despite the informa tion that these Span- ards were part of those included in ieneral Toral's surrender, General Garcia B said to have ordered his troops to pre- are to fight
 The Cubans quickly took the positions O which they had been assigned and the rder to fire was passed along the line. General Garcia had decided. it is said, to ttempt to carry the Spanish position by ssault, and his troops pressed forward when the word was given Their progress vas firmly resisted at every point by the paniards, who, after several hours fight ng, put the Cubans to rout, with loss of orty-one killed and many wounded The panish suffered smaller loss.
 The story of the battle and it's disastrous esults has greatly excited the Cubans. hey are demanding vengeance, and cannot nderstand why the Americans do not an- ihilate their Spanish prisoners of war.