The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-21
TROOPS OFF
SANTIAGO.
Skaters Expedition Now
With SIMPSONS Fleet.
/ VISIT FROM GENERAL GARgIA.
The Veteran Cuban Leader Inter.
views the Admiral.
HIS ARMY NEAR SANTIAGO.

A4N ANVIL Nhhlb oAN 4lhOSs
:.
General Garcia Declares his Men Are in
Good Condition, Except For the Slight
Fatigue Of the Long March From Banes,
Where They Were Furnished With Arms
and Ammunition by Our Government.
He Thinks the War Will Be Over in a
Few Months.
Kingston, Jamaica. June Ala dis
patch boat just arrived from the fleet off
Santiago brings the intelligence that
General Skaters army of 15.700 men,
on 40 transports, has arrived. There
will be no wild rush to get ashore until
General Shafter has a conference with
Admiral. Sampson and the situation is
thoroughly discussed. Sampson knows
the possibilities better than any one
else, and the landing will be done ac-
cording to his information
The Cubans are extremely active and
. Gordon has been drawn around San
tiago de Cuba. General Garcia. with
1000 troops, coming by forced marches
from Banes, is now nearing Santiago
His troops are within 40 miles of the
city. He left 5000 men at Holguin to
prevent the Spaniards there effecting
q juncture with General Toral at San
tiago The Spanish troops at Guam"
tanamo, under General Masso, are also
cut off from General Toral, and are
badly pinched for food. They wildly
appealed for provisions and reinforce
ments, but the only reply they got
was that both were impossible. Gen
eral Masso said his men were even
then at half rations, and that the
supply was only sufficient to last dur
ing the present month.
General Garcia and his personal staff
were picked up at General Rabi's
camp, 18 miles west of Santiago, and
brought to the flagship Sunday after
noon by the gunboat Vixen. There the
grizzled and wounded patriot had
long consultation with Admiral Samp-.
son regarding the operations for the
investment of Santiago and the CO.
operation of the American and Cuban
troops. General Garcia is very en-
thusiastic. He says the Spaniards are
starving and cannot hold out long.
and that the war in the island will end
in few months.
| Your correspondent has been af-
forded an opportunity of interviewing
4 General Calixto Garcia. The white
daired general was lying in the cabin
Of Captain Chadwick, the commander
OF the New York. He was seasick,
This is the message General Garcia
sent to the American people:
81 am greatly obliged for the efforts
of the American people in securing
the independence of Cuba, and I shall
do all can to defeat the Spaniards
quickly"
Speaking of the march from Bares,
where he went to receive the NUM-
tions of the FLORIDA expedition" he
said:
I'VE had hard, hard march over
the rough roads. Engagements with
the Spaniards? No, because there
were no Spaniards. My 1000 men are
In good condition, except for the slight
fatigue of the long march. We found
enough food. though the Spaniards are
starving. The patriots are not suffer-
ing from the blockade. They can al
ways get food It is the Spaniards who
pay the price | think the war will
be over In few months. You can
teat the Spaniards easily, but it is
very hard to drive them out" =
Then General Garcia asked Admiral
Sampson, who sat beside him, what
had happened to the other Spanish
ships, the Pelayo and the rest, and
opened his eyes wide, with muttered
exclamation of surprise, when he heard
that Admiral Camara was still at
home.
At Holguin General Garcia said there
are 10000 Spanish troops, but he be-
lieves the 5000 men he left there will
effectually prevent the enemy from
reaching Santiago from the Holguin
side.
Most of General Garcia's staff suf-
Tered from sea sickness, General Gar
cia humorously saying: "As bad as
are the roads in Cuba, your roads,
Captain Chadwick, are worse"
II General Garcia and his staff we're put
ashore later in the day, after the pre-
iiminary details of cooperation be-
tween the Cuban and American troops
had been fully discussed.
Two regiments of troops will be
landed at Guantanamo bay, which will
be held at the base Of the hill until
Santiago falls. There has been no
sign of Spanish troops in the neigh
borhood of Camp McCalla for several
days 1t is estimated that over 300
have been killed or wounded since the
landing Fifty-eight bodies were
found. The Spaniards seem satisfied
that they cannot dislodge the Ameri-
cans and have withdrawn.
The upper bay is to be occupied i'm
mcdiately. Lieutenant Delehanty, with
an expedition, is nightly at work re-
moving mines from the river connect
Ing the upper and lower bays. When
this Is clear the ships will move up
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