The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-06-03
BY FREDERICK FUNSTON,


BrIgadIer-GeneraI United states Army
VIII.
After the brief but exciting Cas-.
Eorra campaign, Gen. Maxine Gomez
nd his force, about 1000 men, in
antry, cavalry and artillery, with two
huns, had marched TO the eastward,
md in a few days was encamped
Alongside the force OF Gen. Calixto
|farcia, about 1000 men, that, after a
forced march made I'm obedience TO
orders from Gomez, had just arrived.
We Americans, having learned that
len. Garcia also had few guns Of
icered by our countrymen, proceeded
O look up these latter without delay,
md found several likable and inter
sting men who were to be our com
AIDES.
These were Maj. Winchester Dana
|Dsgood. who had won fame as foot
ball player at Cornell and the Uni
ersity OF Pennsylvania; Capt. VIII
lam Cox, OF Philadelphia; Lieuts.
Stuart S. Janney and Osmun Latrobe,
Pr. OF Baltimore, and James Debine
bf Texas and DR.. Harry Danforth of
Milwaukee. All except the latter,
|Nho served as a medical officer, be-
|onged to the artillery, with Osgood
! in command.
AS Gen. Garcia, like Gen. Gomez,
had but two guns, il will be seen that
he artillery OF both forces was con-
|lderably over-officered. But this
FAULT extended throughout the whole
|nsurgent army.
We were soon presented TO Gen.
Garcia, and were most kindly received
by him, who was TO be our future
commander.
He was a man of most striking
] appearance, being over six feet tall
and rather heavy, and his hair and
large mustache were snow-white.
What at once attracted attention was
The hale in his forehead, a souvenir
bf the Ten Years war.
On Sept. 3, 1874, being about to fall
into the hands of the Spaniards, and
believing his execution 10 be a GER
hainty, he had fired large-caliber re-
kolyer upward from beneath his low
er jaw, the bullet making its exit al
most in the center of his forehead
b { is safe TO say that not one man in
Nen thousand would have survived so
terrible an injury.
He was taken prisoner, and owed
his life 10 the skill of Spanish
though he remained in prison
until the end OF the war, four years
later To the day OF his death. nearly
"A years later, the wound never en-
,irely healed, and he always carried a
oil If In ha hNl In 10
skull.
Gen. Garcia was a man OF the most
personal courage, and was
a coutreQus and kindly gentleman. He
seldom smiled, and / never heard him
laugh but once, and that was when
on one occasion he fired every one OF
the six shots in his revolver at a
utica, small animal, at few yards
range without disturbing it's slumb-
ers.
Gen. Garcia's STAFF consisted OF
about dozen young men of the best
OF Cuba. AL lof them spoke
English, a great convenience for us
who were constantly under
the necessity OF communicating with
them.
The chief Of STAFF was Col Mario
Menocal, a graduate of Cornell and a
civil engineer by profession. He was
a most capable and daring soldier.
and his rise had been rapid. He was
the nominee of the conservative party
for the presidency of Cuba at the last
election.
Another member OF the staff was
Col Carlos Garcia, son OF the gen
eral and the present Cuban minister
to the United States He was a great
friend of all OF us Americans.