García Conde joined the Regiment of the Spanish Royal Guard as a cadet in July 1779, and participated at the Great Siege of Gibraltar.
At the outbreak of the War of the Pyrenees he was sent to the Army of Rosellón, where he distinguished himself at the attack on the battery at Banyuls-dels-Aspres (December 1793), for which he was promoted to lieutenant colonel a few days later.
[1] Shortly after the oubreak of the war, the Junta de Extremadura promoted García Conde to Infantry brigadier, in July 1808 and to field marshal the following September.
[1][2] There, he was given command of the Reserve division, based at the recently appointed captain-general of Catalonia, Juan Miguel de Vives's newly established headquarters at Martorell, and which comprised 777 line infantry, 80 hussars and four cannon.
[2] On 25 February 1809, García Conde fought at the Battle of Valls and on 1 September that year, at the head of 4,000 troops and 500 horse, he successfully escorted a convoy of over a thousand mules laden with provisions, as well as a herd of cattle[3] into a besieged Gerona.