Antonio Maceo Grajales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lt. General Antonio de la Caridad Maceo y Grajales (June 14, 1848—December 7, 1896) was second-in-command of the Cuban Army of Independence (Ejercito Libertador or Ejercito Mambi).
Given the sobriquet of the "Bronze Titan" ("El Titan de Bronce") by Cubans after his death - a reference to his skin coloration, and stature and status respectively - and by Spaniards during his life of the "Lion" ("El Leon"), Maceo was one of the outstanding Guerrilla leaders in 19th century Latin America, easily comparable to José Antonio Páez of Venezuela.
Contents |
[edit] Early life and wars
Maceo was the son of a Venezuelan mulatto farmer and dealer in agricultural products, Marcos Maceo and an Afro-Cuban woman, Mariana Grajales y Coello. His father moved from Caracas, Venezuela to Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, in 1823, after some of his comrades were exiled from South America.
At age sixteen Maceo went to work for his father, delivering produce and supplies by mule. He was a successful entrepreneur and farmer and later an outstanding general. Maceo developed an active interest in the political issues of the time. As the oldest of the children, he inherited his father's leadership qualities. He sufferred 27 bullet wounds during his campaigns, the last two ending his life.
Approximately two weeks after the October 10, 1868 revolt by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes against Spain known as the "Cry of Yara" ("Grito de Yara"), Maceo and his brothers joined the war. Maceo enlisted as a Private when the "Ten Years' War" ("Güerra de los Diez Años") (1868-1878) began. Within five months, Maceo was promoted to Commander (or Major), and within a matter of weeks after that he was again promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
Later a promotion to Colonel followed, and five years later he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General because of his bravery and ability to outmaneuver the Spanish Army. Maceo participated in over 500 battles.
In 1878 most of the Cuban generals believed that they could not defeat the Spaniards and were ready to come to terms. Maceo, by then a Major General, was unwilling to surrender without winning Cuban independence and the abolition of slavery.
He met with Spanish Captain General Arsenio Martínez de Campos y Antón on March 15, 1878, to discuss the terms offered under the "Pact of Zanjón" ("Pacto de Zanjón") . Although the terms provided for Cuban autonomy and an end to slavery, he refused the terms offered declaring them insufficient and remonstrated against them in the "Protest of Baraguá" ("Protesta de Baraguá").
Maceo fled Cuba knowing he could not and would not submit to Spanish rule. In New York, Maceo planned another invasion of Cuba with Major General Calixto García y Iñigues, resulting in the "Small War" ("La Güerra Chiquita") (1879-1880).
[edit] Cuban War of Independence
He returned to Cuba when war with Spain began again in 1895. He was promoted to the rank of Lt. General in order to establish his seniority as been above any other Major General and was once again second-in-command under General of the Army (or General or Generalissimo) Máximo Gómez y Báez, who had himself also just been promoted from Army General for similar reasons (while avoiding formally using the politically charged rank of Captain General).
His most famous campaign in the Cuban "War of Independence" ("Güerra de la Independencia") (1895-1898) was his invasion of Western Cuba when his troops, mostly Afro-Cubans on foot and horseback, covered more than 1,000 miles in 92 days and fought the enemy in 27 separate encounters. The level of coordination and cohesiveness was driven by the fact that Máximo Gómez had clearly established a chain of command that subordinated all Major Generals to Maceo, his executive officer.
The invasion of Western Cuba had been previously attempted by Brigadier General Henry Reeve during the Ten Years' War but faltered (and collapsed) between the easternmost section of the province of Matanzas and the westernmost section of the province of Havana and Reeve perished. At the time Maceo had collaborated with Reeve under the direction of Máximo Gómez.
The second time around Maceo as the chief tactician of the war and Máximo Gómez as the chief strategist were more successful in creating a coordinated and cohesive front but while the invasion had not faltered, it had slowed to a crawl between the easternmost section of the province of Havana and the westernmost section of the province of Pinar del Rio.
Spanish Captain General Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau pursued Maceo vigorously if only to curtail his destruction of the Cuban Sugar Cane Industry. On December 7, 1896, Maceo was killed- the results of wounds 26 and 27—as he attempted to rejoin Máximo Gómez's forces for necessary consultation.
[edit] Legacy
Maceo was quoted as having a strict motto; "My duties to country and to my own political convictions are above all human effort; with these I shall reach the pedestal of freedom or I shall perish fighting for my country's redemption." (November 3, 1890).
A portrait of Maceo graces the 5 pesos bills in Cuban currency.
[edit] External links
- Excerpt about Antonio Maceo from History of Negro soldiers in the Spanish-American War, and other items of interest. published 1899, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
