Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-05-31
Sketch Of IgnaeiO Agramonte.

Ignacio de Agramote, the Cuban gen
eral killed in late engagement, ives
born at Puerto Principe, in Cuba, of
highly respectable and well-to-do pa
rents, in the year 1913. Ee was sent,
while comparatively young, to Havana,
where he entered the University. He
passed a rigorous examination and was
admitted to practice as member of the
Havana bar. Fortune favored the young
lawyer with practice and renown. He
resolved to marry and did so. In the
early part of 1863 The revolution broke
out and Eoung Agramonte's pen and law
books were hastily discarded, and he
was one of the first to raise the lone star
banner of "free Cuba" and to com
mence carrying on a guerilla war, The
Spanish forces were not then as hardly
pushed as they are now, nor did The
Cuban patriots hold away on the same
extent Of territory they now do. Skin
mishes were almost an everyday occur
renee. Young Agramonte always in
sisted upon being in the front ranks,
and the contempt he appeared to have
for death was oftimes commented upon
by his comrades and the Spaniards, who
believed that he held charmed life.
The month of June, 1870, found the
young lawyer enjoying the position of
maior-general and also member of the
| Congress of the Republic OF Cuba from
the Central Department, and it is re-
lated thai Agramonte, by his eloquence
and logical powers, was absolutely able
to sway the minds of many of the older
Senators, who felt themselves entranced
with the young mans deep reasoning.
In addition to serving under the COM
mand of General Quesada, he also
fought with General Jordan.
While residing for some time in a
mountain fastness his young and beauti-
full wife gave birth TO a boy. Later on
she ma,nagedto escape from Cuba Libre
at her husbands entreaties, who feared
for her life, and came on to New York,
where she gave birth to'a second child.
She is now living at the city of Merida,
in Mexico.
Agramonte did great damage to the
Spaniards by means of his cavalry
corps, composed principally of farmers
and creole negroes, who We're we'll
mounted and rode like centaurs, This
corps Of flying artillery, under the COM
mand of Major General Agramonte,
decimated, it is reported, nine detach-
ments of Spanish cavalry numbering
each forty to seventy men. When Gen
eral Qdesada left Cuba Libre on Il mis-
sion to the United States for President
Cespedes, Agramonte was placed in
supreme military command of the Cen
trail Department. His name has been a
tower of strength amony the Cubans.
His companion in the commencement
of the struggle was his brother, who
fought with him, side by side. The
parents of Agramonte were forced to
fly the country on account of their
atfinities with the revolution. The
brother just alluded to sacrificed his
ambition to his duty and came on to
New York to support the family The
father soon fell victim to this rigorous
climate and died, and the mother be-
came, and is still, heartbroken. Her
son is now practising doctor and re-
sides in New York with his mother, two
sisters and brother. In concluding
this brief sketch an illustration of
Agramonte's character is given. On
one occasion at Havana, friend of his
was insulted by a Spanish major,
named Valero, and duel to the death
was agreed upon. Agramonte, being
a clever swordsman, wounded his adj
versary in his face and in his body, and
the loss of blood caused him to become
so weak that he could fight no longer.
Agramonte insisted that the duel should
terminate, instead of giving his oppo,
nent the coup de grace, which most men
in his place would have done.