Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-12-31
MADE SPLENDID WAR RECORD
The Military Career of the Late
Antonio Maceo.
A MAN Of DAUNTLESS COURAGE
Never Ceased to Dream of Gu
vs. \ ban Liberty.
New York Herald.


New York Herald. .
With the death of Antonio Maceo Cuba
loses the last fighting member of a family
who have devoted their lives and fortunes
TO the cause of freedom.
Other Maceo's yet live; Felipe and
Tomas. the two surviving brothers of the
dead general. are helpless cripples in Costa
Rica. They were wounded in the ten
years war. MaceO's wife is with them,
and there is said to be ten-year-old son.
going to school in New Orleans.
Since the days when as boy Maceo
drove mules to Baracoa for his father, he
dreamed and plotted for Cuban freedom.
He was soldier by birth-a born gueril-
lero. He and his small brothers ambushed
each other in play in the canefields about
the little family plantation at Barajagua.
Later on, when the troops of Spain
burned the. houses and ill-treated the
women Of the family, every one of the
boys who was old enough to understand
the tragedy sharpencd his machete and fol-
lowed his father to.waf. Brother after
brother was killed in battle or so badly
wounded that they were obliged to leave
the island.
Finally, only Antonio and Jose were
left. Side by side they fought ont the ten
years war, laying down their arms only
when further resistance was useless.
Slowly and by degrees during this long
conflict Maceo acquired the knowledge
Of war which has made him famous.
Gomez taught me all | know" said
Maceo. after the desperate battle of Nal
TEMPO. when he was being congfatu-
lated by his officers This assertion, while
coming from the depths of his heart. was
not exactly true. Military genius is quite
as much the result of birth as of training.
His courage was dauntless. Six months
after he had joined Gomez in 1868. that
willy old man heard one day in desperate
conflict a clarion voice shouting the cry
that has since heen heard month by month
and year by year in the Spanish wars with
Cuba:
"Al machete! Al maehete!"
After the fight Gomez. sitting in his
palm matched hut, sent for the big private
The latter walked up in charge of a guard
and saluted. Your name, senorT'
Antonio Maceo"
"Bucno! You mean Sergeant Maceo.
You were mistaken. Adios!"
That was all. A month later he was a
lieutenant Then he rose rapidly through
the rank of captain to that of major.
More fighting followed, and it was not
long before Maceo, with his devoted fol-
lowers, had driven the Spaniards pell-mell
into Santiago. Gomez had his eye upon
the helligerent cavalryman and made him
d colonel.
Then came a brush with Martinez Cam
pos at Ramos. That able general held his
.,,,I Ia,I,t al, AZ.
every day for month. l.a, g.
For his losses in these battles Valma-
ceda called Campos to task. $50
Does your Excellency suppose" re-
piled Campos that these Cubans use
cotton bullets" Campos was so offended
at the reprimand thatohe went back to
Spain in a huff. H .l
Maceo, being now leader of men, was
in his element. He was careful of the
lives of his followers, as good military
officer should he, but he would not hesitate
to sacrifice forty out of fifty if with the
surviving ten he could gain material
advantage. "The bravest are the tender
est" says the poet. Maeeo combined JUS
tice with tenderness. Derelietions from
duty We're punished severely. Sometimes
the recreant soldiers were hanged, some
| times they were shot.
| Yet many time Maceo had sat up half
| the night helping the rude surgeons of the
Cuban army to bind up the injuries of the
wounded.
Maceo himself suffered from innumer-
| able wounds. He was slashed badly with
a machetc at Une Vitas. He was sho,
through the shoulder ut Nueyo Mundo
where his brother Miguel was killed. Al
San Domingo he received bad slash over
the head. AT Monte Oscuro his horse was
shot under him and he was wounded in the
leg. At Zarzal he was knocked insen-
sible by bullet which glanced from his
belt buckle.
He met General Weyler for the first
| time in the battle of Guaimare, in 1873
| The Spaniard was defeated. leaving five
hundred dead on the field. In this battle
for wonder, Macrn escaped scot free
For his brilliant work in this battle Macco
was made major-general. Later on thu
| Cuban leader was wounded in the arm in
the battle of San Felipe. He received
another slash in the head at the battle OF
Hato del Medic.
He hardly recovered from these hurts
| before he engaged in the battle of Cayo
Rey In the midst of the fight he rushed
forward to engage the Spanish commander
| III lIi;teuete commit.
Scarcely twenty yards separated the
men when Maceo fell to the ground, shot
through the lungs Colonel Pachecc
caught him as he fell and carried him
away at the peril of his life. For three
months thereafter, in the rude mountain
hospitals of the Cubans, Macco fought q
grim battle with death. He finally 70,
covered, and in company with his brother
Jose, he carried fire aud sword into San
tiago Province. He was still fighting
when the other Cuban leaders met al
Ianzon and signed a treaty of peace witt
Spain.
Maceo fought three months longer AM
then surrendered. He was sent to Ccuta
from which place he escaped and went IL
Costa Rica. Hero he settled down anC
began to cultivate plantation, which h,
had purchased.
Never for n moment did he cease I,
dream of Cuban liberty. He attempted II
foment another uprising in 1885, but i
was discovered and nipped in the bud
When he sailed from Costa Rica to pm
this scheme on foot the Spanish agents
telegraphed to Madrid: "Maceo has dis
appeared. Look out for him."
Maceo had landed in Santiago de Cnb,
in the meantime, but, being discovered
was forced to flee to Kingston in an opel
boat. He then returned to Costa Rica
where he frctted and fuIned until the pres
cnt revolution was inaugurated. in 1885.
week after hearing news of the up
rising Maceo, his brother Jose. Flor Crom
pet, Cabrec0 and sixteen other veterans
smiled from Costa Bica for San Domingo
4, 4.