The evening bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1887-1905, 1896-04-18
LIVE AND DIE FOR CUBA
Fair Patriots Offer Themselves
on Liberty's Altar.
''THE WAR ANGEL OF AYOLETA."

Slain In Battle While Fighting Side by
Side with Rebel Soldiers-How Cuban
Girls In Florida Raise Money For the
Cause.
High on the roll of Cuba's noblest,
bravest heroines stands the name of Ma
tilda Agramonte Varona, who was killed
in battle the other day, fighting in the
ranks side by side with rebel soldiers. She
was daughter of two of the great fam
lilies of Cuba, heiress to the fame and ira
ditions of two old names Of Spain and to
the remnant Of fortune that was once
one of the largest in the rich island. For
generations the men of her name have
fought the mother country. Every rebel
lion has found Agramontes and Varonas
under the banner of Cuba Libre Her ia
Their and brother gave up their lives in
the ten years war. Her remaining broth
ers and her unCles enlisted under General
Maceo and left her alone on the plantation
in Puerto Principe, the only property left
of the vast estate.
She went to visit friends in neighbor-
ing town, and ON her return she found the
family residence burned, the cane gone,
the servants murdered or scattered. A
Spanish guerrilla had crossed there and
destroyed the place. There was no place
for the girl to go, so she asked the first
band of rebels that passed that way to take
her with them to Maceo's camp. Once
there she asked to be enlisted as soldier.
The chief at first refused, but her brothers
and uncles told him she would starve 9TH
erwise, and he relentcd and enrolled her.
She saw only one BATTLE
At Ayoleta, near the town of Quemado
de Guines, the advance of q strong Span
ish column overlook Maceo's command.
The rebels were hopelessly outnumbered,
and q battle meant a catastrophe. Maceo
was on his way to meet the Bermuda, and
two-thirds of his men were to be armed
with the weapons she brought. He called
for volunteers to face the Spanish army
and delay their march so that the re-
mainder of the column could escape. The
first to step forward in answer to the call
were the Cuban girl, her brothers and I'M
cles. They knew that the service meant
death, but they went, and the girl stood
shoulder to shoulder with the other volun
teers and fired until she fell. The Span
iards saw she was woman and called on
her to surrender. "Primero muero" she
answered. "Viva Cuba librol'
She fell dead, with dozen wounds and
now the Cubans speak of her as 1.-THE War
Angel of Ayoleta."
1t is not given to all the heroines of
Cuba to die as did "The War Angel of Ago
leta," but hundreds of pretty little Cuban
senoritas in this country by the toll of
their dimpled hands are playing no in
considerable part in carrying on the war
for the freedom of their native land.
There is not Cuban colony of dozen
households in this republic, whether in the
great cities or in the towns and villages
along the south Atlantic and gulf states,
but there is to be found a club or society
formed of girls of Cuban parentage for the
purpose of raising funds for the cause of
Cuba. Their names have not appeared in
print, nor have their valiant services been
given publicity or received that NEED of
praise they so richly merit, but they have
simply gono about their labor, with their
needles, around the fireside, making little
articles for sale, or giving their entertain
ments or bazaars, singing their songs and
dancing with their castanets to raise
money to be sent to the wounded insur-
gents who fell in battle on the unhappy
island.
There Is world or interest In the story
which tells of their shining deeds, just as
there have always been fascination and
charm to the part woman played in war.
There is a pleasing glamour of romance
lowering over the memory of the la,e war
between the states that historians hands
have never pictured, and that is the story
of woman's loyal love for the blue and
womans prayerful faith in the gray.
How the women of the north and the
women of the south toiled at home for the
cause Of the two opposing armies-how,
with the infinite fervor of their souls, they
went about the task of administering COM
fort to the sick and wounded-can never be
fully known till the record of noble deeds
is read beyond the skies.
So with these patriotic little senoritas
who far from their island home are toiling
to earn money to buy food and clothing
for the army that Is battling for the free
dom of Cuba.
Down along the Florida coast there are
large settlements of Cubans. In Pensa-
cola, Tampa and Key West the population
is largely made up of settlers who came to
this country from the island with the in