Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-20
THE LIFE HISTORY
OF Antonio Maceo, for the Seventh Title Reported
Dead.

tories far-reaching his losses slight. He
| tortured" the great Campos al Ramos
| slaughtered the combined forces OF cam
| pos and Valera at Monte Oscuro, utterly
routed a force of $500 Spaniards in the
| battle of Zarzal and at Santa Maria de
| GIalguin he charged and dismayed the
| Spanish line before the enemy could fire
| q shot. In the last named action CallXto
| Garcia was in command, and Maceo led
| the charge.
| About this time Antonio Maceo first
met his present enemy. CaptGen. Val
| eIiano Weyler Weyler had just been
| made % rlgadier-general, and was sent
against the brave Antonio at Guaimaro.
| The latter led the brigadier and his men
| into ravine trap and slaughtered the
! Spaniards like sheep. Weyler ran away,
| leaving 500 of his men slain. Soon there
| after Maceo attacked with great success
| the San Quentin battalion and won
| ajor-generalship. His promotion added
| fire to his ambition, and he fought many
| bloody fights a Baragua, at San Felipe,
| Sabana, Hato del Medic, Cayo Rey and
| Miranda. AT Cayo Rey Maceo was shot
through the lungs, but escaped and re-
| adopted new methods of hurting the
| Spaniards. His brother Jose had mean
| while grown up to manhood and joined
| Antonio. Between them they conducted
| q campaign that bled Spain to the heart
| They marched through the country and
| left ruin and desolation behind them.
| It has been this method that has caused
| Spain her deepest sorrow in the present
revolution.
In the midst of his wrecking expedition
Maceo was panied to learn that the Gu
ban leaders had signed a treaty of peace
with Spain. He refused to accept The sit
uation and conducted his rounds or de-
struction. But the backbone of the re-
bellion was broken, and Maceo consented
to put away his sword on condition that
Spain should furnish him and his officers
with q warship to carry him and his OFF,
GERS to jana lea. Gen. Campos accepted
the offer, and Maceo retired. But 1t was
| not to rest. His proud spirit was not
broken, and in his retirement he nurtured
his scheme of vengeance. He gave up
his whole tinae.to the study Of war. He
bought books of all kinds treating of war
and devoured them. After two months
residence at Jamaica he landed in New
York incognito. He made his way to
West Point and there became a hostler
No one dreamed that the ready and will
ing dark-skinned laboring man with the
burning eyes was the hero of the Span
ish revolution. The cadets liked him and
would have worshipped him had they
known his history. But he was secretly
the most attentive student at the acad-
envy and eagerly devoured all the books
the students gave him.
Leaving West Point, he returned to
New York and sailed for Costa Rica with
| a library of books about war For ten
years he studied and dreamed and trained
| his veteran companions. In 1888 he be-
| gan to plot the present revolution. Going
| to Santiago, disguised as muleteer, he
| was becoming active when Spain learned
! of his presence, and he was forced to
! fee. He returned to Costa Rica and
| there opened correspondence with the
! leading Cuban patriots in other parts
| of the world. Gen. Gomez, in San Do
| mingo, joined him, and in short time
! Cuban juntas were organized in almost
| all the big cities in the United States.
| Early in 1885 the plot matured, and the
news was flashed over the wires to all
parts of the earth that the Cubans had
| risen. Maceo was still in Costa Rica. In
February Antonio Maceo and his brother,
accompanied by sixteen veterans, sailed
| for Cuba. They landed near Baracoa,
| locality every foot of which was famil-
| lar to the general. They were intercepted
| by Spanish guerillas. and fought bravely
| for two days and nights. Some of the
| patriots were killed and Maceo was shot
! through the hat. He left his companions
and wandered off by himself. For two
| weeks he lived in the woods on a diet of
| plantains and other tropical fruit. One
day he stumbled on band of insurgents
| led by Rabi. Efe was captured and
brought before the leader.
| "Who are you?" he asked.
zone who will fight to death for Cuba
| libre" he replied.
| "Your rame?"
! Antonio Maceo."
| Rabi would not at first believe that the
| ragged and hungry tramp was the great
| chieftaiu but soon Maceo was recognized
and he was hailed with delight Within
| a few weeks Maceo had recruited an
army of 900 men and was once more on
| the track of the Spaniards. He met the
| forces of Spain at Yataras Filipinas,
| Cristo and Jarabenca and routed them. :
| Maceo has been the most striking figure
| in the revolution. Laughing at Weyler's
| trochas, he has desolated the island and
| has dyed its soil with the blood of the
| oppressors. He crossed the Canto river
and whipped Valdez at Chapana Hol-
| guin and Moscones. He pushed further
west and defeated Eschagne at Puerto
| Padre. Leaving a train of ruin behind
! him. he broke the troclla of Juearo, rout-
| ed the enemy at Maliiempo, Collsco, Paso
| Real and Co)imete, and at last won his
way into Pinar del Rio. Many times has
| ne been reported killed. only to be resur-
,