The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-12-23
POLITICAL.
MaceO.

The death of this extraordinary man
would not necessarily be fatal to the
insurgent cause. The rebels have left
two able generals in the commander-in-
chief, Gomez and Garcia, while new
leaders of Maceo's type may be devel-
oped. The movement for Cuban lib
erty was not born with Antonio Maceo,
and it would be surprising if it were to
die with him. The greatest of the in.
surgent leaders, Marti, was killed a.
most Immediately after the standard
of revolt was raised two years ago, yet
the war went on from one success to
another until the present. Maceo's ca
reer, however, shows how severe would
be his loss 10 Cuban arms. He is the
child of insurreclion. A youth of
twenty when the ten. years war broke
out in 1868, Antonio Maceo lived on
small plantation in eastern Cuba with
his parents, ten brothers and two sis
tiers. The Maceo children were mulat-
tos, part negro and part Spanish blood.
One day, after the war had waged some
time, the house was burned by Spanish
guerrilas, in the absence of the father
and eldest sons, and the mother and
smaller children were horribly treated.
The father then made his ten sons
VOW to take up their arms and never to
lay them down until Cuba should be
free. Twelve Maceos there were who
Joined General Gomez's forces early in
the ten. years. war, and all but two, An
tonic, the eldest, and Jose, the young
est, were killed or injured beyond hope
of recovery before peace was signed.
Jose was killed few months ago while
leading a charge, and if now Antonio
is really dead, all the Maceos have
finally died that Cuba might be free.
In the ten-years' war Antonio quickly
showed his genius in the charge. He
was very lion in attack. We cannot
follow him in detail through that strug-
gle, and it will suffice to Say that be
rose to be major-general and the most
feared of all the insurgent leaders. In
the ten years he received twenty-one
severe wounds, one of which was a
bullet wound through the lungs, and
almost fatal. When peace was signed
with Campos, Maceo proved an ire
concilable, and with his devoted fol-
lowing retreated to the mountains to
continue the fight to the bitter end
He was at last induced to leave the
island by General Campos, who placed
a special Spanish war ship at his dispo-
sal to convey him and his officers to
Jamaica. In 1879 it is said that he
reached New York and soon made his
way to West Point, where he was hired
at the military academy as hostler.
His purpose there, it appears, was to
pick up such knowledge of military tao
tics as he could from books and the
drills of the cadets. Then going to
Costa RIGA, Maceo settled among some
OF his old followers, and mainly occu-
pied his leisure in studying the art of
war. His attempt to start an insurrec-
tion in Cuba in 1888 was abortive, be-
cause he was still regarded with extreme
suspicion by the Spaniards, who raised
the cry, "Maceo has gone," as soon as
he disappeared from his home. He re.
turned to that island and possessed him.
self to work and wait. In February
1896, he heard that the Cubans had
risen again, and week later he landed
on the sever faithful isle" amid a
shower of Spanish bullets. He escaped
the initial onset, and soon raised his
standard under the very tree where he
had sheathed his sword seventeen years
before.
Maceo's career during the present
struggle has been as brilliant as it ha;
been phenomenal. The plan of in,
vasion across the whole length of the
island was Gomez's, but to the daring
courage and genius of Maceo, more
than to any one else, was its succt ssfuI
execution due. Let us refer to one OF
his battles with Campos to illustrate
his quality as military leader, This
was the engagement at Cbliseo, in one
of the central provinces of the island