San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-01-18
TO AVENGE MACE0.
THAT is WHAT SPURS THE POOR
CUBARs BRAVELY ON.
A Letter Received From Colonel Her.
nandez Giving an Account of
Maceo's Tragic Death.

New York, Jan, 1S-A special to the
Herald from Jacksonville, Fla, says:
The question Of Maceo's death now
seems fully decided. ]. A. Haua, the
Florida Cuban agent has just received
a letter from Col Andreas Hernandez,
who commanded the Cuban attach
ment that went to reinforce Maceo's
army The letter says:
The greatest desire of our enemy
is to make you fellows in the United
States think that the province Of Pinar
Del Rio and Havana are without in
surgents and in fair way to be paci-
fed. But this is wrong, without a
word of truth in it. Aye, the only pac-
ification we offer is the liberty gained
by our trusty machetes.
December T. will be the day that we
will never forget, for it was then we
suffered agreat misfortune in the trag-
ic death, (by ambush) of our noble
Maceo. This is the greatest misfor-
tune we have suffered since the war
But it only encourages us to fight
the harder and avenge his death.
Cuba Libra is the only spot we
have known. We We're camping near
the fight that day and heard the firing.
Maceo came across the trocha I'M
known TO US with about 40 men. More
than 1,500 Spaniards, who had been in
formed of his trip, ambushed him. He
rode into it and was shot at the first
fire.
We heard the firing and thinking
that some of our friends were attacked
by Spanish guerrillas, started off at
once to their aid, though we had but 400
men. When we reached the field of
battle it was mostly over and then we
were told that Maceo was dead and
the enemy had his body tied to a
horses tail and We're taking it of.
our men were perfectly frantic over
the report and begged to be led against
the Spaniards. We dashed forward
with drawn machetes and what a fight
chat madeI The Spaniards met us and
the encounter was horrible. Our men
fought to kill, only bent on avenging
MaceO. Our trusty and sharp machtes
fell with regularity and I think we
killed more than 200 of the enemy and
what is more we had the consolation
of recovering the body of our beloved
leader, MaCeO.
The Spaniards fought hard to re-
gain it, charged us repeatedly, but our
sharp macheteS were too much for
them and they retreated. Our little
force suffered terribly. Our cavalry,
which went in eighty strong, came out
with only twenty-five men and the in
fantry suffered almost in the same pro-
portion. But for all that, we were con-
soled by the fact that our brave broth
ers gave up all their lives in a good
cause and to save the body of our la
mented Maceo from the dissertation
that the Spaniards would have in-flict-
ed.
We buried the body in a secret and
secure place. Only myself and few
selected men and officers know the To-
cation. In due time it will be made
public. II known now the murderous
Spaniards would try to get it and pa
rade it to show their great triumph.
Poor Maceo sleeps in peace, but his
brothers remain to avenge him and
that they are doing daily. l have a
good many important things to tell
YOU in connection with this, but l
don't dare to put them in this as l am
not positive that the letter will get
through safely.
"ANDREAS HERNANDEZ.
Lieutenant Colonel, commanding De-
partment of Havana, near Havana.