The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-06-18
GEN ANTONIO. MVCEO.
CAREER OF THE vALIANT:SOL--
DER WHO DIED FCRCURA,
He Rose From the Ranks-Foueh mt Spain.
all Through the Ten Years War-Serv.d
as Hostler at West Point in order to OBJ
tain Military knowledge
CONTINUED FROM sECLNDCOL,)


,peaten man arrived In New York on one of The
Jamaica steamers. For a month crrmore he
lived acne, without other 'companionsh:p
than that OF books. 1t was Macao, and the
fire of liberty, still smoldering in his breast.
was only seeking favorable opportunity to
burst into flame.
In few months he made his way to West
Point, where he obtained employment as a
host.er. Nobody in the academy dreamed for
moment that the broad-sLculdered, dark
Drowned man who handled the horses so
easily had ever sme!led the smoke CT battle,
or heard the Song CT rife bu..ets
Maceo at West Point.
Day after day, On the parade grounds, the
taclturn man watched the evo.uticrs OF the
cadets. listened to the commands of the
officers, studied the discipline of the place.,
2ored over volumes q military tactics tha; he
lad managed t. borrow. aud added % his
natural genius the knowledge Of other great
Generals.
Then the dark-skinned hostler, who was
regarded as book mad, gave up his position
and returned to New York From New York
ne went to Costa RIGA, taking hundred or
more Welghty volumes with him. Some
wealthy Cubans had settled IN Costa f2ica
during the war, and they now offered Maceo
Z tract OF land on which to colonize his brave
followers.
Here for ten years the exiled Cuban worked
and studied and dreamed, and instructe. his
fellow veterans In the modern theories o.
war. At times he would lecture them At
other times he would give them practical
lessons in drilling and in cavalry eyolu.:ons.
With each day, each week, month, and year
his dream of the freedom of Cuba was brighter
than before. Never for moment did he seem
to forget the points of his purpose
III 1883, ten years after the close of the
war, ne began to scheme for another upr'cing
IN cuba. He took his former officers into his
confidence; and the little band OF revolution
ISIS spent almost yeyar in making D!acs
for the overthrow of Spain .
Finally Maceo sailed fer jamaica and from
Jamaica to- Santiago, de Cuba, disguised as
a laborer. Not for moment, however u.Ir-
Ing the entire ten years that had elapsed since
the war mad the Spanish government lost sight
OIL Maceo. The Spaniards knew him too We'll
=, Vain Attempt of 1883.
Consequently when re disappeared from
Costa R!ca there was nue and cry "Maceo
has gone,' was te.egraphed to Madrid. "Look
cut Tor Maceo,' was the word sent to Havana.
search was made throughout the island.
flna-ly the government got word of him
around Santiago. Under torture Cuban
e2nfessed that he had seen Maceo in Ell
Chrsto, disguised as a mu.eteer In the
meantime Maceo had become aware tina: his
whereabouts had been discovered. His
schemes were consequently frustrated
A fisherman who had fought under him
curing the long: war sailed with Maceo for
kingston one dark night in his fishing beat
For many weeks thereafter the Standards
searched in vain for tie Cuban leader.
Maceo return ed to Costa RIGA disa appointed.
out not discouraged. He saw plainly that
the revolutionary bal must be set rolling
by other hands than his. He entered into
correspondence with prominent Cuban sym
pathizers In American cities, and With Cen
eral Gomez in San Domingo. This was kept
up unit! local juntas were formed in almost
every prominent city in the United States
Then Maceo and his little band Of patriots
IN Costa Rica had nothing to do but possess
taeir souls In patience and wait for events.
The years between 1890 and 1895 were "a ssed
in hard work and in studying the possibilities
OF Cuba from military standpoint
One day In February, 1895, word came that
the Cubans had risen. Blood had been shed.
and Julio Sanguilly had been arrested and
imprisoned. At last! After, many years
here was an opportunity to strike once more
for Cuba Freedom-the dream Of lifetime
would come later on.
New Struggle for Freedom.
On the following day an emissary of the
spanish government asked Maceo, IT, he
intended to join the movement. Join
it? ne replied. Il shall join nothing" He
ola not thik 1t necessary to say that he had
joined 1t years ago. This is why the papers
nsned statement that Maceo was not iden-
tilted with the revolutionary movement in
Cuba. s,,s,'-
A. week later, Maceo, lis brother Jose, Flor
Crombet, Cabreco, and sixteen other yeter-
ans sailed from Costa Rica for San Domingo
slipped away for Cuba. They landed on the
morning of March 30, at point near Bara-
Goa, where many times in years gone by
Maceo had seen the fash Of machete and bay
onet.
True to the traditions of the place, hardly
had he touched his foot on Cuban soil before
Spanish rifles were cracking and bullets were
singing all about him. The force of Span
lards numbered about fifty. Maceo had with
him only nineteen men in addition to his
brother Jose, Crombet, and Cabreco. 81
There was running fight along the road
IN the direction Of an old loghouse, where
the Cubans finally took refuge In this skir-
mish Crombet was killed. In the log house,
surrounded. by Spaniards, the Cubans fought
Tor days. In the meantime word had been
sent out that Antonio Maceo had been cap
tured Immediately upon landing on the isl
and, and that Flor Crombet had been killed.
This was Maceo's first death during the
present war. s1~ ,s+ss. -'-t
On the night of the third day Maceo called
the men together and told them that their
only hope was in making rush for the
woods. The door had hardly been opened
ueioIo lne opaHAdTus discovered the move
ment. Then ensued fierce running fight, in
which several Of the Cubans were killed,
and Maceo received a bullet through his hat.
Separating from the rest Of his companions,
Maceo wandered through the painless forest
for two weeks, alone, living on plantains,
guavas, and other fruits. I'll
Again iR Arms for Cuba.
One day he stumbled upon the band of in
surgents led by Rabi. He was taken to the
hut occupied by the leader.
tWho are you?'' he was asked.
One who will fight to the death for Cuba
Mbre. was the reply.
Your name?"
Antonio Maceo."
At first Rabi was incredulous. When he
finally recognized in the haggard and hungry
man the dashing leader Of the ten years. war,
the Joy OF the insurgents was boundless. In
few days all his old-time vigor returned. He
was more Of leader than ever. His ten years
Of exile had only served to make him more
cautious and calculating. He knew that he
was better soldier than when he was ban
ished.
In fortnight he made his way to Guantana-
mo, to the spot where he had disbanded his
men years ago. The big tree was still stand
ing, taller and grayer with age, and rotted in
spots, but quite as sturdy as ever. Under this
tree he had sheathed Ills sword. Under it's
branches he once more drew 1t from It's scab-
bard against the Spanish oppressor.
4 In a few weeks he had recruited almost
thousand men. Starting out with this nucleus
o. "a q future army, he swept everything before
him. At Yateras, Filipinas, Jarabenca, and
Csisso the Spanish were put to rout.
Since then the history OF Antonio Maceo
has been printed from day to day In all the
great newspapers OF the world He utterly
the army Of Martinez CAmpoa