The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-26

General Mario G. Menocal-From a
Sketch Drawn By Himself On the
Battlefield.
the part of the enemy. Americans now
know what kind of a fight Spaniards
can make when placed behind en-
trenchments and Notifications. At
GuaymarO, after the outer defenSeS had
been abandoned, a massive stone ca
thedral in the center of the place.
heavily garrisoned by men, who kept
up a mercileSS fire from the long, mar
minarets and belfries, promised to be
almost impregnable. The insurgents
had fought their way into the city,
but to approach within range of this
fortified church was simply sure death.
While this citadel remained in the
hands of the Spaniards, the capture of
Guaymaro was impossible.
RAN WITH A TORPEDO.
In this emergency Menocal came to
the rescue. Under a heavy fire, en-
numbered with a torpedo of dynamite,
he made his way where possible along
protecting walls. Where shelter could
not be found he dashed across the
open from house to house, but with
each step approaching nearer to the
church, from which came perfect
hailstorm of bullets. Had one of them
but touched the explosive he carried
in his arms, Menocal would have been
blown into eternity. Watching his
chance little by little, slowly but sure
ly. he neared the cathedral. One last
dash and he gained the shelter of the
edifice itself, placed the bomb under
the edge of the great stone wall, and
in an instant was away again. From
a protected point fifty yards distant he
seized the rife of companion and
sent a bullet into the dynamite.
The explosion which followed tore
out the entire end of the cathedral,
whereupon the garrison hauled down
the Spanish flag, surrendered to Cen
eral Garcia, and Guaymaro became
henceforth the city of Cuba Libre.
The courage of the Cuban has been
not only questioned, but at times abso-
lutely denied, but / have reason to be-
lieve that. even our brave Colonel
Roosevelt or Lieutenant Hobson might
have hesitated a moment before offer
ing to carry twenty-five pounds of dy-
Mantle UP San Juan hill on July l.
For this heroic deed Colonel Menocal
was made a brigadier general
THE COURAGE OF A CUBAN.
III
the attack on Victoria de las TunaS.
Slowly but surely the Cuban lines en-
veloped the Spanish stronghold. On
the morning of the third day the dyna-
mite gun, under the direction of Artistic
Portuonda, was brought up to posi-
ton where it could be rendered effect
i've. Several shots from it struck the
base and sides of a stone fort which
was the key to the city's defenseS, and
at last a shot penetrated the roof; the
effect of the explosion which followed
was marvellous The walls of the fort
simply bulged outward and the struc
ture collapsed; nearly every man with
in or near was instantly killed. Con-
sternation and terror momentarily
overwhelmed the Spanish forces. Brig
adler Menocal saw his opportunity.
Without waiting to consult his general.
at the head of his brigade, he immedi-
ately charged and carried the enemy 6
trenches, and before the Spaniards
could recover from their surprise Vic
toria de las Tunas was in the hands of
the Cuban forces, there to remain. For
this gallant action Menocal was made
a general of division
Not long before our late unpleasant
ness with Spain resulted in war Gen
eral Menocal was sent to the west and
placed in command of the insurgent
forces of Havana province. 1t was
thought at that time that we would
be compelled to take Havana by storm
and Menocal was selected as one of the
ablest Cuban officers in the anticipated
attack.
Up to the time of his appointment as
chief of Havana police General Memo
cal was stationed at Marianao, where
the excellent influence which he exer-
cised over the men in his command won
the admiration of General Brooke and
the entire staff of American officers in
Havana. 1t is needless to say that he is
loved in his native city, where his fam
lily have held high social position fo1
more than century.
EDUCATED IN NEW YORK.
Mario Menocal was sent from Cuba
to this country to be educated when
only 16 He remained in New York
eight years, and was graduated with
high honors from Cornell university as
a civil, mining and military engineer
A little before the breaking out of the
last revolution he returned to Havana
where General Martinez Campos or
dered him to proceed as an engineer tc
Porto Principe to give color to the pro-
posed construction of a railroad from
the latter city to Santa Cruz on the
south coast. This proposition was in
tended to pacify the people of that PROV
ince and prevent them from joining the
revolt. But no sooner did General Max
limo Gomez cross the line from Oriente
into Camaguey than Menocal dropped
his quadrant. shouldered his rifle anG
presented himself to the commander Cd
the insurgent forces. General Gomez
Immediately placed him on his staff as
a lieutenant, and soon promoted him te
the rank of captain for bravery anC
ability displayed at the battles of Alta.
gracia and Mulato, which took place il
the summer of 49, and afterwards made
him a communicate, or major
In such high esteem were MenocaTs
services held that he was elected as.
sistant secretary of war by the Cubar
! assembly, which met in the followins
September. The young officer, however
preferred the more active duties of the
field, and in the spring of 96 he wa.