GENERAL JOSE MARCELINO (JOSE MARCELINO MACEO GRAJALES) MACEO GRAJALES - MANUSCRIPT DOCUMENT SIGNED 11/26/1895 - HFSID 218065

JOSE MARCELINO MACEO GRAJALES
The Cuban Major General writes an important message to Lieutenant Colonel Valeriano Hierreguedo informing him his decision of granting Sergeant Jose Pullis the rank of Sub Lieutenant
Manuscript Document Signed: "Jose Maceo" in iron gall ink. 8¾x6¼. Fully Translated in English: "To Lieutenant Colonel Valeriano Hierreguedo. Chief of the 1st Regiment Prado no. 29, where Colonels Juan Madrigal and Saturnino Mayeta have been missed. On this date I have decided to confer the rank of Sub Lieutenant to 1st Sergeant Jose Pullis, whose credential I have included so it can be delivered to him. I communicate you this for your knowledge and appropriate purposes. Fatherland and Liberty. November 26, 1895. Major General Jose Maceo." Jose Marcelino Maceo Grajales (1849-1896) was a liberal revolutionary who participated in the three wars for the independence of Cuba and was the brother of Major General Antonio Maceo Grajales. During the Ten Years War he fought in Ti, Jiguani, El Cobre, El Cristo, Mayari, El Salado, Majaguabo Arriba, Maniabon, Baitiquiri, San Agustin de Aguaras, El Mijial, Pinalito, Songuito, Hondon de Majaguabo, Ti Arriba, Barajagua, Nuevo Mundo, La Gloria, El Ermitano, San Juan, Pilotos and El Quemado. He joined the forces of Major General Maximo Gomez and invaded Guantanamo in 1871. Maceo Grajales also fought in Loma de La Galleta and La Estacada, Cafetal de La Indiana, Tiguabos, Redonjon de Baguanos, El Rayo and El Zarzal. On June 20, 1873 he was named Chief of 1st Guantanamo Battalion Infantry Regiment and participated in the combat of El Purial and in the attack to Manzanillo. In February of that year he joined the contingent organized by Gomez in order to invade Las Villas and was present in the combats of Naranjo-Mojacasabe, Las Guasimas, Cascorro, Tibisi and Arroyo Hondo, among others. On September 30, 1874 he returned to the Orient, and with his brother Antonio, was given the title of Chief of Santiago Battalion Infantry Regiment. Jose Maceo was firmly against the sedition of Lagunas de Varona in April 26, 1875. On May of that year he got in charge of the Guantanamo Battalion Infantry Regiment and had a brilliant performance during the combats of Minas, San German, Mandinga, La Sabana, Montecristo, Cantillo, Gran Tierra and Mesa Grande. During the first days of January, 1876, he was named Chief of Santiago Cavalry Regiment, with which he assaulted the fort of Arroyo Plata and ended that year fighting in Pinar Redondo and Sabana del Burro. In 1878 Jose Maceo was present in the combats of Llanada de Juan Mulato and Tibisial, when other Cubans were gestating the Pacto del Zanjon, and was also one of the main figures in the Protest of Baragua. After his brother Antonio took off to Jamaica on May 9. 1878, he remained in the zone of Palma Soriano until June 4, 1878, when he deposed the arms in San Luis. During this Ten Years War he received the following raises: to Cape, January 11, 1869; Sargent, May 1869; Tenant, by the end of 1870: Captain, January 24, 1871; Commander, March 10, 1872; Lieutenant Colonel, June 20, 1873. On March 17, 1878 the Baragua provisional government conferred him the rank of Colonel, with seniority of November 1, 1876.In the streets of Santiago de Cuba, Jose Marcelino, along with Guillermon Moncada and Quintin Bandera, gave the cry of "Viva Cuba Libre" on August 26, 1879, starting the Guerra Chiquita (Little War) in the southeast side. For more tan ten months he had a lot of important activities against the enemy, such as the attack to Peladero, the action of The Great Stone on December 12, 1879, where he defeated the Madrid Battalion, and also the encounter in Alto de Boqueron and the battle of Arroyo de Agua on March. 1880. Jose Marcelino was elevated to the rank of Brigade General. Facing the sterility of continuing the fight and besieged by the enemy, he found himself obligated to agree with the Confluentes agreement so he deposed the arms with the condition that he and his fellows were allowed to leave the country. On June 4, 1880 Maceo Grajales embarked in Guatanamo to Jamaica , and once in high seas, he was made prisoner by a Spanish gunner and taken to Puerto Rico where Marcelino spent six weeks before been sent to the Chafarinas islands. Two years later he was moved to the Ceuta prisons, but he managed to escape during a stop in Cadiz and took a boat to Tanger, Marruecos, where he obtained the permit of the United States consul to enter that country. However, when the boat made a stop in the Penon de Gibraltar, the police chief of that place (who had been suborned by the Spanish consul) surrendered him to the Spanish authorities. They took Marcelino to Algeciras and from there to the castle of El Hacho, in Ceuta. Later, he was incarcerated in the prisons of Pamplona and La Estrella. On July 1884, he was moved into the castle of La Mola, in Mahon, from where he escaped to Argelia in 1884. After passing by France, United States and Jamaica, he traveled to Panama to meet with Antonio in December, 1886. Wishing to participate in the Guerra del 95 (War of 95) he and his brother joined the expedition of the schooner Honor, that under the order of Major General Flor Crombet landed in Duaba, Baracoa in 1895; and after an encounter with an ambush from the combats in La Alegria, the expeditionaries were dispersed and Jose Marcelino, Flor and other four were persecuted in the woods. He later combated the Spaniards in Arroyo Hondo and was ascended to Major General. After the battle of Jobito on May 13, 1895, he was in charge of the Moncada and Crombet regiments, initializing the formation of the first division, which leadership he assumed. The next combats were the ones in Santa Fe, La Esperanza, Santa Rosa, Yateras, La Soledad, Santa Lucia, San Andres, Loma de la Cruz, Santa Rosa, Baconao, Guantanamo, Casa Soto, El Desierto, La Galleta, Santa Rita de Burenes, Sao del Indio and Jobito again. His brother Antonio granted him with the responsibility of the first and second forces of the oriental province and in 1896 he fought in La Curia, Maibio, Sagua de Tanamo, Altos de Ampudia and Arroyito. In April, the Government Council named Major General Mayia Rodriguez as Chief of the Oriental Department, however, Jose Marcelino denied giving him that title without an express order of the Chief General. After that, Maceo Grajales remained in charge of the province until the end of May, when Major General Calixto Garcia occupied the position, leaving Jose as Chief of the first force and even he tried to resign to it his resignation was not accepted. He later successfully fought in Triunfo, Cauto Abajo, Altos de Santiago and El Caney. Jose Marcelino was seriously wounded in the battle of Loma del Gato on July 5, 1896 and shortly after died in Soledad de Ti Arriba. His battle fellows hid his corpse so the Spanish could not profane it. Multiple mailing folds. Soiled, toned and worn. Edges lightly frayed. Tackhead-size holes at blank spaces. 5-inch separation at lower fold. Tape residue and glued paper strips on verso. Otherwise, fine condition.