GENERAL MAXIMO GOMEZ Y BAEZ - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 06/11/1897 - HFSID 218089
Sale Price $925.00
Reg. $1,100.00
MAXIMO GOMEZ
The Major General pens a letter to Colonel Jose Gonzalez referring to
the enemies actions and informing that he will send him war provisions, such as
bullets and money.
Autograph Letter Signed: "Gomez" in iron gall ink. 9x6½.
Fully Translated in English: "Colonel Jose Gonzalez Calunga. Colonel,
I received your letter from the 6th of this month in which you tell me about the
movements of the enemies in the gaining of their operations and the hostile
duties made by their forces. The General Barrack is very pleased for your
efforts and wishing you all glories, I say good bye. La Demajagua, Junio 11,
1897. The Chief General, M. Gomez. I send you 300 bullets that I had here, I
will send you more later among with some money so you can pay off the suits
which cost I think was 150 cents. That way the speakers will have more benefits
and work properly because you know well that the gold key opens all doors.
Gomez." Dominican Major General Maximo Gomez y Baez (1836-1905) was
initially trained as an officer of the Spanish Army at the Zaragoza Military
Academy, originally arriving in Cuba as a cavalry Captain in the Spanish Army
before taking up the rebel cause in 1968. Gomez famously helped transform
the Cuban Army's military tactics and strategy, teaching the guerrilla
independence fighters, the Mambises, their most feared tactic: the "Machete
Charge". Gomez worked odd military jobs for the next couple decades: he
became involved with the independence of Puerto Rico when he sold most of his
possessions to finance a revolution, even volunteering to lead troops (later
deemed unnecessary when Spain intervened), as well as was promoted to General of
the Cuban army, improving the military's guerrilla tactics most effective
against the traditional Spanish forces. The Spanish-American War, the result of
the United States interfering in the Cuban War of Independence, forced Cuba to
decide if they should choose heritage over their New World partners (Spain vs.
U.S.)He decided to fight solely for his adopted country's independence; he
lost his most trusted officer Antonio Maceo, and his son Francisco Gomez in the
war in 1896, but by 1898 Cuba had obtained independence and Gomez was offered
the presidential nomination, but he refused due to his Dominican heritage.
By that time his was 75 years old, having spent half his life dedicated to the
liberation of Cuba, and he died in Havana in 1905. Multiple worn mailing folds.
Moldy. Pinhead-size hole at lower left fold. Toned and soiled. Right edge
torned. Otherwise, fine condition.
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