GENERAL MAXIMO GOMEZ Y BAEZ - MANUSCRIPT LETTER SIGNED - HFSID 218085
Sale Price $845.00
Reg. $1,000.00
MAXIMO GOMEZ
The Dominican General pens a letter to friend Parraga referring to some war
affairs, revolutionary newspapers and his imprisonment
Manuscript Letter Signed: "Gomez" in iron gall ink. 11x8½. Fully
Translated in English: "Santo Domingo, January 12, 1886. Dr. J. M.
Parraga, New York. Dear Friend: I have happily read your letter from the 3rd of
last month, I don't know how you can complain for my silence because from both
Puerto Plata and this city I have written back to you responding to all the
letters I have received from you. I am extremely happy for the enthusiasm that
seems to have woken up in that emigration center that has to do, according to
what you tell me, to the interests of the revolution that hopefully can be
inaugurated. I believe that most of it has to do with your interest in
harmonizing all the dissolvent elements. I regret that you have to persist in
that kind of job, foremost because undoubtedly you can participate in future
destinies and secondly because it shows that between five or six thousand Cubans
that are in New York, or even two hundred, the men that want or can vigorously
help are just a few, putting that on top of our public affairs. Everything is
providence for us and I say so because the conduct that you say the Marquis of
Santa Lucia has been having, manifests the revolutionary uncertainty that
predominates in that town under domination of Spain. So, it is necessary that
all of you immediately get the marquis out who once back there would tell all
those men in my name and in the name of all generals that we are not men that
count the number of the enemies, that the glove has already been thrown and that
we will go to Cuba or die in the sea. Replying to your paragraph regarding our
newspapers, I will just tell you that I don't want anyone to talk to me about
those papers because they have announced my role in the press but haven't said
anything about my effort its goodwill, they ended killing my illusions and
respect for this position, because none of our newspapers has been able to
accentuate our politics in the way that I understand and explained it to them.
'La Republica' is not trustable anymore, almost anyone believes in its content
because it composes everything with the 'that pride'; neither of the others had
been able to make uprising politics. The steamboat that is carrying this letter
surely will also carry the news about my confinement in this capital, which will
be taken by Cubans as a grave. I should tell you the same I say Queralla, to not
be afraid and let the world bark, because pretty soon there is going to be a
printed paper with a very clear explanation about all these events. You and
other friends know very well that I always meet my commitments and leave my name
in a good status with the Cubans and Dominicans. I start to give determinant
orders to my subalterns, and they are the only ones who must know them. I have
included a small letter to General Queralla which you will put in his hands. As
always, your friend M. Gomez. The attached ones concretely to the hands of the
recipients." 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.), Dios 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 mailing folds. Toned and lightly soiled. 6½-inch and 5-inch separation
at center fold (almost fully separated). Envelope included. Very Fragile!
Otherwise, fine condition.
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