LT. GENERAL ANTONIO MACEO GRAJALES - MANUSCRIPT DOCUMENT SIGNED - HFSID 218078

ANTONIO MACEO
The Cuban Revolutionary announces the promotion to Ensign of Sergeant Leonardo Fuentes.
Manuscript Document Signed: "A. Maceo" in iron gall ink. 8½x6¼. Fully Translated in English: "Republic of Cuba. Liberation Army. Chief of Department. After hearing the proposal of General Barracks the Chief General has granted the rank of Ensign to 1st. sergeant Leonardo Fuentes due to his services to the cause of independence. And I issue this letter so he can use it as a credential. Fatherland and Liberty. Francisco, September 29, 1896. The General Lieutenant A. Maceo." Lieutenant general Antonio Maceo (1845-1896) was second-in-command of Cuba's Army of Independence, and as so one of the most noteworthy guerrilla leaders of nineteenth-century in Latin America. The son of a Venezuelan mulatto and an Afro-Cuban woman, Maceo began his fight for Cuban liberation by enlisting in the army in 1868 at the beginning of the Ten Years War; within five years he had been promoted to the rank of general due to his bravery and strategic prowess. Although most believed that Cuba could not defeat Spain, Maceo refused to surrender without independence and the abolition of slavery, ultimately being forced to leave Cuba. He returned when the war with Spain began again, and is best remembered for his invasion into Western Cuba when his troops (Afro-Cuban soldiers on horseback) covered more than 1,000 miles in 92 days and fought the enemy in 27 separate encounters. On December 7, 1896 Maceo was captured and killed as he attempted to aid Maximo Gomez' forces, and his death prompted yet another congressional resolution for belligerent rights for Cuba. Sealed. ½-inch tear at upper margin. Multiple mailing folds. Heavily worn and soiled. Otherwise, fine condition.