Battle of Dos Ríos

Battle of Dos Rios
Part of Cuban War of Independence
Date19 May 1895
Location
Dos Rios, Cuba
Result See main text
Belligerents
Cuba Spain
Commanders and leaders
Máximo Gómez
José Martí †		 Col. Sandoval,
Col. Salvador Arizón (WIA)
Strength
700 Unknown
Casualties and losses
1-14 killed, at least 1 wounded 5-7 killed, 7 wounded

The Battle of Dos Ríos was fought in Cuba during its war of independence from Spain. It was a rearguard action fought by the Cuban Liberation Army against Spanish forces, which allowed the rebels to escape to the west of the island. Casualty figures vary but on the rebel side included revolutionary leader José Martí.

Battle

The battle was fought at Dos Ríos (near Palma Soriano) near to the confluence of the Contramaestre and Cauto rivers. It was a rearguard action by the Cuban Liberation Army against the pursuing Spanish forces near to the start of the Cuban War of Independence. [1][2] The Liberation Army escaped and, under the command of Antonio Maceo, went on to enjoy success against the Spaniards in the west of the island, until the Spanish garrison was reinforced.[3] Rebel leader Máximo Gómez recorded in his diary that his men inflicted seven casualties on the Spanish while suffering only one loss in return, that of revolutionary José Martí. This count has been regarded as correct by independent observers at the time and by later historians. The Spanish commander Colonel Ximinez de Sandoval claimed that, besides Marti, his men killed 14 rebels and wounded many more, while he lost 5 men killed and 7 wounded. Casualty counts from all known witnesses range from 1-14 killed on the rebel side and 5-7 on the Spanish.[4] Gomez was also wounded in the action.[5]

Death of Marti

Marti's death came when he was charging fruitlessly against the Spanish forces.[1] Marti had disregarded orders from Gómez to avoid the front line, and was struck by three bullets.[6] According to comrades he rode a white horse at the front of his troops and his body was subsequently mutilated by the Spanish soldiers.[7] An attempt to recover Martí's body was made by the rebels but the Spanish forces were too strong. Spanish forces buried José Martí; the body was subsequently exhumed and reburied with an elaborate funeral in Santiago de Cuba in 1951.[8][9] The Spanish Captain-General of Cuba Arsenio Martínez Campos declared that the killing of Marti had struck the "death blow to the bandits".[10]

Following the 1950s Cuban Revolution the death of Marti entered the revolutionary calendar and was commemorated by agricultural production goals and by ceremonies.[11][12]

References

  1. ^ a b Showalter, Dennis (16 September 2013). Imperial Wars 1815–1914. Amber Books Ltd. p. 1869. ISBN 978-1-78274-125-1.
  2. ^ Niess, Frank; Mandeau, Béatrice; Fienemann, Gudrun (1990). A Hemisphere to Itself: A History of US-Latin American Relations. Zed Books. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-86232-866-5.
  3. ^ English, Adrian J. (1984). Armed Forces of Latin America: Their Histories, Development, Present Strength, and Military Potential. Jane's. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-7106-0321-0.
  4. ^ López, Alfred J. (5 October 2021). José Martí: A Revolutionary Life. University of Texas Press. p. 380. ISBN 978-1-4773-2377-9.
  5. ^ Lee, Fitzhugh (1899). Cuba's struggle against Spain, by F. Lee and J. Wheeler. p. 124.
  6. ^ Turton, Peter (1986). José Martí, Architect of Cuba's Freedom. Zed Books. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-86232-510-7.
  7. ^ Lee, Michelle (2007). Poetry Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of the Most Significant and Widely Studied Poets of World Literature. Cengage Gale. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-7876-8710-6.
  8. ^ Hendrickson Jr., Kenneth E. (2003). The Spanish–American War. Westport: Greenwood Press. p. 97. ISBN 9780313316623.
  9. ^ Gonçalves, João Felipe (2006). Font, Mauricio Augusto; Quiroz, Alfonso W. (eds.). The Cuban Republic and José Martí: Reception and Use of a National Symbol. Oxford: Lexington Books. p. 23. ISBN 9780739112250.
  10. ^ Quesada, Gonzalo de; Northrop, Henry Davenport (1896). The War in Cuba: Being a Full Account of Her Struggle for Freedom, Containing a Complete Record of Spanish Tyranny and Oppression, Scenes of Violence and Bloodshed, Daring Deeds of Cuban Heroes and Patriots, Thrilling Incidents of the Conflict, American Aid for Teh Cause of Cuba, Secret Expeditions, Inside Facts of the War, Etc., Etc. : to which is Added a Full Account of the Destruction of the Battleship "Maine" and the Report of the Naval Board, Hurried Preparations for War with Spain, Etc., Etc. p. 64.
  11. ^ United States Central Intelligence Agency (1965). Daily Report, Foreign Radio Broadcasts. p. HHHH 1.
  12. ^ Latin America Report. Executive Office of the President, Federal Broadcast Information Service, Joint Publications Research Service. 1980. p. 100.
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