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Havana (PL) In July 1895, the Lieutenant General of the Cuban Liberation Army, Antonio Maceo Grajales, He tried to confront the Spanish general captain, Arsenio Martinez Campos, who was operating in Oriente, a duel between the troops of which took place in Peralejo.
The infantry consisted of six hundred mambises distributed between the regiments Moncada, Baire, Jiguaní and Cambute; and the cavalry, of a little more than 200 riders, was formed by two squads of the Céspedes regiment, one of Luz de Yara and the squares of the General Staff and the. escort
in Las Vegas from Yao, Dr. José Nicolás Ferrer, who informed Maceo of the departure of Veguitas from the Spanish general's army. Immediately the Mambises mobilize and on July 13 they advance towards the Bayamo road, the city where the enemy is heading, and take up position in the region of Peralejo.
The Titan ambushes the infantry between the surrounding hills the ride; cavalry disguised in the vegetation, the general staff and the escort with Maceo ahead, occupied the center of the fearsome trap. The impedimenta was in shelter in Mount La Caoba. He also sent scouts to occupy outposts.
The Iberians advanced in two columns, one under the command of Martinez Campos with four hundred infantry and fifty cavalry and the other of eleven hundred infantry commanded by General Fidel Santocildes, chiefs with experience since the Ten Years' War.
At around 11:00, the meeting was held; Martinez Fields' column approached forced marches at Peralejo and that of Santocildes broke down in front of La Caoba, where the impedimenta was. This was oddly defended by Colonel Alfonso Goulet and his forty fencers.
These Spartans won time for the unarmed patriots to retreat, defeated by the number and exhausted the park, they fought the knife with the support of several, fell the heroic Goulet, they went dispersed.
This suicidal resistance allowed Maceo to change his tactics, as he improvised in action, under enemy conduct, and gave orders that his subordinates would fully accomplish. His first step was to send the infantry of Jesús Rabí and Quintín Banderas to the column of Santocildes
He took charge of the cavalry squadrons and repeatedly charged the Spaniards who quickly formed a defensive cadre. . The initiative was over, Santocildes' column was covered and under Cuban fire in a short time it could be considered lost.
Spaniards Martinez Campos, who had retreated in the first moments, changed direction and pbaded to help his beleaguered comrades, in an advance through closed flights that were used to alert Maceo of the intentions of the opponent, he sent half of his men to arrest them.
The battle became widespread when they joined. two Hispanic hosts. The Cubans attacked them, fighting every inch of ground with the enemy, who was forced to stay on the defensive. Although based on their number and superior firepower could withstand long hours and even escape the mambises park shortage.
Then came three squads of Cuban cavalry with Colonels Salvador Rios and Alonso Rivero, and Maceo immediately threw them at the balancing equilibrium of the battle. The Spaniards were not intimidated and manipulated towards the margin of the Mabay River.
The Titan moved after them his troop, which pressed flanks and from behind, to maintain the intense exchange of discharges with an enemy who thought to escape the siege
The Spanish troop was still very powerful, had almost twice as many fighters, but was already showing signs of exhaustion, for over six hours with a rival who surpbaded it in his strategy and possessed a higher fighting morality
. The military genius and the presence of the spirit of General Antonio had taken the enemy in a real bag of the savannah of Peralejo. Martinez Campos, instead of seeking victory using his great superiority in men and arms, simply trying to break the siege and escape, not to risk hand-to-hand combat.
The defeated Martinez Campos escapes Bayamo as the Cuban infantry could not respond, due to lack of projectiles, to enemy fire. Maceo sent the cavalry to closely monitor the opponent, but without bullets can do little. The battle of Peralejo was over.
The Cubans were victorious. The enemy fled, leaving the dead, wounded and spoils of war. Their losses amounted to more than 300, including 26 prisoners. He lost a captain, a lieutenant and General Fidel Santocildes
In the glorious day, the mambises had 118 dead among the dead and wounded, offering a city in the Revolution, that day counted with the prestige General Antonio Maceo Grajales badert his rights to the definitive independence and bring it to triumph with weapons in hand guided by the flag of the Star Solitaire
* Collaborator of Prensa Latina.
Em / rdm
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