The Battle of Ceja del Negro was a battle of the

Cuban War of Independence The Cuban War of Independence (), fought from 1895 to 1898, was the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other two being the Ten Years' War (1868–1878) and the Little War (1879–1880). The final three months ...

that took place on October 4, 1896. During the battle, the forces of all three different land armies participated: infantry, cavalry and artillery. The Cuban troops were commanded by Major Generals Antonio Maceo and

Juan Rius Rivera ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

, while the Spanish troops were led by Colonel Granados.

The Battle

The Cuban troops were lagging behind as a result of a large number of civilians that they carried with them. The fighting began around eight in the morning and lasts until around five in the afternoon when Maceo's troops are dedicated to harassing the last Spanish strongholds with the most notable stronghold being one known as El Guao, in one of the foothills of the hill known as Ceja del Negro. The Spanish forces, far superior in number and military power, did not manage to win the battle, but Colonel Granados bombarded the river pass with artillery, where the Cubans were passing, causing large numbers of casualties, especially among the civilian population with the elderly being the most affected.

Aftermath

The victory of General Maceo in Ceja del Negro caused the Captain General of the island,

Valeriano Weyler Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau, 1st Duke of Rubí, 1st Marquess of Tenerife (17 September 1838 – 20 October 1930) was a Spanish general and colonial administrator who served as the Governor-General of the Philippines and Cuba, and later as S ...

, to hasten his plans for reconcentration against the Cuban civilian population, in order to defeat the pro-independence troops, depriving them of the vital support of the peasants.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ceja del Negro Conflicts in 1896 Battles involving Spain Spanish colonial period of Cuba October 1896 events Battles involving Cuba