Demetrio Quirós Weyler was a Spanish military officer notable for his service during the

Ten Years' War The Ten Years' War (; 1868–1878), also known as the Great War () and the War of '68, was part of Cuba's fight for independence from Spain. The uprising was led by Cuban-born planters and other wealthy natives. On 10 October 1868, sugar mil ...

in Cuba, where he later served as the governor of

Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ; ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas Province, Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-American religions, Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Mat ...

Early life

Demetrio Quirós y Weyler was born in the 19th century in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. His cousin was Spanish General

Valeriano Weyler Captain General Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau, 1st Duke of Rubí, 1st Marquess of Tenerife (17September 183820October 1930) was a Spanish Army officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor-General of the Philippines and the Gover ...

. Demetrio Quirós Weyler graduated from the Infantry School of Toledo in the mid-1850s after deciding to join the

Spanish Army The Spanish Army () is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest Standing army, active armies – dating back to the late 15th century. The Spanish Army has existed ...

. In 1856 he served as Second Commander in the 35th Infantry Regiment of Toledo's Second

Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

. On August 1, 1856, he was appointed Lieutenant colonel. By 1866 he was transferred to the island of

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

where he led the 7th Infantry Regiment of Cuba ().

Ten Years' War

He served as a

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

during Cuba's

that began in October 1868. After the uprising, Quirós was dispatched to recapture

Bayamo Bayamo is the capital city of the Granma Province of Cuba and one of the largest cities in the Oriente region. Overview The community of Bayamo lies on a plain by the Bayamo River. It is affected by the violent Bayamo wind. One of the mos ...

Battle of Baire

On October 25, 1868, he was involved in the

Battle of Pino de Baire The Battle of Pino de Baire, also known as the Primera Carga al Machete (), occurred on 25 October 1868 during the beginning of the Ten Years' War. It was the first instance of the reputable machete charge in the war that became a common mambí ...

in the eastern province of Oriente. A 700-soldier force under his command was attacked by the

mambises The mambises were the guerrilla independence soldiers who fought for the independence from Spain of the Dominican Republic in the Dominican Restoration War (1863–1865), and of Cuba in the Ten Years' War (1868–1878), Little War (1879–1880), ...

of Gen.

Donato Mármol Donato Mármol (February 14, 1843 – June 26, 1870) was a Cuban revolutionary and general who played a key role in the Ten Years' War in Cuba. Early life Donato Benjamín del Mármol y Tamayo was born in Bayamo, Spanish Cuba on February 14, 184 ...

and

Maximo Gomez Maximo or Máximo may refer to: Arts * Capcom video game series ** '' Maximo: Ghosts to Glory'' (also known as just ''Maximo'') ** '' Maximo vs. Army of Zin'', the sequel to ''Ghosts to Glory'' * Maxïmo Park, a British indie rock band * Maximu or ...

. In the face of mounting challenges, Quirós was eventually compelled to retreat to

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

, where he regrouped. In 1872 Quirós led the 4th Infantry Regiment of Nápoles. On May 5, 1873, he was appointed Military Governor of

in Cuba, succeeding

Juan Nepomuceno Burriel Juan N. Burriel (December 13, 1823December 24, 1877) was a Spanish army general who served in the Second Carlist War, Spanish-Moroccan War, and Ten Years' War. Early life Juan Nepomuceno Burriel y Linch was born in the Spanish province of Cádiz ...

.Figarola-Caneda, D. (1881). Guía oficial de la Exposición de Matanzas. Cuba: Impr. La Nacional.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quirós Weyler, Demetrio Spanish generals 19th-century Spanish military personnel People of the Ten Years' War