Donato Mármol (February 14, 1843 – June 26, 1870) was a Cuban

revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...

and general who played a key role in 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 ...

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 ...

Early life

Donato Benjamín del Mármol y Tamayo was born in

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 ...

Spanish Cuba The Captaincy General of Cuba () was an administrative district of the Spanish Empire created in 1607 as part of Habsburg Spain's attempt to better defend and administer its Caribbean possessions. The reform also established captaincies general ...

on February 14, 1843. His father, a Venezuelan native and captain in 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 ...

, moved with his family 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 Donato finished his education.

Ten Years' War

Mármol was involved in early revolutionary meetings, including one led by

Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Carlos Manuel de Céspedes del Castillo (18 April 1819, Bayamo, Spanish Cuba – 27 February 1874, San Lorenzo, Spanish Cuba) was a Cuban revolutionary hero and First President of Cuba in Arms in 1868. Cespedes, who was a plantation owne ...

in September 1868, where he acted as the leader of Jiguaní. Donato Mármol and

Calixto García Calixto García y Íñiguez (August 4, 1839 – December 11, 1898) was a Cuban general in three Cuban uprisings, part of the Cuban War for Independence: the Ten Years' War, the Little War, and the War of 1895, itself sometimes called the C ...

met with friends nightly at Mármol's farm, near the town of

Holguín Holguín (, ) is a municipality-city in Cuba. After Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Camagüey, it is the List of cities in Cuba, fourth largest city in Cuba. History Before Christopher Columbus, Columbus, the Taino people settled in huts made fro ...

. Within two days of Céspedes'

Cry of Yara The Cry of Yara () was a declaration, battle cry, and uprising in eastern Cuba on 10 October 1868, initiating the Ten Years' War. The signaling of the Yara uprising occurred near Manzanillo in the eastern province of Oriente, at the sugar plan ...

on October 10, 1868, they took up arms in the war of independence against Spain. The revolutionary

uprising Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

spread rapidly throughout Eastern Cuba. Acting as the associate leader under Calixto García, Mármol led 150 men from town to town on October 13, 1868, driving the

insurrection Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

. Once they attacked the towns of Santa Rita and Baire, they seized

Jiguaní Jiguaní () is a town and municipality in the Granma Province of Cuba. It is located east of Bayamo, the provincial capital. Overview The municipality is divided into the barrios of Babiney, Baire, Bijagual, La Villa, Los Negros, Maffo, Rihit ...

, capturing the governor in the process. By October 19, 1868, his forces captured

, which then became the location of the revolutionary government. Màrmol's men seized weapons from the Spanish troops in the Bayamo

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

Battle of Pino de Baire

On October 25, 1868, he engaged in the Battle of Pino de Baire in Baire,

Oriente Province Oriente (, "East") was the easternmost province of Cuba until 1976. The term "Oriente" is still used to refer to the eastern part of the country, which currently is divided into five different provinces. The origins of Oriente lie in the 1607 di ...

. He commanded a force of

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), ...

with Gen. Maximo Gomez as his

second-in-command Second-in-command (2i/c or 2IC) is a title denoting that the holder of the title is the second-highest authority within a certain organisation. Usage In the British Army or Royal Marines, the second-in-command is the deputy commander of a unit, f ...

against the Spanish troops of Col. Demetrio Quirós Weyler, who was sent to recapture Bayamo. Quirós was eventually forced to retreat to

. The early victory was reported on October 27, 1868, for the forces of Donato Mármol at Baire. The win earned him the support of

Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans () or Black Cubans are Cubans of full or partial sub-Saharan African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba associated with this community, and the combining of native African a ...

troops and significantly enhanced the prestige of the Yara revolution. His command included nearly 4,000 poorly armed men, predominantly Black Cubans. Mármol recognized

Antonio Maceo Lt. General José Antonio de la Caridad Maceo y Grajales (June 14, 1845December 7, 1896) was a Cuban general and second-in-command of the Cuban Liberation Army, Cuban Army of Independence. Fellow Cubans gave Maceo the nickname "The Bronze Tit ...

's leadership talent early on. In the opening skirmishes against Spanish soldiers, Maceo's extraordinary courage set him apart among Mármol's men. Donato Mármol and Félix Figueredo attacked El Cobre in

in November 1868, though their effort failed. Shortly after, Gen. Mármol directed Figueredo to take control of the plaza, which had been deserted by the Spanish. In December 1868, Donato Mármol led 300 men in a planned attack on

Guantánamo Guantánamo (, , ) is a municipality and city in southeast Cuba and capital of Guantánamo Province. Guantánamo is served by the Caimanera port near the site of a U.S. naval base. The area produces sugarcane and cotton wool. These are traditi ...

, serving as

to Máximo Gómez. Mármol was tasked with advancing cautiously toward the town and holding position until Gómez's main force secured the surrounding area. When Spanish forces spotted Mármol's smaller column, they launched an assault with around 1,000 men. Despite being outnumbered, Mármol's troops held their ground in retreat, expecting reinforcements. Gómez's arrival turned the tide, and together they drove the Spaniards back to their entrenchments.

Battle of El Salado

Mármol's forces had been called from Santiago de Cuba to Bayamo in January 1869 to prevent

Blas Villate Blas Villate y de la Herra, 2nd Count of Valmaseda (February 3, 1824, in Sestao – January 8, 1882, in Madrid) was a Spanish general. He was several times governor of Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, c ...

, Count of Valmaseda's march on Bayamo. Ordered to take a strategic post at Cauto Embarcadero on the Bayamo bank of the Cauto River, 18 miles from the city, he was positioned to observe and prevent any enemy approach from Holguín, Tunas, or Manzanillo. Mármol's first line advanced on Blas Villate's position between the Salado and Cauto rivers, yet the steady and accurate Spanish

artillery fire Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and led to heavy, ...

eventually forced Mármol's men to pull back. The Cuban defeat at the Battle of El Salado on January 7, 1869, led to the burning and abandonment of Bayamo by the Cubans. Donato Mármol, badly defeated, retreated with heavy losses. After what was seen as a military error, it became apparent that the general had received specific orders from Céspedes to carry out the action intended to block the Spanish troops from entering Bayamo. Revolutionary discord peaked with Mármol's self-proclamation as

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute Power (social and political), power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a polity. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to r ...

, but Francisco Vicente Aguilera's intervention at a meeting in Tacajó on January 29, 1869, stabilized the movement. In February 1869, his men clashed with Spanish forces under commander Quirós, who marched from Santiago de Cuba.

Cuban Liberation Party

Upon Céspedes's presidency in April 1869, Mármol was assigned as a

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

in the Manuel de Quesada-led

Cuban Liberation Army The Cuban Liberation Army (), colloquially known as the Mambises, Mambí Army () was an insurgency, insurgent army which was formed in the last third of the 19th century and fought for independence from Spain and the abolitionism, abolition of ...

. After Céspedes rectified certain positions, Mármol abandoned his confrontational stance, and strict military discipline was promptly restored. Mármol led the 1st Brigade of

, part of the 2nd Division, Army of Oriente under Maj. Gen. Thomas Jordan. Command of the three brigades was held by Gen. Mármol, Gen.

Luis Marcano Luis Marcano (September 29, 1831 – May 16, 1870) was a People of the Dominican Republic, Dominican general of the pre-independence Cuban Army during the Ten Years' War. Biography

Luis Jerónimo Marcano Álvarez was born in Baní, Dominica ...

, and Gen. Julio Grave de Peralta, in that order. The Cuban general joined Gen. Jordan at

Mayarí Mayarí is a municipality and town in the Holguín Province of Cuba. History The origins of the city date back to 1757 in Spanish Cuba, when the first farms were established here by immigrant colonists. On 19 January 1879 the city became the se ...

in June 1869, bringing 1,500 men from the interior of Cuba. When Gen. Quesada arrived with 2,000 troops, he and Gen. Mármol integrated the entire Cuban contingent. Donato Mármol was referred to as the

Kilpatrick Kilpatrick is surname of Irish and Scottish origin, a variant of a name Kirkpatrick. It may refer to: People *Bill Kilpatrick, rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 1930s for Other Nationalities, and Oldham *Carl Kilpatrick, professional baske ...

of the Cuban Army in August 1869. Near Santiago de Cuba, in late March 1870, Gen. Marmol led around 1,000 men in an attack on the Las Chivas

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

, within a district pacified by Blas Villate. After capturing the engineer, he released him on the condition that he carry three letters to Santiago—addressed to F.W. Ramsden, Mrs. Ramsden, and Theodore Brooks. Mármol engaged Brigadier D. Carlos Deteure near Santiago de Cuba at Ramanganaque around May 4, 1870, during which his men wounded both Deteure and the artillery captain, Francisco Herrera. Stationed at the gates of Santiago de Cuba in late May 1870 under Vicente García González, Mármol coordinated with Máximo Gómez, who controlled the Iguani road. Blas Villate's forces, having lost 400 men and severed from Manzanillo, faced either a forced passage or surrender at discretion.

Death

Donato Mármol died from cerebral fever on June 26, 1870, in the

Baraguá Baraguá () is a municipality and town in the Ciego de Ávila Province of Cuba. Its administrative seat is located in the town of Gaspar. Geography The municipality occupies the south-eastern part of the province, and the area is dominated by ma ...

camp and was buried at the San Felipe Estate near the Cauto River in

Palma Soriano Palma Soriano is a Cuban city and municipality in the Santiago de Cuba Province. With a population of 119,740 in the city proper, it is the second-largest in the province and List of cities in Cuba, the 16th-largest in Cuba. History The city was ...

. Following his death, Mármol's command in the Cuban Liberation Army was taken over by Gen.

Máximo Gómez Máximo Gómez y Báez (November 18, 1836 – June 17, 1905) was a general of Dominican origin in the Cuban Wars of Independence (1868-78 and 1895–98). He was known for his controversial Scorched earth tactics, which entailed dynamiting pa ...

.Griñán Peralta, L. (1954). Maceo, análisis caracterológico. Cuba: Editorial Sánchez.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marmol, Donato 1843 births 1870 deaths Cuban generals 19th-century Cuban military personnel Cuban independence activists Cuban revolutionaries People of the Ten Years' War People from Bayamo Cuban Freemasons