Guillermo Moncada (nicknamed "Guillermón" since his childhood, due to his large size) was one of 29 Cuban generals in 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 ...

. He was born in Santiago, Cuba, on June 25, 1841. A former carpenter, he later became a black folk hero, renowned for ending the business of slavehunter Miguel Pérez Céspedes. His father, Narciso Veranes, was a freed slave and did not want his children have his name, so Guillermó took his mother's last name, Dominga Moncada. He learnt to read and write when he was a child and later turn out to be a writer. He became a carpenter, a job with which he could earn money for his living.

Activities in Revolution

Guillermo Moncada, could improve in the Cuban Revolution and fought for independence. He became a notable black officer in three wars against Spain (1868–1878, 1879–1880, 1895–1898). José Martí appointed him head of the easternmost province of the country during the preparation of the War of 1895. After giving the order for the uprising to this province, Guillermón moved to Alto Songo, where he rose at dawn on February 24. The Moncada Barracks entered history again on July 26, 1953, when the Moncada Barracks was attacked by a group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro Ruz.

Ten year war (1868-1878)

His comrades in the army called him Guillermón, for his stature and courage in battles The son of a very poor black family, he was among the first to join the insurgent ranks in 1868 and, thanks to his bravery, he rose to the rank of Brigade General of the Liberation Army. Generalissimo Máximo Gómez said about him: "He has leadership skills and great strategic ability".

Little war, prison in Spain and other actions

Despite being one of the protagonists of the events in Santiago, Cuba on August 26, 1879, where the Little War began, he did not join until four days after it attacked the La Borgita sugar mill. Calixto García, being president of the Cuban Revolutionary Committee, appointed him head of the forces of the center and south of the Oriente province, with the rank of Major General.

Tribute

In his honor, the barracks where the No. 1 Regiment of Santiago de Cuba was located, was named after him.

Death

Guillermo Moncada died in 1895 of tuberculosis in his camp in Joturito, Mucaral, municipality of

Alto Songo The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

, Santiago de Cuba after spending years in harsh Spanish prisons. The

Moncada Barracks The Moncada Barracks was a military barracks in Santiago de Cuba, named after General Guillermo Moncada, a hero of the Cuban War of Independence. On 26 July 1953, the barracks was the site of an armed attack by a small group of revolutionaries ...

and

Estadio Guillermón Moncada Estadio Guillermón Moncada is a multi-use stadium in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. It is the second largest baseball stadium in Cuba and comfortably seats 25,000 spectators. The stadium was inaugurated on February 24, 1964. It is a project of the Arc ...

were both named in his honour.

References

*Abelardo Padrón Valdez. ''Guillermón Moncada. Vida y hazañas de un general''. Editorial Letras Cubanas, 1980. 1841 births Cuban soldiers 1895 deaths People from Santiago de Cuba Carpenters People of the Cuban War of Independence People of the Ten Years' War {{Cuba-mil-bio-stub