Federico Fernández-Cavada (July 8, 1831July 1, 1871) was an officer in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

and a diplomat, as well as commander-in-chief of all the Cuban forces during

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

Ten Years' War The Ten Years' War ( es, Guerra de los Diez Años; 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. O ...

. Because of his artistic talents, he was assigned to the Hot Air Balloon Unit of the Union Army. From the air he sketched what he observed of enemy positions and movements. On April 19, 1862, Fernández Cavada sketched enemy positions from

Thaddeus Lowe Thaddeus Sobieski Constantine Lowe (August 20, 1832 – January 16, 1913), also known as Professor T. S. C. Lowe, was an American Civil War aeronaut, scientist and inventor, mostly self-educated in the fields of chemistry, meteorology, and a ...

's ''Constitution'' balloon during the Peninsular Campaign in Virginia. At the rank of lieutenant colonel, he was captured during the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

and sent to

Libby Prison Libby Prison was a Confederate prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In 1862 it was designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army. It gained an infamous reputation for the overcrowded and harsh conditions. Priso ...

for Union officers in Richmond, Virginia. Released in 1864, that year he published a book which told of the cruel treatment which he received in the Confederate prison.The Latino Experience in U.S. History"; publisher: Globe Pearson; pages 155-157; His brother

Adolfo Fernández Cavada Adolfo Fernández Cavada (May 17, 1832 – December 18, 1871) was a soldier and diplomat, an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War who served as captain in the Philadelphia 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, a regiment of th ...

also served as an officer in the Union Army. After the war, Fernández Cavada was appointed by the United States government as consul to Cuba. When the insurrection began against Spanish rule, he resigned his commission and joined the insurgents. His brother was also serving there and resigned his commission, joining the war. Federico was commissioned as a general. Cuban authorities eventually commissioned him as the commander-in-chief of all the Cuban forces during what became the island's

for independence.Daniel Rolph, "Cavada Brothers"
, Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Early life and education

Fernández Cavada was one of three sons born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, to Emily Howard Gatier and Isidoro Fernández Cavada. His mother was an

American citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...

and a native of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. After his father's death in 1838, Emily Gatier returned to Philadelphia with her sons. There the young widow met and married Samuel Dutton. Together, the family resided at 222 Spruce Street. Fernández Cavada received his primary and secondary education at Philadelphia's Central High School.Fernando Fernández-Cavada Collection, 1846-1976 , University of Miami Cuban Heritage Collection, By María R. Estorino, May 2001
/ref> After being certified in a training program, he later worked as a civil engineer and as a topographer in the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a condui ...

American Civil War

Upon the outbreak of the American Civil War, both Federico and his brother

joined the Philadelphia 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, a regiment of the Union Forces. Federico was transferred to the 114th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. The regiment was assigned to the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...

, which participated in such battles as the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Fredericksburg and the

Sketches

Fernández Cavada's artistic talents became evident because of his writings, sketches and paintings. Because of his artistic talents, he was assigned to the Hot Air Balloon unit of the Union Army. From the air he sketched what he observed of the enemy movements. On April 19, 1862, Fernández Cavada sketched enemy positions from Thaddeus Lowe's Constitution balloon during the Peninsula Campaign in Virginia. That year Fernández Cavada wrote a poem in which he said:

Battle of Gettysburg

On August 29, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. During the Battle of Gettysburg, a number of the regiment fell into the enemy's hands, including Fernández Cavada; he was succeeded by Major Edward R. Bowen. On July 2, 1863, the 114th Pennsylvania regiment was engaged in battle against General

William Barksdale William Barksdale (August 21, 1821 – July 3, 1863) was a lawyer, newspaper editor, US Representative, and Confederate general in the American Civil War. A staunch secessionist, he was mortally wounded during the Battle of Gettysburg while he ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

troops, known as Barksdale's Brigade, at

Peach Orchard The Peach Orchard is a Gettysburg Battlefield site at the southeast corner of the north-south Emmitsburg Road intersection with the Wheatfield Road. The orchard is demarcated on the east and south by Birney Avenue, which provides access tvario ...

near the wheat field where the bloodiest part of the Battle of Gettysburg, occurred on the second day of the encounter."The Cubans who fought at Gettysburg"; By Pedro J. Saavedra; 13 August 1997
/ref> Although Barksdale's troops were defeated, Colonel Fernández Cavada was captured and sent to

in Richmond, Virginia. He was released from prison in 1864, as part of a prisoner of war exchange between the Union and Confederate Forces. Returning to his unit, Fernández Cavada returned to his unit and continued to serve until April 1865.

"LIBBY LIFE"

Fernández Cavada published a book titled ''LIBBY LIFE: Experiences of A Prisoner of War in Richmond, Virginia, 1863-64'' (1865), recounting the cruel treatment which he and other prisoners received in the Confederate prison. The work included his drawings of the prison and life there. In the introduction of the book he wrote, in pages 19 and 20, the following:

Commander in Cuba's Ten Years' War

After the war, Fernández Cavada was appointed United States consul at

Trinidad, Cuba Trinidad () is a town in the province of Sancti Spíritus, central Cuba. Together with the nearby Valle de los Ingenios, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988, because of its historical importance as a center of the sugar trade in ...

. Fernández Cavada met and befriended General Thomas Jordan, who was chief of staff of the Cuban Liberation Army under the provincial government presided by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes. Jordan was a

United States citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...

who had served as a general in the Confederate army during the American Civil War. The friendship inspired Fernández Cavada to resign his position as consul upon the Cuban insurrection against Spanish rule, a conflict that became known as Cuba's

(1868–78). Together with his brother Adolfo, who had resigned from his appointment as consul to Cienfuegos, Federico joined the insurgents. He was named General for the District of Trinidad, commander-in-chief of the Cinco Villas. On January 5, 1869, Fernández Cavada established the "Logia Luz del Sur" (Southern Light Lodge) in Trinidad, which was used as an active recruiting center for insurgents. On April 4, 1870, Fernández Cavada was named commander-in-chief of all the Cuban forces. He became known as "General Candela" (General Fire) because of his battle tactic of burning and destroying Spanish property. Fernández Cavada wrote an article about the beauty of the Caves of Bellamar, located near the town of Matanzas in the northern coast of Cuba. The article was published in ''

Harper's New Monthly Magazine ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. (''Scientific American'' is older, b ...

'' in November 1870. He describes the Caves of Bellamar in the following way:

Death

Federico's eldest brother Emilio remained in Philadelphia, where he was an active fundraiser for the Cuban insurrection. He relayed the news which he received from his brothers to the exiled strategists and other Cuban exiles in Philadelphia and New York. The funds he raised were funneled together with arms and munitions to the insurgent forces in the island. In 1871, Fernández Cavada took charge of the military division in Camagüey and, together with fellow rebel Bernabé de Varona, planned an armed invasion on the western coast of Cuba. The Cuban Liberation Army approved a resolution to permit Fernández Cavada to travel to the United States. He intended to seek support among his military contacts for the cause of Cuban independence. He traveled to "Cayo Cruz" in the northern coast of Camagüey to wait for his transportation; but he was captured by the Spanish gunboat ''Neptuno'' in 1871 and taken to Puerto Principe. He was transferred to the town of

Nuevitas Nuevitas is a municipality and port town in the Camagüey Province of Cuba. The large bay was sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1492. History Founded in 1775, the city was moved to its present site in 1828. Before the 1977 national municipal refo ...

from Puerto Principe. Tried by the Spanish authorities, he was sentenced to die by firing squad. Generals

George Gordon Meade George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 – November 6, 1872) was a United States Army officer and civil engineer best known for decisively defeating Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. He ...

, Daniel Sickles and

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

, his military compatriots in the United States, attempted in vain to obtain his release. Fernández Cavada was executed on July 1, 1871. His last words were "Adios Cuba, para siempre" (Goodbye Cuba, forever).

Legacy

*On February 24, 1929, a monument honoring the memory of those who participated in the Ten Years' War and who were executed by Spanish firing squads was erected on Finley Avenue in the town of Nuevitas located in the Province of Camagüey. Among the men who were honored besides Fernández Cavada were Francisco Muñoz Rubalcaba, José Inclán Risco, Oscar de Céspedes and Antonio Luaces. *The Province of Cienfuegos also honored his memory. A modern medical poli-clinic named "Policlínico-Facultad "Federico Fernández Cavada" located in the section of La Horquita in Cienfuegos, was named in his honor.Fortalezas para la educación de valores en el Nuevo Programa De Formación de Médicos Latinoamericanos.
/ref>

Awards and decorations

Fernández Cavada's awards and decorations include the following: File:Civil War Campaign Medal.png,

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez Cavada, Federico 1831 births 1871 deaths People from Cienfuegos Union Army officers American Civil War prisoners of war Cuban non-fiction writers Cuban male writers Cuban soldiers American consuls People of the Ten Years' War People executed by Spain by firing squad Executed revolutionaries Executed Cuban people Executed American people 19th-century executions of American people 19th-century American diplomats Male non-fiction writers