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 The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

who served as captain in the Philadelphia 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, a regiment of the Union Forces, with his brother, Colonel Federico Fernández Cavada. He served with distinction in the Army of the Potomac in the battles of Fredericksburg and Gettysburg and was a "special aide-de-camp" to General Andrew A. Humphreys.Cavada Brothers, by Daniel Rolph. PhD, Historian & Head of Reference Services, Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
After the war, Fernández Cavada was appointed as consul in Cienfuegos, Cuba. He joined his brother, who had been in Trinidad, in the Cuban insurrection against Spanish rule and succeeded him as Commander-in-Chief of the Cinco Villas."The Civil War, 1840s-1890s"; by Roger E. Hernandez, Roger E. Hernndez; ; He was killed in action.

Early years

Fernández Cavada was one of three sons born in

Cienfuegos, Cuba Cienfuegos (), capital of Cienfuegos Province, is a city on the southern coast of Cuba. It is located about from Havana and has a population of 178,368 in 2022. Since the late 1960s, Cienfuegos has become one of Cuba's main industrial centers, e ...

to Isidoro Fernández Cavada and Emily Howard Gatier, 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 Consti ...

and native of

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. After his father's death in 1838, he moved with his mother and siblings to Philadelphia. Fernández Cavada's mother met and married Samuel Dutton and the family resided at 222 Spruce Street, Philadelphia. 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>

American Civil War

Upon the outbreak of the American Civil War, both Adolfo and his brother Federico joined the Philadelphia 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, a regiment of the Union Forces. The regiment was assigned to the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the 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 Battle of ...

. Federico was transferred to

114th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment The 114th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. They were notable for their colorful Americanized version of the Zouave uniform worn in emulation of cert ...

, while Adolfo remained with the regiment as an aide to General Andrew A. Humphreys. Adolfo participated in various battles including the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

and the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

. He was wounded during the

when his horse was shot and killed from under him.The Cubans who fought at Gettysburg; By Pedro J. Saavedra; 13 August 1997
/ref> Fernández Cavada kept a diary during the war which is considered to be one of the most vivid and articulate accounts of the Battle of Gettysburg. His eyewitness account of the famous conflict provided an expressively descriptive account of the battle. During one day of the July battle, he recorded how "The air was soon full of flying shot, shell and canister--and a groan here and there attested their affect. ...the roar of musketry and the crashing, pounding noise of guns and bursting shells was deafening..."

Cuba’s Ten Years War

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

. Fernández Cavada resigned his position upon the Cuban insurrection against Spanish rule, which became known as Cuba's Ten Years' War (1868–1878)."The Latino Experience in U.S. History"; publisher: Globe Pearson; pages 155-157; Together with his brother Federico, who had also resigned from his appointment as consul to Trinidad, he joined the Cuban insurgents in their quest for Cuba's independence. In February 1869, Fernández Cavada attacked the town of Palmira. He led his men in the battles of Altos de Potrerillo and Saltadero de Siguanea and in the attack against the Arimao armory. On November 5, 1869, the men under Fernández Cavada's command took the town of Cienfuegos and a month later Arroyo Blanco. On April 4, 1870, Fernández Cavada was named Commander-in-Chief of the Cinco Villas with the rank of Mayor General, succeeding his brother Federico, who was named Commander-in-Chief of all the Cuban forces.

Death

Adolfo's brother Federico was captured by the Spanish authorities and sentenced to die by firing squad in July 1871. On December 18, 1871, Fernández Cavada was killed in battle at the coffee estate, ''La Adelaida,'' near Santiago de Cuba.

Awards and decorations

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

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez Cavada, Adolfo 1832 births 1871 deaths People from Cienfuegos Union army officers Cuban soldiers Cuban independence activists Cuban revolutionaries Consuls for the United States People of the Ten Years' War Guerrillas killed in action