Our War with Spain for Cuba's FreedomWhite, Trumbull
History
Our War with Spain for Cuba's Freedom
White, Trumbull
Cuba -- History; Spain -- Foreign relations -- United States; Spanish-American War, 1898; United States -- Foreign relations -- Spain
"I thought possibly you might want something to eat," General
Maceo said, with a smile. "I have a boiled egg here and I want to
divide it with you." As he uttered these words he drew out his
machete and cut the egg straight through the center. Passing half
of it to the correspondent, he said: "Share it; it will do you
good." The newspaper man thanked the general and they ate the egg
in silence. He said afterward that the incident reminded him of
General Marion's breakfast with a British officer. He had read the
incident in Peter Parley's history of the revolution, when a
schoolboy. Marion raked a baked sweet potato out of the ashes of a
camp fire and divided it with his British guest. The officer
regretted the absence of salt, and the correspondent said he
experienced the same regret when he ate his portion of General
Maceo's egg.
After munching the egg both men sat for some time observing the
stirring scene in the valley below them. The moon had gone down,
but in the glow of the electric lights they could see that the
activity among the Spaniards was as great as ever. Suddenly Maceo
turned to the correspondent and said abruptly: "Were you asleep
when Jesus called you?"
"Oh, no," the correspondent replied, "I was not asleep; I was only
just tired--that was all."
The general looked at him searchingly and then said: "Don't worry;
it is all right. We are going through that town in a few minutes.
There may be a fierce fight, and you will need a clear head. The
egg will give you strength."
Within twenty minutes the little columns of three hundred men were
on the move. They led their horses down the hill about an hour
before daybreak, with the general in the lead. Silently and
stealthily they entered the outskirts of the town. The columns
passed two blockhouses without being observed and at the break of
day were beyond the town on the main road to Banabacoa. Meantime
the Spaniards had discovered them. The town was aroused and a
hundred and fifty Spanish cavalry headed the pursuit. The road
wound through fields of cane. A strong column of Spanish infantry
followed the cavalry. Maceo held his men in reserve and continued
his march, the Spanish troopers trailing after them like so many
wildcats.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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