Major General José Marcelino Maceo Grajales, an exceptional warrior who demonstrated reckless courage and military genius during the independence struggle against Spain, fell in the combat of Loma del Gato; as a soldier he enlisted on October 11, 1868, together with his brothers Antonio and Justo, and concluded the Ten Years’ War with the rank of colonel.
He participated in the Baraguá Protest, refused to leave the country and in 1879 he rose up again in the so-called Chiquita War; in 1880 he was confined to the African prisons, from which he escaped twice: in Cadiz and Mahón; the first time he sought refuge in Gibraltar, but was returned to Spain by the British authorities and finally moved to America.
José Maceo lived in exile until his disembarkation in Duaba, Baracoa, in 1895, together with his brother Antonio; after the group dispersed due to an encounter with Spaniards, he made his way alone until he found insurgent forces in Guantánamo; on April 25 Máximo Gómez and José Martí joined his troops, who were fighting defeating the enemy; three days later he was promoted to Major General and on October 20 of that same year he assumed the military leadership of the eastern department.
On July 5, 1896 he was seriously wounded and died a few hours later at the age of 47, in Loma del Gato; according to Antonio Maceo, José, his brother Miguel and another mambí, Policarpo Pineda, known as Rustán, were the bravest men he met during the first struggle for the independence of Cuba.
José Maceo mocked death in more than 1500 combats, among them, La Indiana, La Galleta, el Jobito, Pinar Redondo, Majaguabo, San Luis, Dos Caminos, Sao del Indio, el Triunfo, Cauto Abajo, Mayarí, Arroyo Hondo, Sagua and Songo; in the first war he participated in 500 military actions and received a bullet wound for each promotion.
