García, Calixto (1839–1898)

Calixto García (b. 4 August 1839; d. 11 December 1898), general during Cuba's wars for independence. García rose through the ranks of the liberating army during the first Cuban war of independence, the Ten Years' War (1868–1878). Captured by the Spaniards and set free at the end of the war, García attempted to reignite the rebellion by launching what came to be known as the Little War (1878–1880). Once again taken prisoner, he was this time deported to Spain, where he lived until returning to Cuba to join the rebel uprising of 24 February 1895. García first became military chief of Oriente Province and was subsequently appointed second in command of the insurgent army. His troops rendered invaluable assistance to the U.S. expeditionary forces in the the Spanish-American War, but they were not allowed to march into Santiago de Cuba when the city was surrendered by the Spaniards in 1898. On this occasion García sent the U.S. military commander a letter of protest that is one of the high points of Cuban nationalism.

See alsoCuba: War of Independence .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

There are no good studies of Calixto García available in English. See Gerardo Castellanos García, Tierras y glorias de Oriente: Calixto García (1927), and Juan J. E. Casasús, Calixto García (el estratega), 4th ed. (1981).

Additional Bibliography

Escalante Beatón, Aníbal. Calixto García Iñiguez, su campaña en el 95. Ciudad de La Habana: Ediciones Verde Olivo, 2001.

Ferrer, Ada. Insurgent Cuba: Race, Nation, and Revolution, 1868–1898. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1998.

                                      JosÉ M. HernÁndez