Dr. Consuelo E. Stebbins’ research focuses on the 19th century Cuban emigré colony of Key West and their involvement in Cuba’s War of Independence. She is the author of Tragedy in Havana, November 27, 1871 (University Press of Florida) and Key West: City of Intrigue and Nest of Revolution (University Press of Florida). She is the recipient of numerous awards including Outstanding Leadership in International Education, the Cuban American Heritage Award, and the Outstanding Educator Award. She recently retired from the University of Central Florida as AVP Emerita and Associate Professor of Latin American Studies. Her maternal grandparents emigrated to Key West in 1886.
Diary of a Soldier
Cuba: 1895-1897
by Fermín Valdés Domínguez Translated and edited by Consuelo E. Stebbins
Diary of a Soldier
Cuba: 1895-1897
by Fermín Valdés Domínguez Translated and edited by Consuelo E. Stebbins
Published Aug 07, 2019
357 Pages
Genre: HISTORY / Caribbean & West Indies / Cuba
Book Details
Por Cuba Libre!
Por Cuba Libre was the battle cry of the Cuban Revolutionary Army as they began their campaign in February 1895 to free Cuba from the control of the Spanish colonial government. Aboard a steamship that left the Florida Keys in summer 1895, Cuban military leaders and soldiers, armed with munitions and medical supplies, sailed to Cuba to join the Cuban Liberation Army. Among the soldiers was a childhood friend of Jose Marti, Dr. Fermín Valdés Domínguez, who kept a diary throughout the war. This first English translation of his original Diario del Soldado, recounts the daily struggle for the War of Independence in Cuba from 1895-1897 when the Cuban revolutionary forces fought bravely with their machetes against the well-equipped Spanish Army. Fermín Valdés chronicled the War of Independence in Cuba while serving as the Secretary for the Military Commander, Máximo Gómez. The victories, hardships, and losses of the revolutionary army are accurately detailed in their struggle to free Cuba from colonial Spain. Long before Teddy Roosevelt arrived in Cuba and before the battle of San Juan Hill, the Cuban revolutionary army had captured almost all of eastern Cuba. Important details are revealed in this first-hand account including the death of Jose Marti and scenes depicting the brutality of the war.