Chapter 14: Chapter 13: The Ambush in Holguin, Cuba

November 15, 1897

Somewhere near Holguin, Cuba, Kingdom of Spain

“Hernando… Juan… Next month would be December. What are your plans?”

“I would go home to my hometown and celebrate Christmas together with my wife and daughter”

“I would go to Havana and find a girl to spend with Christmas hahaha”

“Hahaha”

“Hahaha”

The Spanish Soldiers are currently on patrol duty near Holguin, Cuba. The Spanish received an intelligence report that there are a large number of smuggled weapons arriving from the United States and stashed in one of the villages around Holguin.

To capture the smuggled weapons, they deploy an entire battalion of Spanish regulars together with another battalion of mounted Spanish soldiers. The atmosphere of the entire Spanish force is relaxed for they believe that this would be an easy mission.

It is more than twelve years since the last Cuban rebellion and it is destroyed immediately. All rebel leaders and their forces are executed, rooting out the entire organization to the bud.

“Teniente coronel, we have already checked the entire village. There is nothing suspicious in this village”

“Ok Teniente. Assemble the troops we would continue to march to the next village.”

“But Teniente coronel, our men are tired of marching and checking today. We have just finished our third village and they need rest.”

“Are you questioning my command Teniente?”

“No sir”

Teniente Juaquin can only follow the command of his superior, the soldiers are already tired from the rapid marching from village to village. The men follow the pace of the mounted battalion, making them more fatigue and tired. They had just finished three villages already for only half the day.

“I know your concerns Teniente Juaquin. But the Governor General order us to finish this operation immediately.”

“Yes sir”

Teniente Coronel Jose knows the reasons behind the concern of the Teniente, but they are pressured by the colonial government in Cuba to end the operation faster. The financial and budget constraint to their operation forces them to hasten to end the ill-prepared operation. So Teniente Coronel Jose decided to hasten the troop movements to finish the operation faster without sacrificing its entire goal.

Teniente Juaquin also understands this so he somewhat agreed with Teniente Coronel Jose but he can’t completely remove the agitation in his heart. Nonetheless, his superior already finalized his decision and just steel his heart to follow the orders.

Teniente Juaquin then gathers the entire troop to continue the operation. The troops already weary from the march, they dread the further marching. It is almost noon and this time would be the hottest time of the day. Some are hungry but the officers told them that lunch would be served at the fourth village.

The troops’ morale dropped but still, they follow the orders. The troops form the marching column and formation and carry their equipment and supplies. The next village is about six miles away and they would traverse in a forest so they need to raise their vigilance.

But the officers and the troops feel that it doesn’t need to be so vigilant for the colony is already peaceful for a few years. The only violence that would occur were occasionally brigandry and theft and no brigands and outlaw would dare to fight the army, especially thousands of troops. They would be exterminated if they dare.

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It is already twenty minutes since the troops started their march towards the fourth village. The forest and bushes fill their sides which can be used to ambush their column but they believe that no one would dare to ambush a large troop column. There are also no reports of any large-scale groups and assemblies in the area that can be a threat to the Spanish colonial rule. The soldiers even though are tired, weary, and low in morale, are still confident that no one would dare to ambush them. Even the officers are not vigilant for any ambushes as they didn’t deploy any scout to provide reconnaissance and information.

Even Teniente Coronel Jose, riding on horseback, didn’t feel any worry about any ambushes. He had received information that there is a movement of smuggling weapons in the region but the amount would not be more than a hundred. There are also no militant and paramilitary groups in the region that can amass a large number of men in a short time. The rich landowners in the area are also loyalists to the Spanish rule and also the ones who provided the intel regarding the smuggled weapons.

The entire army is very relaxed and lowers their vigilance even if they’re in a place that is suitable for ambushes. Some soldiers are even singing to ease their boredom.

Only a few of the troops are vigilant and are always checking the surroundings, one of them is Teniente Juaquin who leads a small squad of mounted soldiers on the left side of the column.

He was checking towards the trees and bushes at the side of the marching column. He can’t completely remove the wariness in his heart, he senses that something bad is bound to happen. The operation was running very smoothly that it seems someone is manipulating it to entice the unsuspecting army onto something sinister.

The officer with him wants to question why Teniente Juaquin is very vigilant. No one would dare a two-thousand-strong army aside from other nations in times of war. But they were inside their own country, there is no other force that can threaten them aside from another Spanish army.

While Teniente Juaquin is checking the bushes, a large series of explosions are detonating in the middle of the marching column. Everyone was caught off guard by the bombs planted secretly on the road. Limbs and torsos are flying throughout the air as soldiers were havoc by the explosion. Cries and curses are shouted as they were hurt and killed by the explosions. The troops are shocked and question of who will dare to attack Spanish soldiers.

But their questions are answered immediately as hundreds of gunshots are heard from both sides of the jungle. Hundreds of armed men are springing from the jungle toward the stunned Spanish troops. Armed with rifles, outdated muskets, pistols, bows and arrows, swords, and some even bamboo and sharpened wooden sticks, the ambushers are ready to fight the Spanish army even though they’re ill-equipped compared to their Spanish adversaries.

The Spanish officers immediately started to reorganize their troops to fight a counter fire to the ambushers. The officers also are able to identify that the ambushers are Cubans and it seems another rebellion against the Spanish rule.

“Prepare”

“Aim”

“Fire”

The Spanish troops are able to organize immediately and started firing back against the Cuban rebels. But gaps on the line enabled the Cuban rebels to cause chaos in the Spanish ranks. Also, it seems that the Cuban forces are well-prepared and well-rested compared to the weary and tired Spanish troops.

The difference can be observed during hand-to-hand combats between the two forces. The Spanish troops are sluggish and were immediately overwhelmed by the rebels even if they are more trained and equipped. Also, some of the better-armed rebels are forming rank and file to counter the Spanish lines. It seems that they’re trained men mixed with the rebels.

This shocked Teniente Coronel Jose seeing that the rebel lines are on par with theirs and even some of their lines are collapsing. The entire battlefield has become a pandemonium. The Spanish troops are not well versed in fighting irregular warfare while the rebels seem to be trained in this kind of fight.

Some rebels even behead the Spanish troops that they killed adding chaos to the ranks of Spanish troops. Their morale is low upon seeing the gruesome sight of beheaded allies, torsos, and limbs spread across the battlefield.

Hernando, one of the Spanish soldiers sees his friend Juan missing both of his legs. Blood is spurting to his lower body, his friend is now dying in one of the craters formed after the explosion. He tries to save Juan but the botched treatment he had done didn’t do anything.

Everywhere that Hernando sees is so tragic and violent that if someone would describe the surroundings, it’s like a scene from hell. Scattered remains and blood is flowing on the battlefield. Shouting, curses, and cries of help are overwhelming the orders of the officers.

Hernando sees Maximo, another friend of his, shot by a sharpshooter in the head. The head of his friend has a hole at the center of the forehead. His friend’s brain is scattered and exposed. Seeing such a sight, Hernando vomits and he was in a daze. He remembers his family’s faces, his wife, and his daughters waiting for him for Christmas. His mind is lost due to the gruesome scene he is witnessing, he is in a trance, and everything around him seems in slow motion.

Then his surroundings turned dark. He was alone in a cold dark place. His consciousness is slowly getting weaker and weaker. The noise due to gunshots, shouting, curses, and crying for help is getting weaker as he slowly goes into the void.

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