Ángel Guerra Porro

Brigadier General. Fighter in all three wars of independence. He was among the first to join the forces of General Julio Grave de Peralta and distinguished himself both under his orders and under those of then-commander Belisario Grave de Peralta in the actions they carried out in Holguín territory.

His parents were Don Gregorio Guerra and Doña María de Jesús Porro. He received a rudimentary education. He learned the trade of cigar maker, which at that time was very poorly paid.

He rose up on October 14, 1868 in Guayacán del Naranjo, Holguín, together with Julio Grave de Peralta. He also served under, in that same jurisdiction, Major Generals Máximo Gómez and Calixto García. He was promoted to Captain on December 20, 1869. He was wounded in the battle of Rejondón de Báguanos on June 29, 1872, while under the orders of then-Colonel Antonio Maceo.

On July 10, 1872 he was promoted to Commander and on June 9, 1873 to Lieutenant Colonel. He distinguished himself in the battle of Santa María de Ocujal (Copo del Chato) on September 26, 1873.

On April 30, 1874 he attacked and took the settlement of El Almirante. He joined the rebels at Lagunas de Varona on April 26, 1875. On September 14, 1875 he assaulted the Spanish camp at Junucún. He supported the creation of the Independent Canton of Holguín; he accepted the Pact of Zanjón on February 10, 1878. For this reason his friendship with General Maceo became strained in the final period of the 1868 Revolution.

After the 1868 War ended he lived for some time in the town of Velasco where he had a small tobacco shop. There he conspired with a group of veterans of the previous war.

In the War of 1879 he rose up on August 27, 1879 in Holguín with the rank of Colonel. After fighting a battle in Bijarú he took Mayarí on September 14, 1879, together with Colonel Luis de Feria. He participated in the action at Lagunas Negras on December 6, 1879. He also annihilated a Spanish cavalry section at the entrance to the city of Holguín. He laid down his arms on December 23, 1879 in the field of San Joaquín de Cabezuela near Holguín.

Closely watched by the Spanish government, which considered him a very dangerous man, he had to go into exile and went to reside in Honduras and later in Santo Domingo where he placed himself under the orders of General Máximo Gómez.

He returned to Cuba with the rank of Brigadier General accompanying José Martí and Máximo Gómez in the landing on April 11, 1895 at Playita de Cajobabo in Baracoa. On May 7, 1895 he separated from Martí and Gómez to take charge of the Holguín brigade.

In San Fernando he fought under the orders of Antonio Maceo on September 25, 1895. He joined the invasion column that departed from Mangos de Baraguá on October 22, 1895. He participated in the actions at El Quirro, Boca del Toro and Siguanea, and distinguished himself in the Battle of Mal Tiempo on December 15, 1895. Two days later Maceo ordered him to provisionally take charge of the 2nd Division, 4th Corps of Las Villas. By order of Gómez he attacked the fort of Antilla on December 21, 1895.

He accompanied Maceo to the province of Havana, where on January 6, 1896 he was incorporated into the column commanded by Gómez, with whom he participated in the Shuttle Campaign in the province of Havana, leading the invading cavalry from Las Villas. On February 1, 1896 he received the mission to regroup the eastern infantry which, under the command of then-Brigadier General Quintín Banderas, had been left behind in the Trinidad region and to lead it westward. Once these troops were regrouped in the region of Sagua la Grande he encountered various difficulties in the march westward. On February 28, 1896 he was wounded in the battle of Olayita and three days later he had to fight at El Mamey (Loma Mamey).

On March 9, 1896 near the Sugar Mill of Santa Rita de Baró, Matanzas, when Generalissimo Máximo Gómez was attacked in the Algarrobo colony by forces under the command of General Prats, the brave man from Holguín fell forever.